PLEASE READ!!

First, thanks for reading my blog!

Second, I meant to blog on Friday but got behind. This weekend was SO eventful that I had to blog about each day. 

So when reading, don't miss out on my trip to Robben Island. 

I hope you guys enjoy! I can barely believe this is my real life right now! 

For those who I was able to talk to on skype Saturday, it was amazing talking to yall! 

I love and miss everyone back home! 

I only have two weeks left already, so I will try to live out these next 14 days out like the first 14--incredibly. 

Enjoy! Email me if you have any questions or suggestions! 

Looking Into the Eyes of a Man-eater: CAGE DIVING WITH GREAT WHITES!

Sunday was THE BIG DAY: Cage diving with GREAT WHITE SHARKS!!!!!!!!!

Our group left at 5:30am on a 2 hour trip to Gansbaai, the world’s best cage diving site!

Around 7am someone walking in the isle knocked my leg and woke me up, but I’m glad I was because I saw the most beautiful sunrise of my entire life. I didn’t bring my camera, but don’t worry, I will steal everyone’s photos when I can.

Rolling hills leading up to tall jagged mountains were a beautiful site against the soft, flowing clouds completely covering the sky. The sky was this creamy orangey color, making the air seem orange. Then suddenly turned lemon yellow after a curve. I only wish you could have seen this site. Something I will never forget.

We finally made it to the office and were treated to a quick breakfast. We jumped on the boat and took off. Our instructor advised us on the ins and outs of cage diving. We were diving in Shark Alley!!! Where the great white sharks feed on seals going to and from the ocean to SEAL ISLAND!!!

As soon as we anchored the boat, we weren’t alone anymore. These were some BIG suckas!!!

Chum was all around the boat and the cage was down. We suited up. I was quick to get ready so the captain with missing teeth chose me to go down first!!!!!!

I was SOOO excited. I was not even nervous. So, one foot at a time, I lowered myself into the freezing, shark infested waters!!!

I was on the end so I had about 180 degrees view of my surroundings. It was sooooo awesome! My adrenaline was going full blast! I didn’t even notice how cold the water was after my initial entry.

They put a weight around my shoulder to help me submerse myself when a shark came by.

I was in the water for about 30 seconds and they yelled at me to do “DOWN!” A shark passed to my right. It was so quiet; it almost wasn’t real. I thought to myself, “I just swam by a freaking shark.”

The four other girls finally got in the cage, and they closed the lid and threw out the bait. We had at one time 3 sharks in view circling us! There were a total 5 different sharks that we had seen.

I was most scared when one came from below us up to the surface. Just the thought that I could not predict its approach freaked me out.

After a few passings, a shark came DIRECTLY head on towards the cage!!! It turned left RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! I was about 2 feet from its insanely toothy jaws. I even saw the white under its jaws and its nostrils! AGH!

But the best thing that happened when I was in the cage was immediately after we had just come up from a passing and the guys yelled, “DOWN!!! DOWN, DOWN NOW!!!” A shark suddenly appeared at my right. It happened so quick.

When sharks attack, they momentarily pause then thrust their tales to shoot themselves as fast as possible towards their prey. Well this shark came right on the side of me and when he thrusted his tail fin, it actually came into the viewing area (which is a open area with no bars to not obstruct your view). 

I felt something knock me on the top of my head. I was in disbelief. We came up for air. The girl on the side of me and I came out screaming. We looked at each other, eyes wide wide open and asked each other at the same time, “Did you just get hit??????”

I got knocked on the head by a great white shark’s tail fin!!!! It was awesome!!

We had a few more passings and unfortunately had to get out L

We peeled the wet suits off and went watch the rest of the show from the top of the boat. 

Not once, not three times—SIX times did the sharks JUMP out of the water!!!!! It was intense!!!!

The waves began to get rough so we headed in an hour early because a second group still had to go. I didn’t complain because the waves were so choppy and rocking the boat back and forth.

We made it to shore and changed rotation with the second group. We were fed lunch with beer and wine! While enjoying our lunch, they showed us our video of action from the day. Then Cristo took us to a cave. The choppy rocks against the crystal clear water made a spectacular view. I think I might look into summer homes here! I wish!

After we packed up the bus and headed home. Today was truly an amazing day. I am still sitting him in amazement over what had transpired. Sharks are magnificent creatures, and I have a whole new outlook towards them.

If ever given the chance, I highly, highly recommend cage diving! It’s an adrenaline junky’s dream.

Tomorrow is our last day at the township. On Tuesday, the Springboks head out to adventure week. So I might get behind again on blogging. Check for updates. Have a great week!

Love always,

Melissa 

Penguins, Baboons, and the Most Beautiful View in the World

Saturday morning we woke up to another beautiful African morning ready for the adventure that was to come. Today, we were going to Cape Point, where the Indian and Atlantic collide at one of Africa’s southern most points.

We eagerly got on the bus and drove about an hour south to Simon’s Town—a very beautiful, quaint boating town. But what stands out about this place: it’s home to penguins!!!!!!!!!!

We visited the adorable little creatures at the perfect time! Their babies were growing up! Most were still the fluffy little gray balls of cuteness!! Seeing these cute buggers was worth the fowl smell! Enjoy my two favorite pictures of them:

After seeing the penguins, we had a delicious lunch on the pier overlooking the bay. The mountains are so majestic! On my way out I was just browsing at a street vendors stand when a vendor begged me to buy anything for any price. I felt so bad, but I only had R5 (5 rand<$1, like 80cents) and a US quarter. She accepted and gave me salad mixers. How can such a beautiful place host such poverty?

We left Simon’s Town and were headed towards Cape Point! That is until we were stopped in traffic… the local baboons thought it would be fun to layout on the road despite heavy traffic! The baboons were definitely the most entertaining animals of the day. One even tried climbing on a car in front of our bus!

Somehow after driving through the beautiful terrain (African foliage is so unique) and driving along the beautiful coast, we made it to the Cape of Good Hope.

We immediately began adventuring. Our group went past every other group there to take a picture on the rocks. Best part: there was a HUGE Asian group there at the same time, and they began taking pictures of us then WITH us! So we started doing smiley peace signs while posing with them one by one! It was sooo funny!

Graham, AK and I decided we wanted to go even further to the place where seemed to be the end. We scaled the side of the cliff to where the waves were crashing against the rocks. What a sight! What a feeling! Looking out to where the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans collided!

I was contempt where I was, but a few guys kept going and wanted a camera so I let them borrow mine. What a beautiful sight they saw! The cliffs extended way further and they saw a bunch of caves. Here’s a pic:

Funny story: I had just taken a picture and was by the edge talking to the people a few feet from me when I heard a MASSIVE whomp and saw the people’s faces I was talking to drop. Suddenly I WAS DRENCHED from head to toe by a super massive wave!!! I had just got slammed by two oceans!!!! It was awesome!!!  But I was the only person soaked on the bus for the remainder of the trip! Haha

We were summoned back to the bus. I was so sad to leave the beauty of the Cape of Good Hope, and I can only wish to return to it one day again. I have NEVER seen anything as beautiful in my life. I felt so alive smelling the sweet salty fresh air of the two oceans.

Another funny story: While I was adventuring dangerously on the cliff, several people back on the bus got the best entertainment of the day. The watched a baboon charge a car with an open window, jump on a sleeping Asian man, steal his crackers, and enjoy them from within his car!!! They said it was hilarious.

We got on the bus and headed about 10 minutes further to Cape Point. The first thing I saw when I got off the bus was a family of baboons sitting in front a baboon warning sign. Oh the irony.

We hiked up the hill to see such an amazing spectacle. The soft misty mountains in the background, the clear as day aquamarine blue water beneath, and the breathtaking cliffs around us stole my heart. I never wanted to leave. Do you blame me?

But we did have to, and on my way down I bought a soda from the cashier. She specifically warned me because it was the baboons favorite treat so I should hide it. I thought nothing of it until a baboon approached our bus and grabbed my friend Samantha’s butt while trying to steal her candy bar! She didn’t even see it coming!

We had a good laugh then headed back to Cape Town.

What a day! What a view! What a life!

This trip only keeps getting better. Africa never ceases to amaze me.

Love Always,

Melissa

Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom: A Visit to Robben Island

Woke up to the wonderful breakfast they serve us everyday (sarcasm). But I was super excited for the day because we were heading to Robben Island—the place where Nelson Mandela spent almost his entire prison sentence. 

A woman, Nomhle Canca (it’s pronounced with two clicks: nohm-cla), spoke to us about her grandfather Albert Luthili, the first black African to win the Nobel Peace Prize and was the president of the African National Congress for 30 years. She told us her view of democracy in South Africa and her struggle finding her place in the system.

We soon moved to the busses and headed toward the V&A Waterfront. Upon arrival, we hopped on the boat at the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island and made our way to the prison island. As soon as we left dock, we saw our first seal swimming around the boat! It was a quick boat ride, and we found ourselves on the island walking the same entrance that so many political prisoners had done only 20 years before.

We were greeted by a short, elderly Indian Man, who was so excited to see the 104 of us. This man was Ahmed Kathrada—Nelson Mandela’s prison mate for 20 years. He was also 1 of the 8 that were convicted alongside Mr. Mandela for conspiracy against the government. It was truly an honor to be in his presence. He had cancelled a dinner and flew in from Johannesburg to give our group a tour!

We walked through the initial archway and immediately into the prison. Mr. Katrhrada first showed us Mr. Mandela’s cell. It was so small; I don’t even know what to properly compare it too. We walked down the hallway they walked every morning for 20+ years to the cafeteria. We then heard Mr. Kathrada speak about his experiences. 

It was chilling. He spoke of being in exile, of the trials, of the day-to-day life, of Apartheid, of his release, and of his relationship with Mr. Mandela. He then took questions, and I eagerly asked him the first of many to come.

I asked him, “How did it feel to return to the island for the first time as a free man.” He grew silent and tears were in his eyes. The initial trip back was “terrifying” for him, as I could never imagine the pain of remembering the long years. But he said the main motive that kept them going was knowing that Robben Island was the only political prison where the police were not allowed to torture the prisoners to death. 

But mental attacks were a different story. These men, especially Mr. Mandela, never saw their children grow because no one under 16 is allowed on the island. When family members died, like Mr. Mandela’s mother and son, their request to attend the funeral was normally rejected. The mental anguish these men faced is something that should have broken a person, but they kept fighting for what they believed in—equality and freedom.

I really can't explain how amazing of a trip it was and believe it was one of the most moving experiences of my life. Walking the same paths as the political prisoners was an eerie, surreal feeling. The island was actually beautiful, but I could only think of the terrible oppression that occurred everyday there for so long.

We left Robben Island and returned to the mainland. It was a beautiful day and I had just walked the same halls as the most important South African and world human rights activist in history to date.

Friday was also my roommate’s 21^st birthday on the 21^st! So we just HAD to celebrate. We went get changed and returned to the waterfront to eat at Balducci’s restaurant, where the cocktails were amazing! The hostess overheard us talking about the bar we wanted to go to. She told us she only goes there and only needed to take off her pants after work. We were so confused but had a good laugh because she forgot to mention until after we laughed that she was wearing a dress tucked in!

 We then headed to Tiger Tiger nightclub. The age requirement was 21 even though the drinking age is 18. Well I am 21, my roommate was now 21, but the rest were not. But I didn’t have any form of identification on me. The bouncer asked us for our date of births, and the funny thing was that everyone said they were born in ’89 except the smallest girl in our group who said she was born in ’87. It’s pretty clear she isn’t 23 years old, but the bouncer let us in anyways.

This club was amazing! When we arrived, we ordered a round of shots and it just so happens that it was 2 for 1. So we ended up taking 4 shots each of jager and vodka. Yum. The dj even began passing out bottles of champagne to the crowd! This place was crazy, and I can’t wait to go back.

Fun fact: the bars in South Africa don’t have a set time for when they close. So we had arrived at 10pm and decided to finally leave around 3:30am! But when we called the cab that drives us everywhere including the bar we went to, they refused to come pick up us! We were almost panicking and had to call our program director at 3:30am. But don’t worry, we got everything settled and made it back to the hotel alright thanks to the American boys we met at the club.

This was only the beginning of my weekend! 

My Extreme Adventures of Week Two!

As soon as our bus got back to our apartments from petting cheetahs, I found out that I had to be up Sunday morning for surfing lessons followed by our champagne sunset cruise.

I was hesitant a first for signing up for surfing lessons, but Sunday morning at 11:30, seven others and myself hit the beach west of Cape Town to ride the waves. It was my first time wearing a wet suit… not so flattering lol. The worse part is not the first steps getting into the water; it’s when you get so deep in the water that it rushes down the back of your wet suit because you finally got deep enough in for it to go down the top of your wet suit. Talk about a wake up call!

As some of you might knew me well enough to know that I am a klutz, I had no problem catching the waves or even trying to get up. My problem was staying up on the board longer than 3 seconds. But a few times I succeeded triumphantly! It was such a rush!

After peeling off the wet suit after the 2-hour session, we made our way back to Laguna Beach (the nickname of our Lagoon Beach Apartments). We only had 45 minutes to get ready for the champagne sunset cruise (aka booze cruise). Surprisingly, I was one of the first females downstairs and ready!

The sunset over the water was amazing!!! The view was just perfect! The waves a bit not… several people got seasick, but luckily, my sea legs stood strong!

With 90+ American college students, it wasn’t a surprise the champagne didn’t last, but the views and the memories for the Sea Princess will. The waterfront is such a sight!

FYI: We had a group dinner that night immediately following the booze cruise. Well, one of my roommates got a little bit too drunk on the cruise, and embarrassing enough, she threw up on herself at dinner! Poor sweetheart! But don’t worry; we took care of the darling. She’s feeling better now. I’m just glad it wasn’t me J

Monday following class, several other students and I headed to the local desert. FYI: It’s the second smallest desert in the world. It was my first time in a desert.

The group split up, and I started off “quading” (aka 4-wheeling) throughout the dunes for about an hour. The view was so wonderful! We could see so many dunes, not a cloud in the sky, and beautiful Table Mountain in the background. We switched with the other group and took on sand boarding the dunes. IT WAS AWESOME! Minus the trek back up the dune! For some reason, my large heiny loved finding the ground at the end of just about every run. But sand boarding was one of the coolest outdoor activities I have ever done.

So Cristo, our adventure guide/helper/whatever you’d call him, abandoned our 4-girl group for the second time on the top of a dune for some reason. We decided to chill because it was a pain in the butt re-waxing the board ever other run, when all of a sudden, we noticed huge, massive clouds rolling in our way really, really fast. So we sat on top the highest dune we could make it to and watched as the white clouds gently but quickly rolled in all around us. First the sun disappeared in the sky, and then we couldn’t even see the dune right next to us. The coolest thing about the desert is the beautiful silence and the serene view. So, 4 girls, alone, engulfed in clouds, we took the moment in silence. It was beautiful. I have no other way of describing that moment with the 3 other girls, but I will never forget it.

The rest of the group somehow reappeared and we sand boarded for about another hour. Then after deciding sand was thoroughly enough in every crease of our bodies, we were ready to head home. I must have had enough sand on me when I got back to fill a sandbag.

My body was sore, and I haven’t had as many bruises on me since high school basketball, but it was worth every minute of the experience.

However, the real physical challenge was yet to come.

In one of the classes I am taking, we have had two lectures: the power of living and the power of giving. The third class is the power of wow. So the instructor contemplating what’s the “wowest” thing to do, decided we should hike Table Mountain at sunrise and have our lecture at the top of the mountain.

So, Wednesday, 6:00am, 104 students line up in the lobby, backpacks and water ready for this mountain of a task.

We run into some logistical trouble and catch the sunrise as our busses finally roll up to the trail, but nonetheless, the site was breathtaking.

We begin at 8:12am. Within the first 2 minutes my legs are burning like crazy; the steps on the trail were extra large. I don’t know how else to describe this hike other than a death march; it was brutal. But every time I took a break, I snapped a beautiful photo of the landscape. The higher we got, the less city we could see and the more the outline of the land began to show. My friend Helen and I kept pushing each other to the next boulder, to the next zig, so close to the top.

(Yea, that's what the trail was like THE ENTIRE TIME!!)

Typically, it takes people on average 2-2.5 hours to climb the mountain. At 9:40am, I reached the top! As you can see, that is less than two hours.

Immediately reaching the top, the brutal hike was one of the most rewarding things I have done physically in a long time. The view was indescribable.

(Why yes, I do know that I look like a Bad A$$.)

Got everything settled, more water, sat down, etc. Turns out our class lasted about 2 minutes long and the objective of the day was to create a bucket list. So, I found my own boulder out looking over the city and decided what I wanted to do before I kicked the bucket. It was a beautiful moment. 

Please, be jealous.

Needless to say, I was exhausted by noon and took a nap when possible. 

But I survived. I worked hard, and I climbed a mountain!

Love always,

Melissa

A Beautiful Day for Vineyard Tours and Cheetah Petting

My first Saturday in Cape Town and boy was it eventful! Today was one of the most beautiful days in weather history (in my reconciliation lol).

First up, we left our apartments late this morning to head towards vineyard country: Franschhoek. We traveled a little over an hour to reach this quaint town with spanish style villas spread all over the vineyard countryside. It was just beautiful! Our vineyard, Haut Espoir (French for High Hopes), was at the very end of the road... and up a very steep hill. But the views were breathtaking. The owners showed us the land and gave us history on the names of the land, the soil, the troubles they are encountering and much more. After spending about 20 minutes in the land, we soon rushed to the store house! Our first bottle was a special white wine that was crisp and sweet. Then we headed into where they store the barrels of wine for years and drank red wine straight from the barrel! It was so delicious! They explained how to properly taste, how to tell if a wine is good, how to pull from the barrel... the ins and outs. It was so cool! They guy, Nikki, who is the owner and his signatures are on all the bottles, was a bit hard to understand, but he worked in California for a while so his whole life has revolved around wine making!

Well on our way out how could I pass up buying the cheap wine? So of course I bought 6 bottles of wine! But they are not for myself! It's for family and friends back home to have a taste of beautiful South Africa.

Here is a few pictures from the vineyard:

So, not unlike me, I had not eaten breakfast before drinking that wine (6 glasses to be exact) so we went into the cute little town to enjoy a quick lunch. Several of my friends and I ate at a small French bistro... yum! We hopped back on the bus a headed to Spier resort, which turned out to be awesome! 

At Spier, there was a cheetah conservation with 16 cheetahs total! They were amazingly gorgeous!!! And for R100 (about $13.00) you could pet one yourself!!! and all the money goes towards the conservation. So without hesitation, I jumped right in! My beautiful cheetah's name was Choebi. He is a young male (about 11 months old) and will be going to American next year to a zoo! How exciting! He purred so loudly when I rubbed his back! His fur was sooooo soft as well! 

Here are a few pictures of my cheesing it up with Choebi and the other beautiful cats:

All in all, my first Saturday was phenomenal! This whole trip keeps getting better! 

Tomorrow (Sunday), I will be taking surfing lessons and then take a champagne sunset cruise! 

Have a great weekend! 

Love and Miss you all! 

Melissa

First Week... Already Life Changing

My first 5 full days in Cape Town have already flown by and my life has already been shaken to the core. 

On Monday, we had orientation to the program and to Cape Town. 104 students in a crowded room, still jet-lagged was pretty interesting at like 9:00am. Following the 2 hour orientation, we had a whirlwind tour of the city. The weather wasn't the best for us, but the sites were still beautiful. My pictures will be uploaded to my photobucket, which I will put the link up when they are ready for your viewing pleasure. Believe me... they will be a pleasure! The sites are beautiful! 

On Tuesday, our class was titled "Power of Living."We watched a movie called "Darius Goes West" which is about a boy who has Muscular Dystrophy. He had never left his county before in his life, and him and 12 of his friends take a bus to Los Angeles to try to get MTV to pimp his wheelchair. It's awesome, very awe-inspiring and will change your life. Speaking of changing your life....

Not more than 10 minutes following that video, Garret, one of the creators of Global LEAD, stood up and told us to pack spare clothing and our toothbrush because we were going to spend the night in a South African township. A little fyi about townships: they are South African slums and most of the people that live in these townships live off less than $1 a day. So it was our turn to experience life off $1 a day. 

My first thought: hell yes. My second thought: holy crap. I was so nervous but more excited than anything. So we traveled 45 minutes away to land ourselves in Sir Lowery's Pass. My host mother, Ms. Hannie, greeted my group as soon as we hopped off the bus with a big hug. She is such a wonderful woman and I am so lucky as to ever have met her!

My host family consisted of 5 children (we only met 4 because the oldest lives with the grandmother) and two parents. Nicolas, 19, is studying civil engineering in college; Ree-Anne, 17, is in her 12th year at Gorden High School (she is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen in my life); Clayton, 14, is a soon to be rugby star in high school; and little Miss Nicole, 9, is one of the most amazing girls in the world. Nicole was shy, and at first, we thought she was a boy (oops). But when she opened herself up, she is so funny, so sweet, and so wonderful. 

We were shown their comfy house, then taken to Ms. Hannie's mother's house where we played in the street with about 60-70 children until nightfall. Returning to the house, Mr. Nikki (the father) returned home from work at the library. We had a special meal of spaghetti mixed with rice made by Ms. Hannie. The family then sat around and we laughed and learned some Afrikaans (their language) until we were so tired and all fell asleep. Our family offered their beds for us to sleep in, but we refused and the 5 of us (Allie, AK, Megan, Andrew, and myself) all slept in the living room. I slept very well and woke up with the kids the next morning as they got ready for school. 

On Thursday we returned, but it was our day of service. We set up shop at the library where Mr. Nikki works. I painted spiderman, flower, and butterfly faces for a while, then turned to helping children make bead bracelets. When the arts and crafts area closed up shop (the nailpolish station was the hit of the day) we moved outside where a little girls named Victoria showed me some African handclap games. Children played soccer and rugby around the block. I kid you not when there was well over 100 kids playing with our group. Truly a rewarding experience. 

And today (Friday) we returned after a morning of class with the assignment of us cooking an American meal for them. Well, on the first night, Mr. Nikki told us he wanted "juicy American burger." And that is exactly what he got! I never ate a burger so big! Andrew and I made them extra large! AK worked on fries and melting marshmallows for rice crispy treats, and Megan was all over the salad. BEST BURGERS OF MY LIFE. 

Eating with the family and seeing how grateful they were for burgers and fries brought so much joy to my life. We also bought them toilet paper, a can opener, toothpaste, notebooks, pencil cases, etc. and they were so thankful for what we gave them. All they said was, "You are spoiling us." And I knew in my heart, they deserved more, which made every penny we gave worthwhile. 

We have one more visit with the family in a week and I cannot wait to see them already. Leaving was so sad, we were having such a great time with one another. I will miss the family this next week. Though the other half of the group went on adventure week this week, I think it was a blessing that this week was my service week. 

A few things I learned while at Sir Lowery's township:

1. These people laugh more, love more, and live more than any one person I know in the US of A. It truly was life awaking seeing how these people live, how much they laugh, and most importantly, how much they love. Yes, they may be poor to you, but these are the richest people I know. They barely have things to call their own, but they have more than that, they have love in their hearts and friends and family by their sides. 
2. They do not want your pity, they want another friend. They did not want to tell us sob stories about all they could afford. They wanted a listener to hear their passions in life. When I took notice of Ms. Hannie's plants, she lit up and told me how to speak to the plants every day. Or how some of the children never have anyone to play with and being their to light up there day was one of the most rewarding experiences.
3. Life is not something to wait for tomorrow for. Today is the day to start living and to live in the moment. The right now! 
4. I learned what the word community truly means. It's not those fancy suburbs with the fancy houses. It's when a child wanders into a house and the mother makes sure that child is taken care of (even is she has no idea the child's name). There were soup kitchens everyday in the community. And my family fed about 15 people the night they had fed us. They took care of one another regardless of... anything. 
5. Women are the strongest human beings. Do not dare argue this with me. What I saw 15 miraculous women do in 3 days, you cannot convince me otherwise. These women gave EVERYTHING they have for everyone else. Do you do that? Do you give all your money, all your time, all your heart everyday to make others' lives better regardless of how small or large? The women in these communities are what is keeping them alive. 

Yes, I learned much much more, but for now, this is plenty I am sure. 

If you haven't heard, I was sick for a few days, but feel up to pace again. I will try to blog more frequently so that they are not as lengthy. I hope you enjoy my stories. I have so much more to add to these, but honestly, I hate blogging. So enjoy what you get! 

Oh! By the way, on Wednesday a large group of ladies went eat at Mama Afrikas, a famous african restaurant where I tried OSTRICH for the first time.... it was delicious! A must when making it to CT! We had a great night out and met alot of people. But this week was all about the service! 

(FYI that's me on the beach watching the sun set over Table Mountain.)

Love and miss you all! 

Melissa

NYC in a New York Minute, Standing on top the world in Dubai, and Reaching Cape Town, the End of Africa

First, I would like to do is thank Sarah Ashey and Ross Adams for being such wonderful tour guides! I couldn't have had a better time in NYC or Dubai without yall!

Second, to my family: I made it to Cape Town safely and with all my luggage in toe! 

So now to what went down on my crazy 4 days of travel.

New York City:

When I first landing in NYC, I saw the skyline for the first time from the air at night: breathtaking! The lights of NYC are something in their own! I made my way to Sarah's dorm after waiting in an extremely long line for a taxi. I was hungry for dinner and Sarah took me around the corner to a some 24 hour diner. Well the Chef's burger was one of the most delicious burgers I have ever had! Following dinner, we walked a few blocks to the Brooklyn Bridge! Being on it for the first time was such a cool experience and brought a few movies to life! 

Getting back to Sarah's dorm, we bought a few 40s and had a fun night in her friend Manny's awesome room with a beautiful view of the city! The kids of PACE are pretty cool! 

The next morning, we woke up early, ate a quick breakfast at a small dinner (with homemade orange juice! yum!). I seriously cannot believe everything we did IN ONE DAY! It is seriously ridiculous! We kept looking at our watches in disbelief! But here's the things we did in this order:

Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge (saw a film crew!) to my first steps on Manhattan! Walked to Ground Zero, saw the plans for the new Freedom Tower. Took a New York subway to Central Park. Spent a while adventuring thru there. Came out by Columbus Circle, walked through the Theater District to Time Square. As we were sitting on the TCKTs (I think) sitting area watching some model posing for a photographer right in front of us, Sarah made a comment on how man cops on horses there were. Turns out they found a cooler in Time Square that they thought had a bomb in it and kicked us out of the square. It was crazy. 

So after being evacuated from time square, we stopped to grab a bite to eat in a New York pizzeria. I even folded it like the locals do.. which added to its deliciousness! 

After lunch, we went to the Empire State Building. When I reached the top, I had no idea it would be so quiet! But it was, and I think it added to the serenity of the breathtaking views. Seeing the city from the top helped me really grasp how big it really is, but how small it is too (lots of people on a small island). 

After ESB, we made out way to another subway station and went down to see Lady Liberty. As we got there, we saw the sculpture that used to sit in one of the twin towers' lobby and were entertained by street performers and boats that shook at an alarming rate as people were getting off. We ate ice cream on benches and peered out to the Statue of Liberty. 

Our last stop of the day (because we were exhausted and had walked like 70 blocks.. no joke) was to Wall Street where I saw the NY Stock Exchange bldg, where President George Washington took his first oath of office, and then down to 'grab the bull by the horns'. Funniest thing was old ladies grabbing its balls!

We jumped back on a train to Brooklyn, ate some Chinese, grabbed my stuff, and headed to the airport. Can you believe we did this all in one day??? I can't either! 

So at the airport, the lines were long, and when I was able to finally sit down to wait for my flight, I couldn't call my mom or boyfriend to say my last goodbye to them and America. But after an hour of trying, I got in touch with them! I miss them so much already!

Now on to the flight:

The flight was a highlight of the trip... What?? YES the flight was awesome as well! The 15 hours to Dubai from NYC flew by! What made my flight so special was this boy and his father:

This man is from Bangladesh and lives in Michigan. His son has downs syndrome. But every time he looked out the window, he kept saying "Bangladesh??!!" in hopes he was at his father's home country for the first time. I helped him find a new love for Cars and Chicken Little on the in-flight movies because his father "wasn't understanding it" as he said! At the very end, I switched seats with him so he could see Dubai as we landed in, and seeing him enjoy the lights made the experience better than seeing it out the window myself a hundred times in first class! It was truly a rewarding experience!

Dubai:
I found a new love in life, and that is Dubai! The people were so wonderful, everyone spoke English, and were so interested in my travels! Everyone... EVERYONE from the airport to my hotel were just amazing and diverse! I did not meet two people from the same country! The workers are from all over! So back to story time, I was a bit nervous that my hotel would be sketch, but it was quite the opposite! The men at the front desk made sure to take care of me! They gave me what they called "my princess room," which it was! It was on the top floor FACING THE PERSIAN GULF!!!! with a king sized bed and a plasma tv WHAT WHAT?!?!?! It was truly awesome! Here are some views from my room at night and in the morning:

So after I threw my things down, I went to the bell hop and got a taxi to take me meet Ross at the Dubai Mall. A few things to note about Dubai: it has the world's largest mall next to the world's largest fountains on the side of the world's largest building. Let me say that as we ate dinner right where the fountain show was, it was surreal to be seeing such a spectacular show next to the Burj Khalifah (tallest building in the world). Dinner and the show was great! Ross and Brenton (I hope I spelt that right) were great host! We talked about the culture and the city and their experiences, then I gave them an update on the US. It was truly a good time! After dinner, I was zipped up 126 floors to the observation deck of the Burj Kalifah (which isn't event the top!) They do everything big in Dubai! Even the way to the top was extravagant! Here's my favorite photo from the deck and of the Burj: 

And we thought New York was big! After I came back down from the top of the world, Ross and Brenton brought me back to my hotel. I took a shower and crashed out watching arabic music videos. I woke up around 5 the next morning. When I went to check out, the guys at the front desk asked me if I enjoyed my mini-bar, which I had not, but it was funny because they constantly had reminded me I had it the night before! On my way to the airport, I only wished I had more time to spend in Dubai! So maybe my next worldly adventure will be there? Who knows, but I'd say it's a MUST visit place. Here's an aerial view from take off the next day:

It was a bit foggy, but you can still see how much the Burj Kalifah towers the rest of the city! Oh Dubai, I will be back for you one day! 

My flight to Cape Town:

It was not as awesome as from NYC to Dubai, it was 9 more hours on a plane, and something that should be noted occurred. So there were two young French backpacking boys sitting next to me. After several hours of sitting and drinking water to stay hydrated, I had to pee... really badly. Well the French boys didn't get up for me to get out so I had to straddle out over these tall, lanky boys. On my way back into the seat, I was doing the same routine when my rather large heiny caught and broke one of the French boy's USB drive that was inserted into the headrest of the seat in front of him. They began speaking furiously to one another in French for about 20 minutes, I apologized about 100 times, but that was it... they HATED me. Needless to say, the last 5 hours of the flight were quite awkward and I felt bad, but I don't anymore. French boys are rude so there. HA.

Arriving in Cape Town:

The weather was dreary and rainy. The airport was small (leaving me to question what will happen in a month for the World Cup with the influx of people). It took me about 30 minutes to go through passport control. Finally, I grabbed my luggage and found my driver. We discussed futbol and rugby on our way to my apartment. Turns out next weekend is the biggest rugby match in the country taking place in Cape Town! I can't wait. But what I will end here on is the drive to my apartment.

I could barely see the monumental Table Mountain so I paid attention to my surroundings. The first thing I saw was a slum that went as far as I could see. Then, I saw another, and another. The only things I saw for the first five minutes of my drive were slums. THAT'S when it hit me. This trip is real. The people are real. Their poverty is REAL.

And I knew immediately, that when I go back to the US, I will not be the same person ever again. 

So mom, dad, Dean, siblings, family, and friends... the old Melissa is already on her way out. A much wiser, understanding, and experienced woman will see you guys on the other end.

As it is late here and I have class in the morning and this blog is already long as hell, I will put your misery to an end. Look for my next blog on my first few days coming soon. I hope you enjoyed my experiences. 

I love and miss you all!

Melissa