A great night with friends

A great night with my closest friends. Left to right, Yarden, Sam, Sydney, Ryann, Frances, Joselynn, Michael, Tricia and Danielle. 

Celebrating the End of our Journey

The last few days of the voyage are upon us now. We finished final exams and had the convocation ceremony today. We are busy packing up and spending time with our friends.

 It is the last voyage for the ship the MV Explorer with Semester at Sea as it was sold. We were able to commemorate its final voyage by taking pictures with the ship life ring. 

Flags of the countries we've visited, with great friends!

Morocco Recap!

We finished our final port of the semester today with a wonderful trip to Morocco.

 

Day 1: Casablanca

·         Spent the day touring around the city, including a drive by the movie made famous Rick's Café. The highlight of the day was visiting the Hassan II mosque. This grand structure can hold 25,000 people inside and 75,000 additional people on the grounds surrounding it. The 800 billion US dollar project paid off in the beauty and intricate details of the decorations.

 

Day 2 & 3: Chefchaouen

·         After a log day of bus rides we arrive in Chefchaouen, also known as the blue city. See the picture! The narrow cobblestone roads led us uphill and through the decorative houses. Donkeys would pass us carrying good on their backs. It felt like another world.

 

Day 4: Fes

·         We spent the day exploring Fes with the first stop being a market. The small alley waves winded between buildings. The shops lined the sides, some selling meat which was hanging out in the open or fruits and vegetables.

·         Then we went to the King's house that also houses a school. Then went to a spot overlooking the Medina, or main town which is 950 acres, with 300 mosques inside. The tan houses were close together and up the side of the hillside.

·         We visited a tannery, where they make leather products. This was very interesting as the men were cleaning and washing the pieces in large water pools. It definitely could have been on an episode for dirty jobs. Then, next stop was a place were traditional pottery is made by hand.

 

Day 5: Volubilis

·         On our final day we stopped at Volubilis, old Roman Ruins. Most of the structures were partial, but there were some interesting columns, tile pictures for floors, and a large arch still standing. It was nice to see these things up close while walking through fields of extending grasslands, very beautiful scenery. 

 

Namibia Recap!

Namibia may be my favorite port so far! It was incredible!

 

Day 1 – Walvis Bay & Swakopmund

• ·         We wandered the small town of Walvis Bay, finding a nice restaurant on the pier called the Raft for some lunch. Then we headed to Swakopmund a larger, touristy town about a half an hour away. Here we did some shopping and booked trips through an information desk for the rest of the week.

Day 2 – Marine Dune Day

• ·         For the morning we boarded a boat for a harbor cruise. A seal climbed on board with us and I was able to sit next to him and pat him. There were large pelicans sitting on the roof, and I had a close encounter with them as well, feeding him a fish right from my hand! We saw dolphins and a whale, as well as large red jellyfish that don't sting.

• ·         In the afternoon, we went on a 4X4 ride through the dunes. The dunes is the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. Namibia has the sand dunes of the desert that come all the way to the ocean shore, creating magnificent views. We flew up and down the steep dunes, sometimes at a 45 degree angle, having a blast.

Day 3 – Sand Boarding

• ·         We went sandboarding today, which is basically sledding down the huge sand dunes. Some people chose to try and snowboard down as well, but we stuck to sledding. First we had to trek up the dunes, which is much harder than is sounds. But the views from the top and the fast ride down were absolutely worth it. The fastest I went was 68 kilometers!

• ·         Then we went to the small local aquarium in Swakopmund. We relaxed on a grass park right next to the beach, and then went to dinner at a local restaurant. It was another fun filled day.

 

Day 4 - Sea kayaking & Mondesa Township

• ·         Happy Easter everyone! This will definitely be my most unique Easter. We began our day kayaking with the seals. There are 40,000 seals that live on this peninsula. Some were laying on the beach and others were playing in the water. We got to see them in their natural habitat. Some were curious coming up and swimming back and forth right beside and beneath us.

• ·         Then we went on a bicycle tour of the township Mondesa. This was a wonderful experience to see the poverty that exists in the world, but also the incomparable spirit and welcoming nature of the people. We spoke with a local woman from the Herero tribe and another local medicine woman. We stopped to get some local street food, our guide described as "African Takeout," locals cooking on the grill outside. And finally stopped at a local bar to talk with the locals. Some of the people here make $1000 Namibian dollars a month, which is about $100 USD.

 

Day 5 – Camel Trek

• ·         Today we did some more last minute souvenir shopping at the local vendors and then headed off for a camel trek. I can tell you that camel butt is definitely a real thing because it is not a comfortable ride! But it was fun and memorable to experience riding a camel in the desert. 

South Africa Recap

 

Day 1: Cape Town

• ·        The iconic flat topped table mountain could be seen towering nearby while still on the ship. We decided to head their and take a cable car to the top. There were fantastic views of Cape Town and the ocean. This is a view from the top. From left to right, Sam, Yarden, Phillip, Sydney and I

   

• ·         We headed next to a chocolate tasting of all dark chocolates made in South Africa. We ate lunch here on a picnic table overlooking the beautiful wine lands. After lunch we went to two wine tastings at different picture perfect wineries.

Day 2-3 Kruger National Park

• ·         After a two hour flight north we arrived at Kruger National Part. This park is the size of New Jersey! We went on a game drive as soon as we arrived, and then a day and night game drive the following day.

   

• ·         We saw the most magnificent sunrise over the park. You could see the full round shape of the sun a bright red/pink color. No picture could do it justice, absolutely stunning.

   

• ·         The expansive land is everything you could have imagined a safari would be. We saw the BIG 5! These are the 5 most dangerous animals on land. They include, elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard and lion. Other animals we saw included, giraffes, cheetah, wild dogs, impala, baboons, hyena, warthogs, etc, etc. The list could go on forever.

   

• ·         The animals were very close to us by the side of the road. Herds of elephants and giraffes within 20 feet of the truck walking past.

   

Day 4: Cape Town

• ·         After a two hour flight back to Cape Town from Kruger Park we decided to explore the V&A waterfront. We rode the ferris wheel overlooking the area to watch the sunset. Then had a delicious dinner. We were told to try the meat while here and did so, trying ostrich, steak, lamb chop, impala, springbok and nudu.

   

Day 5: Shark Cage Diving

·         We woke up bright and early to head out on the water with Shark Diving Unlimited. Once we anchored, the workers starting chumming the water and sharks appeared quickly. The cage was large enough for 6 people and placed over the side of the boat. We suited up in wetsuits and goggles and waited for our turn.

 

·         While in the cage we would wait above water until a shark was near and then go under to see it. The first two dunks I could feel my heart racing, but we then settled down. It was so exciting! A large shark swam right past us within 2 feet, and another grabbed the tuna head that was bait and slammed into the other end of the cage. The sharks were approximately 12-14 feet.

 

Day 6: Cape Town – Field Lab

·         The last day in Cape Town I had popular music class that went to visit Bloomberg radio station. Then we met Sugar and a musicologist detective, the two men that found Sugarman. If you haven't seen the movie "Searching for Sugar Man" I suggest it! We spoke with them about the documentary and visit his record store Mabu Vinyl.

 

·         Then we went to a bar and listened to a African jazz trio and relaxed. Not a bad way to spend a day in "class"!

 

                                                                                                                                             

 

Sea Olympics

The long anticipated Sea Olympics took place as we sailed on towards Cape Town, South Africa. It was a gorgeous, sunny day. All of the seven seas got into the spirit participating in events all day and having a blast. Christine, Tricia and I were all dressed up to support the Red Sea!