So after 108 days, 13 countries, 34 cities, 14 flights, 9 train rides, 2 ferries and too many bus rides and taxis to count, I have completed the semester of a lifetime. I made friends that I’ll never forget, and together we created memories to always remember. I’m not sure what my favorite country was or what the “coolest thing I have done” is, but I do know that I have seen the world and that will have an impact on me for the rest of my life. I saw things that most people will never have the chance to see, and I hope the images of each and every place I went will stay with me. I learned so much, not from the classes on the ship, or the textbooks I read, but from the people I met and interacted with. I’m certain I will only come to realize the extent of how much I learned later on in life.
Thank you for following me on my journey and I hope to share all of my stories and pictures soon. Until then, I’ll direct your newfound spare time back to perezhilton.com ☺
And to my parents, I’d just like to say: Thank you for giving me the world, but there is no place like home.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Guatemala
We survived all 12 ports! Marisa, 10 of our friends and I got a house in Antigua for our stay in Guatemala. It was an adorable little Central American house and 16 of our other friends were staying in one just down the street. The first day we got a ride to Antigua, which was about an hour and a half from our port and walked around the town for a few hours. We hung out by our pool in the afternoon and grilled out for dinner. We just stayed at our house or went to the other house at night since it really wasn’t safe for us to be out and about that late in Guatemala these days. The second day we spent most of the time in the town shopping. Then somehow Marisa and I had a 5-hour linner.. just the two of us. Yesterday the 12 from our house got up at the break of dawn to hike an active volcano! We actually rode horses up most of the mountain, but hiked once it turned into hardened lava. It literally was spewing neon orange magma from the center of the volcano; it was crazy! We were able to get pretty close to the top, but due to the intense heat radiating from the molten rock, not quite close enough to roast the marshmallows we brought. We made our way back to the ship and are currently homeward bound!
I am very excited to be home in 5 days, however I know it’s going to be incredibly bitter-sweet once I realize it’s all over.
I am very excited to be home in 5 days, however I know it’s going to be incredibly bitter-sweet once I realize it’s all over.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Hawaii
Back in America and it feels so nice!! Although, it was a little bit awkward being so familiar with a place. I found myself anxiously pondering how I would be able to get across my desires to cab drivers, still speaking very slowly, loudly, and with accompanying hand gestures… soon to realize they too spoke perfect English. I even found myself trying to mentally compute how many dollars my cab fare actually was. It was already in USD! We finally had Mexican food, I drank tap water just because I COULD, and I was carded for the first time as a real live 21 year old! I even bought my first bottle of alcohol with a legitimate ID. This however, was an issue for all of my underage friends who had a wave of reality hit them when they were denied alcoholic beverages for the first time in 3 months… so many rules in the states. We only had 2 days in Honolulu, and I spent the majority of that time on the beach or by the pool. It was much needed and not long enough!
Now 7 days till Guatemala and I’ll be home in 2 weeks!
Now 7 days till Guatemala and I’ll be home in 2 weeks!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Japan
We had SO much fun in Japan! Marisa and I traveled independently with 4 other girls and definitely enjoyed ourselves. We finally, after a tremendous struggle, obtained Japanese rail passes in China and were able to take the bullet train to the cities we desired to see in Japan. The bullet train is the fastest train in the world, looks particularly like a sideways spaceship, and features reserved seating much like those I pass by in 1st class on your average airplane. The MV docked in Kobe for 2 days, sailed for 2 days, and then docked in Yokohama for 2 days. However, most of us decided to find our own transportation within Japan for the middle 2 days since we didn’t have class on the ship and we were able to see so much more.
We docked in Kobe and spent our first day hanging out in the city and finding our first of many delicious sushi meals. The second morning we took a train to Hiroshima to see the Memorial Peace Museum. We had lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant (sitting on the floor) overlooking a quaint little river and beautiful cherry blossoms. That evening we took the train to Kyoto and went to a “conveyer belt” sushi place where we managed to get ourselves into a little bit of trouble by sending our cameras on video mode along the conveyer belt which led them into the kitchen. After that we rented out a karaoke cubicle and had a fantastic time. That morning we explored Kyoto and witnessed the gorgeous cherry blossom trees that make Kyoto the cultural center of Japan. That night we took the train to Tokyo and experienced a Japanese baseball game. I’d have to say it was similar to American baseball, just fewer people and MUCH more enthusiasm. The next day we had an amazing hamburger lunch at the cutest little bistro, went shopping for a bit, and then headed to the Harajuku district. The fashion in Japan, Tokyo specifically, was incredible. The men all had on business suits, though I always saw them on the streets so I have no idea when they actually went to work, much like the children in school uniforms who never seemed to be in school. But the women dress akin to a cross between Gossip Girl and Barbie. They are all so tiny, they all wear heals though none of them can properly walk in them, and it looks as if they just took ¼ of all the clothes they own and layered it all on at the same time… but manage to look so chic! Our last day we spent the morning in Tokyo, saw Tokyo tower, then traveled to Yokohama to meet our ship.
I must make note of a very pleasing aspect of Japan. While the Chinese deem it necessary and proper to put a porcelain hole in the ground that you have to squat over with no accompanying paper and call it a toilet, the Japanese take things to a whole new level. I’m talking heated, sometimes vibrating seats, soft music, and pleasant air freshener. Definitely an upgrade, they’re doing great things with their technological advancement.
The past 4 countries have been utterly exhausting, with only 2 days between each one, and those 2 days being consumed with class and assignments. We are now in for a 9-day stretch before a short break in Hawaii and while I’m happy to have a chance to rest right now, I’m more than positive that I will be sick of ship life in…. about 36 hours.
Tomorrow is Easter and the next day is… Easter again. I still can’t conceive of the idea of the International Date Line, but for some reason we have two April 12ths. Hope it’s a good day, because I get to live it twice!
We docked in Kobe and spent our first day hanging out in the city and finding our first of many delicious sushi meals. The second morning we took a train to Hiroshima to see the Memorial Peace Museum. We had lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant (sitting on the floor) overlooking a quaint little river and beautiful cherry blossoms. That evening we took the train to Kyoto and went to a “conveyer belt” sushi place where we managed to get ourselves into a little bit of trouble by sending our cameras on video mode along the conveyer belt which led them into the kitchen. After that we rented out a karaoke cubicle and had a fantastic time. That morning we explored Kyoto and witnessed the gorgeous cherry blossom trees that make Kyoto the cultural center of Japan. That night we took the train to Tokyo and experienced a Japanese baseball game. I’d have to say it was similar to American baseball, just fewer people and MUCH more enthusiasm. The next day we had an amazing hamburger lunch at the cutest little bistro, went shopping for a bit, and then headed to the Harajuku district. The fashion in Japan, Tokyo specifically, was incredible. The men all had on business suits, though I always saw them on the streets so I have no idea when they actually went to work, much like the children in school uniforms who never seemed to be in school. But the women dress akin to a cross between Gossip Girl and Barbie. They are all so tiny, they all wear heals though none of them can properly walk in them, and it looks as if they just took ¼ of all the clothes they own and layered it all on at the same time… but manage to look so chic! Our last day we spent the morning in Tokyo, saw Tokyo tower, then traveled to Yokohama to meet our ship.
I must make note of a very pleasing aspect of Japan. While the Chinese deem it necessary and proper to put a porcelain hole in the ground that you have to squat over with no accompanying paper and call it a toilet, the Japanese take things to a whole new level. I’m talking heated, sometimes vibrating seats, soft music, and pleasant air freshener. Definitely an upgrade, they’re doing great things with their technological advancement.
The past 4 countries have been utterly exhausting, with only 2 days between each one, and those 2 days being consumed with class and assignments. We are now in for a 9-day stretch before a short break in Hawaii and while I’m happy to have a chance to rest right now, I’m more than positive that I will be sick of ship life in…. about 36 hours.
Tomorrow is Easter and the next day is… Easter again. I still can’t conceive of the idea of the International Date Line, but for some reason we have two April 12ths. Hope it’s a good day, because I get to live it twice!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
China
I had a fabulous time in China!
We arrived in Hong Kong where Marisa and I darted to the nearest Starbucks. (don’t judge, it’s been awhile) It was nice to see more familiarity in the city. We spent our day exploring the city and wound up, of course, in the markets where we proceeded to purchase much more than we ever needed. I think I’m finally getting the hang of this bartering situation, though I fear culture shock upon return to America. I’ll be trying to negotiate my bills everywhere. I do love to strike a deal. (I got it from my mama) Our only night in Hong Kong, we had a delectable dinner and found ourselves at a local hotspot with live music that our waiter had suggested.
Our second day, we left early for an SAS trip to Beijing and the University of International Business and Economics. That night we met with some students from the university and quickly made new friends! My two favorite, Joanna and Joy (I know you’re reading this and I miss you) joined us for a few drinks at our hotel and took us to a karaoke bar. The next day we visited Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, Mao’s Mausoleum, and the Temple of Heaven. That evening we had the great pleasure of seeing a Chinese Acrobat show. This was truly incredible. Tiny men were doing back flips from one man’s shoulders and landing on another man’s shoulders who was in turn standing on another man’s shoulders! (drawing a visual may help that resonate) At one point, I counted 13 little Asian women in a pyramid formation… riding a bike. They were also as flexible as noodles It was crazy, and I loved it! Our third day we hiked the Great Wall of China! The wall was stunning, but I must say that our toboggan ride down the Great Wall was also worthy of mention. My experience was enhanced by a Chinese man ramming into the back of me and shouting “Go! Go! Fast! Weeeee!” around every turn. That night we met up with the University students again for dinner where I met my new pen pal, Ulysses. (Or Simon, depending on his mood) We also met up with Joy and Joanna and they all joined our SAS group to go out that night and we had a great time! The last day in Beijing we visited the Summer Palace and the 2008 Olympic venues. We were able to go inside the bird’s nest and the water cube. While at summer palace, I acquired quite a nose bleed. As it started to drip, Marisa and our friend Jess and I took a seat on some outside stairs to wait it out. Thirty-five minutes later… my nose was still dripping. It was nuts. And in the midst of that adventure, Marisa’s nose started to bleed. Now those are some videos I’m sure you’re all dying to see!
We arrived in Shanghai to meet the ship and had one day to spend in the city. Unfortunately, 4 hours and miles of walking were spent in an attempt to acquire a rail pass for Japan since we cannot buy them in Japan. After many failed attempts and headaches, we finally obtained our passes and are ready for Japan!
I have to say how happy I am to have met Chinese students on our trip! They are already proving to be great friends and we’re all learning so much from each other! Ulysses has also offered to help anyone with Chinese or Cantonese languages if you’re up for a challenge =) I’ll try to post pictures of them soon.
We arrived in Hong Kong where Marisa and I darted to the nearest Starbucks. (don’t judge, it’s been awhile) It was nice to see more familiarity in the city. We spent our day exploring the city and wound up, of course, in the markets where we proceeded to purchase much more than we ever needed. I think I’m finally getting the hang of this bartering situation, though I fear culture shock upon return to America. I’ll be trying to negotiate my bills everywhere. I do love to strike a deal. (I got it from my mama) Our only night in Hong Kong, we had a delectable dinner and found ourselves at a local hotspot with live music that our waiter had suggested.
Our second day, we left early for an SAS trip to Beijing and the University of International Business and Economics. That night we met with some students from the university and quickly made new friends! My two favorite, Joanna and Joy (I know you’re reading this and I miss you) joined us for a few drinks at our hotel and took us to a karaoke bar. The next day we visited Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, Mao’s Mausoleum, and the Temple of Heaven. That evening we had the great pleasure of seeing a Chinese Acrobat show. This was truly incredible. Tiny men were doing back flips from one man’s shoulders and landing on another man’s shoulders who was in turn standing on another man’s shoulders! (drawing a visual may help that resonate) At one point, I counted 13 little Asian women in a pyramid formation… riding a bike. They were also as flexible as noodles It was crazy, and I loved it! Our third day we hiked the Great Wall of China! The wall was stunning, but I must say that our toboggan ride down the Great Wall was also worthy of mention. My experience was enhanced by a Chinese man ramming into the back of me and shouting “Go! Go! Fast! Weeeee!” around every turn. That night we met up with the University students again for dinner where I met my new pen pal, Ulysses. (Or Simon, depending on his mood) We also met up with Joy and Joanna and they all joined our SAS group to go out that night and we had a great time! The last day in Beijing we visited the Summer Palace and the 2008 Olympic venues. We were able to go inside the bird’s nest and the water cube. While at summer palace, I acquired quite a nose bleed. As it started to drip, Marisa and our friend Jess and I took a seat on some outside stairs to wait it out. Thirty-five minutes later… my nose was still dripping. It was nuts. And in the midst of that adventure, Marisa’s nose started to bleed. Now those are some videos I’m sure you’re all dying to see!
We arrived in Shanghai to meet the ship and had one day to spend in the city. Unfortunately, 4 hours and miles of walking were spent in an attempt to acquire a rail pass for Japan since we cannot buy them in Japan. After many failed attempts and headaches, we finally obtained our passes and are ready for Japan!
I have to say how happy I am to have met Chinese students on our trip! They are already proving to be great friends and we’re all learning so much from each other! Ulysses has also offered to help anyone with Chinese or Cantonese languages if you’re up for a challenge =) I’ll try to post pictures of them soon.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Vietnam
So, my parents finally arrived! And I can finally enjoy a stiff cocktail legally!
Mom, dad, and dares came to pick us up at the port in Saigon in hopes of checking out our current home away from home, but were turned away by immigration, so that was a minor set-back. Marisa joined our family for the week, and we flew to Hanoi after some celebratory cocktails by the pool of their hotel that morning. The lady at reception of our hotel in Hanoi noticed that it was my birthday when she checked our passports, and was probably more excited than even I was about this fact. She made sure I was presented with a birthday cake at dinner that evening. Then dad wanted to check out the pounding music below us, and we ventured down to “NUTZ” nightclub. It was loud enough for even him to hear!
The second day we had a long drive to Ha Long Bay to catch our overnight “luxury junk”. Dares told me we were staying on a floating wigwam and I was a bit nervous, but our little wooden ship was quite cozy. We enjoyed delicious fresh seafood from the depths of Ha Long Bay and wandered through some caves in the area. We saw the beauty of Ha Long Bay, unfortunately under the cloud cover, but it was a nice, relaxing use of our time.
That night we visited the markets of Hanoi, then had dinner before catching our overnight train ride to Da Nung. I cannot describe the overnight train situation without offending my dad, since this was what he wanted to do. However, let’s just say I will never have a desire to step foot on ANY sort of train in Vietnam ever again. In Da Nung, we stayed at an amazing beach resort on China Beach, and thoroughly enjoyed the little time we had there. I also made use of the free internet, and was able to post the preceding videos, which I hope are working.
Our last day we flew back to Saigon and had a short city tour. We saw the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Post Office, and the War Remnants Museum. The Bakers were finally admitted onboard the MV Explorer, and they toured this ship before saying their farewells.
Thank you for all of my Birthday wishes, it was definitely one to remember!
Mom, dad, and dares came to pick us up at the port in Saigon in hopes of checking out our current home away from home, but were turned away by immigration, so that was a minor set-back. Marisa joined our family for the week, and we flew to Hanoi after some celebratory cocktails by the pool of their hotel that morning. The lady at reception of our hotel in Hanoi noticed that it was my birthday when she checked our passports, and was probably more excited than even I was about this fact. She made sure I was presented with a birthday cake at dinner that evening. Then dad wanted to check out the pounding music below us, and we ventured down to “NUTZ” nightclub. It was loud enough for even him to hear!
The second day we had a long drive to Ha Long Bay to catch our overnight “luxury junk”. Dares told me we were staying on a floating wigwam and I was a bit nervous, but our little wooden ship was quite cozy. We enjoyed delicious fresh seafood from the depths of Ha Long Bay and wandered through some caves in the area. We saw the beauty of Ha Long Bay, unfortunately under the cloud cover, but it was a nice, relaxing use of our time.
That night we visited the markets of Hanoi, then had dinner before catching our overnight train ride to Da Nung. I cannot describe the overnight train situation without offending my dad, since this was what he wanted to do. However, let’s just say I will never have a desire to step foot on ANY sort of train in Vietnam ever again. In Da Nung, we stayed at an amazing beach resort on China Beach, and thoroughly enjoyed the little time we had there. I also made use of the free internet, and was able to post the preceding videos, which I hope are working.
Our last day we flew back to Saigon and had a short city tour. We saw the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Post Office, and the War Remnants Museum. The Bakers were finally admitted onboard the MV Explorer, and they toured this ship before saying their farewells.
Thank you for all of my Birthday wishes, it was definitely one to remember!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thailand
We had a blast in Thailand! We managed to incorporate a beach vacation into our learning experiences and we all had a really tremendous time. After being in India, Thailand was (seemingly) clean, relaxed, and laid back – definitely my kind of atmosphere!
Our first day in Laem Chabang (our port), Marisa and some friends and I signed up to visit the Sriracha Tiger Zoo. I don’t think we fully thought the decision through when signing up for this trip; we all just got a little too excited to hear “tigers”. This idea hit me when we actually ended up at a zoo. Why we were spending our first day in Thailand at a zoo was suddenly beyond me, and I was fairly uncomfortable with the treatment of the animals we were seeing. We did see an elephant show, a tiger show, and a crocodile show but the tricks performed unfortunately did not make our time worthwhile I’m afraid. However, I’m certain we made up for lost time throughout the rest of our days. That night, 8 of us caught a taxi to Bangkok, which was 2 hours from our port. We went to a delightful Thai dinner and wound up at some “super club”. We ended up meeting some guy from Dubai, and as many of you know, due to my inexplicable obsession with Dubai, this was overly exciting to me! He told me I could visit anytime, so I’ll be planning that trip soon upon my return. Our ride back to our hotel later that night involved Tokyo drift-style tuk-tuk racing. (A tuk-tuk is essentially a pimped out rickshaw) Mid-morning, vacant highways, open-aired, and our driver was popping wheelies at rampant speeds. It was thrilling, that’s for sure.
Our second morning we had an early flight to Koh Samui Island. Koh Samui has the most amazing airport I’ve ever been too. It is all outdoor, significantly undersized, filled with greenery, and lined with petite boutique shopping. Soon after arriving in Koh Samui, we took a 30-minute ferry to a smaller island: Koh Phangan, and checked into our bungalows on the beach. We grabbed lunch and wandered around the tiny island; did some shopping and enjoyed the sunset on the beach. Our group went to dinner and then headed back to our bungalows for their “half-moon pool party” extravaganza.
The third day we all went to a cheerful little bar in the morning to get an early start on our St. Patrick’s Day festivities. We all decided to return to Koh Samui that afternoon since one of our friends with us had a friend from home randomly visiting the island. We met up with him at a big Irish pub and had the BEST St. Patrick’s day ever. There was a live Thai band performing an array of Irish jigs, greatest hits, and 90s pop. Everyone in the entire place was in the greatest possible mood, singing & dancing. Marisa, our Canadian friend, Tanya, and I even taught this German lady the YMCA.
Our fourth day we flew back to Bangkok and took a river tour on a little boat. Due to impending rain, our tour was cut short but we were able to see the Grand Palace, a Buddhist temple, and the shacks lining the river. We also were able to fit in some shopping at the night market before dinner.
The last day we had in Thailand we visited an orphanage with HIV/AIDS hospice for all ages. Our friend, Tanya, had been to Bangkok before and worked with this place; we were fortunate enough to have her set up an appointment for us to have a tour of the facilities and get a chance to interact with a few of the children. I feel as if these places I’ve been to (this one and the Bala Mandir orphanage in India) should have had more of an impact on me, but they were both really well maintained and well staffed. We did not directly witness any suffering and the conditions were exceptional.
We left Bangkok last night and are currently en route to Vietnam to meet my parents! We were constantly on the go in Thailand but the overall easy going mood made our travels relatively stress-free and incredibly pleasing!
Our first day in Laem Chabang (our port), Marisa and some friends and I signed up to visit the Sriracha Tiger Zoo. I don’t think we fully thought the decision through when signing up for this trip; we all just got a little too excited to hear “tigers”. This idea hit me when we actually ended up at a zoo. Why we were spending our first day in Thailand at a zoo was suddenly beyond me, and I was fairly uncomfortable with the treatment of the animals we were seeing. We did see an elephant show, a tiger show, and a crocodile show but the tricks performed unfortunately did not make our time worthwhile I’m afraid. However, I’m certain we made up for lost time throughout the rest of our days. That night, 8 of us caught a taxi to Bangkok, which was 2 hours from our port. We went to a delightful Thai dinner and wound up at some “super club”. We ended up meeting some guy from Dubai, and as many of you know, due to my inexplicable obsession with Dubai, this was overly exciting to me! He told me I could visit anytime, so I’ll be planning that trip soon upon my return. Our ride back to our hotel later that night involved Tokyo drift-style tuk-tuk racing. (A tuk-tuk is essentially a pimped out rickshaw) Mid-morning, vacant highways, open-aired, and our driver was popping wheelies at rampant speeds. It was thrilling, that’s for sure.
Our second morning we had an early flight to Koh Samui Island. Koh Samui has the most amazing airport I’ve ever been too. It is all outdoor, significantly undersized, filled with greenery, and lined with petite boutique shopping. Soon after arriving in Koh Samui, we took a 30-minute ferry to a smaller island: Koh Phangan, and checked into our bungalows on the beach. We grabbed lunch and wandered around the tiny island; did some shopping and enjoyed the sunset on the beach. Our group went to dinner and then headed back to our bungalows for their “half-moon pool party” extravaganza.
The third day we all went to a cheerful little bar in the morning to get an early start on our St. Patrick’s Day festivities. We all decided to return to Koh Samui that afternoon since one of our friends with us had a friend from home randomly visiting the island. We met up with him at a big Irish pub and had the BEST St. Patrick’s day ever. There was a live Thai band performing an array of Irish jigs, greatest hits, and 90s pop. Everyone in the entire place was in the greatest possible mood, singing & dancing. Marisa, our Canadian friend, Tanya, and I even taught this German lady the YMCA.
Our fourth day we flew back to Bangkok and took a river tour on a little boat. Due to impending rain, our tour was cut short but we were able to see the Grand Palace, a Buddhist temple, and the shacks lining the river. We also were able to fit in some shopping at the night market before dinner.
The last day we had in Thailand we visited an orphanage with HIV/AIDS hospice for all ages. Our friend, Tanya, had been to Bangkok before and worked with this place; we were fortunate enough to have her set up an appointment for us to have a tour of the facilities and get a chance to interact with a few of the children. I feel as if these places I’ve been to (this one and the Bala Mandir orphanage in India) should have had more of an impact on me, but they were both really well maintained and well staffed. We did not directly witness any suffering and the conditions were exceptional.
We left Bangkok last night and are currently en route to Vietnam to meet my parents! We were constantly on the go in Thailand but the overall easy going mood made our travels relatively stress-free and incredibly pleasing!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
India
To be perfectly honest, I had no desire to go to India. I was put under the impression (mostly on the ship) that India was incredibly dangerous, having the most terrorism in the world 2nd to Iraq. I am also not a huge fan of Indian food, I do not thrive in massive crowds of people, and the trek to the Taj Mahal (what I actually was excited for) was a 2-hour flight followed by a 4-hour drive from our port in Chennai. In addition, for some reason Marisa and I had decided long ago that India was a place we would travel independently in while it seemed that every other student had decided to take a SAS trip here and the ship crew highly advised us against traveling alone while we could not join any of the full SAS trips. However, my experience in India was amazing and I truly think the people and how they welcomed us washed away all the reservations I had.
They say that India overwhelms the 5 senses. Stepping off our ship into the coal-mining shipyard, I was definitely overwhelmed. Right away I felt the intense humidity and 95-degree weather (which you are not advised to wear anything above the knee or elbow in), I saw incredible filth (in which the natives are running around barefoot), I heard constant blaring horns in the traffic that follows no rules or regulations, I smelled sulfur radiating from the rivers (this is the rotten-egg smell), and, well, I first tasted Pizza Hut which did make me very happy…
Our first day in Chennai, we spent mostly shopping with a few friends. We took a rickshaw (a motorized 3-wheeled cart which seats 2 comfortably) to a mall and later an outdoor marketplace. We quickly learned that there are no traffic laws enforced. There are white dotted lines on the roads, but while it seems 3 lanes exist, you will find 4-8 vehicles across. Weaving is the way of the road, and horns allow those in front of you to be aware that you intend to pass them at raging speeds with no concept of safety whatsoever. And every now and then you will see a cow wondering the streets and as far as I gathered, this is the only reason drivers will stop. At the mall we visited, Spencer’s, we found that many of the stores had signs saying they were giving discounts to the MV Explorer, and we definitely took advantage of that situation. The workers were eager to explain each of the fabrics, how they were made, and show us every single design available. In one store, 4 of us ended up sprawled out on the floor with piles and piles of scarves, wall hangings, bedding, and clothing surrounding us while the men of the store kept pulling out samples from the wall so we could choose our favorites. It was so fun!
Our second day, a few of us visited the basilica of St. Thomas in the morning – it strangely resembled Villa’s chapel, though I think Villa’s is even more gorgeous. In the afternoon, Marisa and I had signed up for a service visit to the Bala Mandir Orphanage with SAS. We also visited the primary schools that the children of the nearby slums attended, and each class had a special performance for us. We got to play with the children and they were enthralled with our digital cameras, posing, dancing, and taking turns using them. The kids were so happy and full of life; I wanted to take so many home! That is one thing I have noticed: the little ones keep getting progressively cuter in each country we visit!
For the remaining 3 days, Marisa, 2 other girls and I had planned a last-minute trip to Delhi to then travel to Agra to see the Taj! We had aimed to also travel to Jaipur but we simply ran out of time. I never thought I would be wishing for more time in India, but it happened. Saturday morning we flew to Delhi on a 6:15 am flight. I was exhausted on the plane but ended up sitting next to a couple from Canada and chatted the whole way. The man was of Indian descent and had traveled to India several times. Both were enthusiastic about giving me advice for our stay in Delhi. Some of their suggestions were immensely helpful. (The couple was in India for a few reasons: he was checking on property he had purchased a few years back, she was attending some conference about self enhancement and they met up to stay at this spa they enjoy located at the bottom of the Himalayas – mom she gave me the website, she said my mom would really like it..) So anyways, with the guidance of our concierge we set up an 8-hour tour of Delhi with a private driver. We saw monuments that included Safdarjung’s Tomb, Lotus Temple, Qutab Minar, and Connaught Place. After a few tours we kindly asked our guide to lead us to some more shopping. It took a few tries but we eventually found exactly what we were looking for! Our guide escorted us through each and every store we went into, and patiently waited for the 4 giddy girls to make our purchases. At first we were having a lot of trouble with his broken English but eventually got him to relax and learned quite a bit about his Indian culture. Over the course of the day, we all grew fond of each other and we received an invitation to come back to India in order to attend his son’s wedding. (His son is 4 years old, so this would be in 14 years.) We exchanged e-mails, so I’ll be waiting for that invite. We concluded our day with dinner at a place the Canadian couple had recommended and it was divine! It was Indian food, but less intense and more familiar.
Sunday we hired another driver and a guide to take us to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. We also visited the fort of Agra and did some more shopping…. Our guide spoke English very well and we had a lot of fun with him. He also gave us some interesting history of the places we saw. More sheer honesty: I just assumed the Taj was some sort of place of worship built awhile back. I was WAY off. The Taj was built in the 17th century by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. When his 3rd and favorite wife died during the birth of their 14th child, she had 2 requests for the king: to not take another wife in order to look after their children, and to build a mausoleum that would show the world how much he loved her. That is passionate love! The Taj took 20,000 craftsmen 22 years to construct. It is made of white marble and parts are inlaid with precious stones. It is also perfectly symmetrical down to the gardens and buildings on each side, a wonder in itself considering they had no form of measurements at this time. Her tomb is located in the exact center of the main building. Apparently Shah Jahan’s 3rd son had a mean desire to be king, captured his father and killed his older brothers and one sister. Out of spite, this son buried his father to the left of his mother in the Taj – this being the ONLY thing not symmetrical in the entire place. (I can remember all of this but I have no idea what was taught in global studies last class…) While wondering around the Taj, the 4 of us were stopped more than 10 times by locals to have their picture taken with us. We’re standing in front of one of the 7 manmade wonders of the world and these people want pictures of us! Apparently they don’t see “the white people” very often. We started talking to one family with several young girls who also invited us to stay at their house if we ever return. We exchanged e-mails and my phone number is floating around India in numerous hands.
We had another early flight back to Chennai Monday morning and considering we slept for maybe 20 hours the whole 5 days in India, I went straight to bed and slept for 20 hours straight. I doubt I’ll ever make it back to India, so I hope to forever remember my visit. While India has a massive population, immense poverty, extreme filth and countless diseases, it is also extremely colorful and bursting with energy. And, I suppose, if I ever do return, I’ll have a place to stay!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
India photos
I have no idea why the Namibia video worked and none of my others will, but at least one did! Here are a few pictures of the first couple days in India - mostly from the orphanage we did a service visit to, one of Marisa in a rickshaw, and one of the sunset in the dirty dirty harbor the MV is docked in...
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Mauritius
We had a nice day-long break on the tiny island of Mauritius yesterday. (It’s located east of Madagascar incase you were wondering.) Marisa and a couple of our friends and I had a SAS trip planned for the morning hours and planned to just lay on the beach for the rest of the day. Our morning trip was in a submarine down to the bottom of the sea to view the underwater marine creatures. The five of us decided to take the smaller of the only 2 submarines in the Indian Ocean, and got extremely lucky to have a panoramic view of the sea while the 10-seater only had dainty little portholes to peer out of. We saw numerous species of cute little fishies and also a shipwreck of a Japanese fishing boat. By the time we finished up with our excursion we didn’t have time to travel all the way to the beaches since we had to be back on the ship by 8 so we just went to a little restaurant on the waterfront and had delicious food and drinks. We took a water taxi back to our ship and enjoyed the BBQ! The day went by way too fast but the island was SO dazzling it was a fabulous break from the ship.
TODAY was also quite an entertaining one. We didn’t have classes, and instead had SEA OLYMPICS SPRING 09! Competitions included but were not limited to: dodge ball, limbo, twister, pictionary, spelling bee, volleyball, weight lifting, mashed potato sculpting, flip cup, and a finale of synchronized swimming. (If I ever figure out how to let you view the videos I have been taking, these will provide plenty of laughs.) Marisa and I were signed up to participate in flip cup, but with the excitement in the air, the table filled rather quickly and we were left in the audience. Our floor, the Caribbean Convicts, did very poorly and I think have one puny little bronze medal. I was put under the impression that the winners would be allowed to disembark the ship 1st in Fort Lauderdale, but I don’t think I’ll be ready to leave first anyways, so I’m not bothered.
I have 3 midterms and a major project due in the next 3 days so you will not be hearing from me. Then I’ll be in India and I’m certain I’ll have plenty to say about that trip.
Side-note: I gave up the snack bar for lent. Still going strong! But the spa was giving discounted massages today, and Marisa and I enjoyed an ultra relaxing “7 seas massage” so I guess my (generalized term) money will still be floating around various amenities of the ship anyways…
MOM & DAD I’m VERRRRRRRRY excited to see you so soooooon! Dares too, I suppose.
TODAY was also quite an entertaining one. We didn’t have classes, and instead had SEA OLYMPICS SPRING 09! Competitions included but were not limited to: dodge ball, limbo, twister, pictionary, spelling bee, volleyball, weight lifting, mashed potato sculpting, flip cup, and a finale of synchronized swimming. (If I ever figure out how to let you view the videos I have been taking, these will provide plenty of laughs.) Marisa and I were signed up to participate in flip cup, but with the excitement in the air, the table filled rather quickly and we were left in the audience. Our floor, the Caribbean Convicts, did very poorly and I think have one puny little bronze medal. I was put under the impression that the winners would be allowed to disembark the ship 1st in Fort Lauderdale, but I don’t think I’ll be ready to leave first anyways, so I’m not bothered.
I have 3 midterms and a major project due in the next 3 days so you will not be hearing from me. Then I’ll be in India and I’m certain I’ll have plenty to say about that trip.
Side-note: I gave up the snack bar for lent. Still going strong! But the spa was giving discounted massages today, and Marisa and I enjoyed an ultra relaxing “7 seas massage” so I guess my (generalized term) money will still be floating around various amenities of the ship anyways…
MOM & DAD I’m VERRRRRRRRY excited to see you so soooooon! Dares too, I suppose.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
South Africa
Let me start by making a formal announcement that my 21st birthday is exactly 1 month from today and I will be accepting gifts that may be brought over seas in care of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne R Baker themselves.
Next up: South Africa! I’m going to exclude Morocco from this statement and just say I am truly madly deeply in love with this whole continent. I will definitely be back to tackle other parts of it later in life. IN FACT, I like it SO much that I was feeling REALLY adventurous… and.. may or may not have decided to have the outline of it permanently inked on a part of my body for all to see…. Ha juuuust kidding! But this girl who works on the ship from here actually did, and it’s kinda cool.
Anyways, we arrived in Cape Town early Wednesday morning and Marisa and I once again were eager to greet the day seeing as we had an appointment to swim with some great white sharks in the great white capital of the WORLD! However, due to rough waters we were not able to make that appointment and were a little saddened. (Though I did get to keep all of my appendages so I’ve got that going for me.) So, then plan less, we started to wonder around the waterfront where we randomly bumped into a friend from one of our other trips who was leaving to visit the wine lands and we obviously decided to join! Our 5-some grabbed the next train to Stellenbosch to do some wine tasting. It was the most gorgeous day and we visited 2 wineries and had some quite delicious wines including a Pinotage, which we were told is a South African specialty. I came dangerously close to purchasing my own private wine cellar in the mountains of Stellenbosch to have my wines age and come back at a later date to enjoy. I figured the Baker fam wouldn’t allow that treasure to go to waste but was promptly talked out of it by the better judgment of my parents. After a glorious day we headed back to Cape Town in search of some traditional African cuisine. After a 3-hour wait… we finally sat down to feast on the most delectable servings of ostrich, springbok, crocodile, and lamb. Perhaps I’ll start an ostrich farm in Warrenton…. I can promise that you all would be very fortunate of having the great blessing of my acquaintance.
Thursday morning Marisa and I flew to Johannesburg and then drove to Pillansberg for our 3-day safari! During our 1st game drive that evening I fell severely ill and was miserable for a solid 20 hours. (I’d like to thank mama baker for dealing with my pathetic complaints via blackberry messenger…) BUT we had the most fantastic accommodations I could have ever imagined and after lying in bed for 12 hours was able to crawl out to our little porch and curl up on our chaise lounge under our thatch roof that looked out into the mountains covered in green vegetation under the sun and it was really impossible for me to be unhappy. I also felt much better and was able to join the group for our evening drive. Saturday morning our “Ferrari safari” (our guide drove real fast) woke up at 4 am to see an African sunrise atop a great mountain. During our time we were able to spot lions, hippos, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, springboks, African wild dogs, elephants, jackals, tons of owls, and an assortment of African birds. It was SWEEEEEEET!
Last night we once again had one of those amazing dinners consisting of great food, drinks, company, and conversation. We found a local club, did some dancing, and called it a night. This morning we went with one of our friends in a cable car up Table Mountain. Marisa had a panic attack on the way up the hefty slope and I found great entertainment in her frenzy. (sorry….) The view was breathtaking and even though we cheated by not hiking, I’m really glad we reached the peak! We then devoured the most scrumptious sushi for lunch I could have dreamed of. Africa: you didn’t let me down.
Notes:
-Today while waiting in line for our cable car, we started talking to this couple in front of us to later learn that the woman was from South Africa, the man from the states, they had met on the internet, he’s never left the country, just acquired a passport, and flew all the way over here to meet her….. how weird!
-Foreigners LOVE Obama. Everywhere we go, people on the streets will just shout out “Obama!”… and if you ever start a conversation with someone, they are sure to chime in how happy they are that our country has him.
-I’m having a love/hate relationship with the internet currently. I REALLY miss not having it, but when I finally DO have it, I’m overwhelmed with the amount of things I need to accomplish. I have compiled a few video slideshows of photos we’ve taken various places with themed musical accompaniment and have been so excited to post here and share! But when I finally found internet today I was very unsuccessful in my attempts. So, I’m frustrated.
Next up: South Africa! I’m going to exclude Morocco from this statement and just say I am truly madly deeply in love with this whole continent. I will definitely be back to tackle other parts of it later in life. IN FACT, I like it SO much that I was feeling REALLY adventurous… and.. may or may not have decided to have the outline of it permanently inked on a part of my body for all to see…. Ha juuuust kidding! But this girl who works on the ship from here actually did, and it’s kinda cool.
Anyways, we arrived in Cape Town early Wednesday morning and Marisa and I once again were eager to greet the day seeing as we had an appointment to swim with some great white sharks in the great white capital of the WORLD! However, due to rough waters we were not able to make that appointment and were a little saddened. (Though I did get to keep all of my appendages so I’ve got that going for me.) So, then plan less, we started to wonder around the waterfront where we randomly bumped into a friend from one of our other trips who was leaving to visit the wine lands and we obviously decided to join! Our 5-some grabbed the next train to Stellenbosch to do some wine tasting. It was the most gorgeous day and we visited 2 wineries and had some quite delicious wines including a Pinotage, which we were told is a South African specialty. I came dangerously close to purchasing my own private wine cellar in the mountains of Stellenbosch to have my wines age and come back at a later date to enjoy. I figured the Baker fam wouldn’t allow that treasure to go to waste but was promptly talked out of it by the better judgment of my parents. After a glorious day we headed back to Cape Town in search of some traditional African cuisine. After a 3-hour wait… we finally sat down to feast on the most delectable servings of ostrich, springbok, crocodile, and lamb. Perhaps I’ll start an ostrich farm in Warrenton…. I can promise that you all would be very fortunate of having the great blessing of my acquaintance.
Thursday morning Marisa and I flew to Johannesburg and then drove to Pillansberg for our 3-day safari! During our 1st game drive that evening I fell severely ill and was miserable for a solid 20 hours. (I’d like to thank mama baker for dealing with my pathetic complaints via blackberry messenger…) BUT we had the most fantastic accommodations I could have ever imagined and after lying in bed for 12 hours was able to crawl out to our little porch and curl up on our chaise lounge under our thatch roof that looked out into the mountains covered in green vegetation under the sun and it was really impossible for me to be unhappy. I also felt much better and was able to join the group for our evening drive. Saturday morning our “Ferrari safari” (our guide drove real fast) woke up at 4 am to see an African sunrise atop a great mountain. During our time we were able to spot lions, hippos, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, springboks, African wild dogs, elephants, jackals, tons of owls, and an assortment of African birds. It was SWEEEEEEET!
Last night we once again had one of those amazing dinners consisting of great food, drinks, company, and conversation. We found a local club, did some dancing, and called it a night. This morning we went with one of our friends in a cable car up Table Mountain. Marisa had a panic attack on the way up the hefty slope and I found great entertainment in her frenzy. (sorry….) The view was breathtaking and even though we cheated by not hiking, I’m really glad we reached the peak! We then devoured the most scrumptious sushi for lunch I could have dreamed of. Africa: you didn’t let me down.
Notes:
-Today while waiting in line for our cable car, we started talking to this couple in front of us to later learn that the woman was from South Africa, the man from the states, they had met on the internet, he’s never left the country, just acquired a passport, and flew all the way over here to meet her….. how weird!
-Foreigners LOVE Obama. Everywhere we go, people on the streets will just shout out “Obama!”… and if you ever start a conversation with someone, they are sure to chime in how happy they are that our country has him.
-I’m having a love/hate relationship with the internet currently. I REALLY miss not having it, but when I finally DO have it, I’m overwhelmed with the amount of things I need to accomplish. I have compiled a few video slideshows of photos we’ve taken various places with themed musical accompaniment and have been so excited to post here and share! But when I finally found internet today I was very unsuccessful in my attempts. So, I’m frustrated.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Namibia: my new happy place
May want to pop open a cold one for this, I have a lot to say. I have just concluded the best 3 consecutive days of my life. I realize there is no possible way for me to completely describe how amazing our time here was, but I will give it a whirl!
We got into Walvis Bay early Saturday morning. Marisa and I had not planned anything for the first day but had hopes to go sand boarding (snow boarding down the largest sand dunes in the world) in the afternoon. We got off the ship around lunchtime and went to a local restaurant raved about in wikitravel – on the beach overlooking the peaceful ocean. Four of us ordered an array of random enticing options and had a wonderful feast! Marisa and I then decided it would be warranted for us to walk into town instead of taking a cab.. and an hour later actually reached town. Namibia is about the size of Texas with a population equivalent to Houston alone. It’s SO incredibly beautiful and the streets are desolate during the day so we enjoyed our leisurely stroll. We were able to set up dune boarding with “Wayne”, who completely lived up to the highest possible standard I hold for that name, and he picked us and some other SASers in town and we drove out to dune 7. Upon arrival, the 10 or so of us unloaded and immediately requested we start out on the bunny slopes, which do not exist in the land of dunes. So, up to the top of the vertical dune we went, only by the most efficient transportation available: 4-wheelers. (Wayne explained to me that he is the only company in the world known to escort passengers to the top on ATVs – everywhere else, you hike) I have snowboarded several times before and had no worries in my mind.. until we reached the top of the daunting mound of sand. However, Marisa (who turned out to be quite the sand boarder) and I attacked dune 7 with gracefulness and ease! We took turns going up and down for a few hours and everyone in the group had the absolute best possible time – even though we were completely covered in sand by the end of the day. We ended up really enjoying the company of a few of the girls in our group and went out with them that evening to Swakopmund (a quaint German town nearby). We found this amazing pub on the beach – sand floor, no exterior walls, and a wedding party as excited to entertain us as we were to join them! During dinner, a tribal man from the San tribe sat right in the middle of our table and started chatting with us about how he was an artist and was offering to draw portraits for us. At first I was a little irritated that he was trying to sell his skills while we were having dinner, but we ended up talking to him for hours. He was born and raised in the San tribe, living in the African bush. He explained to us that he was a hunter, and his tribe’s tradition of not wearing any clothes in order to blend into their surroundings while hunting and gathering. He spoke his tribe’s language, but was able to learn English just by listening to others speak when he makes his way into town. Which, was over 40 kilometers away that he walked/hitch-hiked earlier that day and planned to sleep on the beach that night and build himself a fire since he wouldn’t have a blanket. He comes into town in order to make a little money each night, and Marisa and I had him sketch our portraits. Not too shabby. I ALSO met this more average Namibian girl, Louwna, who we hung out with all night and has already contacted me via facebook. It was so rewarding to actually interact with the locals, especially after having a rocky time in Morocco. So that was day one.
Day two started bright and early. Marisa and I signed up for a trip through SAS called “Sea and Sand Dunes” and weren’t really even sure what that entailed. We arrived at the pier and hopped on a couple boats for our oceanic adventure. Our guide, Klaus, told us that we needed to “get our sea legs and have some Namibian coffee”. Being 9 am, this idea perked me up, only to realize Klaus was holding a bottle of Sherry and a slew of shot glasses. We then popped a couple bottles of champagne and learned about the seals and dolphins of the area. A couple significant seals joined us on our boat (finding us in the middle of the ocean and plopping aboard) so we could pet and awe. Sally the seal even showed off her talent of surfing the wake the boat created. We were with 3 of the most entertaining girls who quickly became our posse for the day and when the time came for us to explore the Sand Dunes part of our excursion we were begging Klaus to let us stay and play. But THEN we found Niko in his landrover for 5 and he automatically became our new obsession. The second part of the day involved cruising in 4x4 vehicles with the beach on 1 side and the desert on the other. We FINALLY saw a whale!! However, not in our imagined way. This humpback whale was beached and dead. Still quite a site. After about a 2-hour drive, we stopped on the beach and a restaurant was created out of thin air. (actually from the contents of our vehicles) We tried Namibian oysters, which are apparently in the rankings of the best in the world, and all other sorts of little snacks & treats. On our return trip, we experienced a Namibian adventure park. Niko took us flying through the dunes, up, down, around, and back up for more. (I have a video to come that will fully explain this thrilling experience) The 5 of us were high on life. After our full day of the most fun I’ve ever had, 6 of us went to dinner in Walvis Bay, which turned into a 4-hour event. It was the most pleasant atmosphere, food, and company I could have wished for. I truly have not felt so content in awhile.
After about 4 hours of rest, Marisa and I awoke to greet the day today and went out to the pier for a morning of kayaking. We were within poking distance of hundreds of seals and several dolphins! The water was so calm and even though it was a moderate workout, it was still so serene.
Now we’re about to leave and it makes me sad to go! I wish that every one of you could have experienced Namibia the way I did, and if you EVER have an opportunity to visit, TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!
I’m sure I was not able to fully convey the pure bliss that I have felt for the past 3 days but as an addendum: I’m sun burnt from blistered scalp to sock tan-lined feet, every single muscle in my body aches, I have a horrid cold settling into my lungs and I STILL could not be happier.
I’m racking up quite an extensive Christmas list already, but I figure I’ll start now since my Bday is also quickly approaching:
- snowboard
- kayak
- sand dune
But seriously, I’m kayaking all summer at the lake. (once I get a kayak, that is)
One last thing. This afternoon we were walking through town unsuccessfully trying to locate an internet café. We took a seat on the stairs of a building to take a break and reconsider our options. I was sitting with my backpack on my back, resting also on the concrete. Some local guys came up to us and started to chat and offer help with finding a place for internet. When SUDDENLY I feel the faintest pull on my backpack, my stomach drops to my feet, I stand up, swing around, see a man whose hand was in the process of opening my backpack, remember that my wallet is placed ever so conveniently on the top of the compartment he has discovered, and all I can think to say is “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What are you DOING?!” while he is walking away with his hand in his pocket…. But LUCKILY I caught him in time, because I still have all of my belongings. I have no clue how I felt it, but it was definitely a rush. Bad situation, but it won’t bring me down – I still love this place!!
We got into Walvis Bay early Saturday morning. Marisa and I had not planned anything for the first day but had hopes to go sand boarding (snow boarding down the largest sand dunes in the world) in the afternoon. We got off the ship around lunchtime and went to a local restaurant raved about in wikitravel – on the beach overlooking the peaceful ocean. Four of us ordered an array of random enticing options and had a wonderful feast! Marisa and I then decided it would be warranted for us to walk into town instead of taking a cab.. and an hour later actually reached town. Namibia is about the size of Texas with a population equivalent to Houston alone. It’s SO incredibly beautiful and the streets are desolate during the day so we enjoyed our leisurely stroll. We were able to set up dune boarding with “Wayne”, who completely lived up to the highest possible standard I hold for that name, and he picked us and some other SASers in town and we drove out to dune 7. Upon arrival, the 10 or so of us unloaded and immediately requested we start out on the bunny slopes, which do not exist in the land of dunes. So, up to the top of the vertical dune we went, only by the most efficient transportation available: 4-wheelers. (Wayne explained to me that he is the only company in the world known to escort passengers to the top on ATVs – everywhere else, you hike) I have snowboarded several times before and had no worries in my mind.. until we reached the top of the daunting mound of sand. However, Marisa (who turned out to be quite the sand boarder) and I attacked dune 7 with gracefulness and ease! We took turns going up and down for a few hours and everyone in the group had the absolute best possible time – even though we were completely covered in sand by the end of the day. We ended up really enjoying the company of a few of the girls in our group and went out with them that evening to Swakopmund (a quaint German town nearby). We found this amazing pub on the beach – sand floor, no exterior walls, and a wedding party as excited to entertain us as we were to join them! During dinner, a tribal man from the San tribe sat right in the middle of our table and started chatting with us about how he was an artist and was offering to draw portraits for us. At first I was a little irritated that he was trying to sell his skills while we were having dinner, but we ended up talking to him for hours. He was born and raised in the San tribe, living in the African bush. He explained to us that he was a hunter, and his tribe’s tradition of not wearing any clothes in order to blend into their surroundings while hunting and gathering. He spoke his tribe’s language, but was able to learn English just by listening to others speak when he makes his way into town. Which, was over 40 kilometers away that he walked/hitch-hiked earlier that day and planned to sleep on the beach that night and build himself a fire since he wouldn’t have a blanket. He comes into town in order to make a little money each night, and Marisa and I had him sketch our portraits. Not too shabby. I ALSO met this more average Namibian girl, Louwna, who we hung out with all night and has already contacted me via facebook. It was so rewarding to actually interact with the locals, especially after having a rocky time in Morocco. So that was day one.
Day two started bright and early. Marisa and I signed up for a trip through SAS called “Sea and Sand Dunes” and weren’t really even sure what that entailed. We arrived at the pier and hopped on a couple boats for our oceanic adventure. Our guide, Klaus, told us that we needed to “get our sea legs and have some Namibian coffee”. Being 9 am, this idea perked me up, only to realize Klaus was holding a bottle of Sherry and a slew of shot glasses. We then popped a couple bottles of champagne and learned about the seals and dolphins of the area. A couple significant seals joined us on our boat (finding us in the middle of the ocean and plopping aboard) so we could pet and awe. Sally the seal even showed off her talent of surfing the wake the boat created. We were with 3 of the most entertaining girls who quickly became our posse for the day and when the time came for us to explore the Sand Dunes part of our excursion we were begging Klaus to let us stay and play. But THEN we found Niko in his landrover for 5 and he automatically became our new obsession. The second part of the day involved cruising in 4x4 vehicles with the beach on 1 side and the desert on the other. We FINALLY saw a whale!! However, not in our imagined way. This humpback whale was beached and dead. Still quite a site. After about a 2-hour drive, we stopped on the beach and a restaurant was created out of thin air. (actually from the contents of our vehicles) We tried Namibian oysters, which are apparently in the rankings of the best in the world, and all other sorts of little snacks & treats. On our return trip, we experienced a Namibian adventure park. Niko took us flying through the dunes, up, down, around, and back up for more. (I have a video to come that will fully explain this thrilling experience) The 5 of us were high on life. After our full day of the most fun I’ve ever had, 6 of us went to dinner in Walvis Bay, which turned into a 4-hour event. It was the most pleasant atmosphere, food, and company I could have wished for. I truly have not felt so content in awhile.
After about 4 hours of rest, Marisa and I awoke to greet the day today and went out to the pier for a morning of kayaking. We were within poking distance of hundreds of seals and several dolphins! The water was so calm and even though it was a moderate workout, it was still so serene.
Now we’re about to leave and it makes me sad to go! I wish that every one of you could have experienced Namibia the way I did, and if you EVER have an opportunity to visit, TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!
I’m sure I was not able to fully convey the pure bliss that I have felt for the past 3 days but as an addendum: I’m sun burnt from blistered scalp to sock tan-lined feet, every single muscle in my body aches, I have a horrid cold settling into my lungs and I STILL could not be happier.
I’m racking up quite an extensive Christmas list already, but I figure I’ll start now since my Bday is also quickly approaching:
- snowboard
- kayak
- sand dune
But seriously, I’m kayaking all summer at the lake. (once I get a kayak, that is)
One last thing. This afternoon we were walking through town unsuccessfully trying to locate an internet café. We took a seat on the stairs of a building to take a break and reconsider our options. I was sitting with my backpack on my back, resting also on the concrete. Some local guys came up to us and started to chat and offer help with finding a place for internet. When SUDDENLY I feel the faintest pull on my backpack, my stomach drops to my feet, I stand up, swing around, see a man whose hand was in the process of opening my backpack, remember that my wallet is placed ever so conveniently on the top of the compartment he has discovered, and all I can think to say is “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What are you DOING?!” while he is walking away with his hand in his pocket…. But LUCKILY I caught him in time, because I still have all of my belongings. I have no clue how I felt it, but it was definitely a rush. Bad situation, but it won’t bring me down – I still love this place!!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Neptune Day!
1st off, a letter from the dean:
"Crossing the Line, or Neptune Day, is an initiation rite celebrated in many navies. It commemorates a sailor's first crossing of the equator. The rite was intended originally as a test of new shipmates by seasoned sailors. The tradition dates back to the 16th century, and in the old days, the ship heaved to (that is, it set its sails so as to remain stationary) and the pollywogs were hoisted on the mainyard and dunked into the ocean 40 feet below; afterwards, shaving and other forms of blood letting took place. We will actually cross the equator tomorrow in the late afternoon."
So 1st of all, they lied to us. I thought we crossed the equator TODAY. But I’m over it. We were abruptly awoken at the wee hours of the morning by pots and pans banging through the halls. Initiation ceremonies started at 9 am on the 7th deck around the pool. This ritual consisted of the following: they poured freezing cold green goo (a fish gut smoothie if you will) on our heads, told us to kiss a fish, jump in the frigid swimming pool, climb out to bow to the ‘queen’ and kiss the ring on the ‘kings’ hand. Everyone was wearing funky attire, including the king being painted from head to toe in lime green body paint. (pictures coming soon) Definitely set the mood. It was SO warm and sunny, everyone was outside, and they were playing the best beats – fabulous morning. Then they started the shaving of the heads. DISCLAIMER: I did not, and I repeat, NOT shave my head. But plenty of others did, including numerous females. Marisa and I even got in on the action, posing as barbers, and created quite the Mohawk for our friend Cole. Then we created a double-mohawk, and as we were going for horizontal stripes on the next victim, the clippers died. It was fun while it lasted. But the rest of the day was spent basking in the glorious rays of the golden sun. But to top off a wonderful day, I’d have to say the best so far spent on the ship: a BBQ! (sundaes included – even rainbow sprinkles, Carter) I’ll retract 3 negative statements about the food, but I just don’t understand why they cannot create such meals on a daily basis. Either way, I’m going to sleep happy tonight =).
Things I’ve learned:
- there’s a christmas island (who knew?) .. and it’s full of crabs
"Crossing the Line, or Neptune Day, is an initiation rite celebrated in many navies. It commemorates a sailor's first crossing of the equator. The rite was intended originally as a test of new shipmates by seasoned sailors. The tradition dates back to the 16th century, and in the old days, the ship heaved to (that is, it set its sails so as to remain stationary) and the pollywogs were hoisted on the mainyard and dunked into the ocean 40 feet below; afterwards, shaving and other forms of blood letting took place. We will actually cross the equator tomorrow in the late afternoon."
So 1st of all, they lied to us. I thought we crossed the equator TODAY. But I’m over it. We were abruptly awoken at the wee hours of the morning by pots and pans banging through the halls. Initiation ceremonies started at 9 am on the 7th deck around the pool. This ritual consisted of the following: they poured freezing cold green goo (a fish gut smoothie if you will) on our heads, told us to kiss a fish, jump in the frigid swimming pool, climb out to bow to the ‘queen’ and kiss the ring on the ‘kings’ hand. Everyone was wearing funky attire, including the king being painted from head to toe in lime green body paint. (pictures coming soon) Definitely set the mood. It was SO warm and sunny, everyone was outside, and they were playing the best beats – fabulous morning. Then they started the shaving of the heads. DISCLAIMER: I did not, and I repeat, NOT shave my head. But plenty of others did, including numerous females. Marisa and I even got in on the action, posing as barbers, and created quite the Mohawk for our friend Cole. Then we created a double-mohawk, and as we were going for horizontal stripes on the next victim, the clippers died. It was fun while it lasted. But the rest of the day was spent basking in the glorious rays of the golden sun. But to top off a wonderful day, I’d have to say the best so far spent on the ship: a BBQ! (sundaes included – even rainbow sprinkles, Carter) I’ll retract 3 negative statements about the food, but I just don’t understand why they cannot create such meals on a daily basis. Either way, I’m going to sleep happy tonight =).
Things I’ve learned:
- there’s a christmas island (who knew?) .. and it’s full of crabs
Sunday, February 8, 2009
I've got mail. Just received this..
SUBPOENA to all POLLYWOGS,
You are hereby requested to appear before the ROYAL COURT OF THE REALM OF NEPTUNE, in the DISTRICT OF EQUATORIUS, because it has been brought to the attention of HIS HIGHNESS, NEPTUNE REX through his trusty SHELLBACKS, that the good ship M/V EXPLORER is about to cross the equator and enter those waters accompanied by passengers who have not acknowledged the sovereignty of the RULER OF THE DEEP.
THEREFORE be it known to all Slimy Pollywogs that The Royal, King NEPTUNE REX, Supreme Ruler of all citizens of the deep, will, with his Secretary and Royal Court, meet in full session on board the offending ship M.V. EXPLORER on the 9th day of February, A.D. 2009 at 0900 on Deck 7 aft, to hear your defense.
Regards,
-King Neptune and His Royal Court
In addition: All pollywogs with hair longer than 8 inches who wish to donate their hair to a worthwhile charity, should do so BEFORE undergoing the initiation ceremony, as only clean hair is able to be donated.
If there are any pollywogs who have brought hair clippers on board, your services are hereby solicited by King Neptune and his Royal Barber. You may help by bringing your clippers to DECK 7 aft, tomorrow morning.
You are hereby requested to appear before the ROYAL COURT OF THE REALM OF NEPTUNE, in the DISTRICT OF EQUATORIUS, because it has been brought to the attention of HIS HIGHNESS, NEPTUNE REX through his trusty SHELLBACKS, that the good ship M/V EXPLORER is about to cross the equator and enter those waters accompanied by passengers who have not acknowledged the sovereignty of the RULER OF THE DEEP.
THEREFORE be it known to all Slimy Pollywogs that The Royal, King NEPTUNE REX, Supreme Ruler of all citizens of the deep, will, with his Secretary and Royal Court, meet in full session on board the offending ship M.V. EXPLORER on the 9th day of February, A.D. 2009 at 0900 on Deck 7 aft, to hear your defense.
Regards,
-King Neptune and His Royal Court
In addition: All pollywogs with hair longer than 8 inches who wish to donate their hair to a worthwhile charity, should do so BEFORE undergoing the initiation ceremony, as only clean hair is able to be donated.
If there are any pollywogs who have brought hair clippers on board, your services are hereby solicited by King Neptune and his Royal Barber. You may help by bringing your clippers to DECK 7 aft, tomorrow morning.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Morocco
I’m not sure I’d go so far as to say it was culture shock, but it was definitely cultural awareness. We were supposed to arrive in Casablanca on Monday, but due to rough waters between Spain and Morocco, were not able to fuel up on time and missed our first day there. So we arrived Monday night and were able to be cleared and disembark early Tuesday morning.
Marisa and I had a SAS trip planned for Tuesday-Thursday, traveling to Marrakech. It was a 4-hour bus ride from Casablanca, which we started at 8 on Tuesday. Upon arrival in Marrakech, we went straight to an authentic Moroccan lunch, which was pleasantly surprising! I really enjoyed the food. And after the meal they served the most delicious oranges I have ever tasted and their national specialty, mint green tea (with overwhelming amounts of sugar). After lunch we traveled straight to the camel farm (not sure of a better term). We had 2 groups with us, so our group went to see, as our guide described, “something exotic…. like a house.” We went to a Moroccan house to enjoy more tea and crepes while we had an entertaining band and got the hook-up with our turbans! I must make note of the fact that when I went to use the restroom in this “exotic house” I was a bit taken aback to find a big dirt room, featuring 2 stalls, inside of which I found.. a hole in the ground. No toilets here my friends. Anyways, our group was able to ride the camels back to where we started and Marisa and I were eager to volunteer to ride together as you can see. Not quite what I had expected, but certainly an amusing adventure! Next we checked into our hotel (4 stars) and got our random roommate assignments… nervous!! But actually both of our roommates were such cool girls and we were able to survive two nights apart and make new friends at the same time. We just had dinner at our hotel and called it a night. Marisa and I dared to greet the dark night in the city in an attempt to find some Casablanca brewskies, but soon realized we were so not safe and ran back to our hotel. I think the hardest part of being in Morocco was the fact that we just felt unsafe the entire time. Wednesday morning started early, chilly, and rainy. It was a bit challenging to enjoy the Prime Minister’s house and the tombs we visited while it was such dreary weather, but we survived and the weather cleared up in the afternoon. We went to this huge, open square in the city where all the vendors set up shop. As I was intently viewing the tiny little cute monkeys in the square, I was horrifically surprised to feel a snake hissing near my ear as a strange man attempted to wrap him around my neck from behind.. my shrill scream of terror I think caused everyone in that square to miss a beat. I do not do snakes, word to the wise. But our funny little man in a pointy-headed cape (I could not take our guide seriously) drug us to his next stop, a small little spice shop in the very dark depths of the local shops. However, this ended up being one of the greatest places we visited and Marisa and I definitely purchased some good loot! (saffron in bulk, some appetite-suppressing Ramadan tea, some black seeds that allegedly cure hangovers, and lots of lotions with delightful scents) Oh, and also, there was a lady giving henna hand tats at the shop and I was obviously all about that. She asked my name, and after hearing ‘Dana’ proceeded to draw a squiggly line and some dots on my hand. While later walking through the “Art Square”, I kept hearing my name and Marisa’s from strange men on the street… yes, apparently that squiggly line and dots was Arabic, and we quickly regretted that decision. The tat is still on my hand and looks like I got bored in class with an orange Sharpe, but oh well. Wednesday night we had dinner again at the hotel and left Thursday morning for Casablanca to meet the ship. We’re currently on our way to Namibia!
Things I learned:
- Moroccans speak Arabic, French, and English if they’re in sales (mainly speaking numbers). I was surprised to hear that at the university level of schooling, though, French is the language taught in.
- It is disrespectful for women to look men directly in the eyes, and this was a very hard rule to follow.
- It took the Mayflower 3 months to cross the Atlantic… and I was complaining about 9 days.
- American music is prevalent in most foreign countries, however not censored.
- Toilets flush the opposite way once you cross the equator… we’ll see.
Things I’m thankful for:
- (in the US: clean water, toilets, pasteurization of dairy, paved roads, a sense of personal security)
- my parents allowing me to be here right now as I have realized it was not such a simple decision to make for many others here
- that my camel didn’t spit on me
Marisa and I had a SAS trip planned for Tuesday-Thursday, traveling to Marrakech. It was a 4-hour bus ride from Casablanca, which we started at 8 on Tuesday. Upon arrival in Marrakech, we went straight to an authentic Moroccan lunch, which was pleasantly surprising! I really enjoyed the food. And after the meal they served the most delicious oranges I have ever tasted and their national specialty, mint green tea (with overwhelming amounts of sugar). After lunch we traveled straight to the camel farm (not sure of a better term). We had 2 groups with us, so our group went to see, as our guide described, “something exotic…. like a house.” We went to a Moroccan house to enjoy more tea and crepes while we had an entertaining band and got the hook-up with our turbans! I must make note of the fact that when I went to use the restroom in this “exotic house” I was a bit taken aback to find a big dirt room, featuring 2 stalls, inside of which I found.. a hole in the ground. No toilets here my friends. Anyways, our group was able to ride the camels back to where we started and Marisa and I were eager to volunteer to ride together as you can see. Not quite what I had expected, but certainly an amusing adventure! Next we checked into our hotel (4 stars) and got our random roommate assignments… nervous!! But actually both of our roommates were such cool girls and we were able to survive two nights apart and make new friends at the same time. We just had dinner at our hotel and called it a night. Marisa and I dared to greet the dark night in the city in an attempt to find some Casablanca brewskies, but soon realized we were so not safe and ran back to our hotel. I think the hardest part of being in Morocco was the fact that we just felt unsafe the entire time. Wednesday morning started early, chilly, and rainy. It was a bit challenging to enjoy the Prime Minister’s house and the tombs we visited while it was such dreary weather, but we survived and the weather cleared up in the afternoon. We went to this huge, open square in the city where all the vendors set up shop. As I was intently viewing the tiny little cute monkeys in the square, I was horrifically surprised to feel a snake hissing near my ear as a strange man attempted to wrap him around my neck from behind.. my shrill scream of terror I think caused everyone in that square to miss a beat. I do not do snakes, word to the wise. But our funny little man in a pointy-headed cape (I could not take our guide seriously) drug us to his next stop, a small little spice shop in the very dark depths of the local shops. However, this ended up being one of the greatest places we visited and Marisa and I definitely purchased some good loot! (saffron in bulk, some appetite-suppressing Ramadan tea, some black seeds that allegedly cure hangovers, and lots of lotions with delightful scents) Oh, and also, there was a lady giving henna hand tats at the shop and I was obviously all about that. She asked my name, and after hearing ‘Dana’ proceeded to draw a squiggly line and some dots on my hand. While later walking through the “Art Square”, I kept hearing my name and Marisa’s from strange men on the street… yes, apparently that squiggly line and dots was Arabic, and we quickly regretted that decision. The tat is still on my hand and looks like I got bored in class with an orange Sharpe, but oh well. Wednesday night we had dinner again at the hotel and left Thursday morning for Casablanca to meet the ship. We’re currently on our way to Namibia!
Things I learned:
- Moroccans speak Arabic, French, and English if they’re in sales (mainly speaking numbers). I was surprised to hear that at the university level of schooling, though, French is the language taught in.
- It is disrespectful for women to look men directly in the eyes, and this was a very hard rule to follow.
- It took the Mayflower 3 months to cross the Atlantic… and I was complaining about 9 days.
- American music is prevalent in most foreign countries, however not censored.
- Toilets flush the opposite way once you cross the equator… we’ll see.
Things I’m thankful for:
- (in the US: clean water, toilets, pasteurization of dairy, paved roads, a sense of personal security)
- my parents allowing me to be here right now as I have realized it was not such a simple decision to make for many others here
- that my camel didn’t spit on me
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
"I'm on a camel in Africa.. just another day at school."
Just my day today. Starting with the improved decor in our room (we made a paper chain with links for each day we have left) and then our afternoon in Marrakech - camelback!! (turbans included)
Spain Photos
Okay so I am in Marrakech and our hotel has internet so I was able to post a few pics!
There is a photo of Cadiz, one of our little group the first day off the ship by the beach in Cadiz, one of Marisa and I at a nice little pirate bar on Playa Victoria, one of the view in Arcos, and one of our carriage ride!!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Spain
In the words of a well-spoken friend.. I WAS "as excited as christopher columbus to see land"! We arrived in Cadiz, Spain Wednesday morning and spirits quickly arose! Marisa and I joined a few friends on an independent tour of the city which started off with sangria at 10 am. (when in Spain..) We walked around Cadiz, explored the ocean front, stopped for cervezas and queso manchego in the afternoon and managed to squeeze some shopping in there as well. That night, we went to get tapas before taking a SAS sponsored trip to an Andalucian Flamenco Dancing performance. Later we hit the town for dancing with spaniards!
I thoroughly enjoy this country. They sleep in late, stay out late, and value their afternoon ciestas!
Thursday morning we had an early morning bus to catch for another SAS sponsored trip; this time to the white towns of Arcos and Ronda. It was so beautiful! A very long day, but definitely worth the early morning struggle.
With the great mood that set in Wednesday afternoon, we decided it would be a fabulous idea to buy train tickets to Sevilla for Friday at 6:45 am.. so that's how Friday started. Marisa and I jumped on a train to Sevilla to meet 2 of our friends from STL who are studying abroad there for the semester. However, when we arrived before 9 am we had no idea where we were, where we wanted to be, or how to get there. A little scary, but we quickly figured it out. We acquired a map of the city, and eventually decided the best way to tour Sevilla was by way of horse-drawn carriage. =) We found a cute little hotel, and after walking around all day, enjoyed our well-deserved afternoon Spanish nap. We then bought a bottle of champagne, gouda, and some bread to enjoy while we waited for our friends to finish up with their classes. We met up with them for dinner and then went out for drinks after.
Today, we made it back to Cadiz and are leaving at 6 for Morocco!
I don't think I gave enough thought prior to this trip about the fact that we do not speak any of these languages. With my high school spanish, I could recognize about every 10th word on a menu, but we soon resulted in pointing and hoping for the best. We had some surprises; some good, some bad. But all in all we had a WONDERFUL time in Spain!
I'm not sure how to post pictures considering I've already taken well over 500 and haven't found a great internet source. So, those may have to wait.
Missing all of you! Still glad to receive e-mail!
A few more things I've learned:
- the spanish national anthem is the only one with no words
- to convert celsius to fahrenheit, multiply by 2 and add 30
- there is a bridge in South Africa that is the tallest in the southern hemisphere - i would really like to bungee jump off of it. our south african friend on the ship crew has informed us that if you jump naked, it's free! that seems like an extreme amount of vulnerability, but i guess it all depends on the price! ha... RIGHT
I thoroughly enjoy this country. They sleep in late, stay out late, and value their afternoon ciestas!
Thursday morning we had an early morning bus to catch for another SAS sponsored trip; this time to the white towns of Arcos and Ronda. It was so beautiful! A very long day, but definitely worth the early morning struggle.
With the great mood that set in Wednesday afternoon, we decided it would be a fabulous idea to buy train tickets to Sevilla for Friday at 6:45 am.. so that's how Friday started. Marisa and I jumped on a train to Sevilla to meet 2 of our friends from STL who are studying abroad there for the semester. However, when we arrived before 9 am we had no idea where we were, where we wanted to be, or how to get there. A little scary, but we quickly figured it out. We acquired a map of the city, and eventually decided the best way to tour Sevilla was by way of horse-drawn carriage. =) We found a cute little hotel, and after walking around all day, enjoyed our well-deserved afternoon Spanish nap. We then bought a bottle of champagne, gouda, and some bread to enjoy while we waited for our friends to finish up with their classes. We met up with them for dinner and then went out for drinks after.
Today, we made it back to Cadiz and are leaving at 6 for Morocco!
I don't think I gave enough thought prior to this trip about the fact that we do not speak any of these languages. With my high school spanish, I could recognize about every 10th word on a menu, but we soon resulted in pointing and hoping for the best. We had some surprises; some good, some bad. But all in all we had a WONDERFUL time in Spain!
I'm not sure how to post pictures considering I've already taken well over 500 and haven't found a great internet source. So, those may have to wait.
Missing all of you! Still glad to receive e-mail!
A few more things I've learned:
- the spanish national anthem is the only one with no words
- to convert celsius to fahrenheit, multiply by 2 and add 30
- there is a bridge in South Africa that is the tallest in the southern hemisphere - i would really like to bungee jump off of it. our south african friend on the ship crew has informed us that if you jump naked, it's free! that seems like an extreme amount of vulnerability, but i guess it all depends on the price! ha... RIGHT
Monday, January 26, 2009
Today's geography lesson
I cannot WAIT to be on land. As a forewarning, please do not expect to be receiving any types of souvenirs from me on the basis that I fully intend to spend my money on fine dining and delicious drinks in each port. If you were present at mealtimes for the past 7 days with me you would understand.
Moving on, we’ve gone to class everyday since last Wednesday. I had my first quiz today in US Foreign Diplomacy (bet you can’t see me taking that course, dad) and I have no idea how it went, so hopefully well! I actually have a lot of work to do; apparently the professors don’t view this as a vacation like I do. For my theater class we have to produce a movie trailer for a play from one of the countries we’re visiting. My group chose The Cave of Salamanca as our play, and the task ahead seems fairly challenging. Surprisingly enough, everyone seems to be keeping up with their studies. Granted, lying out by the pool in 70-degree weather while reading a textbook really cannot be considered strenuous work.
Marisa and I brought along huge world maps to hang above our beds in our cabin. We have spent a significant amount of time staring at them and realizing that I have had poor instruction in geography thus far. However, we are quickly becoming familiar with our surroundings. We have also made use of our free website list, wikipedia specifically, and have mapped out the exact coordinates of where the Titanic sank. It really is a shame they were only 4 days into their voyage…
Marisa and I have become acquainted with the “wellness center” (code name for spa) onboard. We are currently contemplating hosting a cabin sale (similar to your average garage sale) in order to pay off our bills there. Ideas welcome.
We also have made attempts to become involved. We joined the goodwill committee of the Ambassador’s club and as far as I know are in charge of keeping birthdays happy, children entertained, and lifelong learners in the know. We also signed up for a couple of play dates with the preschoolers.
We have battle of the bands tomorrow night, which should provide sufficient entertainment and arrive in Cadiz Wednesday morning!!
Notice: I have a free shipboard e-mail account: dcbaker@semesteratsea.net if you should so choose to use it.
Things I’ve learned:
- The MV explorer (my current home) is the fastest ship on the ocean. It could be traveling at a speed of 30 knots, putting us in Spain in as little as 4 days. (from the Bahamas) However, someone somewhere deemed it necessary for us to attend classes and therefore we are “traveling as slow as the lobsters on the bottom of the ocean” as my new friend in the nail business says
Moving on, we’ve gone to class everyday since last Wednesday. I had my first quiz today in US Foreign Diplomacy (bet you can’t see me taking that course, dad) and I have no idea how it went, so hopefully well! I actually have a lot of work to do; apparently the professors don’t view this as a vacation like I do. For my theater class we have to produce a movie trailer for a play from one of the countries we’re visiting. My group chose The Cave of Salamanca as our play, and the task ahead seems fairly challenging. Surprisingly enough, everyone seems to be keeping up with their studies. Granted, lying out by the pool in 70-degree weather while reading a textbook really cannot be considered strenuous work.
Marisa and I brought along huge world maps to hang above our beds in our cabin. We have spent a significant amount of time staring at them and realizing that I have had poor instruction in geography thus far. However, we are quickly becoming familiar with our surroundings. We have also made use of our free website list, wikipedia specifically, and have mapped out the exact coordinates of where the Titanic sank. It really is a shame they were only 4 days into their voyage…
Marisa and I have become acquainted with the “wellness center” (code name for spa) onboard. We are currently contemplating hosting a cabin sale (similar to your average garage sale) in order to pay off our bills there. Ideas welcome.
We also have made attempts to become involved. We joined the goodwill committee of the Ambassador’s club and as far as I know are in charge of keeping birthdays happy, children entertained, and lifelong learners in the know. We also signed up for a couple of play dates with the preschoolers.
We have battle of the bands tomorrow night, which should provide sufficient entertainment and arrive in Cadiz Wednesday morning!!
Notice: I have a free shipboard e-mail account: dcbaker@semesteratsea.net if you should so choose to use it.
Things I’ve learned:
- The MV explorer (my current home) is the fastest ship on the ocean. It could be traveling at a speed of 30 knots, putting us in Spain in as little as 4 days. (from the Bahamas) However, someone somewhere deemed it necessary for us to attend classes and therefore we are “traveling as slow as the lobsters on the bottom of the ocean” as my new friend in the nail business says
Saturday, January 24, 2009
EVERYBODY gets HUMPBACK whales!!!!!!!!!
Not much has happened in ship life recently. Last night we did have an open mic night and it was actually really fun to watch. My favorite act came from the cutest 4 yr old boy I have ever seen in my life who sang accapella in front of 700 19-21 yr olds in a miniature sailor outfit. Definitely the highlight of my day, perhaps trip thus far. (Most of the faculty brings their family members onboard if you need an explanation for the existence of a 4 yr old on this ship.)
Marisa and I successfully slept through breakfast and lunch for the past 2 days. (We went to class in between MOM.) But today is the first day I haven’t taken a nap so things are looking up!
We decreased speed (from 20 knots to 15) in an attempt to stay behind a storm equipped with 40 ft waves, so I guess our captain has things figured out.
And today while we were laying out after class, some yappy girls in front of us claimed they saw a whale. Marisa and I both missed it…. So the search continues.
Things I’ve learned:
- melodica: a musical instrument resulting from a piano and a harmonica having a baby, then that baby growing up and having a baby with a flute (as it was described to me) and then a boy performed “so happy together” by the turtles for it’s world debut on such instrument
- global studies might as well be called random studies
- uploading pics to this blog used all of my free internet minutes and therefore don’t expect to see anymore until I am on land
- Chris Jones DOES exist!! (thanks for our new friend eppie)
Things I’m thankful for:
- my friends, especially those who have been e-mailing me and posting on this blog b/c I miss everyone SO much!
- my family members who have also been posting and e-mailing (especially you little Em)
- that we’re over halfway to Spain!
Marisa and I successfully slept through breakfast and lunch for the past 2 days. (We went to class in between MOM.) But today is the first day I haven’t taken a nap so things are looking up!
We decreased speed (from 20 knots to 15) in an attempt to stay behind a storm equipped with 40 ft waves, so I guess our captain has things figured out.
And today while we were laying out after class, some yappy girls in front of us claimed they saw a whale. Marisa and I both missed it…. So the search continues.
Things I’ve learned:
- melodica: a musical instrument resulting from a piano and a harmonica having a baby, then that baby growing up and having a baby with a flute (as it was described to me) and then a boy performed “so happy together” by the turtles for it’s world debut on such instrument
- global studies might as well be called random studies
- uploading pics to this blog used all of my free internet minutes and therefore don’t expect to see anymore until I am on land
- Chris Jones DOES exist!! (thanks for our new friend eppie)
Things I’m thankful for:
- my friends, especially those who have been e-mailing me and posting on this blog b/c I miss everyone SO much!
- my family members who have also been posting and e-mailing (especially you little Em)
- that we’re over halfway to Spain!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
leaving bahamas
Here is a picture of the harbor we left from, and then people out on deck 7 when we took off.
Mid-Atlantic Time
We’re officially in the middle of the open sea. I haven’t seen another ship in 4 days.. or anything besides large waves actually. Hopefully we don’t encounter any life-threatening situations in the next week.
We started class on Wednesday. Everyone attends global studies every day. I have a theater class and macroeconomics class on A days as well and a political science class on B days in addition to global studies. I have absolutely no clue what day of the week of the week it is, or even month for that matter. We also have lost an hour each night for the past 3 nights and continue to do so until Spain.. which leaves me exhausted at all times. (Although, allegedly over-exhaustion is a form of mild seasickness so that makes me feel a little better.) Sitting in class is entirely way too close to a simulated roller coaster ride. It literally feels as if I’m taking class on the Screaming Eagle at Six Flags. Luckily I have yet to actually become sick from the movements.
The food here is starting to look awfully familiar each day. The chef also apparently is an advocate of carb-o-loading. It’s like a game to see who can discover the protein at each meal. I’ve seen roasted potatoes at least 9 times already. At lunch they disguised them in potato “salad” and at dinner they switched it up and had potato “wedges”. It really could be considerably worse though.
We are allowed to consume alcohol on “pub nights”. This includes a 4-oz serving of wine or a can of beer. You are allotted 2 drinks with dinner and 4 at the “bar” leading to final call at midnight. We had our first one last night and it proved to be a hit!
What I’ve learned:
- if you do not report to the gym BEFORE 7 pm the night before you wish to use one of the 6 cardio machines, forget about access to physical activity for the NEXT day
- piracy started as a way of gaining freedom (mostly to consume rum) and equality (1/3 of pirates in the early 1800s were freed African slaves)
Things I’m thankful for:
- bacon at breakfast today, allowing Marisa to start the day off in an exceptional mood
- my parents visiting – very excited
- dara sending me pictures of blue b/c I miss him
- nice weather and the ability to lay out between classes
- laundry day!
*For those interested, Marisa's blog may be found at --> http://www.marisaatsea.blogspot.com
We started class on Wednesday. Everyone attends global studies every day. I have a theater class and macroeconomics class on A days as well and a political science class on B days in addition to global studies. I have absolutely no clue what day of the week of the week it is, or even month for that matter. We also have lost an hour each night for the past 3 nights and continue to do so until Spain.. which leaves me exhausted at all times. (Although, allegedly over-exhaustion is a form of mild seasickness so that makes me feel a little better.) Sitting in class is entirely way too close to a simulated roller coaster ride. It literally feels as if I’m taking class on the Screaming Eagle at Six Flags. Luckily I have yet to actually become sick from the movements.
The food here is starting to look awfully familiar each day. The chef also apparently is an advocate of carb-o-loading. It’s like a game to see who can discover the protein at each meal. I’ve seen roasted potatoes at least 9 times already. At lunch they disguised them in potato “salad” and at dinner they switched it up and had potato “wedges”. It really could be considerably worse though.
We are allowed to consume alcohol on “pub nights”. This includes a 4-oz serving of wine or a can of beer. You are allotted 2 drinks with dinner and 4 at the “bar” leading to final call at midnight. We had our first one last night and it proved to be a hit!
What I’ve learned:
- if you do not report to the gym BEFORE 7 pm the night before you wish to use one of the 6 cardio machines, forget about access to physical activity for the NEXT day
- piracy started as a way of gaining freedom (mostly to consume rum) and equality (1/3 of pirates in the early 1800s were freed African slaves)
Things I’m thankful for:
- bacon at breakfast today, allowing Marisa to start the day off in an exceptional mood
- my parents visiting – very excited
- dara sending me pictures of blue b/c I miss him
- nice weather and the ability to lay out between classes
- laundry day!
*For those interested, Marisa's blog may be found at --> http://www.marisaatsea.blogspot.com
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
this is a "ship" not a "boat" & you're on a "voyage" not a "cruise"
Well we made it! Finally found our ship and our small little cabin for 2. Left port at 1700 hours on Monday for SAS’s 98th Voyage – also the last for a while that circumnavigates the globe (the next ones start on the west coast and work their way to the east coast) so that’s pretty sweet. As of today at noon we have 4,000 nautical miles until we reach Cadiz! We’ve basically been in orientation and “deck” meetings for the majority of our time so far. In our free time Marisa has been whale-watching.. she is fairly confident one will need a breather near our porthole at any given moment. Needless to say, she’s still searching for blowholes. Since there are so many students, when speakers give speeches in the “union” it is video-casted in all of the classrooms – we were able to watch the Inauguration this way today.
I’m going to add a list of things I’ve learned and things I’m thankful for each day. I’ve learned a lot so far:
- Canada has a Prime Minister, not a President (ashamed to admit I wasn’t aware)
- Canadians pronounce the letter “Z” like “zed”
- (I made a Canadian friend)
- We are not allowed to travel outside of the port country… which is an issue considering we were planning to travel to Cambodia while in Thailand and therefore I will be meeting the executive dean tomorrow
- There are over 1,000 people on our ship including staff, and our newest friend, Edu, is on his 21st voyage (seeing his wife and 4 children 1 month each year)
- Last semester a boy tied his sheets together in an attempt to TOUCH the red sea… he fell overboard. (they eventually got him back but going near the railings is therefore prohibited)
Things I’m thankful for:
- Marisa as my roommate
- The snack bar on deck 5
- Our cabin steward, Ruel
- My phone having e-mail and those who write me
- Voice notes from Eppie
Classes start in the morning!
I’m going to add a list of things I’ve learned and things I’m thankful for each day. I’ve learned a lot so far:
- Canada has a Prime Minister, not a President (ashamed to admit I wasn’t aware)
- Canadians pronounce the letter “Z” like “zed”
- (I made a Canadian friend)
- We are not allowed to travel outside of the port country… which is an issue considering we were planning to travel to Cambodia while in Thailand and therefore I will be meeting the executive dean tomorrow
- There are over 1,000 people on our ship including staff, and our newest friend, Edu, is on his 21st voyage (seeing his wife and 4 children 1 month each year)
- Last semester a boy tied his sheets together in an attempt to TOUCH the red sea… he fell overboard. (they eventually got him back but going near the railings is therefore prohibited)
Things I’m thankful for:
- Marisa as my roommate
- The snack bar on deck 5
- Our cabin steward, Ruel
- My phone having e-mail and those who write me
- Voice notes from Eppie
Classes start in the morning!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
bahamas
Marisa and I landed safely in Nassau last night :) have all of our luggage, not that we can carry it. We got settled in around midnight and went out to grab 1 drink and a snack.. Got lured into some local hotspot where we were the only 2 bright white lights lacking our club attire... Hung out at atlantis today and met our new "classmates" at senior frogs this evening.. Lot of big personalities! It's been brought to my attention several times that the ship is sailing with 72% female passengers - still SO excited!! Checking in at 8am tomorrow and off to spain! Looking for someone to transport my luggage to the harbor in the meantime..
Monday, January 12, 2009
your one and only source into the scandalous lives of semester at sea's elite
So, I've created this blog as a form of communication while I'm off traveling the world. Hopefully I'll be able to keep friends & family updated on my adventures at sea while also giving friends & family something to do while at work/in class/etc. I'm leaving this Saturday for Nassau and then departing Monday the 19th for Spain! My friend from Villa, Marisa, will be accompanying me on my impending adventures and will undoubtedly play a starring role in my future posts.
Please sign my guestbook as I will miss your pretty little faces =)
XOXO
blogger girl
Please sign my guestbook as I will miss your pretty little faces =)
XOXO
blogger girl
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