Hola amigos. This blog is going to be slightly different than my previous posts (mainly because I’m not in a different country this time). But also, I’d like to share a little more about life at sea and right now we are crossing the Atlantic; from Africa to Brazil. Now I titled this blog “The Stretch” because we are spending seven straight days at sea. Which also means seven straight days of school (actually we have one day off because of Neptune Day but I’ll talk about that in a bit). Anyways, it’s not our longest time at sea because we have another stretch at sea that will be a lot longer. But still, I thought this week would be a good one to talk about.
We were in Senegal on Halloween, so we never really got to celebrate anything for it. But when we got back to the ship after Senegal, we had a Halloween dance party. It sounds pretty lame but it turned out to be really fun. There was also a costume contest that my friends actually won! My friends Allie and Melonie dressed up as a mosquito carrying malaria and Malerone (the prescription medication against malaria). We’ve all been taking our malaria meds every day and we get CONSTANT reminders to take them, so their costume was pretty hilarious. My friends Liv and Kelsey and I dressed up as the waiters that serve us in the dining hall. They’re super funny and nice, and we didn’t have any other ideas for a last minute costume. We made name tags out of paper and just wore white shirts and black pants. I wasn’t really thinking about Halloween when I was packing for this trip. Anyways, we basically just danced until midnight and it was so much fun. Not exactly a normal halloween, but it was a good one nonetheless. The next day consisted of me writing essays and studying for midterms, so I’ll just skip that part. The day after was Neptune Day! For those of you who don’t know what day that is, that’s when we crossed the equator. It’s tradition to have a bunch of festivities and you get fish juice poured on you along with other things. It’s also tradition to shave your head the first time you cross the equator— don’t worry, I didn’t shave my head… well not all of it. I shaved about an inch above my ear for a sort of half shave but it can still be covered by my hair. Not too drastic, but I’m still kinda able to say I participated in the tradition! So I got fish juice poured on me, jumped in the pool, kissed a fish, then shaved part of my head. It was such a fun day and a really nice break from school. The rest of the week was pretty normal and consisted of my friend’s and I trying to catch up on Grey’s Anatomy. Also, we got pooped on by a seagull while we were lounging on deck 7. It was really strange because we don’t see many birds when we’re at sea, usually just dolphins. Despite how disgusting it was, it was so hilarious because basically the whole ship heard about it (nothing really interesting happens on the ship so that’s how we stay entertained).
The week went by a lot faster than I expected, and I was actually sad about it. This trip has been so eye-opening and I have loved every minute of it. Especially our long stretches at sea. Ship days just mean more time to talk to people and have good conversation and just get to know everyone more. I’m looking forward to our future ports, but that also means the voyage is almost over. I miss everyone back home, but I’m not ready to leave the ship. Not yet at least.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Senegal!!!
I can’t believe we’re already on our sixth port! And we just passed our halfway mark which I believe was on November 1st. So our first day in Senegal was actually on Halloween. They don't celebrate it so it doesn't matter much, but I wasn't too bummed out about it. And when we come back from Senegal we have a Halloween dance. BUT I will write another post about “the stretch” for the next post (you’ll see what it’s about).
ANYWAYS, Dakar was our last stop in Africa and I’m so happy we were able to go there. A lot of people on the ship didn’t enjoy Senegal at all and I find that extremely insane. People were complaining about the heat, and the amount of Senegalese people trying to sell us things. It was very overwhelming at times, but not once did I get angry at any of the local people. The locals were also extremely nice to us and welcomed us to their country with open arms. Men and women would call me their sister and tell me how they are people of love and peace. Throughout the day the people were very considerate. However, theft is still very common so I never stayed outside after dark for too long.
The first day, my friends Hanna, Alanna, Kathleen, Steph, Shannon and I just explored the markets in the city of Dakar. Because of the heat and humidity, we didn't stay out too long. Also, it was very chaotic in the stores because the people really try to pressure you into buying things. It was most definitely a culture shock but in the best way possible. I bought A LOT of clothing and gifts and I can't wait to come back home and distribute them!
The next day we went to the Bandia Reserve and went on a safari! We got in these safari trucks and our guide’s name was Mommadu. Mommadu however didn't speak much English so he would just point at an animal and say “okay gazelle, okay”. We saw ostriches, warthogs, giraffes, hyenas, gazelles, buffalo, and crocodiles! The trees were also amazing to look at because of how insanely giant they were. I’m so glad I went because now I can say I stood 5 feet away from a giraffe in Africa. After our safari, we went to a resort to grab lunch and then waked over to a handmade craft market. All these ladies would hold my hand and pull me into their shop and say “good price, buy here, good price I promise”. Sometimes they would ask me my name but they couldn't pronounce it very well. So every time they tried to say “Rachel”, it came out sounding like “Rita”. I bought LOTS of stuff there too. I got myself quite a few dresses and I bought some gifts for other people as well, so I won’t mention what they were.
Day three we went to this monument that was bigger than the statue of liberty. I’m not really sure why it was built or what the symbolic meaning was because I couldn't read French, but we got to see a really nice view of the city. After, we headed out on a ferry to Goree Island, which was formerly one of the biggest slave trade islands in Africa. We toured through a slave house and it was extremely powerful. We were able to see the cells they were kept in and learned about how awful and intense the slave’s lives were. I could not take any pictures because it is considered disrespectful, but it was such a powerful sight to see. We walked around the markets on the island and talked to some locals. We even kicked around a ball with some of the children. Then we just sat on the beach which was so relaxing compared to the rest of Senegal. And the water was very warm. I swear it was at least 80 degrees. If the water wasn’t so polluted I would’ve put more than my feet in.
On our last day in Senegal, we went on a Pink Lake field program through SAS. And that was probably my favorite day by far. We first went to the pink lake, which wasn’t really pink, but beautiful nonetheless. Our guide then took us on these dune buggies where we drove through up and down these giant sand dunes. Have you ever been on the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland? If so, I want you to imagine that, but ten times faster, no seatbelt, and in the hills of Africa. Even the car looks just like the one at Disneyland! We drove through the dunes, then onto this beautiful beach and drove right by the water. It was so much fun, I already miss it. After our near-death dune buggy adventure, we headed back to a small town to have lunch and did some more shopping. Then we hopped back in the bus and drove to a small village where the locals put on a music, dance, and wrestling show for us! A group of men (and boys) were drumming while these ladies in layers and layers of clothing did their traditional dance for us. It was so much fun, and they even pulled us up there to dance with them. These two boys had a small wrestling match and by that time, the whole village surrounded us and was watching and cheering. That entire day was really amazing. I definitely fell in love with the people and the children and their culture. Senegal was such an eye-opening experience and I’m really grateful we went there. Now were back on the ship for quite a while, but then we’ll be in Brazil! Talk to you soon, friends!
ANYWAYS, Dakar was our last stop in Africa and I’m so happy we were able to go there. A lot of people on the ship didn’t enjoy Senegal at all and I find that extremely insane. People were complaining about the heat, and the amount of Senegalese people trying to sell us things. It was very overwhelming at times, but not once did I get angry at any of the local people. The locals were also extremely nice to us and welcomed us to their country with open arms. Men and women would call me their sister and tell me how they are people of love and peace. Throughout the day the people were very considerate. However, theft is still very common so I never stayed outside after dark for too long.
The first day, my friends Hanna, Alanna, Kathleen, Steph, Shannon and I just explored the markets in the city of Dakar. Because of the heat and humidity, we didn't stay out too long. Also, it was very chaotic in the stores because the people really try to pressure you into buying things. It was most definitely a culture shock but in the best way possible. I bought A LOT of clothing and gifts and I can't wait to come back home and distribute them!
The next day we went to the Bandia Reserve and went on a safari! We got in these safari trucks and our guide’s name was Mommadu. Mommadu however didn't speak much English so he would just point at an animal and say “okay gazelle, okay”. We saw ostriches, warthogs, giraffes, hyenas, gazelles, buffalo, and crocodiles! The trees were also amazing to look at because of how insanely giant they were. I’m so glad I went because now I can say I stood 5 feet away from a giraffe in Africa. After our safari, we went to a resort to grab lunch and then waked over to a handmade craft market. All these ladies would hold my hand and pull me into their shop and say “good price, buy here, good price I promise”. Sometimes they would ask me my name but they couldn't pronounce it very well. So every time they tried to say “Rachel”, it came out sounding like “Rita”. I bought LOTS of stuff there too. I got myself quite a few dresses and I bought some gifts for other people as well, so I won’t mention what they were.
Day three we went to this monument that was bigger than the statue of liberty. I’m not really sure why it was built or what the symbolic meaning was because I couldn't read French, but we got to see a really nice view of the city. After, we headed out on a ferry to Goree Island, which was formerly one of the biggest slave trade islands in Africa. We toured through a slave house and it was extremely powerful. We were able to see the cells they were kept in and learned about how awful and intense the slave’s lives were. I could not take any pictures because it is considered disrespectful, but it was such a powerful sight to see. We walked around the markets on the island and talked to some locals. We even kicked around a ball with some of the children. Then we just sat on the beach which was so relaxing compared to the rest of Senegal. And the water was very warm. I swear it was at least 80 degrees. If the water wasn’t so polluted I would’ve put more than my feet in.
On our last day in Senegal, we went on a Pink Lake field program through SAS. And that was probably my favorite day by far. We first went to the pink lake, which wasn’t really pink, but beautiful nonetheless. Our guide then took us on these dune buggies where we drove through up and down these giant sand dunes. Have you ever been on the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland? If so, I want you to imagine that, but ten times faster, no seatbelt, and in the hills of Africa. Even the car looks just like the one at Disneyland! We drove through the dunes, then onto this beautiful beach and drove right by the water. It was so much fun, I already miss it. After our near-death dune buggy adventure, we headed back to a small town to have lunch and did some more shopping. Then we hopped back in the bus and drove to a small village where the locals put on a music, dance, and wrestling show for us! A group of men (and boys) were drumming while these ladies in layers and layers of clothing did their traditional dance for us. It was so much fun, and they even pulled us up there to dance with them. These two boys had a small wrestling match and by that time, the whole village surrounded us and was watching and cheering. That entire day was really amazing. I definitely fell in love with the people and the children and their culture. Senegal was such an eye-opening experience and I’m really grateful we went there. Now were back on the ship for quite a while, but then we’ll be in Brazil! Talk to you soon, friends!
Morocco!!!
Salam!! I am currently writing to you from Africa! Today is our last day, and right now I'm on a train ride back to our ship.
So we ported in Casablanca, Morocco three days ago. Day one we spent exploring Casablanca and all the markets and streets. This was a really huge culture shock for all of us. So far on the trip we've only been in European countries and we had gotten used to the similar cultures in those places. Africa however... It's slightly different. Walking through the bazaar was absolutely insane. The first day my friends and I got lost in them because the alleys are narrow and it's difficult to remember which shop is which and they eventually all look the same. But I think getting lost in there was a fun experience. They sold everything you could imagine; clothes, pots and pans, selfie sticks, they had them all. Oh and you had to negotiate. All the SAS kids stick out like a sore thumb, so everyone knows we're tourists and tries to sell things for more money than they're worth. But I'm pretty sure I've mastered the strategy. You look at something you like and you ask the price and if it's too much you give them the price you want for it and if they don't go for it, you set it back down and walk away. Pretty soon they'll be running back to you saying that price is okay. Works [almost] every time. You even have to negotiate for cab rides. (But just letting you know the dirham is very weak compared to the dollar so everything was relatively cheap here). After, we went to the Hassan II Mosque and had a guided tour inside. The mosque was absolutely breathtaking. I've seen lots of Cathedrals and Basilicas but no mosques. And I was amazed. Everything was hand carved into the wood and everything had a certain purpose and meaning behind it. It was definitely one of my favorite parts about Morocco. Day one I didn't really buy anything because I wanted to see everything before I made my final purchases. It was a great day to start to get comfortably in Morocco.
Day two we also spent in Casablanca and we again went through the twisty maze of the bazaar and through a residential area that led to a light house. It was truly shocking to see the difference of lifestyles compared to Moroccan people and myself. The area my friend Hanna and I walked through was filled with tiny shacks right next to each other for such a large community. We walked through the neighborhood to get to this lighthouse we had seen earlier. An old man who couldn't speak any English led us up to the top and posed us for pictures. And when I say he posed us, I mean it literally. He would stop us every now and then and say "picture" and made us stand and look a certain way. It was slightly strange but really funny looking back on it. And we got a great view of the city. After we decided to head to Rick's cafe, which is the famous cafe from the movie "Casablanca". Great atmosphere, and even better food. Also, Morocco has a trademark for having amazing mint tea, and they really do. I had tea with almost all of my meals and I actually already miss it. After our late lunch, we walked around the bazaar again and then had an early night because I had a train to catch in the morning!
Day three at 8:50 we hopped on a train to Marrakech. It's a four hour train ride and I slept for most of it (maybe I should've wrote my essay, oh well). Once we arrived, we went straight to the hotel we stayed in and dropped our stuff off. Our hotel was a four star resort with a huge pool area and huge rooms. And it was so cheap!! I stayed with Brian, Justin, and Harrison and we loved it. We went out into the bazaar in Marrakech after and it was even more confusing than the markets in Casablanca. We were trying to find our friend's hotel but we eventually gave up and just got lost in the maze of stores (which was so much fun).
Day four we began at the Majorelle gardens which were absolutely breathtaking. We walked around all kinds of plants and bamboo and the most beautiful flowers. And of course, we sat down in their cafe and had more mint tea. After, we went back into the old town with all the markets and spent a few hours there. Being blonde(ish), you really stand out in these kind of places so my friends and I were catcalled quite a bit. Im pretty sure some of them said to me “hey nice white chicken”. I’m not really sure what that means and I’m confused as to why they find “white chickens” appealing, but to each his own. Oh and also, I was cussed out (in English) by a five year old little boy because I wouldn't give him any money. Talk about an authentic experience. After our time in the markets, we went back to our friends hotel where we got ready to go ride camels! They picked us up at 5:00pm and drove us out to this desert area with camels lined up for us. They gave us all these traditional moroccan dresses to wear and wrapped scarves around our heads. Camels are definitely a lot of fun to ride, but slightly difficult to get on and off of. Once you climb on, they have to stand back up, which is a lot of rocking and holding on for dear life. But once you're on, IT'S SO FUN. And it was extremely beautiful because we were able to watch the sunset while we rode the camels. This experience really made me appreciate morocco and their culture and also how beautiful the world is. If you told me a year ago that I would be riding a camel in Africa, I wouldn't believe you. Anyways, we got all our pictures taken and we headed back to the hotel for a homemade traditional five course (and three hour long) Moroccan dinner. The food was INSANE. I had never eaten so much good food at once in my life. I would try to list the specific names of the foods but: One, I don’t know how to spell it, two, I could barely understand our server because she didn’t speak any English. But, wow I will be dreaming about that dinner for days!
The next day we had to head back to the ship, which meant an early morning four hour train ride back. During the train ride, these two ladies got into a fight (not sure what it was about) but they were yelling extremely loud at each other and then other people joined in and it got pretty hectic. It lasted for about ten minutes and my friends and I just sat in silence. That was definitely a time I wish I knew the language.
It was sad leaving Morocco because I loved it so much, but I’m still extremely excited for Senegal! Thanks for reading, and I’ll talk to you again in Senegal!
So we ported in Casablanca, Morocco three days ago. Day one we spent exploring Casablanca and all the markets and streets. This was a really huge culture shock for all of us. So far on the trip we've only been in European countries and we had gotten used to the similar cultures in those places. Africa however... It's slightly different. Walking through the bazaar was absolutely insane. The first day my friends and I got lost in them because the alleys are narrow and it's difficult to remember which shop is which and they eventually all look the same. But I think getting lost in there was a fun experience. They sold everything you could imagine; clothes, pots and pans, selfie sticks, they had them all. Oh and you had to negotiate. All the SAS kids stick out like a sore thumb, so everyone knows we're tourists and tries to sell things for more money than they're worth. But I'm pretty sure I've mastered the strategy. You look at something you like and you ask the price and if it's too much you give them the price you want for it and if they don't go for it, you set it back down and walk away. Pretty soon they'll be running back to you saying that price is okay. Works [almost] every time. You even have to negotiate for cab rides. (But just letting you know the dirham is very weak compared to the dollar so everything was relatively cheap here). After, we went to the Hassan II Mosque and had a guided tour inside. The mosque was absolutely breathtaking. I've seen lots of Cathedrals and Basilicas but no mosques. And I was amazed. Everything was hand carved into the wood and everything had a certain purpose and meaning behind it. It was definitely one of my favorite parts about Morocco. Day one I didn't really buy anything because I wanted to see everything before I made my final purchases. It was a great day to start to get comfortably in Morocco.
Day two we also spent in Casablanca and we again went through the twisty maze of the bazaar and through a residential area that led to a light house. It was truly shocking to see the difference of lifestyles compared to Moroccan people and myself. The area my friend Hanna and I walked through was filled with tiny shacks right next to each other for such a large community. We walked through the neighborhood to get to this lighthouse we had seen earlier. An old man who couldn't speak any English led us up to the top and posed us for pictures. And when I say he posed us, I mean it literally. He would stop us every now and then and say "picture" and made us stand and look a certain way. It was slightly strange but really funny looking back on it. And we got a great view of the city. After we decided to head to Rick's cafe, which is the famous cafe from the movie "Casablanca". Great atmosphere, and even better food. Also, Morocco has a trademark for having amazing mint tea, and they really do. I had tea with almost all of my meals and I actually already miss it. After our late lunch, we walked around the bazaar again and then had an early night because I had a train to catch in the morning!
Day three at 8:50 we hopped on a train to Marrakech. It's a four hour train ride and I slept for most of it (maybe I should've wrote my essay, oh well). Once we arrived, we went straight to the hotel we stayed in and dropped our stuff off. Our hotel was a four star resort with a huge pool area and huge rooms. And it was so cheap!! I stayed with Brian, Justin, and Harrison and we loved it. We went out into the bazaar in Marrakech after and it was even more confusing than the markets in Casablanca. We were trying to find our friend's hotel but we eventually gave up and just got lost in the maze of stores (which was so much fun).
Day four we began at the Majorelle gardens which were absolutely breathtaking. We walked around all kinds of plants and bamboo and the most beautiful flowers. And of course, we sat down in their cafe and had more mint tea. After, we went back into the old town with all the markets and spent a few hours there. Being blonde(ish), you really stand out in these kind of places so my friends and I were catcalled quite a bit. Im pretty sure some of them said to me “hey nice white chicken”. I’m not really sure what that means and I’m confused as to why they find “white chickens” appealing, but to each his own. Oh and also, I was cussed out (in English) by a five year old little boy because I wouldn't give him any money. Talk about an authentic experience. After our time in the markets, we went back to our friends hotel where we got ready to go ride camels! They picked us up at 5:00pm and drove us out to this desert area with camels lined up for us. They gave us all these traditional moroccan dresses to wear and wrapped scarves around our heads. Camels are definitely a lot of fun to ride, but slightly difficult to get on and off of. Once you climb on, they have to stand back up, which is a lot of rocking and holding on for dear life. But once you're on, IT'S SO FUN. And it was extremely beautiful because we were able to watch the sunset while we rode the camels. This experience really made me appreciate morocco and their culture and also how beautiful the world is. If you told me a year ago that I would be riding a camel in Africa, I wouldn't believe you. Anyways, we got all our pictures taken and we headed back to the hotel for a homemade traditional five course (and three hour long) Moroccan dinner. The food was INSANE. I had never eaten so much good food at once in my life. I would try to list the specific names of the foods but: One, I don’t know how to spell it, two, I could barely understand our server because she didn’t speak any English. But, wow I will be dreaming about that dinner for days!
The next day we had to head back to the ship, which meant an early morning four hour train ride back. During the train ride, these two ladies got into a fight (not sure what it was about) but they were yelling extremely loud at each other and then other people joined in and it got pretty hectic. It lasted for about ten minutes and my friends and I just sat in silence. That was definitely a time I wish I knew the language.
It was sad leaving Morocco because I loved it so much, but I’m still extremely excited for Senegal! Thanks for reading, and I’ll talk to you again in Senegal!
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