East London and Grahamstown
Wow. After a ridiculously long journey I finally arrived in East London SA on Monday afternoon. Was then quickly shuffled off to a welcoming reception. I was pretty out of it but when talking to the Rotarians I heard a lot of "lovely! lovely!" "wonderful! that's fan-taaassss-tic!" and also numerous "cheerios."
But I really knew I was in Africa when, the next morning at 5:30 a.m. I was jolted awake by the loud scary sound of "Craww-ahhh!" "Craww-ahhh!" I sat up straight in bed and thought my life was in danger; it sounded like an psychotic crow the side of a dog. I listened for it again and only heard tweeks, chrips, and tweet-tweets...sounds of birds that I never before imagined. I found the culprit of the sound later...a crowned hornbill.
Have already had the most amazing trip of my life. We are being treated like dignataries everywhere we go and my hosts have been fan-taaaassss-tic. Although this is only the conclusion of my second full day, I have already been to an AIDS clinic and its affiliated daycare, visited a hospice, toured 2 cities, visited a medical supply program, been on the Nahoon river, walked on the beach of the Indian Ocean, had a private tour by an accomplished naturalist on a nature consevation trail where homo sapiens sapiens footprints from 130,000 years ago have recently been found, drank a lot of South African wine, had a private tour of the South African Insitute of Acquatic Biodiversity (third largest fish collection in the world) where I saw an albino great white shark and a coelacanth (an ancient fish from millions of years ago aonce thought to be extinct), had fresh pineapple juice on the side of the road, eaten wonderful food, and talked to a zillion different people. I have had some wonderful conversations about health, medicine, politics, and race with many people and also have had the opportunity to talk about cervical cancer and other cancer related issues with an oncologist and the hospice director and also about AIDS with just about everyone I meet.
Drove in a double cab buggie today from East London to Grahamstown. (That's an extended cab truck.) I'm happy to report that after that experience I'm still alive. Amazing! We drove from East London, a very English town on the Indian Ocean, to Grahamstown, the home of Rhodes University and zillions of boarding schools hosting students from across the continent. East London was tropical, lush, and had amazing biodiversity while the road to Grahamstown was hilly and scrubby--sort of like the Hill Country of Texas but more dramatic. Saw numerous townships along the way...like shanty towns with small buildings made of corrugated tin, some of concrete. They all had electricity but not sewage or water.
Many things here are the same but so many are different. The blacks who live in these areas are Xhosa and many of the Rotarians have Xhosa "domestics." I am trying to master the 3 types of clicks they use in their language.
Tomorrow we are visiting a school in the "no-man's land" between Grahamstown and its township that aims to rehabilitate street children. I spoke a long time with the woman in charge of the program today...she faces incredible obstacles the likes of which I can't even comprehend. Many of these children have been abused, are malnurished, have fetal alcohol syndrome, are drug addicts and some of the girls have been gang-raped at young ages. Then we tour the township itself. Later on we will get a tour of the city led by SA's tour guide of the year.
Homes here all have fences and bars on windows and doors. Everybody has dogs. A series of doors are in place inside the homes and are locked at night. There is a high level of security but at the same time they don't seem afraid. Crime is a way of life and most people have been robbed.
Well, I have to sign off as it's late and I have tons to do tomorrow. Cheerio!
But I really knew I was in Africa when, the next morning at 5:30 a.m. I was jolted awake by the loud scary sound of "Craww-ahhh!" "Craww-ahhh!" I sat up straight in bed and thought my life was in danger; it sounded like an psychotic crow the side of a dog. I listened for it again and only heard tweeks, chrips, and tweet-tweets...sounds of birds that I never before imagined. I found the culprit of the sound later...a crowned hornbill.
Have already had the most amazing trip of my life. We are being treated like dignataries everywhere we go and my hosts have been fan-taaaassss-tic. Although this is only the conclusion of my second full day, I have already been to an AIDS clinic and its affiliated daycare, visited a hospice, toured 2 cities, visited a medical supply program, been on the Nahoon river, walked on the beach of the Indian Ocean, had a private tour by an accomplished naturalist on a nature consevation trail where homo sapiens sapiens footprints from 130,000 years ago have recently been found, drank a lot of South African wine, had a private tour of the South African Insitute of Acquatic Biodiversity (third largest fish collection in the world) where I saw an albino great white shark and a coelacanth (an ancient fish from millions of years ago aonce thought to be extinct), had fresh pineapple juice on the side of the road, eaten wonderful food, and talked to a zillion different people. I have had some wonderful conversations about health, medicine, politics, and race with many people and also have had the opportunity to talk about cervical cancer and other cancer related issues with an oncologist and the hospice director and also about AIDS with just about everyone I meet.
Drove in a double cab buggie today from East London to Grahamstown. (That's an extended cab truck.) I'm happy to report that after that experience I'm still alive. Amazing! We drove from East London, a very English town on the Indian Ocean, to Grahamstown, the home of Rhodes University and zillions of boarding schools hosting students from across the continent. East London was tropical, lush, and had amazing biodiversity while the road to Grahamstown was hilly and scrubby--sort of like the Hill Country of Texas but more dramatic. Saw numerous townships along the way...like shanty towns with small buildings made of corrugated tin, some of concrete. They all had electricity but not sewage or water.
Many things here are the same but so many are different. The blacks who live in these areas are Xhosa and many of the Rotarians have Xhosa "domestics." I am trying to master the 3 types of clicks they use in their language.
Tomorrow we are visiting a school in the "no-man's land" between Grahamstown and its township that aims to rehabilitate street children. I spoke a long time with the woman in charge of the program today...she faces incredible obstacles the likes of which I can't even comprehend. Many of these children have been abused, are malnurished, have fetal alcohol syndrome, are drug addicts and some of the girls have been gang-raped at young ages. Then we tour the township itself. Later on we will get a tour of the city led by SA's tour guide of the year.
Homes here all have fences and bars on windows and doors. Everybody has dogs. A series of doors are in place inside the homes and are locked at night. There is a high level of security but at the same time they don't seem afraid. Crime is a way of life and most people have been robbed.
Well, I have to sign off as it's late and I have tons to do tomorrow. Cheerio!
posted by Julep | 11:41 AM
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