Durban

On our excursion along the South coast we met two South African guys Gary and Justin who we became friends with over a game of King's Cup in a hostel in Wilderness. They had been studying accounting in Stellenbosch but were from Durban and were making their way back home along our same route before going to London to work for a year. Justin was kind enough to invite us to stay with his family when we got to Durban and we were more than happy to take him up on it. It was a pleasant suprise and a side of South Africa we would have never seen. His parents had recently retired and bought a large Catamaran they were planning to sail all over the world. They were being certified to sail it and we got to accompany them out into Durban harbor for some basic sea trials (above). They fed us a ton of amazing food and I thank them again for being so kind and hospitable. Above we got to drive around in Justin's mom's convertible Saab and see parts of the city. It was a few steps above riding in African buses. Another day we went to the Inanda Dam and went waterskiing on the reservoir. This is in an area known as Kwazulu-Natal and is historically part of the kingdom of Zulus. It's nickname is "A Land of a Thousand Hills" because of the accordian like geography. Justin brought along his small surfboard and gave us all a lesson in barefoot waterskiing. He sat on the board as the boat gained speed and made his way just outside the wake and when we accelerated to around 30 mph he slowly stood up. I had to try and the video at the bottom is my first attempt. Josh took the video sideways so you have to turn your head to the left.

Ouch, and my feet were itchy afterward!

Garden Route

Moving along the Southern Coast we entered the area known as the Garden Route. It is popular among backpackers, which proved useful catching rides and meeting people from all over the world. There is a lot of diversity in the landscape including some of the best beaches in the country and old growth forests. It also helps that it is part of the Indian and not Atlantic Ocean so the water temperature is ten to fifteen degrees warmer.

These pictures are from an area known as the Transkei. It is where Nelson Mandela is from and was a "homeland," which were areas that were set aside and given a degree of autonomy from the South African government to pursue their policy of "separate development." It was just a smoke screen because the local government was controlled by the South African government, there was zero development done and they used these areas to recruit cheap labor for the mines in the wealthy areas. Because of this these areas are the most behind the rest of the country and have a completely different feel. Beautiful but poor.
This was a hostel dog in Storm's River that turned into a statue when you held a piece of food in front of him. So we had some fun seeing how much stuff we could put on him. We gave him the biscut afterwards for keeping us entertained.
I did a little bungee jump along the way. They advertise it as the highest commercial bungee jump at 216 meters off the Bloukrans bridge and into the canyon below. It was my first bungee so I thought what the hell, no sense starting on the bunny hill. Willingly jumping off a perfectly sturdy bridge is a feeling that goes against every human instinct of survival. A middle aged woman went before me and as the two assistants' countdown approached one she crumbled to the ground and fell backwards toward the platform. Her second time she took a pathetic little hop and we could hear her scream go trailing off down the chasm. I was not honestly nervous at all until after I was strapped in by the bare ankles and standing on the edge did the gravity of what I was about to do occur to me. But when the countdown hit one I voluntarily took the suicidal leap and tried not to soil myself as the whistle of the wind increased during the four seconds of free fall and I watched the ground come rushing up at 120 miles an hour. This frightening, exhilerating, midlife crisis ending sensation was followed by the glorious feeling of my lifeline coming into affect to keep my forehead off of the earth below. The bounce up of a hundred plus feet brought all of the blood from my lower body into my skull to say hello. This was followed by another two seconds of free fall and so on and so on. I would have done it again in a second if I could have afforded it because the second time they let you jump off backwards...
Below is a waterfall in Tsitsikamma National Park Josh and I hiked to with a few Germans we had met. The coast line was so different than the white sandy beaches we had been at only the day before. This park is known for its unique tidal and fauna life.

Cape Town

Josh and I began a three week loop down to Cape Town, across the southern coast and then inland from Durban through the Drakensburg Mountains. The trip began with a 27 hour train ride from Pretoria to Stellenbosch where we stayed with a mutual friend Jenny Tracy who was studying abroad there for the semester. After doing some wine tasting and catching up we headed to Cape Town in our Volkswagon City Chico rental car. Our plan was to climb Table Mountain that morning but the weather intervened and it was completely socked in. Instead we orgainzed a trip through a township and to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were kept during apartheid. The prison is a spooky place and our tour guide was a former inmate who explained what they went through. We saw the lime quarry where they dug everyday and the cave within it that they famously referred to as the Congress of the New South Africa. What is funny is that many of them did hold the highest offices once apartheid ended including Mandela who became the President.

This picture above is of a medicine man in the township Langa. Josh explained to him the 100 year curse that is hanging over the Cubs and asked him if he could do anything about it. They switched hats and apparently the curse has been lifted. Now the Cubs have the best record in baseball, coincidence?
After several days of the 'Table Cloth' dominating Table Mountain there was a break in the weather and we hiked up one of the trails to the plateaued summit. There is a tram that leads to the top but we were confident with our pocket knives that we could fend off any baboons that tried to rob us of our shiny objects. The weather changes rapidly and after eating some lunch on the top overlooking Cape Town the fog appeared out of nowhere and we moved down. It can get so thick that you can lose the trail. I took the picture above on the way down. The mist rolled over the side and down the mountain incredibly fast before it evaporated at a lower elevation.

Kruger National Park

Josh and I trekked over to Kruger National Park in the north-east corner of South Africa to see these animals that everyone associates with Africa. We went in our usual style, on the spur of the moment with little to no planning. Our thinking was that we could go there, walk around a bit, camp at night, etc. When we told our plans to a National Park spokesperson she laughed in our face. Apparently, there is lots of stuff that can kill you at night and the only time you are allowed out of your car is with an armed guide (we broke the rules a bit in the above picture). We rented a car with a Dutchman who we met at the hostel just outside the park (pictured above). It was my first time driving a car with right hand drive. I was lucky that we started out at 4:45 am so there were not too many cars on the road for me to hit. It actually wasn't as hard as I feared but a little weird operating a stick with the left hand.

Right off the bat we saw animals at a distance and with the help of my spotting telescope we spent a long time looking at white rhinos and water buffalo from 300 yards away. Little did we know how close we were going to get some large animals in the next few hours. There are so many wildebeast, impala, and zebra that they seemed like flocks of pigeons in a city square. After awhile we saw so many elephants and giraffes that we didn't even slow down unless they were right next to the road. We were searching for some of the cats, which we didn't find until the end of the first day. On our way to our campsite we saw three male lions laying around like a bunch of couch potatoes. The picture above was on our second day of a lone female lion.

This is the southern most baobab tree in the world and a big one at that. Again we fudged the rules and got out to take some pictures next to it to give it some scale.

One of the many elephants that practically were reaching out to touch our rental car. Josh once got a little brave and told me to take a picture with him outside the car but the moment he opened the door to elephant turned and pointed his trunk at him just like a warning. We sped away.

All in all an amazing place. Considering how many large animals there are and that it is not a game reserve but a completely wild place it really is a natural wonder.

South Africa Arrival

Josh and I flew into Johannesburg on Tuesday the 29th of January after a non-stop 15-hour flight. Luckily we convinced the ladies at the ticket counter to put us in one of the exit rows, which was crucial. Josh’s brother Jeffrey picked us up at the airport along with his wife Rose and their five children; Bruno, Eugene, Isaac, Morgan and Esaie. We made our way to Pretoria where Jeffrey lives and works for the Peace Corps with whom we will be staying. After a few days of taking it easy and trying to get over some wicked jet lag we are planning to take a few excursions around the area. We saw the sights of Pretoria, which serves as the executive capital of South Africa. This upcoming week we are going to Kruger National Park on the border of Mozambique to see some of Africa’s "Big 5" animals.
The main purpose of this trip has been to get involved with some volunteering organizations and do our small part to help. We have been contacting different groups such as Africa Jam and Habitat for Humanity but it is still early so we’ll see what ends up surfacing. I was chatting with a guy in a music shop the other day that suggested that we look into church groups because they do a lot of philanthropy. Anyone who knows me well is aware that I am not the most gung-ho person when it comes to organized religion but this may be an inroad we end up exploring.
What has surprised me most about South Africa so far is how unique and fresh their history is and how it affects daily life. Before this I knew what I thought was the basic history but now that I am here and have read more about it I realize how much more complex it is. Apartheid ended only 14 years ago. That is like being in the United States 14 years after the civil rights movement. But now imagine that the US population is 90% black and how the power structure would have changed. The inequality that still exists here is inescapable. The wealthy suburbs, which are 99% white are separated from the city center and the surrounding townships. We are currently in one such suburb and the security here is like nothing else I’ve ever seen. The crime rate is very high and there is still segregation and a tinge of racism in the way the population is separated. There are areas here that are like being in a posh Miami neighborhood and two miles away there is abject poverty. Jeffery’s house has a ten-foot tall wall around it topped with spikes and four electrified wires. Assuming anyone could get over that there are two guard dogs. After that they would need to get into a house that is completely barred up: every door and every window. Inside there is a security system that automatically calls armed guards only minutes away. The upstairs has it’s own prison style barred door that is closed every night so that no one could get to the bedrooms assuming they could get in. To me it all seems a bit overdone. I just can’t imagine anyone would even fathom of breaking into one of these houses, which I guess is the point.
Me feeding Esaie.

Yellowstone in October

My travels continued, which brought me next to the first National Park in the United States, Yellowstone. My friend Connor Tremelling Giorgi was working in the park for the fisheries department shocking various streams and rivers to see what species floated to the top. Exciting stuff. While he was out committing genocide in remote corners of the park, I did several day hikes out where the buffalo roam and the skies remained partially forecast all day. Being the end of October the mornings were a bit brisk reaching down to the low 20's but that didn't stop me. The above picture is Osprey Falls and below is the always abundant Lamar Valley.
Bison are an incredible creature. Absolutely massive and always on the move. They block the roadways in the park and move for no one. The Lamar Valley blew me away everyday. Herds of buffalo and elk graze through this wide depression with packs of wolves always watching from nearby. Connor and I were lucky enough to see one of these packs just before dust moving over the rolling hills on the fringe of the valley. Seventeen in all not more than 150 yards away. Even a park ranger who also happened to be there said that it was the best sighting he had seen all summer.

Just an example of what was following the same trail I was.

NYC

Second stop in my little jaunt across the country was to New York to visit my friend Zeke and again because I had never been. I remember hearing a New Yorker say that people who live in other cities must really be joking when they compare it to living in the big apple. Again, I agree. It is sort of like entering the twilight zone after living in a Samoan village and Northern Idaho. The sheer scale of how many blocks of skyscrapers and square feet of concrete that has been torn up and rebuilt over the life of the city is hard for the mind to get around. Since I'm not one of those people who goes on bus tours or to Broadway shows but enjoys walking around and taking in all the cityscape, people, sounds and smells (there are quite a few different smells) I ended up walking a lot, maybe 8-10 miles a day. When I wanted to get across town I rode the subway, maybe the best in the world I've ever been on. You can literally get within a few blocks of anything if you know what you are doing.
The shot above is from Katz's Delicatessan. I'm told the most famous deli in New York (where Meg Ryan does the fake orgasm in 'When Harry Met Sally') but I'm sure that would be debated depending on what neighborhood you were asking in. This is the best pastrami sandwich I've ever eaten and those who know me well know that I have a love affair with pastrami. The best $15 I ever spent.
I don't know why I thought this banner was so funny. The irony of finding a driving school in the heart of China town was just too much for me. I have to say this is one of the cooler neighborhoods I went to in Manhattan, with its old buildings and seafood in baskets all over the sidewalk. The diversity of New York is no secret but what struck me was how different all the different neighborhoods are. Just in Manhattan there are dozens all with their own feel and that isn't including the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Staten Island. It affects New Yorkers vocabulary too. Every conversation includes street numbers and subway routes, something like this;

"Why didn't you take the NRQW up to West 56th street?"
"Because I had to get cross town from Brooklyn and the L ends at Union Square and 3rd Ave!"
"Listen to this freakin' guy, heh. Take the bus you schmo."
"Hey! Oh!"

Ok just my own perception. Thanks again to Zeke and Sean for putting me up.

The Windy City

I started a little trip over in Chicago to see my friend Josh and also because I had never been to the Midwest (beyond an airport). Someone told me that Chicago is great because of its working class roots. I would definitely agree. The city has a great night life, lots of younger people and not too heavy of a big city vibe. The highlight of the trip was going to see a Cubs game at Wrigley field. Josh, two of his friends and I barbecued a few blocks away then made our way to the outfield bleachers where we scored some great seats four rows above the ivy in left center field. I came to understand why Josh got so mad at me when I referred to Wrigley as a baseball stadium, it's not a stadium, it's a ballpark. The old style ballpark is so small and intimate that we could yell at the center fielder of the Pirates and he would laugh and nod his head. He even threw us a ball, at least we thought that he threw it to us. The toss was a little high and the ensuing scramble resulted in several beverages being spilled. But who can complain about a ballpark that sells tall cans of Pabst?

Viva la North Idaho!

Coming back from Western Samoa in the summer with nothing to start till fall my Peace Corps friend Josh and I decided that it would be a good idea to have fun in the sun for a couple months. Luckily my family has an amazing cabin on pristine Priest Lake in the Idaho panhandle that had our names written all over it. We quickly snagged jobs as bartenders at a local resort called Hill's and bought some fishing licenses. The summer has been nothing but fun. Fishing, boating, hiking, partying, water sporting, etc. Many articles have been lost to the lake gods (cellphones, sunglasses, cash, etc.).
John and Bob made a brief appearance. The madness that ensued was to be expected. A couple detours through British Columbia, Vancouver, and Seattle aside we've been enjoying the lake and all the cool people we get to work with.

The hikes in the surrounding area are some of the best I've ever done because they are so few people who come here. View from Mt. Roothan over to Chimney Rock. Doesn't that pose just smack of genuine spontaneity?

Saying goodbyes

Well my service has been brought to an end, saying goodbye was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. That is another reason for the long time between posts. It's been hard even to talk about it let alone write it down. Luckily it was a motivator for my family to finally get a picture with everyone. I'd been trying for at least three months for this picture.I left on a Monday so on the final Sunday my village chiefs had a To'onai (Sunday feast) for me and gave me all kinds of gifts that I really didn't expect. I gave a farewell speech and tried to hold back my tears, I was unsuccessful. Afegogo just put his head back and closed his eyes for a few minutes so he wouldn't cry. He did tell me that he broke down in the plantation. It's amazing how close you get to people here both because so much time is spent in close quarters and lots of time to just chat. Here is another picture I tried to get of the whole village but only about a quarter of them stayed. I'm that big tall white thing in the back in case you were wondering.
When the Peace Corps vehicle came to pick me up in the morning it was almost a euphoric feeling, like a dream. It didn't feel real that I was leaving this place that had come to feel like my home. The whole village came over to my house and they stopped school so all the kids came over to see me off. It was the most emotional experience of my life to see all the love that these people are capable of giving. My young host sisters didn't really understand that I was leaving for good and the boys couldn't even look at me they were so sad. But by far my host parents were the most emotional. I was absolutely bawling when I hugged them goodbye. They kept telling me to come back. Driving away the kids ran after the car and I looked over a village of Samoans that had come to be like my second family.