Roof Tops, Buses, Peace, and Egg Sandwiches

Every day I pick a word to remember throughout the day and for my trip to Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Mali I picked “Peace.” And it was so fitting for the trip because there were many times when I needed to remind myself to be at peace. Basically my trip was amazing, no words will be able to amply describe it but I will try my best.

As soon as finals were over I flew to Ghana to stay with Natalia in Accra. It was surreal to be back in Ghana with a new understanding and appreciation for the country. It was not as chaotic and radically different than I remembered. We spent a couple days in Ghana before heading off for our final destination: Timbuktu, Mali. Lucky for me the girls that I traveled with (there were 7 of us in total) were expert West Africa travelers, having gone to Benin, Togo, and the Ivory Coast. Our first bus ride was 24 hours from Accra, Ghana into Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Not too bad. And I experienced my first egg sandwich that I would become well acquainted with. This common street food consists of exactly what you would imagine: a cooked egg like an omelette, with onions on a good day, in the middle of bread. Ouagadougou was a cool city; people rode around on little motorbikes and bicycles. Sitting around drinking tea and coffee. Talking. According to our bible for the trip, Lonely Planet for West Africa, Burkina Faso is the third poorest country in the world, followed by Mali as fourth. Because of this, survival is the number one concern, education comes later, thus only 14% of the population is literate. The cruel reality presented itself as there are hoards of street children walking around with pails for food or money. At night they huddle together until the next day arrives. It was hard to see, but I can’t always close my eyes to the truth.

From there we were off to Mali. This is where transportation became a little more dodgy. There are no central train stations like Europe, but instead you have to ask around until you find a car that can take you where you need to go. Thankfully, the locals were helpful. They could tell that we were travelers, maybe it was the color of our skin or the huge backpacks that we were sporting. One of my favorite transports was from Burkina Faso into Koro, Mali. Imagine: a pickup truck with piles upon piles of random things on the top (meat, chairs, luggage) with 17 people squeezed in the back. It doesn’t seem possible, but as I have learned anything is possible. What an enjoyable ride that was! The highlight was when meat juice started to leak on my friends shirt; it was lovely and the smell was divine.

In Mali our first destination was Dogon Country, an ancient area that was discovered in the 40s by a French anthropologists where people still live as they have for centuries. We found a guide to take us through for a 3-day trek that goes through different villages in the Dogon. It was spectacular! The houses and mosques (Mali and Burkina Faso are mostly Muslim) were made from mud and the people were wonderful. We stayed in encampments in the villages on the roof. Roof sleeping is my new favorite. Just sleeping on a mattress in the open night, looking up at the starry sky (and yes mom: thinking of you!). After the second day one of the girls was deathly ill, I was sleeping next to her and could hear her cries of pain all night. I decided that I would go back with her to a nearby town until the rest finished the trek. I had to use my French skills and it was a nice change to be on my own and navigating my way through Mali. An added bonus: she wanted an air-conditioned room so we stayed at a nice hotel compared to the hostels and roofs that we had been staying at. It was a relaxing day and a half and I walked around town. It was different not being with a big group of whites, instead as an individual. I danced and played soccer with these adorable kids nearby until the rain clouds surprised me. There enthusiasm continues to inspire.

When the girls returned we took Kelly to the hospital as her condition was not improving from the medicines she was taking. After a long time at the hospital we returned to our hostel for the night. The next day we would be journeying to Timbuktu. Kelly got better and we were off. We got into Mopti, Mali where we set up a 4X4 to take us to Timbuktu. That hostel was by far my favorite place to stay. They had a pool! I thought I had reached heaven. Floating around I felt like a kid again, during the summer spending days on end in the pool, but this time in Mali.

Although it is a widely traveled route to Timbuktu for the salt trade, most traders go on camel, therefore, the roads are not paved or smooth in any way. We found a car to take us the next morning that was supposedly as “strong as an elephant.” 22 hours later we were in Timbuktu. All seven of us were squished together in the back bench with the strong heat of Mali mixed together with sand blowing from every direction. We knew that anything was possible: car breakdowns, crashes, getting stuck in mud. It all happened and the car crash was something else. I was just about to fall asleep when I felt the car fly and hit a bump leaning over about to fall over on its side. We stopped without flipping, thank god and we were all shaken up. The wheel axel had fallen off or something, I don’t really understand cars, but apparently the other girls thought it was serious. We were stuck in the Saharan Desert with the other Malian passengers, who were really funny, although one guy was super annoying and complained about the water that we offered him. They loved that Natalia was a Muslim and one guy said in French when he saw here, “thats a Muslim”. The driver tried to fix the car by lifting it with rocks and when it became apparent that he needed help he caught a lift on a truck to the nearby town. Three hours later he came back with help and someparts. They “fixed” the car with flashlights and off we went. We were all scared to get back in the car, but had little choice. We were trying to tell stories for distraction but would get interrupted by bumps.

So somehow we got to Timbuktu in the morning and discovered the town. It was unreal and seems like not much has changed since the 15th century when it was the hub of intellectual and economic life. We went on a sunset camel ride and slept outside in a Tuareg village under the beautiful stars. The next morning we got back in the same 4×4 and headed back on a little different road. I have never experienced such bad roads and cars in my life. I definitely have a new appreciation for Lloyd and his antics. On the drive back we got caught in a sand storm. It was coming so quickly and I was outside going to the bathroom when I saw it come and got serious pee fright. We got in the car to wait out the storm while the Malians stayed outside. They are crazy. Or maybe we are the crazy ones.

To add to the car drive back, there were some kids that were standing in the middle of the road causing our driver to swerve. The driver became pissed off and got out of the car grabbing a rock to run after the kids. When they ran away he got back in the car and chased after them through their village. One little kid got so scared that he ran into a river nearby and swam away. When we got to a dead end the women of the village came out and started yelling at our driver. Imagine a huge white 4×4 speeding through a little village. Craziness. Anyways we went back to my favorite hostel in the world in Mali! We said goodbye to the rest of the girls who were off to Senegal and Natalia and I started our trek back to Ghana.

Bus rides later and we made it back to Koro, Mali to cross the border. Little did we know that we would have to spend a night here. It was 4pm and the car to Burkina Faso was not full so we had to wait for more people to come before we could leave. Three hours later and nothing. A night in Koro it was. The hotel that our new friend took us too was the worse thing I have ever seen. Bugs everywhere! The room that the guy showed us had bugs all over the bed and when we asked to sleep outside he took us to the sidewalk. No thanks! But it was getting dark, other choices didn’t seem so plausible. He was able to let us sleep on the roof across the street. The next morning as we were getting our daily egg sandwich and tea Natalia saw her friend Tell from the University of Ghana traveling with his friend Austin. So random, but so nice! We traveled with them all the way back to Accra. We made it back in time for Natalia’s flight! There were times when we weren’t sure if it was possible, but we did it.

For the next week I stayed in Ghana with Ben, my roommate from Cape Town at his family’s house. They were so welcoming and I am so grateful that I was able to stay with them. I was Ben’s shadow for the week, going to his dad’s work, friend’s houses, beaches, and of course church. Many discussions about religion. Characteristic of my time in Ghana. I saw my host brother in Accra which was lovely.

Now I’m back in Cape Town getting ready for another semester. I’m starting to get used to the cold but I still can’t wait for the summer to come. There is also a whole new group of American and International students that I have met and seem like a lot of fun. Besides that I have been chilling with my old friends from before, going on hikes, the beach, and maybe some sushi tonight!

Love you all!

It’s gray and rainy outside, but I like it. I have just finished two finals and have one more next week. Then I can take a big sigh of relief. My friends are beginning to leave, reminding me of the impermanence of this experience. Although I have made some amazing South African friends I really became close to Paige and Jesse. It will be a whole new Cape Town without them here.

Our trip to Mozambique was epic. That is the only word I can think of to describe it. We did not know what to expect, which made the trip that much better. Before we went to Mozambique we stayed with a South African friend in Johannesburg for a couple of days. I’m glad that we got to see the city with a local because it was so huge I would have no idea where to go otherwise. Her family was so great, almost like a ‘perfect family’. It was interesting to hear her parents talk about their opinions about the future of South Africa. The country will be in transition for a long time to come and certain policies have affected people differently. For example, because she obviously benefited from the apartheid regime she was nostalgic about the times before electricity cuts and crazy mini-buses ruling the streets. Nevertheless, they have to cope with the changes. It was nice being in a warm, clean house with home-cooked meals especially because we were off to rural Mozambique with barely a shower or electricity (we had electricity for 3 hours during the day and night).

So Mozambique…. such a beautiful country with genuinely happy and friendly people. We were lucky because Paige has a friend who is in the Peace Corps., Cameron, in this remote fishing village. He picked us up from the airport and off to Barada we went. We had to take a boat to his area that was around 2 hours. The way there was not so bad, but coming back was another story. For some reason the boat didn’t come up to the shore so we had to trek our way through the water with all our stuff on top of our heads, like real African woman. We made it into the boat only to find the wetness did not end. The waves were crashing all over with rice and chickens and children and everything else on the boat with us. Anyways, back to Barada, it was relaxing, going to the beach, reading, cooking, going to Catholic mass, talking with the locals (they speak Portuguese but I was able to speak French with some people, kinda random: speaking French in Mozambique). We joined Cameron for his English class one day and did a little skit. It was really fun and interesting to see what they are learning in school. There was such a variety of ages in the class, Cameron said that there are some guys as old as 30. I give Cameron major props for dedicating himself to his project. It was rough living compared to Cape Town, bucket showers, little to do, no bars nearby, but he is doing it!

Back in Cape Town things are mellow. I have two new roommates who are so great, I didn’t think roommates could get any better. We have a good time together. Nerisha, is from Durban and is a medical student supposedly writing her dissertation, but it is rare that I actual see her work. She has brought into the house all of her TV series which are great distractions when trying to study. Ben is the other guy who moved in outside, what we call the ‘maid quarters’. He is from Ghana, but grew up in London. He will be here with me until the end of the year, while Nerisha and Crystal are leaving this month. And I got Lloyd back! He is such an amazing little journeyer.

Today was my relaxing day after a couple days of ‘intense’ studying. I went to my favorite bookstore down the road. It has such old books and I ran into my friend Tobie there. Everyday I feel like I am discovering more about Cape Town and myself. I am glad that I am staying for the year so that I can do everything that I want to do. I still have not found a volunteer program that I like, except for serving the refugees. Funny that I wrote about the increasing numbers of refugees and the lack of government response, because if you have seen the news there are xenophobic attacks occurring throughout the country. It was bound to explode as refugees could be blamed for the social and economic ills of the poor. But where I work is for refugees that are waiting to get citizenship, therefore there are rarely South Africans among them. It is such a huge problem as South Africa is seen as the diamond on the continent, with people fleeing corrupt governance and war from other countries. Within the darkness of the hatred and violence there are people that are coming together to show their unity. There is always light in the midst of the dark.

I’m going to Ghana in t-9 days. I’m getting really excited! Natalia and I are going to go to Timbuktu in Mali, I just recently discovered that it is a place not a person. I am also going to visit my old homestay brother and my friends that I met while there. It will be so great to go back when I have changed and I’m sure the country has changed because I only remember certain things about the country. I remember the kindness of the people, the laidback nature, and the beautiful landscapes. We will see what I find this time!

Of course I miss you all immensely and as I shared with my parents, I don’t know if living abroad forever is for me. I’m toying around with the idea of San Francisco after college which sounds so appealing right now so that I can be close to family and friends and still lead this amazing, fun, carefree life!

Love you all!

Kimi

A Good Traveler Has No Fixed Plans

The start of a new month. I love new beginnings. Today two of my roommates are moving out, one guy from Norway and a girl from Germany. It will be strange to not see them everyday and I will definitely miss them, but that just means that I have two more people to meet.

Life has been beautiful. We had a week off for Easter so my friends and I decided to take a little trip on the Garden Route, which is a road that goes along the coast all the way to Durban. We had to wait for our friend Paige because she had this biology camp that she had to go to. Until we left, I relaxed here: went to the beach, out to the clubs, figured out my trips, etc. We left on Wednesday full of excitement. I forgot to mention that I bought a car! A nice little hatchback 1985 Toyota Corolla, named Lloyd after the scientist from Back to the Future. The car ride was going great, we were enjoying the scenery, laughing, singing, etc. Then all of a sudden Lloyd stopped accelerating. We pulled over on the side of the road and luckily there were police people there, “being visible” as they call it. They stayed with us until the tow truck came. We were so fortunate that we were only 13 kilometers from Swellendam, a quaint Afrikaans country town, similar to Ojai. The policewomen took us to Lulu’s Bed and Breakfast while telling us about how hard it was to be a policewomen because everyone things you are the enemy. But she was our savior that night.

We ended up staying in Swellendam for two days, checking out the one main street and talking to pretty much everyone we came in contact with. Lulu’s B&B was great. For only $20 a night we got a great room and a tasty breakfast. The best was the fairy sanctuary, where there were millions of little fairy caricatures. Apparently they were here before humans and can bring us out of our modern life to an imaginary land. Nevertheless, it was a relaxing couple of days and I am just glad that I was with my two good friends to laugh with since the situation was pretty entertaining. When we found out that the car had larger problems than we thought we realized we needed to get out of there! We left the car at the shop and got a ride with Lulu and her husband to half way to Cape Town in the back of her truck. It was amazing laying on the back, taking in the scenery. Our luck didn’t end there, instead of taking a bus back we were able to get a ride with the manager of the Shell station where the bus comes to pick up. We made it back safe and sound and were ready to enjoy our days in Cape Town.  We went to two clubs that we have been meaning to check out. The first was a little too yuppie for my taste but the second one was so amazing! It was at the beach so you could just walk up after a day at the beach. Dancing was great and they actually played hip-hop for a little, as opposed to the usual techno/house/trans (I’m still trying to figure out the difference).

Anyways I’m back to my schedule of school, running, going to the refugee center, chilling, and enjoying the great weather. I pick up Lloyd this weekend and hope that he will behave. I got him a car wash and everything before and this is how he acts. I’m excited for all my adventures to come, I bought a ticket for Mozambique and Ghana! Life is good and I hope that everything is going well in the States.

The Lucky Ones

As I drove across the train tracks, two minutes away from a bustling city, I saw hundreds of people in their unwashed clothing, bags with all their belongings, and looks of despair and hope in between. I don’t know if it was just one of those emotional days for me, but tears started down my cheeks and the boy that I went with asked me if I was ok. I just couldn’t believe that so close to this modern city there were people living with barely anything, they just added two water taps and portable toilets. This was the waiting area for refugees/migrants (depending on the definition) trying to get asylum to South Africa. They are mostly from Zimbabwe, due to the economic crisis among other problems, Zambia, Botswana, and other African nations. These are the lucky ones. They have the money to get to South Africa, just to wait in lines and lines for the possibility of asylum. And then they have to try to find jobs. It is a never ending struggle.

I was there to serve food since most of these people have little to no means for food. Two women from a church provide the food (beans, rice, bread, and chicken-for the helpers) out of their own pocket. They were such an inspiration. For the amount of hungry people there I was taken a back by their cooperation, especially the men that helped us. I was just amazed at how this problem could be ignored by international and national media.

I began talking with a boy only two years older than me, named Trust, who had left his grandma and little brother in Zimbabwe to try and find work here. He arrived yesterday, but knows no one and has no idea how long he will have to live on these streets with strangers until he is granted asylum. There was little I could say so I gave him a hug.

Religion again came up, as almost everyone I talked to asked if I went to church. Deja vu of Ghana, except this time I answered with the truth even though it was the harder decision. I still have no conclusions about religion, however it does seem to give them a sense of faith through their struggles.

The government does not seem to be doing much, but what else is new? There does not seem to be answer; this inequality will continue forever and as much as it is disheartening at least there are people that care and people with the belief and hope to continue.

As I got back to beautiful campus I was so disoriented from the dichotomy that I live in here that I walked into one of those white moving gates that goes up and down. People asked if I was ok and all I could say was yes, it’s just a confusing day. I hope to go back and do similar work in order to be exposed to what has been forgotten. I encourage you to look at these articles if you are interested in the situation:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5103456.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jul/01/zimbabwe.southafrica

PEACE AND LOVE!

Everything Works Out

Like the day I moved in, the wind is blowing fiercely. I love just sitting by my window listening to the sounds of nature while I should be studying. School has been picking up a bit and the reality is setting in that this year will be more than just a vacation. But I enjoy all my classes: History of the Middle East, Medical Anthropology, Industrialisation and Labour in South Africa (notice my new spelling), and African Dance. Ironically enough, African Dance is my most difficult course. My teacher moves so quickly and I just end up looking like a fool. I think I would rather dance to my own beat sometimes. Nevertheless the class is always full of laughs in between moments of frustration, such as when the lanky guy in front fell on top of another girl the other week. I like to compare learning to dance to learning a new language because some people just get it while others, like me, struggle. It just makes it that much more rewarding when I can master those butt shaking moves.

In between classes I have been keeping busy with who knows what. This weekend was amazing! I went to my first rugby match, which seemed very similar to football. For only $8 we got second row seats! I went with my friend Josh to get some beers and entered this room full of men, smoke, and alcohol. I can’t exactly describe it but I left pretty quickly. Thankfully we had huge flags so we could find each other in the crazy crowd. Afterwards we went to a friend’s party and then a bar nearby. The following day I did my first hike up Table Mountain. Even though I didn’t feel up to my physical potential (due to the night before) it was worth it. I went with a group of guys and one of them, Nish, was really rilling me up by asking if I was sure that I could do it. So I made it up before him and afterwards he said they were impressed (the trail was literally straight up, with little flat areas). At the top there was a beautiful lake and we just sat there with a little picnic taking in the scenery.

That night we went to this deep house party, Global Breakthrough, with this amazing DJ named Ame from Germany. Hannes has been talking about it for the last month and it was so good. The crowd was interesting, many gay men and men in general. We can’t figure out why there are so many more guys when we go out, and you would think that would be good, but it can be so annoying. I was so glad that Hannes was there because there were some guys that were really getting in my face. But somehow I just always ended up right in the front because the sound of the music and the beats had a magnetic power.

So I decided that it would be beneficial to buy/rent a car while I am here. It is more difficult than I imagined to get around. As much as I love the minibuses and the adventures they do take longer and cost more than I would like to pay. Today I looked at one car that is only about $2500 and I could sell it back at the end. I can’t wait to finally be more mobile and be able to go to the beach, friend’s, etc. whenever I want. We will see what happens!

I can’t believe that I have already been here a month. It still hasn’t really hit me, but I am so excited for what is to come, especially travels. My two girlfriends and I are hopefully going to Mozambique for spring break because Paige has a friend in the Peace Corps. there that we could stay with. That would be a great experience! Also I am planning my trip back to Ghana for winter break (summer break in the States) which should be amazing and nostalgic. Everything has a way of working itself out so I’m not worried. I hope that everyone at home is doing well and I cannot wait for visitors. I had a dream last night about my family visiting and it made me get excited even though they aren’t coming for 5 months and who knows what will be happening then.

I’m going to go listen to Paige and another friend play music and then go to class,

Love you all!!!

Getting in the Groove

I’m glad that I am finally getting a chance to write. Things have gotten really crazy with things to do and people to met and places to see. Last week we had orientation for international students and it was great. The first day we went to Cape Point which is almost at the tip of South Africa and stopped at Boulders Beach where the penguins are. We drove along the coast and it was breathtaking. For lunch we stopped at a township where we enjoyed some dancing and singing. The people are all so beautiful and welcoming, it seems like everyone loves visitors and helping us. On the bus I met some amazing students, two girls from Berkeley, Paige and Jesse, and a sweet German guy, Hannes, who is here to study and windsurf. It turns out that Paige and I have many friends in common and from then on we all have been hanging out often. And they are incredible cooks, Paige is vegan and still somehow manages to make such good food. So I just give them some money and eat over there. Because they live together in a different area than me I take the minibus (a little van with men that yell out the window for customers and usually there is some sort of experience to go along with the ride…nevertheless I love these buses). Hannes lives in my area and we have been spending time together which is nice and confirms my faith that good guys do exist.

School starts on Friday, which is kinda random but whatever. I have been going to campus to register for classes, societies (clubs), and figure out some other stuff. Campus is breathtaking, I can’t even explain it. The buildings have ivy hanging on the sides and because it is on a hill there is a view of all of Cape Town. I know that I will be spending a lot of time on the Jameson stairs just taking in the city. The societies are interesting as well. I signed up to work in the townships, be an activist in another, and then do yoga and meditation with this society called Art of Living. It seems like I will be keeping busy.

Tonight, Paige, Jesse and I are going to sushi with one of Paige’s neighbors friends who lives in Cape Town. Afterwards, we are spending the night at a friend’s time share at Clifton Beach. They are two Jewish boys, Josh and Daniel, from Savannah, Georgia and one of them knows Jess’s friend Lisa’s husband and we were supposed to met, but we did on our own. So they are staying with Josh’s uncle’s family who lives here. The family is totally hippie (the kids rarely wear shoes, etc.) and it is great to know a family here especially because his aunt is a caterer (finding good cooks, is important to me, as well as people with cars). His uncle took us for an amazing hike at Table Mountain over the weekend. It was foggy, rainy weather and although I wasn’t excited about hiking in the rain, the cave and view at the end was worth it.

Even though things aren’t always as efficient here I love it because there seems to be no real rush for anything. Just flow with it all….. Love you all!

sounds of wind

I made it! I just finished putting all my things away and finally feel a little more settled, except for my jet lag/time change. I got in yesterday morning and got on a bus to take us to our respective homes. But…one problem…the bus driver didn’t know the area. Kinda interesting. After driving around, asking people for directions, finding a map, I got to my home. Two attractive guys came to the door and I was thinking life will not be so bad afterall. One of them, Z, was moving out that day and the other, Joe, is from UCLA and is sharing the house with me (actually a little house outside). The house is amazing! There are so many windows and the wind comes through and is beautiful. We have a little garden outside with lawn chairs if we want to lay out. I just love how open the rooms are, and don’t worry mom there are 4 locks for me to get into my room including a gate outside. I met this guy, Brian from Pretoria today on the bus and he told me that Observatory (area I’m living in) is the safest area.

Anyways i guess the rooms weren’t ready yesterday so the woman in charge, Ida (my new best older woman friend) picked Joe and I up and took us to this apartment for the night. At the apartment were two UCT students who took us out for lunch. They are really fun and laid-back, my two fav qualities. The other people on the program are nice and we are all just trying to get adjusted. Joe, me and this girl Rebecca decided to go downtown yesterday and jumped on the minibuses. I love how close everyone has to squeeze. It’s kinda funny. And everyone loves KFC. Random fact.

So I woke up at 6am because of the time change and decided to go out and get some breakfast at the store. The area we were in was nice and I like trying to figure things out. Later I had to call Ida to see when she was taking us to the house and it took me so many times to figure out the phones. But all in all I am loving it here and know that it will only get better once I figure out what I am doing. The school is beautiful and on top of the hill. It will be an experience to figure out school but I am excited.

Love you all so much and I constantly think about all the support you give me especially when I am starting to doubt my abilities to stay here for so long. Going to siesta….

WELCOME!

Hello all friends and family. Get ready to follow me on an amazing journey!