Spring Break in Barcelona

Bon dia! Over spring break I visited Spain for the first time. Our spring break lasted from March 16 – March 19 (basically the length of fall break at Hope) so I had a short time to visit as much of the city as possible.

This was a popular travel weekend. Flight prices were getting expensive once I factored in all the attractions I wanted to see and my food budget, so I decided to take an overnight bus on Wednesday, March 15. The ride itself took over 14 hours, including breaks, but it honestly was not as bad as I expected. I ended up having two seats to myself, and there were outlets at each seat as well as Wi-Fi.

I arrived in the city early in the morning and set off walking towards the Latin Quarter where I wanted to see the Picasso Museum and the Barcelona Cathedral.

The beautiful Arc de Triomf, built for the 1888 World Fair in Barcelona.
Inside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (Barcelona Cathedral).

I loved the Picasso Museum (sorry, taking pictures inside was not allowed) because the collection was supplemented by descriptions of changes in the art world as well as changes in Picasso’s life. It created a better understanding of the pieces.

After walking to my hostel and getting dinner, I took public transportation (bus and metro) to the Bunkers del Caramel. These old Spanish Civil War bunkers offer some of the best views of the city. It was a little nerve-wracking; the last bus to get up to the bunkers was more like a rickety school van, speeding through the hills. But watching the sun set over Barcelona was definitely worth a little motion sickness.

Just wow.

I dedicated the next days to the architecture of Gaudi. I recommend buying tickets online to avoid longer lines and get a discount at major attractions such as Sagrada Familia and Parc Güell. You also get to choose the times that work best for you, so you can plan your day accordingly.

Construction is still underway on the facades of the Sagrada Familia, expected to end in 2026. Gaudi designed the interior (pictured) to mimic tree branches. Church services are also held inside.
Got a tan (and some blisters) walking around Gaudi’s Parc Güell.

On my last day, I relaxed at one of Barcelona’s many beaches with some seafood paella before catching my flight to Paris.

If you’re able to visit Barcelona, don’t hesitate! The city is stunning and the people are welcoming. I was able to practice my (very minimal) Spanish, but I never felt judged asking to speak in English. If you learn a few phrases in Catalan before you go, you may get an even warmer welcome – I got a free pastry with my coffee for trying a few phrases.

Barcelona is an extremely walkable city, but I would suggest getting an HOLA BCN pass when you want to visit sights further from the city center such as Parc Güell, and to take the bus to the airport. You can buy passes online for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days.

It’s Hard to Immerse and Why It’s Okay

Finding a home away from home has a two month struggle with little success but, despite them, I have gained much more perspective. The thought of “a home away from home” is one that my classmate and I have been mulling over on one of our themes for the documentary we are producing for our program.

And if you are struggling to get there, it’s okay.

We have talked to many of our peer students that despite having improved their Spanish connecting with Chileans is still difficult, especially if one isn’t taking university courses with them, finding a niche, or just struggling to communicate with host families. With this is added another struggle of truly immersing one’s self into the culture and into what Chile has to offer.

What exactly does immersing oneself even mean anyways? Is it going on excursions enjoying the beautiful sceneries of the country? Studying with local university students? Staying up to date on local pop culture? All of these sound right, but how many times does one need to do this to arrive at “immersion”? To me, it sounds like an over-glorified, spiritual state that only a select few can reach, but what I have come to discover is that it does not come like a wave or as an epiphany would but in stages, like a lot of small epiphanies. These epiphanies, as beautiful as the word sounds, instead, have hit me when I have made mistakes, missed cultural cues, at my lowest hours, or the times I have thrown myself into social scenes being the only foreigner.

“He who does not travel, who does not read,
who does not listen to music,
who does not find grace in himself,
she who does not find grace in herself,
dies slowly” – Pablo Neruda

And it’s not to say this is everyone’s immersion experience. But one common denominator of the ways to attain this, said Nirvana, is that one have patience. I arrived to Chile quickly wanting to find a community to fit in to fill longings for ones at home, but like starting college or moving to a new city, it takes time to find your niche. And if you are struggling to get there, it’s okay. You are not alone, it might even be that on the plane ride home you will reflect and discover just how immersed you were.

Recap: In the past few months, I have already experienced so much, already having had my first exam at my local university in theology, visiting Templo Ba’hai (the only one that stands in South America), witnessing my first birth in my clinical observation class and learning kickboxing for the first time. With all of it, more so my experience in my health studies and clinical observations, I have been beginning to discover passions that I never had before.

At Templo Bahai

Galápagos Getaway

The trip that we’d been waiting for all semester finally came this past weekend and oh was it even more incredible than I could’ve imagined. We went on our second and final IES sponsored excursion and this time it was to the Galápagos Islands. Yes, THE Galápagos Islands, complete with crystal clear water, giant tortoises, and the purest beaches. We packed a ton of different activities into our four days there, so for this post I’m just going to share some of my favorite parts.

First, here’s a bit of basic info about the trip: we left early on Thursday morning, flew to an island called Baltra, took a 10 minute ferry ride to an island called Santa Cruz and stayed there until Friday morning. On Friday we took a 2 hour boat ride to the island of San Cristóbal, where we stayed until Sunday.

Now for my personal highlights!

  • Boat tours

Something to know about me is that I LOVE, and I mean really love, boat rides. I have been blessed with the gift of never getting seasick which makes the whole boating experience way more enjoyable for me. This weekend was filled with boat rides so I was pretty content the whole time. Like I mentioned before, we took a 2 hour ride to get from one island to the other. I listened to music, continually reminded myself of where I was and how cool that was, and even got to drive the boat at one point (let’s just say I didn’t find my calling with that experience). We also took boat tours on Friday and Saturday in San Cristóbal. My favorite tour was on Saturday when we were on a boat from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (with some breaks on the beach and in the water) and we circled the entire island.

  • Snorkeling

Another pretty sweet thing that we got to do was snorkeling. We went snorkeling in three different spots, each bringing something special. The first time we went snorkeling we swam at a small island called Isla Lobos and swam right next to sea lions (sea lions are everywhere in the Galápagos by the way). The second time we snorkeled at a rock formation called León Dormido and we went through a cavelike structure where sharks swam beneath us. Our guide said they were vegetarian but I don’t know how much I give in to that…nonetheless the initial fear turned into awe. Finally, we snorkeled in a lagoon with more sharks, sea lions, giant sea turtles, and sting rays. Snorkeling kind of weirded me out at first because I’m not the biggest animal lover, but it’s actually such a cool experience and one that I highly recommend to all.

 

  • Exotic animals

As I just said, I am not a huge fan of animals. They kind of freak me out to be honest, but I don’t think you can go to the Galápagos without enjoying the exotic animals there. The sea lions were hilarious because while they are truly graceful animals in the water, on land they are the strangest creatures. They just flop around, sometimes pretty quickly, and make the ugliest noises. Think of a man vomiting and that sums it up. At night, hundreds of sea lions would come onto the beach near our hotel and would just flop around on each other and yell. I hated it but was so amused all at once. We also took a tour at a ranch where we saw the infamous giant tortoises. They really are giant, everyone. Aside from that and from the sharks, sting rays, and sea turtles, we also swam with numerous tropical fish and saw native birds. I still wouldn’t call myself an animal lover, but maybe I’m a bit more intrigued now.

 

  • Beaches

The beaches there…oh man. We went to small beaches where nobody else was which made the experience more special for our group. The sand was the softest I’ve ever felt, the water incredibly blue, and the views were beautiful. It was nice to have breaks from the boat and get to just relax on different beaches together. The beaches there are well taken care of and are so pure. My expectations for beaches are probably way to high now.

 

Overall, it was the trip of a lifetime. I admire the work that is put into keeping the islands clean and natural. Imagine if every beach was that pure and every body of water was the bluest of blues. What a world it would be. Get to the Galápagos if you get the chance because it’s amazing!

Since the beginning of the semester I’ve said that once the Galápagos trip is over the semester is going to close quickly. So here I am. The trip is done and I have less than a month left. Oh my goodness, how I’m at this point in the semester I don’t know, but there are still four weeks of adventures to be had and lessons to be learned. Happy last month to my IES amigos, let’s make it count.

Xronia Polla

Hello everyone!

Despite what you might believe about my health/safety on account of my prolonged and unexplained absence, I am happy and healthy and not overly stressed (the ‘elusive three’ in undergraduate life). I’ve been out of the game for so long because we took a wonderful field trip to Northern Greece, had a week of midterms, then spring break began. I just returned from a six day Parisian excursion which was truly lovely. With all this travel, you would think I could easily whip up half a dozen posts complete with pictures, catchy titles, and funny stories. I have all three things in my arsenal (ok maybe not so many catchy titles), even so, I am not quick to blog them, or share them with my family, or email my friends; I am not very good at keeping others updated. I suppose it comes from the feeling that I can’t do a memory justice until I reproduce every last detail. And each memory is inlaid in the culture, the people, the place. To quickly explain these things without giving extraordinary background info seems unjust.

Nevertheless, I’ll try to do a quick update of the last three weeks. I truly have experienced the heights of beauty in both Greece and France, I have seen great art, eaten good food, and made remarkable friends. See for yourself:

Great Art:

*goes to Paris* *still looks at Greek art* (Winged Victory – Louvre, Paris)

 

Beautiful porcelain fireplace in a 300 year old home in Northern Greece.

Good Food:

Lovely lunch on the top of the Pompidou museum in Paris. If you’re curious, I did eat the violets.
This face says, “I cannot believe the perfection of this pain au chocolat.”

Remarkable Friends:

This is Kalya – my travel buddy and flat mate. She has an almost eerie sense of direction, a wicked humor, and is a great conversationalist. Here we are eating lunch on the Seine.

That’s all for now! I’ll join the chorus of the other off-campus bloggers by saying, “I can’t believe I only have one month left.”

And I’ll join the chorus of Greeks this Holy Week by saying, “Xronia Polla!” Many Years to you!

Back to the Beginning

Wow. That’s the word that keeps filling my thoughts. Wow. Wow. Wow. This past week has consisted of a lot of reflection. I’ve reflected on my time here, how my life is going to transition soon into life at camp, and how I have been impacted/changed by Ecuador. At one point I was talking to my friend Emily about how awesome (literally I am overwhelmed in awe) it is that I have gotten the opportunity to come back to Ecuador.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention before that this isn’t actually the beginning of my journey in Ecuador. That story began five years ago when I came here on a mission trip with my home church. My church has a relationship with a camp/retreat center called Hacienda El Refugio in a rural town called Calacalí and each year my church goes to serve them. It was an incredible two week experience and one that has been so valuable in my life. Honestly, like I’ve said before, I never imagined that I’d be studying abroad in Ecuador. I saw Ecuador as a place to do missions, not to live in for a significant amount of time. But here I am.

So how the heck did I end up in Ecuador again? For my whole freshman and sophomore years of college I was set on studying abroad in Chile. I don’t really know why, it seemed cool and adventurous and different. I was excited about it and didn’t really consider doing anything else. The program would run from the end of February to the beginning of July of my junior year, so I knew that the summer I’d be spending at camp before junior year would be my last one there. I thought I was fine with that, but apparently not.

It was about halfway through the summer when I was hit with this heavy feeling that I was not supposed to be done at camp just yet. I felt like I was supposed to go back the next summer, meaning that I wouldn’t be able to go to Chile with their schedule. So I started looking into other programs in South America and Ecuador was the best option. That pretty much sums up how I got here, and there’s the first wow moment: I have been blessed to come back to a place that was so influential in my life years ago.

I have been very aware the last few days of how incredible it is that God had called me back here even when I didn’t understand why. I have learned more than I can express since being here and I’ve experienced life in a way that I couldn’t in the U.S.

Here’s the next wow moment that I had this week: I went to a church on Sunday morning and the congregation was filled with people from all over the world. Very cool. A pastor started talking about announcements and mentioned their young adults group. He then said that they would be going on a retreat in May. This next part really threw me. He said that they would be going to Calacalí for a retreat at Hacienda El Refugio. Wow.

I didn’t think that I would ever have the chance to go back there. This place that had been the start of my story with Ecuador that sticks out in my mind as a highly important part of my faith walk came into my life again through this random church that I decided to check out. So I asked the pastor about it at the end and I think that I’ll be going on that retreat. I get to go back to El Refugio and I get to go on a retreat, which I haven’t done since high school, so I’m pretty psyched.

I can’t even explain how I fully feel though. The odds that I would be able to go back to this tiny camp in Ecuador five years after I originally went were pretty low I thought. But God has yet again shown up and has chosen to bless me with the chance to return to the place where I learned to serve. To the place where I began a friendship with one of my best friends (shoutout to you, Soph). I was baptized on that trip. My faith grew into my own through my experiences in those two weeks. That trip was truly life changing for me and I can’t wait to celebrate all that the Lord has done in my life since that trip when I go back.

The service ended by singing the song “10,000 Reasons”, a song I haven’t heard in a long time, but it was absolutely perfect in that moment. The words say, “For all Your goodness I will keep on singing, 10,000 reasons for my heart to find”. In that service I had certainly seen His goodness yet again and I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

So there you have it. Sorry for the long post, but I’ve learned this past year that our stories are important to share. Our stories are just that, ours. My story is different than yours and that is pretty neat. God has written Ecuador into my story more than once and I am more excited now than ever to see where He leads me in this next chapter of life. Basically, God is good and aw man am I thankful for this week of wow moments.

 

Are You Alive?

Hello Hope College y Queridos Lectores,

Yes, I am alive. Sorry I haven’t gotten back to pretty much all of you, especially those close who have been awaiting updates from me. Undoubtedly, it has been a tumultuous and invigorating last 5 weeks since my arrival in late February. I arrived with doubts, fear, and much regret because I was leaving behind those who I truly loved. Luckily I was able to see some of my family and friends before I left but many of my goodbyes were rushed and left with many loose and some fallen ends. I would state that before I arrived to Chile, I told myself that I would never be hit by the pangs of FOMO, but as the week of my flight had arrived, I had already began regretting studying abroad. I say all this not to scare those who are planning on going, but this should be all the reason more why to. Reason being is that it made me uncomfortable, extremely uncomfortable.

Personally, not because I was away from home in a culture unfamiliar to me, but that I was emotionally uncomfortable in that I had to recreate or find a community in another country. Detaching myself from my family and friends was something that I needed to do to truly take advantage of the first few weeks of my program. But the first few weeks were wondrous. I have definitely grown fond of my host family and the city. Luckily I had two weeks free of classes to explore and get accustomed to Santiago and was able to visit Valparaiso and Viña del Mar. The video below showcases a little bit of that experience and my beginning workings of my documentary in progress. Right now I am without a camera as my phone was recently stolen, but that is a story for another post! Please stay tuned, I will catch you up to speed!

Soaking It In

As of today I only have 6 weeks left here. That’s a pretty crazy thing to think about. I’ve known that I wanted to study abroad since I was in high school and to think that’s it’s coming to a close very quickly, well that’s just a strange thought. This incredible, wild, eye opening experience is going to wind down soon and I don’t know how to feel about it. Luckily I still have 6 weeks to enjoy this country and to continue to learn as much as I can from every encounter with the people and culture. So here’s to 6 more weeks of living an Ecuadorian life!

This weekend my friends and I headed to the coast. This time we went to a town called Puerto López that is about 8 hours away by bus. The first day we pretty much just hung out at the beach (in the shade of course because last time we went to the beach we learned our lesson about sunburns…), ate good food, and swam in the Pacific. It was nice to relax and get away from life in the city.

The next day we went to an island called Isla de la Plata. We took an hour long boat ride to the island and then went on a two hour hike. The hike wasn’t difficult, however I do think that I sweat more on that hike than I ever have in my whole life. The sun in Ecuador is no joke. On the hike we saw a few different types of birds, tropical flowers, and amazing views of the clear blue ocean. It was truly paradise. After the hike we got back on the boat to go snorkeling. The only other time I had snorkeled was in the glorious Geneva Lake in Wisconsin, which I don’t know if it counts because you can’t see a thing in that lake. Snorkeling here was way better (sorry Wisconsin). The water was so blue, tropical fish swam right next to me, and we were right above a coral reef which was pretty cool. After a while we got back in the boat to head back to Puerto López. The rest of the night was spent getting dinner, enjoying the beach a bit more, and hanging out in the hostel.

 

On our final day we went to a beach that was about 15 minutes away from where we were staying. The beach is called Playa de los Frailes and is located inside a national park. There was barely anybody at the beach which was weird because it was so beautiful. Right away we all ran into the water and some of us were taken aback (literally) more than others. Two of my friends and I got caught where the waves break and may have had an experience doing some somersaults underwater… but we got out just fine and figured out the better places to be in the water. After that we spent so much time jumping over waves and soaking in our last hours in the ocean that we could. We brought our lunches and had a little picnic on the beach, definitely felt like a family vacation. Later in the day we took a walk along the shore and climbed around on some rock formations at the end of the beach. Eventually we had to leave the beach to get back to town and grab dinner before going back to Quito on a night bus.

 

 

Overall it was such a fun weekend that was filled with equal parts adventure and relaxation. I’m not much of a beach person, honestly I’d rather be exploring a city or doing more hiking, but the beach was a nice break and being in the sun was incredibly good (I did get sunburnt again F.Y.I., but I can only reapply sunscreen so many times, ya know?). I love these weekends that we have to travel and experience different parts of the country. It’s definitely one of the best parts about being in Ecuador.

Soon I’ll be going to the Galapagos Islands which I’m psyched for and I can’t wait for all that the island has to offer. This weekend I’ll be in Quito and as of right now I don’t really have a ton of plans, which is kind of refreshing. Study abroad has been packed with traveling and activities (that I love), but it will be good to slow down and to not feel obligated to be somewhere or to fill my time. I can rest and enjoy a weekend in my city. 6 weeks left? Time to soak it all in.

The Cape of Storms; the Ultimate Summertime Paradise

Long before the Dutch and English colonized South Africa, the Portuguese sailor Bartolomeu Dias discovered the Cape of Good Hope as a harbor of refuge from the treacherous storms along the coast of southern Africa.

Seeking a passage for trade to India,  Dias mistakenly found the lush and beautiful peninsula while mother nature tested the limits of the 15th century ship.  Because of this traumatizing experience, he named the peninsula  the “cape of storms”.

While the winter months in the Cape of Good Hope are comparable to the experience of Dias, the summer and fall months offer the traveler a much nicer experience.

         

My IES program sponsored a tour of the Cape which started in the man-made harbor of Hout Bay.  We caught a boat to explore the nearby Seal Island to watch the “dogs of the sea” waddle along the rocks.

The southern portion of Africa is infamous for its Great White Shark population.  Luckily, I was assured that we would not see a shark breech as it tried to capture breakfast;  the seals were safe since the island was in a position too close to shore and it was surrounded by underwater rocks.

We continued driving along the peninsula and stopped at Chapman’s peak to look back at the gorgeous view of the bay.  The winding roads along Chapman’s drive were exhilarating; on one side were chains supporting the mountain so that an avalanche wouldn’t occur and on the other was a cliff that went straight into the ocean.

         

In Simon’s Town at Boulders Beach we saw a colony of penguins; they had migrated from Antarctica in an island hopping process to populate various regions in South Africa and Namibia.  Watching them waddle along the beach and enter the wavy water was surreal.

               

The last stop was at Cape Point, the most south-eastern part of the African continent; not the most southern point contrary to belief.  Prior to taking a steep but amazing hike to the lighthouse we came across angry baboons.  They barred our entrance to the local museum’s restroom and made quite a spectacle stealing food from tourists trying to enjoy a picnic.

This occurrence added to the excitement and I can say this trip is one of my favorite days in South Africa so far.  It is not a surprise as to why the peninsula is named the Cape of Good Hope.  Cheers!

Volcano Views, BBQs, & Fútbol Blues

Not going to lie, I think that this has been the busiest week I’ve had so far this semester. I’m in the midst of papers and presentations while still trying to enjoy new experiences. It’s definitely preferable to not have a ton to do, but that’s what study abroad means: doing school work while taking on a new culture and new adventures. It’s a bit stressful right now, but it’s still great, don’t worry.

This past weekend was pretty packed with activities. It began on Thursday night when a few friends and I went to a food truck garden (super cool, has Grand Rapids vibes) to watch a soccer game. Soccer, or rather “fútbol” is a huge part of the culture here. Everyone LOVES fútbol and has great pride for the Ecuadorian team. We watched Ecuador vs. Paraguay and unfortunately we lost, but it was still a fun time getting to see a part of the culture that brings everyone together.

On Friday a group of us decided to hike Cotopaxi, an active volcano located about two hours south of Quito. We were all pretty excited because we heard that there would be snow, a rare thing here. In the Midwest, I know snow is the last thing you want more of, but I was looking forward to it because it’s a little piece of home I guess. When we finally arrived, the volcano was hidden in fog. I could barely see the people walking in front of me. Also, this hike was the hardest hike I’ve done so far. It was a straight incline the whole time, but luckily it took less than an hour to get to the top. The top really meant a refuge about halfway up the volcano because the rest of the volcano is closed to hikers (it’s pretty dangerous past that point.) Halfway through the hike it began hailing. It was kind of painful to be honest, but when we finally reached the top the views were beautiful. It was snowing at the top and oh man, I was filled with joy. On our way down it snowed the whole way and we even stopped for a little while to have a snowball fight. A snowball fight in Ecuador on an active volcano? Madness. Cotopaxi has probably been one of my favorite adventures so far.

On Saturday we had a field trip to two cathedrals in the historical center. First we went to La Basílica del Voto Nacional. We had visited this church during orientation, but this time we got to climb to the top of the cathedral. We climbed up ladders to get to the top of the towers, which provided incredible views of the whole city. On top of that, the weather was perfect. No rain (a miracle in Quito), the sky was so blue, and the sun was shining. After that, we went to La Compañía de Jesús, a cathedral that is covered in gold on the inside. Overall, it was great morning doing some sightseeing in Quito.

In the afternoon, my friend Adrien invited us over to his host family’s “quinta”, there second home out in the country. It was more like an estate owned by the whole extended family, including houses, a soccer field, a playground, and they even own a few horses there. We barbecued for lunch and dinner which was another thing that felt like home. We ate a ton of meat, listened to music, talked about life, and forgot for a few hours that we were in Ecuador. Life felt very normal and familiar there. The barbecue was just what I needed at this point in the semester. It was a day to slow down and to just enjoy the company of good friends. It also didn’t hurt that we were eating food other than chicken and rice.

Sunday was dedicated to homework and was nothing too exciting, but I needed to use that day to prepare for the rest of the week. On Tuesday I actually went to an Ecuadorian soccer game. We bought tickets for this game months ago and were told it was going to be crazy because it was Ecuador vs. Colombia (they aren’t the biggest fans of each other…). Oh, and it was also a qualifier game for the World Cup in Russia 2018. It was crazy indeed. We ended up having seats that were surrounded by Colombians for the most part. Everyone was cheering the whole game and energy was definitely high. Unfortunately, Ecuador lost… but it was still a very cool cultural experience!

P.S. While we were trying to find our way into the stadium, a news station interviewed my friends and I! It was hilarious…So now Ecuador knows my name, that I’m from the U.S., and that I definitely thought that Ecuador was going to win (sigh).

So now I have to crack down on my homework because this weekend I’m heading to the coast! I’ll be visiting a beach town called Puerto Lopez and I’m very ready for a weekend of relaxation. Chau for now!

A Land of Extreme Beauty; Garden Route Road Trip

        

Pictured above from my adventure on the  Garden Route tour and a hike up Table Mountain is an African elephant and a dassie.  It isn’t hard to tell the two animals apart; on the surface their appearances are as different as night and day.  However, if you were to delve deeper and compare their genetic make-up, you would find that the dassie, a rather large rodent-like creature, is the closest relation to the mighty elephant.  This contrast in appearance but underlying connection parallels greatly into South Africa as a nation.

I was surprised to find that my first adventure in South Africa, a road trip on the world renown Garden Route, started the same as many camping trips back home; with me in a state of mind resembling both panic and extreme excitement.  My trip began before the sun came out, frantically packing and rushing out to the bus (hence the panic) as I anticipated the lifelong memories to come (hence the excitement).

  

On the road to Wilderness I realized that the South African landscape was as different as the dassie and the elephant;containing rigid hills, towering mountains, rolling dessert plains, and jaw-dropping beaches.    At some moments I felt like I was driving through the rugged rock formations of Utah when ten minutes later  I was  transported into the lush green of Scotland’s Highlands.  Not once throughout the five hour drive was  my view without a mountain range!

    

Once in Wilderness we set sail and saw the landscape via kayak.  When we made our way to the beachfront hotel I watched other tourists attempt to para-glide on the steep cliffs above the Indian Ocean.  As I made my first steps into the Indian Ocean I realized how much warmer the waters were compared to the icy waters from Antarctica in Cape Town.

     

The second day we set off for Tsitsikamma National Park in the Eastern Cape to explore a “easy” hike on the Otter trail.  We were all surprised to find that easy meant climbing the rocky shore and peddling up intense stairways.  The challenge was good practice for climbing local Cape Town mountain peaks and the journey was beautiful;  we made it to our destination safe and swam in the refreshing waters of the seaside waterfall.

  

The view from winding  roads in the mountains surrounding  Oudtschoorn was extremely beautiful as we bunked in for a night to prepare for our third day of adventure.  In the morning we explored the Cango Caves and shimmied our way through spaces  that were only passably with one person at a time.  Studying abroad will leave you in situations were you are in a tight spot!

We made our way back to the “mothercity” feeling like we had seen a lifetime worth of beauty.  But as the saying goes “TIA” this is Africa; a place where you can see elephants, ostriches, dolphins, caves, and mountains in just three days.