The End of an Incredible Journey

Hey Everyone!

I'm so sorry I haven't updated this blog in the last couple of weeks. With the voyage coming to an end, it was hard to find anytime to sit down and process everything because of how busy we all were! We debarked in Barcelona, Spain, two days ago. Saying goodbye to the ship and to the people that have become like family over these last few months was extremely rough. We just traveled the world together, and I have built some amazing relationships that are going to last a lifetime. I am going to miss them and this semester more than I can even say. It has been incredible and absolutely life-changing journey.

I am staying here in Barcelona with my dad until the 30th and then flying back home to Kansas! When I get back, I will do several posts about the final two ports, the last days on the ship and lessons learned/concluding thoughts from this semester.

Thank you!!!

Plans for Morocco!

Hey everyone!

I still haven't had time to type up the post about Ghana, but I thought I would share a little about what I will be doing in Morocco when we arrive the day after tomorrow. I am signed up for the two-day trip "Marrakech and Ourika Valley - Berber Family Visit." The following description is taken directly from the SAS Field Program Book. I'm very excited!

"Situated at the foot of the tall Atlas Mountain range is the most famous imperial city of Morocco, Marrakech. Upon arrival, proceed on foot into the ancient city, also known as the Medina. Explore the Mosque of the Koutoubia (the booksellers), erected in the XII century. From its imposing and stupendous minaret, a masterpiece of the Hispanic-Moorish art, the muezzin calls the inhabitants of the city every day to prayer.

Next, visit the Majorelle Gardens, home to the late Yves Saint Laurent which today houses a collection of plants from the four corners of the earth, flourishing among elegant ornamental lakes and an Art Deco villa. You will also visit the Medersa Ben Youssef, one of the jewels of Marrakech. The current structure of this Koranic school was built around 1570 and it is the biggest medersa (school) in the whole of the Maghreb (west).

Lunch provides an opportunity to relax and to taste some food typical of the local kitchen. Continue on an inside visit of the Bahia Palace, residence of Ba Ahmed, the chief Vizier to Sultan Moulay El Hassan. Particularly striking are the painted cedar wood ceilings. The Palace is Andalousian in style.

Enjoy an era gone by exploring the colorful and perfumed world of the souks of Marrakech. In the lanes covered with reeds and lanterns a wealth of local handicraft are shown. Finally, arrive at the most famous plaza in Morocco, the Jemaa plaza el Fna, where you will find a cosmopolitan crowd of dancers, cantastorie, snake charmers and monkey trainers. This site was proclaimed a "Masterpiece of the oral and immaterial patrimony of the humanity” by UNESCO in 2001.

The next day, depart on a great day trip from Marrakech to the Ourika Valley which is prime hiking territory in all seasons. Less than 45 minutes out of Marrakech you can see green gorges, sparkling yellow wheat fields at the foot of snowcapped mountains, and the ferocious flow of the Ourika River, where women wash clothes in the spray of waterfalls at the roadside. Look out, too, for traditional flat Berber homes; they are assembled in stacked villages all merged in the same red earth. The only vertical line which breaks the slither of horizontal roofs is that of the village mosque, whose minaret towers above it all.

Spend time with a traditional Berber family where you can observe their way of life. Enjoy lunch with them before the drive back to Casablanca.

Note: Please bring a pair of sturdy walking shoes."

Ghana Post Coming Soon!

Hey everyone!

I'm sorry that I have been absent for quite a while. Finals started right after Ghana, so I have been quite busy and have hardly even had time to sleep these last few days. My post about Ghana might not be as detailed as the others have been, but I will try to get it up soon! I can't believe that there is only about a week left of this semester. It has gone by way too fast!

Emily

Cape Town, South Africa Days 4-6

Hey everyone!

This will be a pretty short one because we arrive in Takoradi, Ghana tomorrow morning and I am running pretty low on energy. I want to be sure to get a good night of sleep. :)

I got back from my homestay around 10:30 a.m. on the fourth morning we were in South Africa. Kaitlyn and I had reserved most of the rest of that day to do some shopping. After we showered and had a quick lunch on the ship, we headed out to find a taxi that would take us to Green Market Square. Our taxi driver told us that actually wasn't the best place to go, so we listened to his advice and let him take us to a place where a lot of the locals shop. It was actually closer to the ship than the market we were planning on going to. On the way there, we passed Hillsong Church and he told us about the Good Friday services they were having there the next morning. Neither of us had really thought about the fact that the next day was Good Friday, but we decided we really wanted to go!

After doing a little bit of shopping, our driver took us back down to the Waterfront where we found some Wifi to do some research for classes and call our families. Then we found a place for dinner and called it an early night so we could head back to the ship and see if we could find anyone that wanted to go to church with us in the morning! We found a couple of other girls to come along, so we woke up early and went to the 8 a.m. service. I had an amazing, life-changing experience there that morning and I just want to say thank you so much to everyone that has been praying for me and supporting me!

After church, I went with my friends Kaitlynn and Cali to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for 18 of his 27 years behind bars during the apartheid. We had to take a 45 minute ferry ride out to the island. You would think that after being on a ship for three months, I would be used to rocking in the waves a little bit. In my defense, this was much smaller than our big ship! It was like Hawaii to Japan all over again. The waves were awful! I was not feeling too well by the end of it and was really happy when we arrived on the island! (They actually cancelled the rest of the tours after ours because of how bad the waves were.)

Our tour guide had actually been a prisoner there himself for several years during the apartheid. He first took us on a walking tour of the prison and then on a bus tour of the island where we got to see the houses the prison workers used to live in, the school used for the children of the warden and the guards, and a couple of old churches on the island. The school is no longer running, but current Robben Island staff members and their families live in the homes. Here are a few pictures!

This was on the ferry ride over to the island before we started rocking in the waves!

Nelson Mandela's cell.

After our very rocky trip back to the Waterfront, I met up with my friends Gabby and Kaitlynn to go to Two Oceans Aquarium! I love aquariums. :) It wasn't a very big one, but it was still a lot of fun and I got to see penguins! It closed at 6 p.m. and we got there a little before 5 p.m., but still had plenty of time to go through it all.

After the aquarium, I headed back to the ship to get ready for the program I signed up for, "Evening Cape Town Jazz Safari." I was really excited! There were about 15 other people on the trip so it was a pretty small group, but I have found that I actually enjoy trips more when there are less people. We took a short 20 minute drive to one of the townships where we were warmly welcomed into a home and treated to a wonderful dinner and a jazz performance by several local musicians. They were incredible! It was great to relax and enjoy dinner while being in the company of such amazing and talented musicians. I bought their CD before we left. (I've discovered that I really love African music! I bought several different CD's over the course of our six days there and plan on getting more when I get back to the states!) I mainly took videos so I actually don't have very many pictures, but here is one!

We were suposed to continue our evening at a Jazz Club called the Mahogany Room. However, when we arrived we realized there had been a miscommunication with our reservations so there were no seats for us. That was pretty disappointing, but at least the first part of the trip was fantastic!

On the last day, I decided to stay on the ship to catch up on some sleep, write in my journal and reflect on all of the experiences I had in South Africa. It's hard to find alone time on the ship so I like to take advantage of it sometimes. I had the most incredible time in South Africa, and I know I'll be back again someday. I don't know how or when, but I know I will. It is such an amazing place.

We had six days on the ship between South Africa and Ghana. The end of the voyage is starting to come up really quickly, and I have a lot of work to do in my classes for final projects and exams! I will probably have to spend a couple of nights in port on the ship studying because I have three finals right after Ghana. It can be pretty stressful at times! It's hard to believe that the voyage is coming to an end so soon. After Ghana, we have one more stop in Morocco before debarking in Spain. It has gone by way too quickly!

Tomorrow I have a field lab with my Music Cultures class. We are going to a drumming and dance workshop! I can't wait!

Thanks guys!

Happy Birthday, Sister!

I just want to give a quick birthday shout-out to my sister Jessica! Love you and miss you! I hope you've had a wonderful day!

I took this picture on Lions Head Mountain while we were in South Africa. :)

The post on the last three days of South Africa is still coming soon!

Also, when Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu got off of the ship in South Africa... the Prince of Saudi Arabia got on! No, I'm not kidding! :)