Hello, home!! We only have been quiet on the blog. Our days are full of exploring and taking photos and our nights are full of laughs and card games. We are a tired and hopeful bunch but we are doing so much! Tuesday we explored a Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. There were a lot of green trees and plants being ready to bloom next season when it is spring. The birds here are so beautiful and make so many noises that are different for us. The reality in Cape Town has diverted some of our ideas and wants, but none of our safety. The taxi strikes are happening across town, and we do not feel or see any of its repercussions. In fact, if our hosts in our home aren’t talking about and informing us about it, we wouldn’t know they are happening. We only know because so far, they’ve prevented us from getting to the schools that were part of our original plan. The Castle Of Good Hope tour checked off a lot of history on all of our lists. The cultural similarities and differences are very extreme. We’ve come so appreciative in a short amount of time. The mall at the Waterfront shows no signs of the taxi strike, so we were able to eat and shop freely (and we did; a lot and too much!).
And then, we had a Wednesday!! We hiked Table Mountain and took the cable car back down! The hike challenged all of us physically of course but mentally as well. The views were spectacular and the company was so special. We also went with another group of volunteers from our home who are teaching us so much about their Italian culture. The fun and the sights didn’t stop at the top of the mountain, they only continued. We went to a cooking class where we made Malay cuisine and we were able to eat it, too. Everyone took risks trying new things and we were surprised and fulfilled. Those hosts made our lunch feel like home, but it wasn’t until dinner when we were really HOME. Dr. Magaya’s college friend hosted us for dinner. We had great conversations, got to watch some tv for the first time, heard and saw more about the taxi strikes and how it is affecting the community in its entirety. The company and the food was very enjoyable. We are finding that everyone we meet is humble, warm and welcoming. We promise to take that back home to spread across campus and into our classrooms.
