Stellenbosch

This past weekend was quite the adventure! We had the opportunity to go out to Stellenbosch on Saturday. We took the train, which we were of course late for resulting in us running through the train station almost hopping on the wrong train. Luckily, the conductor yelled at us out the window that we were going the wrong direction. The train ride got us excited, as we saw zebras and ostriches in the open field on the way. Once we got to Stellenbosch, one of the students that we met on the train showed us around and led us to the hostel we were staying in. We went to dinner at the Big Easy which was amazing and then headed out for a night on the town. There's only one thing to note about the people who go to Stellenbosch University - 95% of the guys there have mullets. Not just kind-of mullets, not just a little longer in the back. We're talking full-on mullets. Apparently it's coming back in style? I hope this doesn't catch on in other parts of the world because I think a mullet-free society is probably better.

On Sunday we woke up, got some coffee, and headed out to Moyo at Spier. This would be a good time to talk about what we like to call "minibus taxis". These are the cheapest form of transportation here, and it is basically a 15 passenger van that that picks people up by one of the drivers hanging out of the window and screaming. They are packed with people, smelly, and the drivers drive like lunatics. Some people swear by them, but my claustrophobia and fear of other people driving me (plus the fact that I'd rather not die) keep me from ever taking them. However, apparently in Stellenbosch they don't really have taxis, and the only way to get anywhere is to take a minibus. So although we swore them off we hopped in and took one to Moyo. Let's just say I think that one experience was enough...Here's an example of what one looks like. Usually, the guy in the red would be half way out that window screaming something like "GOING TO CAPE TOWN!" as the driver is incessantly honking.

Once arriving at Spier though, I'm pretty sure I would have taken a minibus for 3 hours if that was the only way to get there. It was the best experience! We didn't have a reservation for lunch until 1:00, so we decided to go to the bird reserve first. We paid a small fee and got the opportunity to pet owls, hold them, see them dance, and see all types of other birds up close and personal! At 1:00 we went and sat down at Moyo for the buffet. Upon arrival, a woman came around and painted our faces with traditional Africa white paint. Then we ate. And ate. And ate. They had everything...I even tried impala. Afterwards, we went and saw the cheetah sanctuary. We got to go in and each pet the cheetah and take pictures. Then we walked around the reserve and enjoyed the beautiful weather. We ended the day with hot chocolate and coffee lounging on big comfy benches.

Today was rough getting back into the groove of the work week after having such a good weekend. On top of that, I found out that one of the baby patients we had just visited last Wednesday had passed away. It's definitely an adjustment getting used to going and being a tourist on the weekends, then coming back to the reality of the problems here in South Africa. I'm sure this weekend will be the same, as one of the other girls Brittany and I are planning on doing white shark cage-diving on Saturday, but then heading to the townships on Sunday to get a firsthand look at the inequalities and housing crises that the people living here are facing. These are slums that have awful living conditions. Fires in the townships are very common and account for a lot of the reason we have so many burn patients in the hospital. Their establishments are made mostly of tin, which combined with the wind and the proximity of the shacks, allows fires to spread quickly. It is definitely something that I don't want to miss, but I am also not excited for it in anyway. I've heard that it is a very hard thing to see.

Things are still going well here, just wish the weather would be a little more consistent and warm up a bit. It was too cloudy to do Lion Head for the full moon today. You are supposed to be able to see the sun setting and the moon rising at the same time from the top of the mountain, and then the light of the full moon allows you to safely walk down after the sun sets. Hopefully the weather will cooperate for the next full moon on October 12th.