Valpo Voyager

Student Stories from Around the World

Tag: Student Travel (page 1 of 3)

Over the River and Through the Air

20+ hour bus ride: Hour 1

20+ hour bus ride: Hour 1

Over spring break, a group of seven of us traveled on a 20+ hour bus ride from Windhoek, Namibia to Livingstone, Zambia to visit Victoria Falls. The bus ride was not nearly as bad as you would expect (sleeping pills are a life-saver). Crossing the border was an interesting experience as there was little communication of what we needed to do. We filed out of the bus and got exit stamps on our passports from Namibia. We then had no idea where to go, as the bus was now empty and everyone from our bus was nowhere to be found. Eventually, we discovered that we were supposed to cross the border on foot and walk to the Zambian border control where we were escorted to a tent. Inside, a lady sat us down in a row and shot a laser into our ears and handed us a piece of cardboard which supposedly showed that we were Ebola free. Wooo! Eventually, we made our way down the bumpy Zambian roads to Livingstone and our backpackers, Jolly Boy’s.

Hike down to Boiling Point

The bridge connecting Zambia and Zimbabwe

Double rainbow over Boiling Point.

Double rainbow over Boiling Pot

On our first full day, we traveled to Victoria falls and hiked around the park. We encountered many baboons who were very interested in our food. So interested in fact that they grabbed Emily by the backpack and pulled her backwards until they got a wrapper out of her bag. After recovering from this encounter, our group hiked down to Boiling Pot which is just past Victoria falls. We also hiked up to the falls themselves and got drenched in mist as we made our way to the world’s largest waterfall.

Boiling Point

We made it down to Boiling Pot

Ready to Raft

Ready to Raft

Our second day was spent white water rafting in the Zambezi river along with our new friend and roommate Tom. The water was extremely high because of the rainy season so we couldn’t start under the falls but we did begin slightly downstream. To get to the river we had to “hike” (We mostly fell) down the gorge.

Our rafting began with a quick safety talk where we learned commands such as the “oh shit” command where we had to duck down and hold onto the rope for dear life. I assumed we wouldn’t need to ever actually use this but sure enough on the first rapid we were quickly told to duck as we hit a massive wave. After we came back down, we watched as the other raft capsized.

IMG_1028IMG_1030Rafting was incredible and we were subjected to some intense level 3-5 rapids. Our raft capsized twice and both times I ended up under the raft. The first time I was quickly able to work my way out, but the second time I was not only stuck under the raft but also Olivia. I had to kick and struggle for almost 10 seconds to work my way out from underneath her and the raft. I now know what it’s like to have your life flash before your eyes. That night we went on a sunset cruise on top of the falls where we could look over the edge and also see some hippos.

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Bike tour of Livingstone

Bike tour of Livingstone

On Tuesday we went on a bike tour through downtown Livingstone and the surrounding villages. We visited various homesteads and markets as well as a local school that is funded by the profits from the bike tour. After biking, Luke and I explored the city, found some delicious food, and played some billiards in the park.

The Gorge and the Zambezi River

The Gorge and the Zambezi River

Wednesday brought with it adrenaline. Luke and I had the brilliant idea to book a full day of adventure activities at the Gorge just past Victoria Falls. We were driven out to the falls where we discovered that we were the only people in the entire place. This meant that we could do everything as much as we wanted without any need to wait around. They started us out with repelling down the Gorge cliff face as we slowly walked our way down and began to push off the cliff. We worked our way down to the bottom and then hiked our way across the gorge and climbed our way back up to the top. We then did the Flying Fox which is a zip line that spans across the Gorge. You harness in with the rope on your back and then you

The World Famous Gorge Swing

The World Famous Gorge Swing

run off the cliff, diving forward, so that you can “superman” across the Gorge. This was pretty easy and was more like a relaxing break from what we would be doing next. The next thing we did was repelling again, but this time we did it “Mission Impossible” style which is face down so that all you see is the ground and you lay completely horizontal to the cliff as you push off. By far the best thing that we did was the World Famous Gorge Swing. You walk up to the edge of the cliff with not one but two harnesses on, hanging your toes off the edge. The guy then counts down from 3 and you take a huge step and the next thing you know is that you are falling over 100 meters down the cliff. The rope then catches you and you swing back and forth from one side of the gorge to the other. I did this swing three more times and it didn’t get any less terrifying. Walking up to the edge of a cliff and stepping off the edge makes you think about your life….

Africa-Zimbabwe-Victoria-Falls-thumb….Anyway, Victoria Falls was an amazing experience that let me witness one of the wonders of the world while also pushing myself far beyond the limits of my comfort zone.

One more look at the falls

One more look at the falls through the mist

Home Away From Home

The path through the Mahangu leading to my family's home

The path through the Mahangu leading to my family’s home

For over a week, I spent time living with the Uugwanga family in the rural village of Outapi in northern Namibia. Together, we lived on a farm growing Mahangu and raising chickens. I was the first student that my host family had welcomed into their home that they built themselves. The home is very modest but my family is absolutely amazing. Only my host mom spoke much English but that didn’t stop us from hanging out, telling stories, playing games, and getting to know one another.

My host family's home and the pipe leading into the crops.

My host family’s home and the pipe leading into the crops.

All of the water that my family used came from a spicket outside of the house. The spicket pumped water up from an underground well near the house. We used this spicket for everything in the house by filling buckets at the spicket and carrying them around the house. My family worked hard to conserve the water that they had. For instance, when my host father noticed that the spicket was leaking slightly, instead of letting it drip, he put a bucket underneath it and was able to gather a few bucket loads over the course of a day that would have been wasted otherwise. In order to shower, we filled a five-liter bucket with water and carried it into a small room in the house designated for showering. In order conserve the water that was used for showering, my host father actually installed a pipe that lead out of the showering room and into the crops behind the house so that the water would runoff into the field and water the crops.

Playing keep away with Pini

Playing keep away with Pini

The interactions I had with my family were absolutely incredible and I quickly learned how to communicate without language. I did learn some Oshiwambo, which is the local language, but I mostly communicated through actions. My best friend on the trip was my 3-year-old host brother, Pini, who claimed me as his own. Pini and I developed our own language and spent almost all of our time together playing keep away or running around the house. Pink was also a troublemaker and never ceased to entertain me, whether it be his dancing or his obsession with my camera or his contagious laugh.

Traditional buildings at the family Easter celebration

Traditional buildings at the family Easter celebration

My host family brought me to their church to celebrate the baptism of my 3-month-old host sister, August, and we also had a huge celebration at our home where I was able to meet the whole family. I also was able to attend Easter services with my family that were held at the cemetery in order to emphasize the idea of rebirth. After Easter services, there was a huge celebration at the home of some extended family where almost 80 family members attended. At the celebration, I was introduced to many people and was also given the honor of helping to prepare the meat. This meant that I had to help slice up the freshly slaughtered cow that was hanging on a wall. While it was probably one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever done, it also meant that I got to eat some of the most delicious steak I’ve ever had.

Oh and I ate some worms too.

Oh and I ate some worms too.

Me and my host family. From left to right: baby August, Florencia, my host father David, Pini, Maggie, and Me

Me and my host family. From left to right: baby August, Florencia, my host father David, Pini, Maggie, and Me

Saying goodbye to my family at the end of the week was extremely difficult because even though it had been such a short time, we had grown extremely close and had learned so much from one another. On the final night with my family, I gave them gifts and pictures of my family so that they could remember me. We also went on a photo shoot around the farm so that we could have pictures with each other. The next morning, my host parents wanted to give me something in return so they gathered up a picture of my host mother and her class (she is a preschool teacher) and my host dad gave me one of his traditional shirts. We then all had to say our goodbyes as Pini and my host sisters, Maggie and Florencia, walked me out. I’ll cherish my memories with them as long as I live and hopefully I can come back to visit again someday.

The beautiful sunset over the Mahangu

The beautiful sunset over the Mahangu

Pamplona

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This past weekend, I visited Pamplona with a friend. You may not know anything about Pamplona, but don’t worry! I would love to let you in on Pamplona’s famous sites and festivals. This city is most known for its Festival de San Fermin which is also known as The Running of the Bulls. (I bet now you are saying, “Oh, that city!”) This festival happens every year from July 7-July 14 in the small city of Pamplona which is to the northwest of Zaragoza. The Festival de San Fermin is one of Spain’s most known festivals and people from around the world come to see the craziness that is the Running of the Bulls. My friend and I only visited for the day because it is not a very big city, and one day is enough to get the feel of Pamplona and visit its well-known spots. When we first arrived in Pamplona, we started out at the beginning of the route that the bulls run, “ruta de encierro”. This famous tradition started out of pure necessity as it was the way of getting the bulls to the bullfight located in the Plaza de Toros. People from the city would lead the bulls to the bullring starting the tradition. Later, the tradition of having them run through the streets was banned but still happened every year because it was so popular and unique. Since then, the ban has been lifted because it was practically impossible from having this tradition stopped and the festival now brings many visitors to the city each year.  The actual route that the bulls take is very short, only 825 meters. There is one point in the route where the bulls have to complete a 90° turn, the Curva de Estafeta, which is quite dangerous. The end of the route is the Plaza de Toros which is a huge bullring. We were not able to get inside, but judging from the outside, it is huge and historic. If I were ever to go to the Festival of San Fermin, I would try to watch from a balcony overlooking the route. I think that would be the only way to actually see everything safe and sound!

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The Monument to the Encierro (Bull Run)

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The Plaza de Toros

The bulls run on this street during the Fesitval de San Fermin

The bulls run on this street during the Fesitval de San Fermin

The Plaza de Toros

The Plaza de Toros

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The Monument to the Encierro (Bull Run)


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We were very surprised IMG_7531to encounter a festival while we were in Pamplona. After some research, I found out that it was called the Fiestas de San Fermin Txikito which took place Friday through Sunday. This festival included music, concerts, activities, and much more. We walked into (quite literally) the festival in the morning when there was a parade of the “gigantes y cabezudos”. “Gigantes y cabezudos”, popular in Spanish festivals and parades, are giants and big heads that are worn during festivals. They usually wear traditional clothing and commemorate historical and acclaimed people. It was interesting to see this and hear everyone singing while a parade of sorts was going on. We picked a good day to visit Pamplona!

The Camino de Santiago goes through Pamplona and the city has many hostels and hiking stores to accommodate those who walk the Camino. The Camino de Santiago (St. James Path) is the name given to the multiple routes to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. People that walk the route are called “peregrinos” or pilgrims and can choose how long they walk which usually varies from a week to a few months. Many people walk the Camino for spiritual growth and understanding. People have been walking to the shrine of St. James for centuries, and now, people from around the world take part in walking this route. Some routes of the Camino also lead people through Zaragoza next to the famous Basilica del Pilar. While in Pamplona, we walked part of the Camino which is always very well marked. The shell is the symbol of the Camino because shells are commonly found in Galicia, where the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is located. Peregrinos often find shell markers on the sidewalks that lead them along their walk.

A sign showing the pilgrims/peregrinos where to go

The Camino along the ancient city walls

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A sign showing the pilgrims/peregrinos where to go

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also spent some time at The Cathedral of Santa Maria which is very gorgeous. We loved looking at all the beautiful chapels and alters. There is also a museum included in this cathedral called the Museo Diocesano. This was also petty interesting as it included a variety of religious relics.

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La Ciudadela, another famous site in Pamplona, is an enormous park that is almost as big as the city center itself. It was constructed for military uses centuries ago, but now is a huge grassy area. The unique thing about this park is that it not just flat, but is constructed from many layers. It’s actually quite difficult to describe, and therefore I will let the pictures do most of the writing. This place was quite fun to walk around it. Oftentimes we could not figure out how to get to another level of the park. La Ciudadela is also a great place to rest and catch some sun in the middle of a day of walking.

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I obviously did not take this, but it shows a great view of La Ciudadela. http://www.aireg.es/la-ciudadela-de-pamplona/

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I did not expect to learn as much as I did in Pamplona! I you are ever in Spain, I suggest spending a day or two in Pamplona to walk the route the bulls run and explore this charming city!

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Side Note: If you follow world news, you probably heard about the Catalonia voting which occurred on Sunday (9/27). Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain that is home to Barcelona. Catalonia has been trying to become an independent nation and this voting for seats might propel this into action.  My professor said basically that the Catalonian party for separation (Junts per Si) won seats in the parliament, but it is still a long process if they are able to get independence. I have found two articles about this topic here and here. I am by no means qualified to inform others about Spanish politics and I think these will help you understand this subject if it interests you.

The Pyrenees/Los Pirineos

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On Sunday, a group from the University had organized a day trip to El Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido in the Pyrenees Mountains (Los Pirineos) which is in the north part of Spain and borders France. This park has 22 different hiking routes and is the second largest national park in Spain. I quickly signed up for this opportunity to go on a hike and get out of the city! While I am learning to love the city, I needed a break from Zaragoza and have been eager to see the countryside and mountains which I had been told about before coming to Spain. For someone who has only ever lived in flatlands, this trip seemed like it would be a fun and memorable experience.
Our group of over 100 foreign students left at 9:00 am for Ordesa which is about 167 kilometers (103.7 miles) north of Zaragoza. After a few stops and wrong turns, we finally arrived to the start of our hike at 2 pm. It was a little scary looking out the window and seeing the steep cliffs below. The roads were narrow with bends, twists, and curves so we were happy to arrive and ready to start the hike.

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The view from the bus

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At a stop before the hike

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hike was 17 kilometers (10.56 miles) total and had an elevation gain of about 500 meters (1640 feet). A majority of the time, we were walking along a stream which included waterfalls occasionally. The hike started out pretty flat, but that ended soon enough. Every corner and turn during the hike seemed more beautiful than the last one. When we were done with 2/3 of the way to the final waterfall, we stopped to have lunch by the stream. Some friends and I ate while sitting on top of the rocks in the water allowing our feet to take a break and feel the cold water. The rest was much needed and a great chance to take in the serenity of the land. After that, we set off to get to our destination before turning around to leave. The last 1/3 of the trail to the final point was definitely my favorite. After hiking some steep trails, the trail opened up to a huge valley with greens, streams, and more waterfalls. The scene was quite different from what we had been seeing the rest of the hike. This valley was very open and vast.

 

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Where we stopped for lunch

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The open valley

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With friends from Germany and Italy

I have read that Spain is a pretty popular destination for hikers, and now having a bit of experience, I can absolutely agree. The hiking websites and books will tell you this, but I suggest hiking in the fall or spring. We went hiking on September 20 and it was the perfect day. It was warm, but there was a cool breeze throughout the day which did not make it hot. Any earlier in the summer probably would have had me complaining about the heat and the sun.

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Our final spot before turning around was a grand waterfall at the edge of the valley. Many hikers continued on past this point, but it was very steep and for more experienced hikers. After some time spent here, we headed back. The way back took much less time because it was downhill. We got back to the buses at 8:30 and left shortly after. We returned to Zaragoza at midnight which was pretty tiring (it’s all ok though, I took a four hour siesta [nap] the next day). I’m so thankful I was given the opportunity to go hiking in Spain! If you are ever in Spain, please consider hiking a trail as there are many different trails with varying length and difficulty.

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The waterfalls were gorgeous!

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The final waterfall

The Journey/El Viaje

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The bus terminal at the Madrid airport, one of my first impressions of Spain

I am here at my home for the next 4 months, España. The act of coming here by myself sounds slightly terrifying, but it actually could not have gone smoother. The trip was long, but, call me crazy, relaxing in a sense. I think when you are left in an airport or in a plane for a certain amount of hours, there is nothing left to do but use those moments to take a break. I left my home in Bay City, Michigan around 9:00am on Friday, August 28.  My parents and I were at the Detroit airport around 12:30 (after a stop for breakfast) and a few minutes later I was saying goodbye. Then I took a flight to Atlanta and around 7:00pm I was on the 8 hour flight to Madrid. On this flight, I sat next to a student from Ohio who is spending this semester in Madrid. Before I left for this trip, I was told by veteran solo travelers that I’ll meet people easier when traveling alone. I was pretty surprised at how quickly that happened for me. I enjoyed her company just being reminded that there are a lot of people like myself not only studying in Spain, but studying across the globe. After landing at 9:45am local time and getting my luggage, I had a few hours to kill before boarding the bus to Zaragoza which was spent people watching. Once aboard the three and a half hour ride to Zaragoza, I took in the Spanish countryside in between moments of sleep. I noticed a few things during the bus ride. 1. Mountains for days.  No, they are not the huge ones in Colorado or Alaska, but they are mountains nonetheless (especially for a flatland girl like myself). 2. The countryside looks pretty dry (at least where I was). I did not see much green grass at all 3. The heat. The inside of the bus showed the temperature, but of course, in Celsius and I am not super familiar with Celsius. I saw 35° and thought, “Oh, that can’t be too bad.” Then I got out my phone and used the converter and saw that 35°C is about 95°F. Definitely warmer than when I left The Mitten State.

The view from the bus ride

The view from the bus ride

I arrived at the bus stop around 5pm local time which was 11am Eastern Time where I was greeted by my gracious host mom. Much to my surprise, I was not that tired even though I had only gotten a few hours of (not so great) sleep on the plane and bus. My host mom and I took a bus to her neighborhood and then walked to her apartment (during which I was wondering why I had packed so much) where I ate some food and took a much needed shower. That night, we went to some stores near her apartment and walked around the city. It was then when I got my first view of the famous Cathedral in Zaragoza. La Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar is known throughout the world and is a truly fantastic sight. We turned down the road to the Cathedral and a musician was playing Ave Maria on the violin. The music, people, and Cathedral all together resembled a dream.

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The musician with the Cathedral at the end of the road

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La Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar

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La Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar

Since then, I have gone inside the Cathedral briefly and have seen only a portion of the beauty that this Cathedral holds. I’m looking forward to going back often. My host mom showed me around some other famous sights of Zaragoza, and I tried to take it all in. I was also struck by how Europe, in some cases, is just like the movies. Yes, I have only been here for a few days, but the mopeds are everywhere. It’s so picturesque when I see them coming down the cobblestone road with a gorgeous old building in the background.

As far as first impressions go, this one was pretty wonderful. My journey here went very well and my first few days have been great. I’m looking forward to an adventure-filled semester here in Spain!

Heading Home Tomorrow

This time tomorrow I’ll be flying back to the United States.

Like semesters at Valpo this semester in China seems to have passed in the blink of an eye, yet held a lifetime worth of experiences. (Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration.)

I’ve spent the better part of the last two weeks reflecting on my experience here, trying to summarize what I’ve learned and how I’ve grown. I probably won’t fully understand the effect China has had on me for at least another couple months, after I’ve reacclimatized to the States. Although I recognize that culture is a powerful global force, my experiences here have continually reinforced similarities we share all across the globe. Although now I’m trying to tease apart the difference between culture and humanity, as I think I have overly amalgamated the two.

While Christmas trees and other holiday decor remains few and far between, the balmy t-shirt wearing weather is (finally) gone. The cold, grey chill of December should make the transition back to Valpo a bit less harsh.

Classes wound down without much fanfare. My Valpo class’s final was a week ago and we had a short Chinese final on Friday.

Learning Chinese, although daunting at times, was great fun. Even I made rapid progress. This was definitely the way to learn a language: living in among the language/culture, taking an intensive course load and sharing it with a dynamic group of classmates. Maybe someday I’ll return to Chinese for a couple years to gain fluency.

On Wednesday my Chinese class went out to dinner as a send-off party for myself and Professor Pati (who also studied Chinese with my class). We dined at the Vineyard, an American-style sports bar and restaurant. Our three Chinese teachers came along which was really neat. I have greatly appreciated the way the Chinese teachers interact with the international students—they treat us as adults (some of us are) which leads to some very interesting discussions and lots of laughter. (One more hilarious memory was a class where we got distracted translating epic movie phrases from English to Chinese, such as “I’ll be back!” and “You shall not pass!” which sound significantly less intimidating in Chinese.)

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At the Vineyard I spent most of the evening talking about culture and politics with a Ukrainian and Pakistani. The U.S. Senate had just released its damning CIA Torture Report, so I was feeling pretty sick about America’s moral standing. Yet here I was sharing friendly conversation with a student from Pakistan—a nation that has a justifiable reason to despise our government. Now it is hard to know anyone’s true feelings on political matters, but my time in China has definitely reaffirmed the belief that although government and extremist organizations may portray the world as a violent and scary place, most people are much more interesting in being friends holding anger. (At least within the educated demographic.) Also, curiosity seems to be a universal phenomena—we all asked questions about how people think/do/view things in _________ (insert home country).

Overall it was definitely one of my favorite evenings in Hangzhou. (Even if I got into an argument with the other American in the class about U.S. military policy towards Russia. Admittedly I enjoyed the argument.)

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On Thursday I attended my final Big Bang English Club. I’ve been going weekly since September and made many more Chinese friends at it than on campus. I was nicely spoiled, they treated my like a celebrity. Given the approximately 10:1 Chinese to foreigner ratio, the Chinese were very comfortable chatting which I hope gave me a bit of insight into their daily lives and opinions which I lacked living in a dorm (a homestay would’ve been much appreciated, but only so many things can be fit in 4 months).

Hefang Street

Hefang Street

This weekend flew by with packing, an adventure downtown, miscellaneous ‘desk work,’ and good byes to my Chinese friends. Though it wasn’t without something new.

On Saturday as I was walking back to campus from last minute gift-shopping on Hefang Street. I decided to climb a bouldered ridge near West Lake to get back to campus. The bare rocks provided a 270˚ view of the city and ranged from a walking path to a 20’ vertical face I nearly got stuck climbing down the previous week. The boulders were fun to scramble across thanks to the lack of guard rails and other safety restrictions which would surely be in place if this were in the States.

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From the boulders I headed into the forest as darkness was descending. The city was coming alight and plenty of Chinese had gathered on the boulders to enjoy the view. The most beautiful scene unfolded in the forest around us where hundreds of high powered flood lights illuminated the forest. The lights shown up into the leaves almost as if the stars had come down from the sky and settled amongst the trees. While I don’t want to consider the kilowatts needed to light up the hillside I found waling backing to campus through the lit-up woods to be a magical experience.

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West Lake

Goodbye to Chinese friends!

Goodbye to Chinese friends!

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Well I should probably get back to packing and cleaning!

A Grand China Tour

Two days ago the Valpo group returned to Hangzhou after a weeklong whirlwind trip through Chinese religious, cultural and political history. We visited three cities: Qufu, Beijing, and Xi’an. In those cities we toured the following sites (listed in chronological order): The Temple of Confucius, Confucius’ Grave, The Temple (Altar) of Heaven, The Hongqiao Pearl Market, The Great Wall, The Beijing Olympic Park, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, The Wild Goose Pagoda, The Terra Cotta Warriors, Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter (including The Great Mosque), and the Shaanxi History Museum.

Now I’ll see if I can compress the highlights of those places into a reasonable length post.

The high speed rail system in China shares more similarities with the American airline industry than our Amtrak. The Hangzhou East Railway station is a huge high-ceilinged building with numerous security check points, fast food joints, and nearly a dozen gates/escalators leading down to the train platforms below. In the train huge windows and ample leg room treated us nicely on our three hour ride to Qufu. The quietness of the train and the smoothness of the ride did much to hide the fact that we cruised at 300km/hr (or ~180mph).

Qufu is a small town (~200,000 pop.) and most notably home to Confucius. As we drove to the walled-in old city we pasted dozens of high-rise apartments in various stages of completions which our guide informed us were part of the “new Qufu.” In Qufu (and likewise in most of China) many historical structures have undergone continual restoration or rebuilds since their original conception centuries ago. The Temple of Confucius is set in a forest with a central corridor which has numerous “gates.” These gates, pavilions, and stone tablets were erected by various dynasties after Confucius as ways to honor him and provide a place to “worship” Confucius. The roofs and eves of the gates and pavilions are massive, repetitive and intricate structures combining brightly painted symbols, patterns, and often dragons. (As an engineer the quantity of rafters looks like overkill.) Stone lions, dragons, and turtles were also common along our path (a few unicorns too)! After the temple we visited Confucius’ simple grave—a giant mound of earth a forest. Smaller mounds at the entrance of the forest were the graves of commoners, and the mounds grew in size with the importance of the thinker they contained.

The next day we took the high speed rail to Beijing. In Beijing we visited the Temple of Heaven (technically it is more like the Altar of Heaven) where the emperor would make biannual prayers and sacrifices to Heaven. Much of the architecture was similar to Qufu, but here the importance of colors (blue roof tiles) and shapes (circular buildings for Heaven and rectangular walls to symbolize Earth) stood out.

We then visited the Hangqiao Pearl Market who’s fourth floor has been visited by numerous foreign dignitaries to shop for jewelry. Meanwhile the bottom three floors are crammed with stalls selling counterfeit design handbags, silk scarves, fake-iPhones, loads of Beats products and other miscellaneous electronics of dubious authenticity. I had fun bartering for fake iPhones and found a few real Galaxy S5s. For dinner the non-vegetarians in the group had Peking duck (a Beijing speciality).

The following day we visited the Great Wall outside of Beijing. The highway weaving up a mountain valley reminded me of Colorado and I had fun climbing and descending the Great Wall——it is the closest I’ve been to hiking a mountain in a long time. After a couple hundred vertical feet the number of folks thins out dramatically and I could more easily ponder the massive effort to both build the wall and run an army up and down the variable height and often far too steep steps. In the afternoon we drove by the Olympic Park, walked through Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, and climbed a hill in a local park to get a 360˚ view of Beijing. Unlike the many cold monolithic monuments of Washington D.C., the Forbidden City is filled with color and extravagant detail, all the while great attention is given to overall symmetry and mathematical relations between walls and buildings.

On Thursday we took the high speed train to Xi’an where we visited the Wild Goose Pagoda—a nearly millennia old Buddhist library and meditation center. Xi’an was a very neat city—it had a newer feeling than both Beijing and Hangzhou, although it is famous for being the ancient capitol city of China. We drove past Aston Martin and Lamborghini dealerships and Gucci and Prada stores. For dinner we found a bustling street near our hotel with numerous locals frying and cooking in little stands where we got some delicious and cheap noodles.

On our second day in Xi’an we visited the Terra Cotta warriors. The vast scale of thousands life-size clay soldiers each unique and detailed make it a well-deserving contender to be the 8th Wonder of the World. In the afternoon we walked through the Muslim Quarter of Xi’an which contained the Great Mosque (one of the first mosques in China)—yet with a small single minaret and Chinese style architecture only the Arabic inscriptions gave away its religious affiliation.

On our final day of traveling with visited the Shaanzi History Museum in Xi’an which contained numerous artifacts and replicas (often undistinguished from the “real” items) from ancient China. The handiwork of their jewelers and stone carvers was quiet impressive though I felt as id most of the exhibits didn’t provide enough historical context to accompany the numerous artifacts.

We then flew back to Hangzhou on a new A321. From jade to jet it was one amazing trip!

 

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Outside the Temple of Confucius

 

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A common occurrence: impromptu photos with locals

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A traditional Chinese gate in Qufu

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The Great Wall!

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#Pride – Luther & Valpo

Cape Town and Goodbyes

The past two weeks have been an emotional roller coaster to say the least. The final week and a half in Namibia were filled with final projects and papers, but also tearful goodbyes. After all of our projects were done, the fifteen of us cooked dinner for all the staff that made our four months in Namibia what it was.  We got a chance to go around the table and say our thank yous. A lot of the group mentioned how awesome it was that in a group of 15 of us, we all got along really well and how uncommon it is for that to happen. I couldn’t agree more. Living with three guys who go to polytechnic of Namibia, we were able to really get to know them and it was a rough goodbye. I know I’ve said this time and time again, but Namibia has become home to me, and my heart broke leaving.

Inside Robben Island prison

Inside Robben Island prison

Despite the sadness, an excitement filled the bus because our long awaited trip to Cape Town was finally here. Throughout the week, we visited various museums, churches and heard from many different speakers. My favorite of which was Robben Island where we got to tour the prison, hear from a man who was imprisoned for five years, and see Mandela’s solitary confinement cell.

 Throughout the week we also got to to non-academic actives like visiting Cape Point, Boulder’s beach and hiking Lion’s head. Cape Town is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  On the hike up Lion’s head — unfortunately we weren’t able to hike Table Mountain while we were here because of weather — we were able to see all around the coast for miles with Table Mountain and Devil’s peak on one side and the twelve disciples on the other. It was an incredible view,  photos don’t even do it justice! Cape point was breathtaking standing on one of the southernmost points in the world seeing two oceans joining together. Great white shark cage diving was planned for me and Sam, but the weather and time scheduling didn’t permit it.. I guess I’ll just have to come back for that one!

Cape Point

Cape Point

Despite all the fun activities that have been happening this week, it’s not easy knowing I’ll be back in the U.S in 48 hours.  The best way I can describe it really is simply bittersweet. It will be nice to be with family and friends, but I am so not ready to be leaving southern Africa. Every day, I’m reminded just how special my time spent here was. There is no doubt in my mind that I am no where close to the person I was when I left Claremont, CA on January 18th. The people I’ve met, the things I’ve seen and the places I’ve been have shaped me in ways I never imagined possible. God has worked in my life these past four months in pretty incredible ways that I’d have to take way longer to explain to you — if even possible to explain. I’m leaving Namibia and south Africa with a very heavy heart, but a heart filled with memories and experiences that I am infinitely grateful for. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be back in two years with my BSN. Thank you southern Africa for the most amazing time of my life, and thank you to each and every one of you who reached out to me with words of encouragement every step of the way. I am beyond blessed.

A group shot on top of Lion's Head

A group shot on top of Lion’s Head

All my love always,

Maddy

Love, Laughter & Lessons Learned

My apologies for the lack of posts recently – I’ve been out of internet touch for a little while now. So bear with me as this post will be quite long. These past weeks have been some of the greatest of my life, ones I will absolutely never forget. We left from Windhoek on the 18th, en route for our last and final home-stay on a farm in northern, rural Namibia. We set out for Khorixas and once again, to say I was nervous to meet my new family would be an understatement. Knowing there was only 1 guaranteed English speaker in each home, and my lack of success speaking Damara, I wasn’t quite sure how I’d navigate through the week. I was placed on the Inhoek farm about six kilometers from the town of Khorixas with five other students- each of us with a different family to call our own. (We were on a family farm so most of the houses were all related to each other in one way or another.) My nerves were quickly forgotten as I was welcomed by my host mom Dena, two sisters (Buyela 23, Immseline 9)  and three brothers (Sydney 17, Delvin 14, Marvelous 3).

My host siblings - minus Marvelous

One of the beautiful sunsets

As the week went on, all of the young kids on the farm spent time together – whether it was sitting around talking or dance parties at night, I constantly found myself smiling and laughing uncontrollably. Each morning when I woke up and went to use the bathroom (a bush) and brush my teeth, I’d hear the pitter patter of footsteps behind me. Every time I turned around, I saw Marvelous running up behind me and as he got closer his little hand reached up and grabbed my two fingers. Marvelous didn’t speak or understand a word of English, but he’d always greet me with a smile and we’d walk hand in hand (or hand and finger) everywhere we went. This happened every morning and each time, I couldn’t suppress the large smile that overcame me.  Needless to say, as the days passed I came to love this family as my own. We spent days playing soccer, going on hikes, playing volleyball over the clothes line, riding in donkey carts, learning new games, telling stories, milking cows, herding goats & sheep, and whatever else we could think of. The sunsets each night were absolutely breathtaking, unlike any I’d ever seen before. I found myself dreading the day we’d have to say goodbye.

Marvelous and I on our morning walk

On one of the days, we decided we’d pass the time by walking into town. We rode in on one of our host dad’s trailer because he figured we wouldn’t want to walk all the way there considering the heat. We spent a little time in town eating ice cream and just walking around. On our way back we took a “short cut” that ended up being more of a long cut, but it left us laughing later that night. Every night after dinner we’d all gather at one house and have a dance party under more stars than you could ever imagine; we’d dance for hours until we couldn’t dance anymore. As I was admiring the stars one night, one of the girls asked me if we had stars in America. I laughed a little and told her we did, but we don’t get to see them like theirs. We told the story of Cinderella and Goldilocks and they told us a few of their traditional stories. All of the young kids our age spoke great English and they made an attempt to teach us more Damara. I think I can successfully count to 10 now.  Much to my dismay, the days passed, and the Monday I was dreading finally approached. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have to fight back tears knowing I may never see these people again, but I can’t help but be filled with joy knowing I got to spend a week with such an amazing group of people, filled with joy knowing I’ll always have a family in Namibia.

Missing my little Marvelous already

After our week in Khorixas, we spent three days camping and going on safaris in Etosha. On our multiple game drives we saw zebras, giraffes, an elephant, cheetahs, lions, rhinos, wildebeests, warthogs, a hyena, and lots and lots of springboks!  Following Etosha, we headed even further north to a guest house for the next two nights. Though the previous weeks were incredible, I have never been more happy to see a bed in my entire life. We visited a few museums in the most northern part of Namibia before we made our way to Tsumeb to catch a bus to Victoria Falls for spring break.

Giraffes!

…But before that could happen we had a 9 hour wait for our bus to arrive. As we sat and waited we wondered why everyone was staring, until we realized there was a group of 14 of us sitting in a median under a tree with lots of luggage. To pass the time, we walked to the grocery store, climbed the tree and played cards. Much to our surprise the time passed quickly and we made a mad rush to the bus when we finally saw it arrive. 12 hours later we were at the Namibian/Zambia border and spring break was officially beginning. Another two hours passed and we finally arrived to Vic falls. Most of the group stayed in Zambia for two nights before heading to Zimbabwe but myself and two others went straight to Zimbabwe. Little did we know the walk from the border to the customs office was about a mile or so from the border. Not so bad until you remember you have to carry your 30 pound bag in the heat of the day.

Once we finally arrived to our hostel the activity planning was immediately in order. The hostel we stayed at was absolutely beautiful and just a 15 minute walk from town. Our first night in Victoria Falls we went on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi river, and to add to our list of animals we saw hippos and crocodiles. The next few days included a trip to see the falls, elephant riding, zip lining, and canoeing on the Upper Zambezi. It’s no surprise why Victoria Falls is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Seeing the millions of gallons of water  pour down minute after minute, creating rainbows every where you looked was awe strikingly beautiful. We spent a few hours admiring the falls and got absolutely drenched from the rain the falls created. Knocking one more thing off my bucket list, elephant riding was amazing too. Sam and I rode on a 24 year old girl elephant named Star. She was pretty small compared to the others and had a short trunk because she was attacked by a lion when she was just a baby. After the hour long ride, I got to sit on her leg while she knelt and feed her some pellets. An elephant is a lot more comfortable to ride than you would imagine, and it was a funny feeling when she sucked the pellets through her trunk off of my hand. Of course, nothing compares to skydiving, but zip lining over the gorge was stunning as well. Canoeing down the Zambezi was loads of fun and very peaceful at the same time. Sam and I got caught in a few rapids but it definitely made it more exciting.

 

A day at the falls

As I sit on the 24 hour bus ride home to Windhoek, I’m sad to say my spring break is coming to an end, but I know it will most likely be the best of my entire life. I look back on these past two and a half weeks with great memories, so many new faces met, and so so so much happiness. I learned so much about myself and the world as a whole especially in my first week with my family. The week I lived with in Khorixas vs. my life in Claremont and Valparaiso are obviously different, but I’ve come to love so many aspects of each. No way of life is better than the other, none right or wrong – just different.  It’s hard to believe that a month from today I’ll be in Cape Town. Time to make the most of my last month in Windhoek.

Elephant Ride

 

Thanks for reading.

Xoxo

Maddy

Ps- since I was gone and not able to post it, here is what my second month looked like:

A New View of Windhoek

This week marks the halfway point in my study abroad experience, and to say it’s flown by would be a ridiculous understatement. Two months from today, I’ll be home. Whoa. Nonetheless, the weeks fly by. Each are packed with studies, but many adventures that make it all worth it. Though this week was crazy busy, it definitely marks one of the best weeks I’ve had thus far. On a high from skydiving and Swakop, being back in classes was a bit difficult, but I managed.

We had 2 birthdays in group this week, so we celebrated accordingly. On Thursday, after dinner we made a walk over to a place called 3 circles, by far one of my favorite places in Windhoek. It’s about a 20 minute walk from our house through the city and up a little hill, but once you get up it is absolutely breathtaking. The view looks over the mountains encircling us as well as all of Windhoek and Katutura. We made it just up in time as the sun began to set, and if you know me you know that sunsets are one of my favorite things in life. As I watched the sun go down, painting pinks and oranges in the sky, meeting the city lights and the tops of the mountains, I couldn’t help but smile. It was such simple, but surreal moment, and it felt so much like home.

The group looking over 3 circles

On a more solemn note, ever since arriving in Namibia, every time I’ve watched the news there’s been a new story of a violent killing of a woman, often by her significant other. Gender-based violence is a rising and very serious problem here in Namibia, and many citizens are beginning to take a stand. On Saturday morning a group of 12 of us headed downtown to “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes”, an event organized by some people in Windhoek to raise awareness of gender-based violence. Hundreds of men wore high heels as they stumbled down the busy street chanting things like “Don’t hit her, just kiss her” or “Stop gender violence” in order to show their support in the fight against GBV. As I marched down the street with all of the locals, I sincerely recognized it as one of the coolest things I’ve ever been apart of. To see all the men [and women] walking and supporting something so important was truly amazing; I got the chills as I looked around at the crowded street.

The men leading the way in heels

Crowded Streets of Windhoek at the "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" March

The weekend just kept getting better and better as we headed to Skybar, a nice little restaurant/bar atop the Hilton in downtown Windhoek. As we climbed to the top we, again, got to see all over Windhoek as the sunset; an absolutely breathtaking view (this place seems to be full of those).

View From the Skybar

This week is absolutely busy to say the least, but the next 3 weeks hold numerous adventures; which includes our rural home-stay in the north, a safari in Etosha, and spring break in Victoria Falls. Buckling down on work is hard, especially when I know all the things I’d rather be doing outside. But nonetheless, I’m learning topics I’ve never learned before,which is a pretty awesome feeling. I should have one more post out before we leave a week from today, so stay tuned!

 

Thanks for reading!

All my love- xoxo,

Maddy

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