I made it!

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Hey everybody!!!!!!!!!!!

After that ridiculously long trip, i finally got here, the Ashanti Lodge (it's actually a hostel, and a very nice one!) in Capetown!

(I'd like to take this time to apologize to everybody who saw me in the last week i was in Canada... i was pretty agitated and cranky and just generally not myself (read: stressed out) and i know i kinda took it out on you guys, so i'm sorry... and thank you for putting up with me!)

I would like to say to Son and Shel (and Sandeep! and of course everybody else) that the exact moment when i got excited was on the plane, when the pilot came on and said "we are now currently leaving Europe and flying over Chad" and I looked out my window and was like.... Wow.... AFRICA..... The extra 10 hours of the flight diminished my excitement a bit, but then we landed at about 6am and the sun was just rising and as the plane was taxi-ing around i look out and see the sun rising up behind Table Mountain - absolutely amazing! My first mountain experience! And the coolest thing? Table Mountain is in the middle of capetown and like RIGHT BEHIND the hostel... it is so cool. I dont have any serious pictures yet, just a couple of the plane and from the plane but today we're doing a walking tour so there will be pictures soon!

I know this isn't a very exciting posting but not a lot has happened yet. Yesterday was a blur and i went to bed at like 7pm. But everybody here is great, made lots of German friends (we met in capetown airport after our flight... all 4 of us wandering around aimlessly trying to figure out where to go/if somebody was picking us up!) and all the Canadians here are super nice. We're already talking about getting together on weekends, and Shona and I will be travelling from our volunteer post (which is like 800km from here) in mid-december for an early Christmas gathering ON THE BEACH!!! HAHAHAHAAA!!!! :-D

Anyway, not much else to say, just thought i'd let you guys know that i got here and all is well (ie. i'm not sick, the hostel is clean, the food is good, everything is cheap or at least worth the price, and i'm meeting lots of cool people) I'll try to post again before we leave Capetown because after that i will only have internet every other weekend - i think!

Hope you all are doing well, drop me a line!

Some personal notes:
- Michele, Congradulations to Kita on being the most "agile" dog in her class! I'm not surprised!
- Erin, can you send this link to Aniko, she asked me for it but i forgot to give it to her.
- Scott - you must see Stranger than Fiction, you'd love it.
- Mom - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Janine

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Photos

My first African sunrise!
Taken from the plane, at about 5am coming into Capetown.

Comments

[Kristina]

Who Hooo!
Just glad u arrived safe after ur day long plane ride (hehe). I can just picture you and the germans wanderin aroudn the aiport... cadere Looking foward to ur posts as they come!! U MUST DESCRIBE everything u can about South Africa!! im trying to go there one day ! have fun !

[Dad]

Glad to see you made it safely and you are having a gopd time with everybody and everything. I took Mom out last evening for her Birthday; we went to Joe Tomatoes. I gave her a music stand, but it is a little flimsey;might have to get the next one up in price. Anyway have a godd time and learn lots of neat information. Your Dad

[Shelley]

Yay!
Glad to hear you're having such a good time! Sounds like you're meeting some great people ... Enjoy and I look forward to hearing more as your trip progresses! Shelley