Blogs from Africa - page 2724

Well, after a solid day and a half of traveling, I have finally arrived in Cape Town! After settling in at the house, Katie and I ventured out into downtown Cape Town. The public transportation system here is ridiculous. Basically, there are privately owned Volkswagen vans that drive up and down the streets picking up passengers. The crazy drivers even add to the experience. Not only do they weave in and out of rush hour traffic, but sometimes they'll even use the other side of the road to get around people...even if there's oncoming traffic! It definitely makes for an exciting adventure anytime you have to go somewhere. The bus dropped us off in downtown Cape Town, where Katie and I walked around for a little bit. I was a little bit nervous walking around ... read more

OUR EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS: Contacts in Kenya: (1) Prof. Leah Marangu (ANU Vice Chancellor) - Phone# +254 473 362 8920 (2) Dr. Margaret Scott - Phone # +258 828 313 170 Contacts in Johannesburge/South Africa: (1) Filimao Chambo (REC) - Phone# +27 76 33 21 298 or +2711 472 3615 (2) Rev. Hanry Maluleka (NTC Principal) - Phone # +2711 957 2006 (3) Carol Fillmore - Phone # +258 82 317 3700 Contacts in Swaziland (1) Filimao Chambo (REC) - Phone# +27 76 33 21 298 or +2711 472 3615 (2) Carol Fillmore - Phone # +258 82 317 3700 (3) Rev. Collen Magagula (NCT Principal) - Phone # +268 604 3989 or +268 3434 105 Contacts in Mozambique (1) Carol Fillmore - Phone# +258 82 317 3700 (2) Rev. Margarida Langa (SNM Director) - ... read more

Quick update! I landed in Cairo at 3PM local time. Smooth flights from Dulles to Vienna and from Vienna to Cairo! I am very impressed with Cairo. Really cleaner than I expected and the buidlings around the city are incredible. I guess it is much more modern than I expected! Ate dinner at the hotel - interesting item on the menu Fried Lamb Brains. I passed on that one. Security at the hotel is tight. They X-ray your suitcases like at the airport before they ever enter the hotel and you have to pass through security check point and metal detector (like at the airport) before you can enter the lobby, Sleeping room is okay. After 24 + hours w/out a bed I can't be too picky!!! Tomorrow I have business meetings at 11 AM ... read more

On Sunday, a group of us went down to the weekly market at Green Point, about a mile away from where we are staying. The weather was pretty gorgeous in the morning, if a little cold, and the walk was pleasant. The market is a conglomeration of artisans and vendors who sell a lot of little african trinkets, like salad tossers (odd, I'm aware), elongated ebony figurines, radios made out of coke cans and bottle tops, and beadwork. Most of the items there are actually made in Namibia, Botswana, and the Ivory Coast, and the vendors jack up the prices to no end. I have serious dilemmas about bargaining for these items. The people selling them are living in abject poverty, and the prices they originally sell for are not actually expensive. Granted, the quality ... read more

So I realize that this may be a little late in the works as compared to a traditional blog but I will do my best to fill in the major issues covered over the last month as best I can. I plan to give a current description of what we are going through on the research project accompanied with a synopsis of different portions of the class that took place for the last four weeks. The group of about 22 students was on the move constantly with very little time to digest the information we were encountering. I plan to begin that digestion now by describing what we went through and reflecting on its significance. Now: To give you some perspective I am currently staying in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa just outside of Kruger ... read more