SHARKS!

Today I was able to experience the greatest predator in the world in a very up close and personal way. I went cage diving with the great white sharks off the coast of South Africa! There was a group of 11 of us who were all picked up from our flats at 11:30 by a van labeled Great White Experience on the side. We took a scenic drive east, away from Cape Town, for about 2 hours until we got to a small Oceanside town which I can’t remember the name. Upon arrival we were served a light lunch while we signed our lives away on the waiver. Basically the waiver stated that you were not forced to get on the boat, and that great white sharks are wild animals, thus the company was not liable for any injuries that may occur to you. Thankfully there was no loss of life, or even a scratch on anybody when it was all said and done.

Everyone changed into their swim suits, or costumes as they are called here, and we headed out on the boat. There were 20 total people not including the crew of the boat. The boat ride took about 20 minutes until we got to ‘shark alley’ where all the best shark action is. There we dropped anchor and part of the crew began to get the cage on the side of the boat secured and ready, while the rest of them started throwing bait(tuna and other dead fish) into the water to attract the great whites.

The cage was about 7 feet high, 12 feet long and 3 feet deep. It hung off the edge of the boat so there was enough space at the top so you could keep your head above water for breathing purposes. 5 people got in the cage at a time, shoulder to shoulder, so that all 20 of us could get a chance to see the sharks before they moved on. I ended up in the last group of 5, but was the first one in the cage. I purposefully tried to be the first one in the cage because that meant I was the farthest on the left, closest to the bait thrower. My reasoning was that if a shark was going to swim directly towards the cage, it would end up doing so at the far left because the bait thrower had a tuna head attached to a rope and was throwing it out into the water and pulling it back in. The sharks had been following the tuna back towards the boat, and therefore the cage, so I wanted to be there if one got aggressive.

My wish came true! About half way into my under water experience, just as planned, one of the sharks decided he wanted to eat that tuna and swam right at me as the guy pulled it back towards the boat. The shark at the last second opened up its jaws and ran into the cage literally inches from me! I screamed like crazy even though I was under water, but it was the coolest thing ever! All in all we saw 7 different great white sharks, most of them being about 18 feet long. It was amazing to be able to witness their natural instincts for survival, and have it be so up close and personal!

Tomorrow morning I start school. I am not overly looking forward to it, but it will be nice to have a regular schedule. Plus I am hoping I can meet lots of people who are from South Africa, and not just hang out with the other students from America. You guys are sweet and all, but it will be sweet to be in class with mostly people from around here.

Sometime this week I will be uploading pictures onto facebook, either from school or an internet café, so be looking for those!

The Little Things

After being here for a week, I have realized how many conveniences from America I take for granted. For example: in home washing machine, fully stocked fridge, online class registration, you know the little things in life that make everything so much easier. Never before have I had to walk multiple blocks to do laundry, shop for every meal I need to eat, or walk to building after building just to find the times and places that my potential classes will be held. This time spent in a new continent will for sure be a learning experience, for countless reasons. I am learning about a new culture at the same time that I am learning about myself.

Now, so far it may seem that I am only experiencing things that I do not enjoy, or that are simply making me frustrated. That is totally not the case. There are plenty of little things about this place that I am falling in love with as well. In just a week being here I am already loving the fact that there are mountains all around when I wake up every day, seeing zoo like animals in the wild, and also being an ignorant American (more to come on that side note :D )

Wild animal count:
Zebra: 1
Ostrich: 1
Penguin: 100
Pigeon: 1,000,000

There are about a million pigeons that reside in and around the food court building on campus, and as I have been told and partially experienced, they will eat food out of your hand. Quite scary if you ask me.

As for the ignorant American tidbit, it is just amusing to me how easily you can pick out someone who is not from here. Since most of the study abroad students are from the US, therefore it is easy to pick out the Americans walking down the street. I haven’t quite figured out what makes us so noticeable, because I mean we aren’t the only white people who live here, but at the same time it is quite obvious who is a local and who is not. Hopefully I/we will be able to blend in a little bit more as the semester goes on and we won’t stick out like a sore thumb all the time!

Warning mom, I am going great white shark cage diving on Sunday!

Africa is cold?

I have been here for just about a week and the most astonishing thing about South Africa is that it is much colder than back at home in Minnesota! I knew it would be winter here, but the weather reports made it seem as if it would be 60 most days and generally nice outside. What i have found out to be true though is that it gets very cold once the sun goes down at 6ish, and it has been rainy like 25% of the time.
Besides the fact that i wasn't ready for the weather to be quite like this i am loving Cape Town so far! The picture i posted is of the Cape of Good Hope, the South West most point of Africa, as we were told by the tour guide. I have taken hundreds of pictures already (i just walk around with my camera in hand lots of the time :D ) but i think the scenery will stop being so amazing after being here for a few weeks. There is a beautiful mountain visible from just outside the apartment, and i think it is amazing because there is nothing like it back in Minnesota.
Well it is time to go off to more orientation stuff, but i will try to post fairly regularly on here so keep coming back for more life from Africa!

Day 0

Trip has not started yet. It is in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday, July 11th. I am departing Minneapolis in about 14 hours. I am going to go get some sleep in a few minutes, and when i wake it will be time to take off for South Africa. Over 24 hours of traveling lie ahead of me but it will be worth it in the end.

So long America, i am Studying Abroad.