My Beautiful Adventures
South Africa Day 9: My First Impression Of The Capitol
Jo'burg looked nothing like Durban or Cape Town...
My 1st view of Jo'berg from the coach.
It is the metropolitan powerhouse of the country, as it is where 10% of the GDP of all Africa is accounted for. However, there was a flip side to this cosmopolitan sovereign; while a white minority gloated in their gorgeous homes, the country's starkest urban poverty existed in hopelessly destitute townships. Millions lived in shacks without electricity and running water. And the crime problem is unreal! As the coach drove down the six lane freeway, which separated the rich from the poor, I was struck by the dramatic difference.
We did not do much on this day, as the rest of the trip was jampacked with work, lectures, events, and sightseeing. It was actually really nice to have a down day. Up until this point I had been existing on about 3-5 hours of sleep per night, plus emotional experiences that shook me to the core.
My 1st view of Jo'berg from the coach.
It is the metropolitan powerhouse of the country, as it is where 10% of the GDP of all Africa is accounted for. However, there was a flip side to this cosmopolitan sovereign; while a white minority gloated in their gorgeous homes, the country's starkest urban poverty existed in hopelessly destitute townships. Millions lived in shacks without electricity and running water. And the crime problem is unreal! As the coach drove down the six lane freeway, which separated the rich from the poor, I was struck by the dramatic difference.
We did not do much on this day, as the rest of the trip was jampacked with work, lectures, events, and sightseeing. It was actually really nice to have a down day. Up until this point I had been existing on about 3-5 hours of sleep per night, plus emotional experiences that shook me to the core.
South Africa Day 8: Time Moves Too Quickly When Traveling
The day was spent making ward rounds at both public and private hospitals. The difference between the two was baffling. Despite the shocking aesthetic and technological differences, one also got the feeling that the doctors at the private hospitals were strictly practicing medicine for the money, whereas the doctors at the public hospitals were practicing medicine for the love of it.
In my humble opinion, money should never be able to buy you acceptable health care. Health care is a basic human right!
The outside of the best public hospital. Those are the doctor's cars.
My (favorite) fellow delegates and I outside one of the hospital's.
After the enlightening experience at the hospitals, we headed to the beach for our last hours in Cape Town. I was excited to see more of South Africa, but I definitely would have liked a few more days there. Despite the racial, political, and crime issues that permeated the city, it was a place that had touched my heart in a special way, as well as a place I could one day see myself living in.
A view of the mountains from the beach.
Another view of the mountains from the beach.
Me enjoying my last moments in Cape Town.
Jo'burg now awaited my arrival...
South Africa Day 7: Swimming With Great White Sharks
I had a huge decision to make on this day... Do I attend the medical lectures that I had already committed to attending OR do I go on a dangerous and exhilarating excursion that I would never forget??? Well, those that know me would not need to read any further to discover the answer, as they know I would do the latter! (By the way, if I had been scheduled to meet with patients then I would have never canceled my original plans, but I figured a lecture or two was missable.)
Me elated to have survived.
Hours after we returned and feeling much better on dry land, I joined my friends for dinner at the famed Africa Cafe where we ate a traditional African meal. I strongly suggest that if you are visiting Cape Town, you make eating at this restaurant a must. I promise you will remember your dining experience there for many years to come.
Even though it was one of the best meals of my life, the only thing on my mind were the sharks!
Sarah and I celebrating our incredible and unforgettable day together.
I met with 5 of my friends for an early breakfast, which consisted of little conversation. I suppose we were nervous about the day ahead of us, but no one wanted to be the first to admit it. The coach picked us up after breakfast and we had a 2 hour drive from Cape Town to Dyer Island in Gansbaii. The gorgeous scenery along the way was a thankful distraction.
The fearless 6!
As soon as we got to our destination, we were quickly pushed onto a boat. In hindsight, I think that was done purposely, so that we did not have the opportunity to change our minds. 
A quick view of Dyer Island before getting on the boat.
Me next to the tank I would soon be in.
About 30 minutes into the boat ride we spotted our first shark. It was no regular shark though, it was one of the world's deadliest predators; a Great White shark! 
We stood around in awe of the majestic creature and then our guide announced that 2 more were approaching. He told us that we had to get in the water immediately. Without any formal preparation or instruction, we put our thick wet suits on and jumped inside the cage. 
Our guide getting up close and personal with one of the shark's.
The videographer getting shots of another one of the shark's near the cage.
The water was frigidly cold. We were after all, in the Atlantic Ocean, not the warmest of waters. However, because of my high adrenaline levels after the initial shock I did not even care if I got hypothermia. All I cared about were the sharks!
4 of us locked inside the cage.
Me chilling inside the cage waiting for the next shark/s to swim by.
So,there I was in this tiny cage with 3 Great White sharks circling around me trying desperately to take pictures with my underwater camera while at the same time not letting my hands and feet drift out of the cage. Since I was not using an air tank, the only way to breathe was to grab the bars on the top of the cage and pull myself out of the water. It required a lot of energy, as I had weights around my waist pulling me downwards.
When I would take a gulp of air, life above the water seemed chaotic. I could hear others on the boat yelling when they would spot a shark and I could see the guide bating the sharks with bloody meat. But, I would drop back under the water and life would seem to stop existing. It was eerily quiet. And the sharks that always appeared frightening on TV or in photographs actually appeared peaceful in person. 
I stayed in the cage for about an hour. I decided it was probably time for me to get out once the sharks started to become really aggressive. They were tired of being bated and decided to start ramming the cage in protest. I waited until the very last second I could, since I knew I would probably never do this again.
As soon as I was back on the boat I began to experience a nasty bout of sea sickness from swallowing too much salt water. I silently thanked the sharks for not eating me and found a spot on the boat to lie down on.Me elated to have survived.
Hours after we returned and feeling much better on dry land, I joined my friends for dinner at the famed Africa Cafe where we ate a traditional African meal. I strongly suggest that if you are visiting Cape Town, you make eating at this restaurant a must. I promise you will remember your dining experience there for many years to come.
Even though it was one of the best meals of my life, the only thing on my mind were the sharks!
South Africa Day 6: Exploring A Shanty Town & A Mountain All In One Day
The morning was spent walking through some of Cape Town's most desolate townships.
The 1st "homes" I saw.
The inside of a home. This bed was shared by 4 children.
The main church.
It was impossible to comprehend the level of poverty and violence that exists within them. It is estimated that 1 in 2 African's (around 315 million people) live on under $1 a day. All I saw was shack upon shack with 10-15 people living in each one. I asked my guide how people could have any hope in life living in this situation. He then taught me about the African philosophy ubuntu which is about "humaneness" and caring for each other. "This gives the people strength to survive," he said and continued with, "people are people through other people." I thought that was such an eloquent statement!
The following photos were taken in one of the shanty town's I visited. The name escapes me now, but I feel the photos are really powerful as despite the dire surroundings the children appear to be radiating with happiness.
That sign could not be more true!
In the afternoon, Sarah and I decided to bravely climb Table Mountain despite having only slept 3 hours the previous night. The mountain gets its name frombeing completely flat-topped. It is 1,073 meters tall and lies in thecenter of the city.
The view of Cape Town from the base of the mountain.
The sign greeting us before our hike. We did not heed the warning about
leaving enough time to climb down the mountain, as we began our hike
about 5 hours before it would be dark outside.
Unfortunately, I had forgotten to bring tennisshoes with me to Africa, so I had to borrow a pair that were the wrongsize. I was not going to let that stop me from climbing the mountain,but I did suffer consequences in the form of huge blisters.
The following photos take you on my journey up to the summit...
I made it!!!
The 4 hour (painful) hike was one of my mostproudest accomplishments and the view was simply, for lack of a better word, breathtaking.
Since Icould barely walk at the top, we opted to take the cable car back downthe mountain. Though we did not have much of an option, as the sun was quickly setting.
Famished from the climb, we found a quiet Mexican restaurant to regain our energy and to digest our experiences of the day.
The 1st "homes" I saw.
The inside of a home. This bed was shared by 4 children.
The main church.
It was impossible to comprehend the level of poverty and violence that exists within them. It is estimated that 1 in 2 African's (around 315 million people) live on under $1 a day. All I saw was shack upon shack with 10-15 people living in each one. I asked my guide how people could have any hope in life living in this situation. He then taught me about the African philosophy ubuntu which is about "humaneness" and caring for each other. "This gives the people strength to survive," he said and continued with, "people are people through other people." I thought that was such an eloquent statement!
The following photos were taken in one of the shanty town's I visited. The name escapes me now, but I feel the photos are really powerful as despite the dire surroundings the children appear to be radiating with happiness.
leaving enough time to climb down the mountain, as we began our hike
about 5 hours before it would be dark outside.
Unfortunately, I had forgotten to bring tennisshoes with me to Africa, so I had to borrow a pair that were the wrongsize. I was not going to let that stop me from climbing the mountain,but I did suffer consequences in the form of huge blisters.
The following photos take you on my journey up to the summit...
The 4 hour (painful) hike was one of my mostproudest accomplishments and the view was simply, for lack of a better word, breathtaking.
Since Icould barely walk at the top, we opted to take the cable car back downthe mountain. Though we did not have much of an option, as the sun was quickly setting.
Famished from the climb, we found a quiet Mexican restaurant to regain our energy and to digest our experiences of the day.
South Africa Day 5: Discovering The Most Beautiful City In The World
I had heard many rumors that Cape Town was beautiful. However, I have had the good fortune of traveling around a lot of the world and I had yet to see a more beautiful city. It occupies one of the most stunning locations; in the middle of the city stands a tall mountain range that is surrounded by beaches and wine vineyards. I was so overwhelmed by the beauty, I did not know where to look first!
Having said that, the dichotomy that exists within Cape Town (as well as other cities in South Africa) is utterly shocking. Here is a perfect example...
From my coach this was the view from the left side:
And this was the view from the right side:
We lunched at the the charming Victoria & Alfred Waterfront harbor. Some of the best views of the city can be seen from there.
A view of Table Mountain from the harbor.
The exercise area of the prison.
Mandela's dire private cell in the prison. It was about 5' X 5'.
Please visit here to learn more about nonprofit organization which is bringing former Robben Island inmates to America where they share the lessons of their own struggle against apartheid in disadvantaged high schools. They teach students about standing up for what you believe in, the universality of struggle, and the importance of forgiveness to achieve peace.
Once the tour was commenced, we headed back to the harbor for dinner.
A Minor Interruption
Synchronicity has occurred and I thought
I would share the story. I love when it happens so much so that I got
the word tattooed on me many years ago to remind me to be more aware of
it. It happens in our lives constantly, but we are usually too
distracted to notice it. Which, of course, is an utter shame, since
there is always a powerful message behind it.
I have been following Mati Rose's blog for a while now. Not only is she a lovely writer, but her artwork is incredibly special. For months I have been admiring her elephant prints (we all know I have a bit of an elephant obsession).
Last week she mentioned in her blog that she wanted to try acupuncture this year and I sent her a message letting her know that I am a Licensed Acupuncturist and that if she had any questions regarding Chinese Medicine I would be happy to answer them. We than began exchanging a couple of e-mails, meanwhile I had entered the chance to win her following gorgeous elephant print:
Well, 2 days ago she randomly chose me as her winner out of 80 entries! You can read more about this serendipitous moment by clicking the link. Thanks Mati darling, I cannot wait to hang your work of art in my home.
On another note, one of my other favorite blogger's, Andi of Misadventures with Andi, has me guest posting about my trip to New Caledonia last year. This island nation in the South Pacific is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places in the world. Thus, I highly recommend you check out my post.
Now back to my South African adventures...
I have been following Mati Rose's blog for a while now. Not only is she a lovely writer, but her artwork is incredibly special. For months I have been admiring her elephant prints (we all know I have a bit of an elephant obsession).
Last week she mentioned in her blog that she wanted to try acupuncture this year and I sent her a message letting her know that I am a Licensed Acupuncturist and that if she had any questions regarding Chinese Medicine I would be happy to answer them. We than began exchanging a couple of e-mails, meanwhile I had entered the chance to win her following gorgeous elephant print:
Well, 2 days ago she randomly chose me as her winner out of 80 entries! You can read more about this serendipitous moment by clicking the link. Thanks Mati darling, I cannot wait to hang your work of art in my home.
On another note, one of my other favorite blogger's, Andi of Misadventures with Andi, has me guest posting about my trip to New Caledonia last year. This island nation in the South Pacific is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places in the world. Thus, I highly recommend you check out my post.
Now back to my South African adventures...
South Africa Day 4: An Unforgettbale Woman With An Unforgettable Story
The day began with a quick guided exploration of the enormous Muti Market. All of the African herbs in Durban are sold there. Because we were rushed through the market, I had no time to play with the herbs or talk to the izinyangas, or herbalists. I was really interested in comparing and contrasting the African herbs to the Chinese herbs I was studying in Graduate School. The following are photos from inside the fragrant Muti Market:
We did have a little time, however to shop in the nearby Victoria Street Market, where I bought a colorful batik painting of an African woman carrying water on her head to hang over my desk at home.
A view of the Victoria Street Market.
A mother buying food for the day.
How this woman is able to balance this on her head is beyond me! I love
her socks by the way.
Then we drove to a TB clinic nestled within the "Valley of a 1000 Hills." The miles of rolling hills were simply breathtaking.
My 1st glimpse of the hills.
While there we were paired with a translator, so thatwe could communicate with our TB patients. My translator was a brightand kind 22 year old woman, who was hoping to one day become a doctor. Through her I discovered that my TB patient had developed the diseasedue to the dire conditions he was forced to work in. If that wasn'theartbreaking enough, on my walk back to the coach, my translatorconfided in me that she had been raped at the age of 18. Her attackerleft her both pregnant and infected with AIDS. Scared that she wouldpass AIDS on to her child, she terminated the pregnancy. I was one ofthe only people that knew about her condition, because she would beexcommunicated from her community if she told the truth about herstatus. She felt hopeless and wondered when the USA would develop acure. All I knew what to do in that moment was to listen to her. I felt so honored that she would feel comfortable enough to share such intimate details of her life with me. Herbeautiful face and words will remain in my thoughts forever.
Me with my fellow medical delegates, as well as our interpreter and TB patient that we saw.
The view from the TB clinic.
Later in the evening the medical delegates all attended a drumming circle. I love the sound of the African drum. Its seductive beat makes it nearly impossible to not want to move your body. Alas, sitting in a room of 60+ people whom are simultaneously drumming was just not as great as I had hoped it would be.
My friends and I attempting to have fun with our drums.
Me and my 2 drum carrying body guards.
On a positive note, I did get to spend my last evening in Durban by the harbor, which happens to be the busiest port in Africa. Cape Town now awaited my arrival...
We did have a little time, however to shop in the nearby Victoria Street Market, where I bought a colorful batik painting of an African woman carrying water on her head to hang over my desk at home.
A mother buying food for the day.
her socks by the way.
Then we drove to a TB clinic nestled within the "Valley of a 1000 Hills." The miles of rolling hills were simply breathtaking.
While there we were paired with a translator, so thatwe could communicate with our TB patients. My translator was a brightand kind 22 year old woman, who was hoping to one day become a doctor. Through her I discovered that my TB patient had developed the diseasedue to the dire conditions he was forced to work in. If that wasn'theartbreaking enough, on my walk back to the coach, my translatorconfided in me that she had been raped at the age of 18. Her attackerleft her both pregnant and infected with AIDS. Scared that she wouldpass AIDS on to her child, she terminated the pregnancy. I was one ofthe only people that knew about her condition, because she would beexcommunicated from her community if she told the truth about herstatus. She felt hopeless and wondered when the USA would develop acure. All I knew what to do in that moment was to listen to her. I felt so honored that she would feel comfortable enough to share such intimate details of her life with me. Herbeautiful face and words will remain in my thoughts forever.
Me with my fellow medical delegates, as well as our interpreter and TB patient that we saw.
The view from the TB clinic.
My friends and I attempting to have fun with our drums.
On a positive note, I did get to spend my last evening in Durban by the harbor, which happens to be the busiest port in Africa. Cape Town now awaited my arrival...
South Africa Day 3: The Tale Of The Sangoma
This was a special day for me, as the focus was on the roles and rituals of sangomas, or African healers. Traditional medicine is my passion, so I prepared myself for the visit by reading a book called The Political Aspects of Healing in Southern Africa by Rijk van Dijk Rias Reir and Marja Spierenburg. The 3 areas of concentration for sangomas are: prevention and protection from problems, determination of the causes of the problems, and elimination of the problems. Interestingly, 80% of the population in South Africa still uses Traditional African Medicine.
We began the day by driving to the Kwabhekithunga Village to have a dialog with the chief of the Zulu community there and to meet their sangoma. Along the way our guide stopped in a field of sugar canes to let us taste the sweet treat.
Our guide in the sugar cane field.
When we arrived at the Village we were greeted by 5 women with a beautiful song. This was quite a surreal moment for me; one of those times where words just do not do the experience justice!
Then the husbands and sons of the women came to greet us.
As we entered the Village the chief told us he had only 1 rule; men must always enter an area 1st. Of course hearing this tested my feminist ideals, but I unwillingly obliged. The men led my male colleagues in and then the women led me and my fellow female colleagues next into the tribal council area.
The tribal council area.
We all sat around in a circle while the chief briefly introduced us to the Zulu culture and then to their local sangoma.
The chief in all of his glory.
The chief's 2 wives.
Before the sangoma could make her entrance the space had to be cleared of negative energy, thus the community performed some song and dance.
Then the mysterious woman, to the beat of African drums, strode into the middle of the circle and demonstrated her healing art.
It was quite powerful to watch this sacred tradition. After about 20 minutes of chanting she then began to do her healing by telling people in the community certain things. This was all done in a language that I could not understand, so I am not sure exactly what she told them. I do know though that they took her words very seriously. After she was finished, she blessed some herbs and they were passed around for us to drink.
The magical herbs being passed around.
Me trying the herbs.
After the ceremony my colleagues and I were allowed to walk around the Village and talk with the community for about an hour.
Some of the homes in the community. Those are banana trees in the distance.
A view of Durban in the distance from the Village.
The chief and some of the women preparing a meal.
The chief and the same women relaxing after the meal.
Me and Sarah with some of the women we befriended.
Me and Sarah with the chief; a photo I will never forget!
The medical delegation with the Zulu community.
After the enriching morning, the next place we visited was the Love Life Center. In my humble opinion, the only way for South Africa to win the war against the AIDS pandemic is to have these centers on every corner. Love Life is the boldest sex education campaign ever conducted in South Africa. Their messages are delivered on radio, on television, and in newspapers. In addition to a media blitz, volunteers for Love Life visit sports facilities at schools and in communities to provide information to the youth. The campaign considers its main audience to be people ages 12 to 17.
The employees of Love Life singing us a welcome song.
According to a brochure I picked up from the center, "Love Life hopes to foster positive self-images and responsibility among the young people of South Africa." I remember sitting on the steps outside the center watching the 100 or so kids play sports in the sunshine and realizing that these were the fortunate few who were being "saved."
Me on the steps with some beautiful South African girls.
To decompress from the day, we went to the club Tiger Tiger to dance our worries away. The second I walked in the door, "Love Generation" by Bob Sinclar (one of my favorite songs) was playing and I knew I had come to the right place.
Me and Sarah on the dance floor. In case you think I am a lush,
it was 2 for 1 night.
I ended up making friends and dancing most of the night away with a famous South African footballer whom shall remain nameless (sorry readers, a true lady does not kiss and tell).
We began the day by driving to the Kwabhekithunga Village to have a dialog with the chief of the Zulu community there and to meet their sangoma. Along the way our guide stopped in a field of sugar canes to let us taste the sweet treat.
When we arrived at the Village we were greeted by 5 women with a beautiful song. This was quite a surreal moment for me; one of those times where words just do not do the experience justice!
Then the husbands and sons of the women came to greet us.
As we entered the Village the chief told us he had only 1 rule; men must always enter an area 1st. Of course hearing this tested my feminist ideals, but I unwillingly obliged. The men led my male colleagues in and then the women led me and my fellow female colleagues next into the tribal council area.
The tribal council area.
We all sat around in a circle while the chief briefly introduced us to the Zulu culture and then to their local sangoma.
The chief in all of his glory.
The chief's 2 wives.
Before the sangoma could make her entrance the space had to be cleared of negative energy, thus the community performed some song and dance.
Then the mysterious woman, to the beat of African drums, strode into the middle of the circle and demonstrated her healing art.
It was quite powerful to watch this sacred tradition. After about 20 minutes of chanting she then began to do her healing by telling people in the community certain things. This was all done in a language that I could not understand, so I am not sure exactly what she told them. I do know though that they took her words very seriously. After she was finished, she blessed some herbs and they were passed around for us to drink.
The magical herbs being passed around.
Me trying the herbs.
After the ceremony my colleagues and I were allowed to walk around the Village and talk with the community for about an hour.
Some of the homes in the community. Those are banana trees in the distance.
A view of Durban in the distance from the Village.
The chief and the same women relaxing after the meal.
Me and Sarah with some of the women we befriended.
Me and Sarah with the chief; a photo I will never forget!
The medical delegation with the Zulu community.
The employees of Love Life singing us a welcome song.
According to a brochure I picked up from the center, "Love Life hopes to foster positive self-images and responsibility among the young people of South Africa." I remember sitting on the steps outside the center watching the 100 or so kids play sports in the sunshine and realizing that these were the fortunate few who were being "saved."
Me on the steps with some beautiful South African girls.
To decompress from the day, we went to the club Tiger Tiger to dance our worries away. The second I walked in the door, "Love Generation" by Bob Sinclar (one of my favorite songs) was playing and I knew I had come to the right place.
it was 2 for 1 night.
I ended up making friends and dancing most of the night away with a famous South African footballer whom shall remain nameless (sorry readers, a true lady does not kiss and tell).
South Africa Day 2: Experiencing The Yin And The Yang
The delegation on medicine started with 3 lectures educating us on South Africa's medical system and the current health problems the country is facing. These are the frightening facts we learned: of the 44 million people inhabiting South Africa 6 million of those have been diagnosed with AIDS (the largest group of people in the world), 57% of those infected are female, and by the year 2010 2 million children will have been orphaned due to the virus.
Also, South Africa possesses the highest rate of violence against women in any country not involved in war and 50% of the population has TB. The ugliness that exists in this beautiful country is truly incomprehensible.
We then made a site visit to the Valley Trust Rural Medical Center, which also had a school attached to it.
The outside of the school at the Valley Trust Rural Medical Center.
Some adorable school children we encountered.
There we met with the head nurse todiscuss rural health care issues. Because of the shortage of doctorsin South Africa, most nurses have to act as doctors, while still onlygetting paid a nurse's salary. That particular nurse saw 300-400patients a day. I can not imagine a more emotionally draining job. She lamented that at her clinic they actually have enough medication togive to the patients, but that no one will take it, because then theother people in their community will know that they are sick. Thesaddest story was that of the milk formula that spoils with time due tothe lack of mothers that will accept it. Instead of risking the chanceof people in the community finding out that they have AIDS, they wouldrather breast feed their infants and risk the chance of infecting themwith AIDS.
The head nurse telling us about her life.
Sadly, many of these condoms simply expire, since they are rarely used.
All of my previous thoughts about being a marine mammal in a past life were reinforced as I floated in the Indian Ocean during my late afternoon break. I had never felt more alive, which only proved that I must have been a fish, or a dolphin, or even a seahorse in a past life! I must admit that I was nervous knowing that even though the requisite shark nets were up; 1200 were caught in the last year alone. Nonetheless, I swam out as far as I could and let the therapeutic warm water melt away all of my tensions.
A post-card picture of the Dolphin Coast.
The sun setting on the Indian Ocean.
Due to the sugar slave trade in the 19th century, Durban is now home to the largest number of Indians besides India, since they were used for indentured labor. Sarah and I immediately became friends with a man in our group (a fellow New Yorker), Ankit, who happened to be of Indian heritage. He found a lovely Indian restaurant for us to have dinner at and made some excellent recommendations.
After the spicy meal, we decided to comfort our throats with some more Hansa at a bar down the street named Joe Cool's. Despite my best efforts, I lost every game of pool I played and to make matters worse, while I was losing, my camera was stolen. Both were not so cool, but if you learn only one thing in Africa, it is to not sweat the small stuff in life.
My new friend, Evan, giving me a consolatory hug after losing yet another round of pool AND my
camera.
Also, South Africa possesses the highest rate of violence against women in any country not involved in war and 50% of the population has TB. The ugliness that exists in this beautiful country is truly incomprehensible.
We then made a site visit to the Valley Trust Rural Medical Center, which also had a school attached to it.
The outside of the school at the Valley Trust Rural Medical Center.
Some adorable school children we encountered.
There we met with the head nurse todiscuss rural health care issues. Because of the shortage of doctorsin South Africa, most nurses have to act as doctors, while still onlygetting paid a nurse's salary. That particular nurse saw 300-400patients a day. I can not imagine a more emotionally draining job. She lamented that at her clinic they actually have enough medication togive to the patients, but that no one will take it, because then theother people in their community will know that they are sick. Thesaddest story was that of the milk formula that spoils with time due tothe lack of mothers that will accept it. Instead of risking the chanceof people in the community finding out that they have AIDS, they wouldrather breast feed their infants and risk the chance of infecting themwith AIDS.
Sadly, many of these condoms simply expire, since they are rarely used.
The sun setting on the Indian Ocean.
After the spicy meal, we decided to comfort our throats with some more Hansa at a bar down the street named Joe Cool's. Despite my best efforts, I lost every game of pool I played and to make matters worse, while I was losing, my camera was stolen. Both were not so cool, but if you learn only one thing in Africa, it is to not sweat the small stuff in life.
camera.
South Africa Day 1: The Beginning of My Journey Through the Rainbow Nation
In 2006, I was invited by the International Scholar Laureate Society to attend a delegation on medicine in South Africa for 3 weeks. While the group I was traveling with was composed of all medical students, I however, was a medical student myself except the medicine I was studying at the time was Traditional Chinese Medicine. Thus, my interest on this trip was uniquely geared towards learning more about Traditional South African Medicine, rather than what influence Western Medicine had/has on South African culture.
The feelings I experienced while stepping off the plane for the 1st time in Africa were quite overwhelming. It was my 5th continent to visit and I was ready to explore even though I was incredibly jet lagged! It was by far the longest flight I had ever made to date. I had to fly New York City to Atlanta (2 hours), Atlanta to Jo'berg (22 hours), and then Jo'berg to Durban (2 hours).
I could not stop looking out the window of my coach on the way to the hotel. Durban was a very green city. It was a delight to see so much land presently uncultivated. The city was made up of a province called KwaZulu-Natal, which was then further divided into 2 sections.
The river dividing the two sections KwaZulu and Natal of KwaZulu-Natal Province.
As we were arriving at the hotel in the Natal section, the smell of salt-water filled the air and out of nowhere the magnificent Indian Ocean came into view.
My 1st view of the Indian Ocean.
My friend, Sarah, and I quickly checked into our room, changed, and walked to the Dolphin Coast to take pictures near the lighthouse at sunset.
An Indian Ocean sunset.
On a side-note, Sarah and I met on a similar trip I had taken to China several years prior. She and I became instant friends and travel partners on that trip and when the opportunity to attend another medical delegation came about we knew that we had to do it together.
Me and Sarah very jet lagged, but very happy!
After dinner with the other 60 students in the program, Sarah and I excused ourselves and went to a local bar. There we met some friendly surfers who taught us our 1st Zulu word, "sawubona" (hello), and toasted us with our 1st South African beer, Hansa.
The feelings I experienced while stepping off the plane for the 1st time in Africa were quite overwhelming. It was my 5th continent to visit and I was ready to explore even though I was incredibly jet lagged! It was by far the longest flight I had ever made to date. I had to fly New York City to Atlanta (2 hours), Atlanta to Jo'berg (22 hours), and then Jo'berg to Durban (2 hours).
I could not stop looking out the window of my coach on the way to the hotel. Durban was a very green city. It was a delight to see so much land presently uncultivated. The city was made up of a province called KwaZulu-Natal, which was then further divided into 2 sections.
The river dividing the two sections KwaZulu and Natal of KwaZulu-Natal Province.
As we were arriving at the hotel in the Natal section, the smell of salt-water filled the air and out of nowhere the magnificent Indian Ocean came into view.
An Indian Ocean sunset.
On a side-note, Sarah and I met on a similar trip I had taken to China several years prior. She and I became instant friends and travel partners on that trip and when the opportunity to attend another medical delegation came about we knew that we had to do it together.
After dinner with the other 60 students in the program, Sarah and I excused ourselves and went to a local bar. There we met some friendly surfers who taught us our 1st Zulu word, "sawubona" (hello), and toasted us with our 1st South African beer, Hansa.
