Traveling During the Easter Holidays

We've only been in class for five weeks, and we already have a two- week break. Because Easter is such a big holiday here, Rhodes decided to rearrange our quarters so that we had one short (the first) quarter and one long (the second quarter). The other scholars from Rhodes are on a road trip to Namibia for the two week break. Although the idea was extremely enticing, I decided to forgo a long car trip and stay in South Africa to see some of the local sites. Thus on Saturday morning with one of the PhD politics students from Rhodes, we took off for three of the coastal towns in the Eastern Cape: Kenton on the Sea, Port Alfred and Port Elizabeth. Because summer is ending and I still hadn't had a beach trip, these were the top destinations in my mind. Unfortunately the weather didn't exactly want to cooperated and even though there were sunny skies in Grahamstown when we left, when we reached the coast it was dreary, rainy and cold! Ick! We tried to make the most of it and took a walk on the beach in Kenton on the Sea and went to a Pizza place called Aloha in Port Alfred, we finally gave up and decided that Port Elizabeth was our best bet for finding a nice backpackers and some inside entertainment.

Port Elizabeth was beautiful and didn't disappoint. We stayed at a backpackers called Jikeleza. It was nice and quiet which is what we were looking for. It did have its nice quirks for backpackers: a random mongoose on a ledge playing peek-a-boo with us, a half of an mannequin in the courtyard underneath some bushes, a caretaker/manager who would talk non-stop when you were in common areas and even waited for me to get off the phone with Dave one morning so that he could continue! It was great! Because of the rain we went to a shopping centre called the Boardwalk. Having fond memories of the California boardwalk, I was ready to be disappointed, but I was rather impressed. There was a movie theatre, mini-golf, an arcade and shops. It was lit with Christmas lights in the evening and Georgina and I enjoyed a nice meal of fried calamari and french fries before we went to see Fool's Gold with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. I am surprised how amusing bad movies can be when one hasn't seen TV for a long time - it was nice! After that we went back to the backpackers and prayed for sunshine the next day.

We got it - Sunday was a beautiful day and we spent it mostly outside. I have to admit that I normally make it a point to not miss Palm Sunday at church, but walking outside in fellowship with nature was gorgeous and I loved it! We walked down a real boardwalk with a craft market and enjoyed the sunshine and the beautiful craftsmanship. I have missed this part of Africa. Grahamstown has crafts, but not markets - one of my favorite parts of Africa! I bought a stone turtle (I love getting turtles from different countries) and a stone carving of two people kissing! I was feeling romantic. We also bought some delicious chocolates from an Afrikaner's candy maker- he was adorable and such a great salesman. Plus we only paid 5 rand for three truffles! The price and quality were amazing! The rest of the day we spent on the beach and back at the Boardwalk.

Monday we drove up the coast and found a secluded beach to explore - it was great with a lot of wildlife. We saw a dead jellyfish, some urchins skeletons, little fish, and a whole school of dolphins riding the waves into the shore. It was simply majestic. After our chill morning and afternoon, George dropped me off at the house of a Rotary Couple - the Longs. I can't emphasize how much I am impressed with the hospitality of the Rotarians I have encountered. It is sort of like visiting someone who you've known for a while, and am regaining contact with. They welcomed me into their home and I was able to talk with them about my experience thus far and dialogue about what I have learned and hope to learn. We had planned on having a cooked meal for dinner, but the power was cut at 4:00 and we had sandwiches instead - they were great as well. (side note: although the power cuts are widespread throughout the country in Grahamstown we haven't been as affected by the cuts. I am learning some of the downfalls in the larger cities concerning power as I travel). After dinner we went to a holy week service where the Methodist Pastor spoke about the foundation of the temple and it's implication for our lives. He quoted Walter Wink (a theological hero of mine) and later told me that he was actually friends with the author. I was greatly impressed. After that we went home and after expressing my interest of the book that they were reading in their small group, Denise encouraged me to borrow it for the second half of my trip to Durban. It is called Everything Must Change by Brian McLaren. Although I am only on chapter 8 now, I would encourage everyone to read it. It is amazing and I am loving his insight into social issues.

Now I am in Durban visiting four other Rotary Scholars. Their hospitality is very beautiful - just like the Rotarians who sponsored them - and I am enjoying getting to see a new city through their eyes. They are still in classes, writing papers, and getting tons of work done, so I have had the time that I needed to reflect write and getting ready for the next quarter awaiting me. This weekend we have plans for Good Friday and Easter and seeing more of the uniqueness of Durban. I am excited for it, but also excited to get to know them a bit better and think more about this amazing experience that I am privileged to be on.

I hope all of you are well! God Bless... with lots of love - alicia