Sunday, June 12, 2011

Saturday Adventures

Yesterday, we toured around the city on a combi. Now, a combi is just like any other awful public transportation that involves buses. The combis are white buses that hold 17 people and the driver. This is the maximum and take my word for it – it’s a cozy ride. I have never been a fan of bus transportation, and I hold zero enthusiasm for the combis. However, unlike my college town, the combis are regularly running during the day time and it’s never hard to find one. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. I cannot wait to go wander the Station. This is the common space that the combis arrive and depart from. It’s a little sketchy some may think, but there are so many little stands set up throughout the Station, and I am super excited to walk around and do a little shopping. Okay, moving on. The city is pretty spread out, and I am still working on pictures and such. I haven’t been able/allowed to walk around a lot. My photography skills are limited so therefore pictures from inside the combis are not working out well. I’m working on it. There are some beautiful buildings around though. I am continuously surprised by some of the quality in the infrastructure, and then deeply saddened when I see many areas in rough conditions.

After the brief tour of town, we proceeded to hike/climb up what is called Kgale Hill. Now, I think vocabulary should be used loosely here. It was not exactly a mountain, but it is definitely not what I would call a hill by any means either. Look at the pictures and decide for yourself. So, there was no path to the top. Our resident director led the way. I started in the middle of our group, but quickly moved to the front because I wanted to move faster than everyone around me. The climb/hike was SO tedious. Due to some of the girls, we would hike for 10 minutes then wait 20 minutes for everyone else to catch up. A 30 minute hike took us 2 ½ hours. Absurd! Then there was the hike down… Anyways, despite the slow pace, it was all worth it. I enjoyed the exercise and the view was breathtaking.

Due to the underestimated time it would take for the hike, there wasn’t time to take a shower. So my sweaty, awesomeness strutted into dinner. We ate at an Indian place. I know I previously complained about the lack of restaurants with local food, but guys they have nailed Indian food. Best Indian food. I didn’t even know half of what I was eating (our resident director just ordered a bunch of stuff and we shared large portions), but all of it was delicious. In Indian tradition (or so I have been told) I ate with my hands. Best decision ever! Clean plate award for me.

21st birthday celebration for one of the girls in my program followed the long, wonderful dinner. We went to a local restaurant/bar place called LingaLonga. A small group of girls went out with her as well as some of her homestay family. I have come to the conclusion that bar scenes for younger crowds are the same no matter where you are. I watched the people around me, and while I had idea what anyone was saying, the atmosphere and feel of LingaLonga is very similar to any feel at a bar back home that I have observed. I like when I find things that bring cultures together.

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