Thursday, Nov. 11, 2004

off to mozambique

well, tomorrow evening i leave for mozambique. i've somehow fit two weeks worth of clothes into a duffel bag (not too hard after i fit ten days of clothes in my backpack earlier this semester). i'm armed with several different insect repellants and malaria prophylaxis. and i've got a lot of food and 1000 rand . . . i don't really know what to expect though. i kind of feel nothing can really mentally prepare someone for an experience like this. but maybe i'm keeping my hopes up too high.
when i go there, i've been warned to watch out for the police, who will arrest me, take my passport, and make me pay grand sums of money to get it back. of course i can never go anywhere alone. they'll show us where the landmines are (basically everywhere, don't ever walk off the road), and they told me that we'll see many people who've lost limbs from the landmines. they've also painted mozambique as some sort of tropical paradise though. beautiful beaches where the water reaches 25 degrees (celcius). i can swim with manta rays and whale sharks and dolphins. and just like on the beach (with a close guard on my belongings of course) underneath the african sun.

i am so excited to go. i've been told my numerous south africans that cape town isn't really "african," that "real" africa lies just beyond the mountains . . . i would really like to know what that means. Its true though, aside from perhaps the minibusses and the townships (which are easily avoidable if you're a tourist and you don't want to see them), cape town could be anywhere in europe or north america.

i'm also nervous about traveling for two weeks with the group. all 37 of us. i'd say about 80-90% drive me insane on a regular basis. You know, complaining about every little thing, never doing dishes, drinking game parties until 5:30 am when my room is right across the hall and i have to wake up at 6:30 am, orgies in the room next door to me . . . that type of thing. there are some people on this trip who i really feel need intervention, i almost never see them sober. normally i would just be like, oh to each his own, but not when i have to live in the same house as these heathens for 4 months straight.

so i am so excited about coming home. just one more month! and it will be so festive and christmas-y. i'll definitely be in for a shock though with the weather. it is in the 80s here and getting warmer! i'm also so excited to see all my wonderful, NORMAL friends who are not inebriates.

so, sorry i don't update here as often as i would like. its annoying to have to pay for internet time. especially when its the same time you use to write your papers.

anyway good luck to you all finishing your semester! when i'm back we'll be nearly done!