Exploring South Africa: Unforgettable Sites and Adventures

1. Becca Kiriazes Favorite photo of the gals Photo by Eli Blog: https://beccatravelsblog.wordpress.com/ South Africa 2017

2. v Diamond Mine: As a civil engineer, I loved the tour. I was also concerned about safety. Even though they hadn’t had an injury in so many days, I wouldn’t allow a group of twenty-year olds walking about in shorts and sandals. “I’m no safety expert but there seems to be pretty low security for a diamond mine with working heavy equipment”

3. University of Pretoria Camping Planning: I loved the Pretoria campus. The landscaping was amazing and it was so open. We were speaking in the group about how open the campus was and how they thought more students were mingling on the lawn then at UF. We weren’t sure if it was the culture, campus, or we were all just crazy and it is the same amount as UF. In my opinion, it was the same as UF on a pretty day. But I looked up a bunch of campus planning ideas and there is a whole phycology on how they plan campuses.

4. Pilanesberg Park The extra game drive we drove to the top of the hill where we could see the park. There was a lion roaring off in the distance. The park was so expansive and didn’t have any gaps. It is truly a beautiful reserve where there seemed like there were no boundaries. I can’t imagine how big Kruger is. “Everywhere the sun touches…”

5. Trekker MonumentI loved Little House on the Prairie and have dressed up as a pioneer for Halloween. To me pioneers were all american just like the American Girl Doll Katherine (or something). Reading about the great trek and comparing it to pioneers is one thing but this monument made me look twice. It not only was a funky building but very out of place were pioneers. “The moment when I realized we were saying trek and not trick.”

6. Justice HillPhoto by Eli.Walking through all of the solitary cells was the scariest moment for me. It was so recent that these were being used and now it looks like an Indian Jones set. The carving on the inside of the walls. If I was locked up alone, I don’t know if I would have the strength. I would be even more crazy. Such suffering and despair. But there still isn’t really a solution to solitary confinement (Check out Hidden Brain podcast on Solitary)

7. Justice HillI was just obsessed with the inside of this building. The columns are the trunk of the tree and the cool fixtures are the leaves and the dappled lighting and the old brick. The whole building has a story and it tells it. Such a success.

8. Biltong Photo by AmaAh. Johnny’s Meat Market. Still not to big of a fan of biltong but my family is. We met Johnny and his help. I don’t remember the young guys name but he was all excited to spend a summer in South Dakota. He said there were lots of opportunities for him there. I hope he lives his cowboy dream.

9. Proteas: A Love StoryNever before this trip have I seen a protea. Now I am obsessed (I follow a few farms on insta). I bought this flower at the mall and left it in the hotel room with a note and a tip for our cleaning lady.

10. Part 2:Photo by EliAnother protea variety. I love them because there are so many types.

11. View from Lion’s Head I showed this photo to my hydrodynamics teacher because I figured he would be all excited and explain to me the currents and everything. He was excited and said he had never seen anything this extreme and pretty. I got an A in hydro but not enough to explain what the reason of the cool wave formation was.

12. Last Sunset Our last Sunset all together crammed in a very small car wondering where we were heading. Little did I know I would get drunk off of rose. Sweet wine. Yum.

13. Beach Time This is a photo of Madi at the beach in the sunset but it reminds me of all of my time on the beach. I would go in the morning before breakfast and sit and watch the waves roll in and out, collect shells (which I got through the airport in my jacket pockets), and try to find things in the pools. It was my office hours if people wanted to talk to me one on one during the trip, they knew where to find me.

14. Family Being a native Orlando-ian, I love Disney. The fam went to Epcot during the trip and snapped me. Interesting enough, they saw most of the animals I did on the safari. There is no African country (other than Morocco) at Epcot just the whole continent because there isn’t a country that would pay.

15. Dip in the Ocean Ama and I kayaked with a tour in the morning on our free day. I am not used to paddling and got myself all wet. It is cold but refreshing.

16. Chasing Dolphins and Seals On the tour, we paddled along a pod of over 100 dolphins and a few seals. We chased them and they zoomed ahead and then would loop back to us. It was still tiring to try to catch them but so worth it to be paddling next to dolphins jumping out right next to the boat and jetting underneath.

17. Lion’s Head I hiked up Lion’s head after the kayaking with Mihael and Geo. It was better hike than table mountain.

18. Lion’s Head I hiked up that.

19. Starfish I would look through the tide pools to find starfish but I found this one in the dock area by the fish and chip place near Boulder Beach. I was so excited I almost fell into the water. It was surprisingly clear, clean, and deep.

20. Church I went to catholic mass all during the trip. The church in Pretoria was welcoming families of the area. The one in Cape Town didn’t sing and was all old white people. This is the church in Cape Town. “I am the Resurrection *clap clap clap* and the Life” (A classic clappy church song)

21. Port Town Sunset Photo by Eli I love to walk. Part of traveling is pleasing others. Instead of walking back to the hotel and watching the sunset on the way, we watched from the port so Madi wouldn’t hurt herself more. I don’t mind. Still pretty.

22. Gentrification The cool trendy food market looked like it was straight out of San Francisco. We drank our Savannah Drys and took photos of our groovy bowls but it felt out of place.

23. Lion’s Head Hike I loved climbing on the bars and chains. It reminded me of Acadia National Park. The key is to just scramble up the rocks next to the chain so you don’t have to wait right under someone.

24. Grape Leaf Bookmark The most surprising part of the trip to me. Matt brought his Long Walk to Freedom book to Robben Island and took a grape leaf as a bookmark. It was strangely symbolic and I didn’t pin Matt down as the type. He is a character.