This Is Africa (T.I.A.)

In just two days, Shanley and I are already seeing some of the best (and most interesting) sides of Cape Town; for this we are dubbing the term, "TIA" which comes form the movie Blood Diamonds.  In one phrase it captures people, places and things that are unique to this continent and culture that are otherwise too difficult to describe or make a comparison.

As traveling companions, Shanley and I both have the same philosophy to jump right in and get-going!  Our first stop was the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (or, V&A for short).  It's a pretty populated part of town with lots of shops, restaurants, and high yield for tourism.  It's about a 30 minute stroll from our hotel, which provides both a scenic escape and good exercise.  The World Cup stadium is nearby and so there is a lot of construction activity right now, but also lots of World Cup excitement.  One of the best things about our hotel is the view from our room:

This picture alone does not do the view justice!  I tried to upload the panoramic version but that failed.  To summarize though, we have a perfect view of Lion's Head mountain coupled with sweeping views of the ocean!


Friday we spent some time with the hotel concierge learning about tour options and nearby attractions that will give us the most comprehensive experience in Cape Town over the next week.  We also ventured into the Malay District which is a devoutly Muslim community with really colorful buildings and several Mosques.  We had high hopes for finding some Malay food, but were sorely disappointed and "resorted" to an African Tapas Cafe that was en-route back to our Sea Point neighborhood. The food was delicious and we are already thinking about our next "African" meal.

To Corbin, With Love

FYI: Corbin is my seven year old nephew, who I adore, and who is currently going through a phase where is is absolutely fascinated with "afros."  He feels deprived that he doesn't have one himself; hopefully this helps...

Up In The Air

Shanley and I met in Amsterdam for our flight to Cape Town - a 13 hour flight to be specific.  We flew KLM Royal Dutch Airway, which had several perks:

Note: this is a borrowed picture from Bing, the Heineken is not mine.

-"Good" food (per airline food standards).  We were well fed all 13 hours including Belgian chocolate ice cream :)

-An enormous selection of in-flight entertainment options

-The smoothest landing I have ever witnessed

-An array of free newspapers for your selection before boarding (including the Financial Times and International Herald Tribune

-Extra leg room in coach seating (a serious plus)

-Arriving an hour earlier than planned arrival time

-Delivering our checked luggage after a journey half way around the world (I had my doubts)

All in all, we made it to Cape Town in good company, good time and good accomodation!  Well done KLM.

And We're Off!

Shanley and I both left out of Seattle yesterday and are presently in-route to our final destination: Cape Town.  We will be meeting in Amsterdam shortly, but for now I'm grounded in Washington D.C. at Dulles.  Well... not exactly at Dulles any more; I checked into a hotel after my checked bag couldn't be immediately checked for my next flight (the bag is full of medical supplies and other things that violate the 3oz TSA liquid limitation).  Here's the thing, I arrived in Dulles at 06:00 this morning and my connecting flight doesn't leave until 19:30 this evening.  What complicates the situation is that I'm flying 2 different airlines, and KLM (the airline that will take me over the pond and so forth) doesn't open their ticketing desk until 15:00.  So, I'm stuck with a bag that I have to re-check and I will probably have to pay another erroneous baggage fee.  Normally I NEVER CHECK BAGGAGE... seriously.  I am a carry-on only kind of gal, but this was an exception and the medical supplies are needed for the program, so I broke my own rule.  Lesson learned.

Nonetheless, my spirits are in good order: nothing a hot shower, a three hour nap and free WIFI can't fix!

BFF

circa 2004

I'm in count-down mode for my departure to South Africa; this time next week I will be landing in Cape Town!  Before I carry on much further in my blogging, I feel that it is importnat to introduce my co-star in this adventure, Shanley.  Perhaps you've been astute in reading the blog so far and will note that I have mentioned my dear friend before.  Well here's photo evidence that she does exist!

These days I strongly dislike cheesy colloquial acronyms, but nonetheless "BFF" is reminiscent of the early days in our friendship when life was blissfully consumed with slumber parties and Sanrio characters.  Truly, we have been friends that long... 

Here are the startling statistics: we have been friends for approximately 67% of our lives thus far; 27% of that time we were devoted penpals while Shanley and her family lived in Nigeria, Africa (we sent letters via snail mail because email was not widely available until later); another 33% of that time we lived 150+ miles apart.  Together we survived Mrs. Pointer's 3rd grade class, the Clinton AND Bush administrations, two junior high school dances, one senior prom and a 13.1 mile half-marathon.  The numbers don't lie... we have a pretty impressive track-record, and we're about to add to it: 10,226 miles and 74 days of traveling!

Shots 1, 2, 3

Last week Shanley and I scheduled our appointment with the nurse at Travelers' Health Service, which happens to be a part of the clinic I currently work for.  Linda, our travel nurse, was very patient with all of our questions and even obliged in letting us take pictures :) 

Fortunately, the vaccine requirements for South Africa are not as cumbersome as they have been in past years.   Things like Yellow Fever, Cholera and Polio are no longer required.  Plus, I already had the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines this year.  Bottom line, I only needed three shots: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and a new Tetnus/Tdap (I was due for it anyway)! For the most part, everything was pain-free and smiles for the camera, until...

My dear Mother failed to mention that as a child I was physically intolerable to Tetnus shots.   Unfortunately, I have not yet out-grown that sensitivity, because I was miserably sick the next day! 

Almost a clean bill of health for travel - here's what's left: 2 more rounds of Hep B and 1 more round of Hep A shots, 4 Thyphoid vaccine pills, and malaria medicine for our safari.  Oh, and antibiotics in case we encounter travelers diarrhea, iodine tablets for our water, DEET and permethrin for our clothes, and lots of immodium (just in case)! 

A New Year, A New Adventure!

Last year my dear friend and I were looking for an adventure: we are both applying for graduate schools for the Fall 2010 and decided we needed to do "something" before re-committing to school.  My friend (her name is Shanley) and I share, among other things, an interest in healthcare and travel.  While she is applying to medical schools, I am applying for Masters and PhD programs in Public Health and Medical Anthropology.  So it seemed fitting that our adventure should not only be something to help us grow as individuals, but also to help jump start our education/careers in healthcare (whereby also helping other people).

After some dedicated online searching, as well as in-person testimonials, we were eager to apply to the public health programs in South Africa through Child Family Helath International (CFHI).  Shanley and I knew selection for the programs was limited and we were both nervous about the application process, but in the end, we were both accepted by CFHI to participate in their "Healthcare Challenges and HIV/AIDS" programs in South Africa for the spring of 2010.

So the adventure begins!  I will be departing Seattle, WA in the middle of March and returning early June, 2010. During that time I will be spending 4 weeks in Cape Town and 4 weeks in Durban, South Africa. I will experience first-hand the healthcare challenges facing South Africa, where, under the Apartheid regime, the vast majority of people had limited or no healthcare until the 1990s. I will also be working alongside local healthcare professionals in clinics and hospitals, which serve as a critical battleground for the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The program experience will truly be an opportunity for me to learn more about health issues that transcend national borders, class, ethnicity, and cultural divisions. As I prepare to return to academia in the Fall 2010 to continue my education in Public Health and Medical Anthropology, I anticipate my time in South Africa to be an invaluable starting point.