Day 12

We didn't have time to be sad as we left our gorgeous villas at 6:oo. No time at all. We were much to frightened of the adventure that lay ahead. Our final activity... SHARK CAGE DIVING! These moments of pure terror speak for themselves.

Before...

After :0

My! What big teeth you have!

Following our panic attacks, we spent the afternoon at the mall waiting for the second group of shark cagers to finish their dance with the devils. Finally we headed back to Hermanus for our last night and culminating group dinner.

Overall South Africa was an amazing experience. I could not have asked for a better travel. Tears well up in my eyes just thinking about it. It was without a doubt the grand finale to my academic travel experiences that I had been hoping for. To say that I am blessed would be an understatement. For the rest of my life I will deeply treasure the moments I shared with Franklin students and professors on Franklin University's academic travels.

Love always,
Jasmine

Day 11

On our second day at Gondwana Game Reserve we began with a few lectures. The first was a lecture about the South African honey bees given by Owen Williams, a honey bee keeper in the region. He was extremely passionate about saving the bee populations. Honey bees have been dying in large numbers all over the world, which is devastating for all of us, being that 25% of our food comes from plants that rely on bees to pollinate them. He is also very passionate about South African honey, in particular the honey that is made from the bees that pollinate the fynbos. This honey, he claims, has very special health properties and is currently being tested with the help of Conservation Global in labs in Ticino to validate these benefits.

Fynbos

We also had a lecture on the importance of biodiversity and conserving the fynbos - all 9,000 species of them. This shrubby vegetation covers a large part of the reserve and, like the animals, it also has to be carefully monitored and maintained. It is a vital part of the ecosystem and is not found anywhere else in the world. We know the honey bees like it! If we want to save the bees we must also save the fynbos.

After lunch we jumped back in the safari vehicles eager to spot a lion. We found elephants, giraffes, hippos.....

And low and behold, when we had all but given up hope...the king and queen of the jungle roared! We couldn't have been happier. We knew Eugene had been saving the best for last. 

Mr.

Mrs.

Day 10

Wow! (A word that was said only a thousand time at Gondwana.) Our villas were stunning! I laughed when I saw our rooms because they were nicer than I imagine my future honeymoon suite will be. Unfortunately I didn't get any good pictures. It was one of those times when you forget to take a picture because you are caught up in the luxuriousness. Anyway we woke up in our beautiful villas and were greeted by this view.....

Enjoying our sunny back deck..since we weren't allowed to leave it.

Then we were driven in the safari vehicle by our favorite guide, Eugene, to the main lodge for breakfast. Absolutely no walking allowed anywhere outside the villas! DANGER. Wild animals are waiting to eat you! 

Selfie by Karla Tadic. 

Eugene driving us to breakfast. 

Following breakfast we had a lecture about reserve management, and the carrying capacity of the property. I couldn't help but think about what an amazing management science project that would make for Professor Dudukovic's class. And who would have thought, we learned to shoot a dart gun! It is normally used for very serious wildlife management practices, however, our group had a little too much fun competing against each other in target practice.

Only for the think skinned.

In the afternoon we went on our first game drive... we saw the rhinos and zebra! (We did not bring the dart gun.)

Day 9

In the morning we visited the Knysna Elephant Park. The park is a protected area where lone (or orphaned) elephants come to be rehabilitated and cared for. I've always had a special fondness for elephants. I love how the mothers care for their young like human mothers. I was surprised at how well trained the elephants were. I suppose that is the result of them spending so much time in such close proximity with humans. I expected them to be more wild; I thought we would have to go looking for them in the park but it was more of a grown up petting zoo experience. We got to feed them! A big sloppy elephant trunk reached out and took large chunks of fruit directly out of our hands. I felt like a kid again :)

The second animal of the Big Five we encountered that day was the lion... sort of. We were very fortunate to have a private lecture with Gareth Patterson, the "lion guru". He spent years with lions rehabilitating them and teaching them how to survive in the wild. He even taught them hunting skills. If I hadn't heard it straight from his mouth, I never would have believed that a human man could teach hunting skills to a lion. But Gareth was nearly a lion himself. He was so in tune with the lions that they thought of him as another one of them. In recent years Gareth has been doing research on the illusive herd of Knysna elephants, but he is still a very committed activist for conserving the lion population, which is quickly dwindling due severe to hunting and poaching.

Professor Zanecchia with Gareth Patterson

Afterwards we enjoyed lunch while Ms. Susan Campbell, an activist lawyer who talked to us about her personal story of battling for conservation. Actually, she started off battling against it, because she inherited some property on the waterfront in an area of fynbos. Little did she know when she began construction that she was not allowed to build there because the fynbos were protected. In the end she was able to compromise and build a non-invasive (and very cool!) lodging made up of a few structures in pockets of the fynbos. It is always great to hear a story about someone who doesn't care about something and maybe even finds it annoying but who is then forced to confront it, and in doing so actually comes to appreciate it. Knowledge is power, as they say. Now, Ms. Campbell is fighting big forestry and building groups who want to develop in areas where the fynbos are currently protected. The South African fynbos are very grateful to have her on their side I'm sure.

Later that evening we arrived at the Gondwana Game Reserve. In the pouring rain. We were all drenched and starving but the Belet's (our amazing, amazing hosts) had a nice warm BBQ diner waiting for us. I was tired but I couldn't have been happier.

Day 8

On our second day in Knysna we began the day with an ocean safari. I was so glad we got to see dolphins. We saw two pods of dolphin and one lone seal. We looked around for sharks too but we didn't come across any.... that morning (foreshadowing here). I have swum with dolphins in Hawaii many times, so I thought that maybe it wouldn't be quite as exciting just to see them from the boat, but it was pretty nice. They were a different kind of dolphin than I'm used to. I'm used to the spinner dolphins and these were the Cape bottle nose dolphins (if I remember correctly). They were extremely cute and I had no idea they would be coming so close to the boat! It was fun to see them from a new perspective. They swam so beautifully alongside us.

Not only were we very lucky to see dolphins, but apparently we were lucky to be out on a morning when the water was calm. We were told that usually, getting out of the Knysna Heads - cliffs that form a small opening connecting the lagoon and the ocean - can be very rough. It is actually one of the most dangerous areas for boats to try to get out of. Even on our calm day the waves were several feet high. Rachel and I had enormous fun screaming our heads off as our little speed boat lifted up and slammed down in the water. (I don't think our skipper was quite so thrilled....).

In the afternoon we took yet another beautiful hike. This time along the coast of the Nature Valley Trust with our lovely guides. We stopped early on to look into the small pools of water in the rock. At first glance I didn't see anything, then I was amazed to see what I thought had been little shells were actually very small star fish! The goal of the hike was to  make it to a beautiful and secluded stretch of beach where we kicked off our shoes and cooled off for a few minutes before making our way back.

Starfish!

Private beach

The last activity of the afternoon was a very informative meeting with Professor Mike Brown, who works with the Nature Vally Trust conducting research on birds. He is helping to tag the birds that live in the fynbos and monitor their populations. Certain plants and bird species have a symbiotic relationship and thus rely on each other for adaptation and survival. We were shown one example of a flower that has evolved to perfectly fit the beak of the specific bird that feeds from it. It is these very special relationships within the ecosystem that remind us how important it is to protect biodiversity. We also got to pet and release the birds!

Professor Mike Brown

This day gave me a renewed appreciation for all life, both plants and creatures, great and small.

Day 7

A very wonderfully full day in Knysna. Breakfast at the Sedgefield Organic Market was yet another highlight of the trip. I wish I remembered the name of the friendly man who was making fresh squeezed juices or the woman who made us delicious bowls of muesli. I definitely indulged. I had the most wonderful oyster that tasted just like the ocean, and I bought some sun dried apricots and kudu jerky to go. There was just no way I was passing up the opportunity to try some kudu. You're only in Africa once! It's salty and kind of falls apart but I enjoyed it. Jerky score 7/10 from me.

My farmers market snacks.

After the market we took guided beach walk. I was surprised to see little jelly fish washing up on the sand. Our guide astutely explained that they are called blue bottles and are actually made up of different organism called zooids which together function as if it were one animal. Amazing! Nature never ceases to astound. (Below is a picture that I found on Google, but I felt it was necessary for people to see what I was talking about.)

It looks like one organism, am I right? 

In the afternoon we went for a beautiful little kayak ride in the Knysna marine estuary. I had no idea that the purpose of an estuary was to serve as a place where certain marine species could survive as babies. In the estuary they are protected from the strong currents and they have ample food sources to sustain them until they are strong enough to swim out into the open ocean waters. Essentially it's a fish daycare. Unfortunately I didn't notice any of them.... I think I was too busy trying to beat the boys in their kayaks.

Kayaking in the estuary.

Finally we ended the day with a tour and dinner at the Rastafari community. I'll let the Rasta man speak for himself. It was enlightening to say the least. (Video pending due to technology issues. Check back soon!)

Day 6

Our morning walk along the cliffs of Hermanus is the only time I remember us having less than perfect weather. I was on the lookout for dolphins and whales, and we were lucky enough to spot a pod of dolphins swimming in the bay. It was however perfect weather for snails....

Then we climbed on the bus and made our way to Cape Agulhas, the southern most point of the African continent. I have to say the landscape was not quite as impressive as it was at the Cape of Good Hope, but it was certainly a once in a lifetime experience to stand at the edge of the world, at the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian oceans.

Lighthouse at Cape Agulhas. 

Whole group at the point. Photo credit: Pierre Garcia

Day 5

On the fifth day, we said farewell to Cape Town and took a scenic drive to Hermanus. We gazed out the window to our right and saw the never ending coastline and the expansive Atlantic Ocean. We gazed out the window to the left and saw the fynbos, the rolling foothills, and the peaked mountains. 

Someone else gazing out their window may have seen me standing on this cliff. 

We also saw PENGUINS! Despite the adorable waddle, their story of survival is a sad one. The penguin colony in South Africa would likely have gone extinct if it had not been for the intervention of human conservation efforts. Thankfully their colony has been growing in the past few years due to successful conservation initiatives.

In the afternoon we made our way through the wine country and of course had to try a few sips for ourselves. Another highlight (there were quite a few) was our luxurious wine tasting at La Vierge vineyard situated in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The collection we sampled from was divine (in keeping with the theme), and I succeeded in getting sufficiently tipsy, at which point I decided that it would be a good idea to bring home four bottles of wine in my suitcase half way around the world. Luckily it turned out to be a fine shipping method and now I have a few bottles of South African wine to give to my family as a thank you for putting me through college. I’m sure that’s enough to pay them back for all they’ve given me these past four years....isn't it? 

La Vierge Vineyard

Mmmmmmm

Day 4

Lion's Head Mountain

The hike to the summit of Lion’s Head was definitely a highlight of the trip for me. The little bit of climbing that was involved brought back fond memories of rock climbing with my father in Colorado’s Boulder Canyon. The view from the top was a perfect reward and (of course) photo opportunity. It is a must when studying conservation to get to experience first had all that nature has to offer. And in South Africa, nature has plenty to offer! I was completely blown away by the natural beauty everywhere we went, beginning in Cape Town and continuing throughout our journey.

Rachel and I at the summit.

Our visit to the Bo-Kaap Neighborhood in Cape Town’s Malay Quarter was another beautiful moment of the day. I loved the rich symbolism of the brightly colored homes that expressed the new freedom of the salves that once lived there.

Bo-Kaap Neighborhood

Day 3

Nelson Mandela statue outside Parliament.

With a visit to Parliament in the morning followed by a private lecture with Patrick Lakota, it was one of our more academic days. I cannot pretend to know what I’m talking about when it comes to the South African political system, but I found our chat with Patrick Lakota (President of the Congress of the People) extremely refreshing. He was so humble and open with us; it was very special to hear his personal experiences fighting with the ANC to end Apartheid and the challenges he faced. To fight for civil rights when all the odds are against you, at the risk of imprisonment, and even again after his 17 years of imprisonment is truly remarkable. Being in prison is a dehumanizing experience, but it allowed Patrick to have a renewed sense of appreciation for the little things in life that we all so often take for granted. “Do not forget to look up at the stars,” he reminded us. He showed us so much humanity.

Professor Armando Zanecchia with Patrick Lakota.

Day 2

Cape of Good Hope was stunning! I ran out of synonyms for ‘amazing‘ early on in the trip. I think that if I were an explorer trying to sail my way to India and my ship crashed into the cape (storms or not) I would have to set up camp. There is something very dramatic about the landscape at that point of the African continent. I felt as if I was standing at the edge of the world and I imagined what it was like to believe the world was flat and that this could be simply the end of it. 

Later we went to the District Six Museum. It was very moving to see visuals that depicted the displacement of so many people from their homes and their lands. As I was reading a passage on one of the walls, I was reminded of something that Professor Vogelaar had said in my Communication and Power class the week before. She said that the media and the historians are the keepers of memory. Under Apartheid the blacks, coloreds, and other minority groups had their power taken away from them, and with that power went much of their ability to tell their stories and in this way many memories were also destroyed. It is always difficult to keep the memory of minority groups alive. The mission of the District Six Museum is a noble one.

Day 1

First impressions are everything…and I was highly impressed! Wasn’t sure what to expect, but being my culminating academic travel, expectations were high. Needless to say, all expectations were blown out of the water as soon as we arrived at Ashanti and I saw the blanket (“tablecloth”) of clouds billowing over the edge of Cape Town’s Table Mountain. The weather was welcoming, the people were warm, and at that moment I already knew what it meant to be “bit by the Africa bug”, as they say.