Cape Town to Cairo
My journey from Cape Town to Cairo has begun! I know my last blog sounded pretty sad, and I appreciate all your encouraging emails. But now I am totally jazzed to be adventuring through Africa.Tanzania didn’t work out. Sometimes you just gotta let go. Letting go of Madagascar was hard. Letting go of my friends was really hard. Letting go of the security blanket that is the Peace Corps was maybe the hardest. But once I did, I realized what a great opportunity I had. It was time to take stock. Things I do not have: a home, a job, worldly possessions that do not fit into a backpack. Things I do have: a passport, money for a plane ticket home, a student loan deferment, and a WHO card that is almost completely full (have I really gotten that many shots?).Yes, I decided that now is the time to finally become a WWOOFer. For those that don’t know, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is an organization that connects organic farmers with travelers who wish to see the world, and help the world, all the while on a very tight budget. For $20 I receive access to a listing of farms in around 60 different countries, who are willing to give you food and a place to stay in exchange for work. After reading the descriptions, I emailed a few that sounded interesting, and they emailed me back with their availability. That is how I ended up at TerraPi (www.terrapi.org). The people at TerraPi are creating a sustainable community to serve as an example of how communities can thrive while living in harmony with the environment. It is fairly new, so I am really lucky to be part of the beginning of this endeavor. I help take care of the horses and the garden, go on fun 4x4 trips in the ‘Landy’, and get fed delicious food.
Right now I am in love with South Africa. I’m so glad that I took the time to read The Covenant by James Michener while I was in Madagascar. Knowing everything that this country has been through has really allowed me to appreciate where it is today. Don’t get me wrong, there are still a lot of problems here, but there is so much hope! I love the diversity of the ‘Rainbow Nation’. I was watching a television program earlier in which the hosts were speaking Zulu, English, and Afrikaans all in the same breath. This place has 11 official languages!I also love the animals, even though they don’t always love me. The other day I scared off 4 baboons when I came home from work. They had destroyed the back porch and the bathroom. I found my soap on the ground about 10 meters away. Another time I went camping and woke up to 2 ostriches chilling out in the campground. Good times in Africa! And this is only the beginning.