The Ocean

I grew up in the middle of a huge continent. My idea of a large body of water was Lake Waconia, and then once I sailed around the Apostle Islands off of Bayfield, Wisconsin, I thought I could die peacefully having seen Lake Superior. What is an octogenarian in Duluth's Canal Park other than Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea"?

Until my trip to Europe in the summer of 2007, I can only remember seeing the ocean once: the Gulf of Mexico at Galveston Island. I was maybe 10, possibly younger. Because of dead jellyfish strewn across the beaches, however, I didn't even get to taste the saltiness of the ocean. While in St. Brieuc, France, I spent nearly eight days on the beach, splashing in the Bay of Brittany. My next encounter with the Atlantic was last October (2008) when I drove to Bethany Beach, Delaware with my friend Ryan.

And now, in the course of nine days, I will be swimming in two oceans and escaping the dry, inland country of Botswana. My roommate Alex and I are renting a car from Budget this evening, and leaving early tomorrow morning for the border. Since South Africa is such a large country and Alex will be the only driver (automatics are a luxury here and I can't drive stick), we won't be making our days too long. That means the first night we will simply taking a break, in the provincial capital of Bloemfontein. Here's a map of our whole route so you can get acquainted:
Then on Saturday, we reach our first major destination: Port Elizabeth, or simply, PE. A local friend of mine told me PE has some of the most beautiful beaches in Africa. Moreover, the buzzing seaside city has the largest selection of second-hand books on the continent, with vast collections of Africana literature. Could you imagine a more perfect place for me?

After two days in PE, we're moseying along the famous Garden Route, a verdant stretch along the coast between PE and Mossel Bay. Beaches, tropical vistas, and mountains: a drastic and welcoming change from the flat expanses of the Kalahari. While we won't be stopping much along the route, we are looking forward to spending a couple days along Route 62, traveling through the Little Karoo and its wine country.

Our base city along Route 62 will be Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital of the world. If the PETA part of my soul doesn't object too much, I may even ride an ostrich at one of the farms. Between Oudtshoorn and Cape Town, we will be brushing up on our viticulture. There is no way I could pass up the opportunity of legally enjoying a day sampling some Cabernet amidst some incredible, South African scenery.

Then, our last stop is a three-day stay in Cape Town, or CT. Beside the major tourist attractions, including Long Street (where our hostel, Cat and Moose Backpackers Lodge, is conveniently located), Robben's Island and Table Mountain, we will be visiting my friend Mary, who is studying at the University of Cape Town this semester through CIEE. Back at Hopkins we always joked about being on the same continent and how we should meet up, but it is about to become a reality. A James Bond-ian rendez-vous in a foreign port, how classy!Our trip home will mostly just be driving for two solid days, although my Setswana instructor tells me that N1, the major highway, is also one of awe-inspiring views, especially near the Hex River area. It will be a while before I can adequately update this blog with pictures, etc. but I hope to at least let you know I'm alive and well along the way. Just a recap: renting a car from today until Saturday, April 18th. Visiting Bloemfontein, PE, Garden Route, Oudtshoorn, Route 62, and Cape Town.

They tell us it is impossible, but we talked to a couple Americans here at UB who pretty much did the same thing. You give an American a car and the open road, and amazing, unbelievable things can happen. Even the pessimists amongst us, like Chaska substitute teacher Mr. Nelson, can only muster, "Nothing is impossible, only highly improbable." Here's to high improbability and the slightly better chance that I am about to do the unforgettable!