Hi!

For any of you guys out there that may be looking to lose a few pounds before hitting the beach this summer, I have just the answer!     Adopt my eating habits and move to Central America.  Then, follow it up with a trip to Africa. THEN, try and find something that you can actually eat.  Even if you do find something that works, you have backpacked for hours to do so, and you can afford to indulge in as many calories as you wish.  In short order you will be wearing Paris Hilton skinny jeans just like me.  Today I resorted to my contingency plan: African candy bars and protein powder mixed into everything I eat.   I have to nip this weight loss thing in the bud soon.  As for you ladies, you all are just perfect the way you are!  Don't change a thing.

FYI, in the morning I am heading back to Cape Town to catch a 5AM flight up towards where South Africa borders Zimbabwe and Mozambique!  I'll be packing my finest pair of short khaki shorts and knee high socks because this guy is going on a SAFARI!   I cannot wait to make Steve Erwin and Jack Hanna proud.  RIP Steve and please forgive me for dressing as you for Halloween a few years back.  It was all in good fun.  

Going on a Safari is something that I have been wanting to do for years.  For as long as I can remember, my dad and I have been fascinated with watching all those Animal Channel/Planet Earth Documentaries.  I really don't have a clue what to expect with this trip.  I'm hoping that it is outrageous and I see wildebeests running for their lives as Mufasa tries to eat them.  (The scary lion from The Lion King).  It sounds like I should be able to see the Big 5 too! (Lions, African Elephants, Cape Buffalo, Leopard, and Rhino) .  I cannot wait to run through the plains while taunting some lions into chasing me.  Perhaps I'll do my next bungee jump over a watering hole!

3-1 odds in Vegas that I get the living daylights scared out of me as I try to get closer than recommended to the animals.  This is going to be awesome!

I believe I am staying in a thatched roof tree fort right on the reserve.  This should be quite comfortable for me seeing as I lived in a shingle roofed tree fort in Boston!  Anyways, it may be a while until I'm able to post another blog.  I don't know if my tree fort will have wireless internet.  The one in Boston didn't

few other things worth noting from today:

1. I watched a guy take my milk here in our hostel and swap it with his milk.  I just sat and watched.  The effort he put into it all was priceless.  Milk here is comparably priced to home.  He put in a lot of effort to save $2.79.  His milk had gone sour.  After he left, I hid his, I mean my milk, and a loaf of his bread too.  Cheaters never win.

2. There were some really cool festivals in town today celebrating Freedom Day.  There were people singing and dancing in the streets. I guess Freedom Day would be similar to 4th of July?? Anyways, a reason to celebrate for sure.

3. I just got bit by some sort of ant and the swollen red mark on my ankle is the size of a dime.

4.  I bought malaria medications yesterday for my Safari.  I proceeded to throw them in a dumpster on accident.  I bought the same malaria meds today.  The pharmacist is loving me as a costumer this week.  Cold medication, malaria pills.  more cold medications.  more malaria pills.  Not cheap. Grrrr.

That's all I have.  Be good and wish me luck!

Now time to try and find a way to get to Cape Town for my 5:45 AM flight… remember, no public transit here in South Africa.  I'm  going to head to town and try to charm myself into the backseat of a car heading towards the airport.  60% of the time, it works every time.

That's one confident pizza guy!  Africa is BIG.

Remains from yesterday's hail storm! That water was literally ice cold.  All while it was about 65* out.  Wild!

Holy Hail!

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

Good Evening,

I was up and at em today at 6 to get the kids breakfast before school.  The only problem with that was my ride never showed up.  Yikes.

I did more English with the 3rd grade today and Maths with 6th and 7th.  I'm finding this to be very rewarding.  I just hold my breath when the teacher posts the answers as I wait to see if the problems I work out with the kids are correct.  So far I have 100%.  No big deal.  I left one kid to work out a problem on his own and said I'd come back to check up.  Upon arriving, I saw that he multiplied 6x7 using tick marks.  No problem there.  However, where did he make the tick marks?  Up and down his arm!  42 blue lines of ink on his arm.  I thought I had seen it all.  I guess not. When I asked why he didn't use his notebook, I just got a puzzled look in return.

The highlight of my day was down at the preschool again!  One of my 4yr olds was sleeping on a nap/yoga mat and it was time to go.  I proceeded to pick up the mat with Emuhle on it, and put her on a bookshelf.  She never woke up.  If she had, I'd have put her on the spot and asked her to marry me.  The whole scene was beyond adorable.  Don't worry, I took her down from the bookshelf before I left.

This afternoon, we took our honors high school kids to the movie theatre here in town and watched Slumdog Millionaire!  I think they enjoyed this far more than study hall.  I forgot just how good that movie is.  If you have not seen it, check it out.  At the crescendo of the movie (sp?) , there came a thunderous noise that made me think the theatre was about to collapse.  I jumped from my seat to take a look what was going on outside.  We were under attack!  Hail storm!  The timing of it all was incredible.  There was freezing rain and hail the size of golf balls.  I kept being told that the weather can be unpredictable here in the mountains of Franschhoek.  Case and point today.

I just walked through the market and a few of the little ones that I have in class ran over to me with their parents in tow screaming Mr. Mark! Mr. Mark!  That was really cool.  I wish I could have said more than Malo (hello) to their folks.

The kids are now on holiday for a few days.  Tomorrow marks the 18th anniversary of President Mandela's election!  Quite exciting!  I'm guilty as sin when it comes to recognizing the true meaning of the different holidays back home in the states.  Truthfully, I don't pay much attention to any of them aside from Veteran's Day.  I think celebrating the significance of what tomorrow means here in South Africa, will serve as a friendly reminder to me when I return to the states.  I want to be more cognizant of our history and honor and respect the different strides and sacrifices that that have and continue to be made, which have ultimately afforded me many liberties that I have done very little to deserve.

It is 7pm here.  I am still sick as a dog.  This is getting annoying.  I thought I just bought orange juice but it turns out that it's some milk/dairy based product that is flavored orange.  umm, probably going to pass on that.  Waste of $27 Rand if I ever saw one.

Tomorrow marks the first day since leaving the states that I won't be up and at them at the crack of dawn.  This may be a good thing because I'm hurting.

Time to go light another bunkbed on fire to keep warm here tonight.

Cheers,
Mark/Chops

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days.

Evening!

I started the day with my 3rd grade English Class.  I was asked to use my imagination and come up with a story to tell the kids about stepmothers.  After mashing pieces together from Cinderella, Snow White, and the movie Step Brothers, the kids laughed a little.  I won't concern myself with whether they were laughing with or at me.  

From there I went to 6th and 7th grade maths.  (Math is called Maths here.  Who knew?)  Class was spent working on recognizing/producing equivalent fractions.  4/8 = 8/X  etc.  This turned into one of my prouder moments thus far.  With a combination of some arrows, frowns, smiles, and fist pumps, the two boys I had been working with took hold of this concept and ran with it.  They then solved a problem in front of their whole class!  Mind you there were 61 kids in it !  They were so proud and I was so proud of them!

After that, it was time for preschool again!  I kind of feel like Billy Madison as I sit in these tiny desks everyday.  If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis.  Upon my arrival, one of the boys cut his hand on some scissors.    Protocol here is to assume everyone has HIV/Aids.  It's terribly sad to think that way, but necessary.  Following this unfortunate incident, I did my best to extend recess for as long as possible.  I swear, I didn't hear the bell ring...

After lunch, I joined up with the after school study program.  Here, I worked with a girl in the 11th grade.  Her assignment was to read an article on gender inequalities in society.  We both read the article and had a fascinating follow up discussion.  Passion took flight on both ends, and with it our conversation lasted about an hour.  It was heartbreaking to listen to her explain that she thinks that when the time comes, she won't have much of a choice with regards to having a baby of her own or not.  She also discussed glass ceilings and the culture of her environment that lead to a crippling effect on a woman's ability to rise out from their township.  She is so bright and does very well in school, but it seems as though she has come to terms that she has no control over her own future.   I just want to pick her up and drop her off at some college/university.  I have no doubt that she could move mountains given the chance.  I told her to fight to beat the odds.  I found myself praying that she will.  That all these children will.

I really don't want to think about leaving these kids…

I am super sick which stinks and I burnt my hand in the kitchen this morning.  Other than that, I had another great day!

Cheers,

Mark/Chops 

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

Jennye and Mal, don't check my maths!  Slindokuhle is a 15yr old boy who volunteers to get up early and serve all his classmates breakfast.   Nobody asks him to.  Great kid!

Total Chaos!  My favorite thing going on here is my lady friend with the pink winter hat on.  She has had on the same winter jacket and hat all week.  It has been about 75* and sunny during the school day.  Beyond adorable.

some of the other teachers called attention to the fact that Abinathi (in my left arm) and I have very similar handwriting... deny .. deny.. deny.. I think my guy in the yellow is doing WWE wrestling moves.  He is always fighting invisible enemies!

Art Teacher, Librarian, Astronomer! No Big Deal!

Malo ( Hello in Xhosa),

I met Sintu this morning at 6:45 to give a hand serving porridge at the elementary school before class.  At first it was too many cooks in the kitchen and I was certain I was in the way.  After I picked up on what needed to be done, I was only kind of in the way.  I think I botched today's effort but will be ready to go tomorrow.  After serving the final boy his breakfast, the kids grabbed a bowl and poured some for me.  It was very touching.

After breakfast, I took on the same class of 3rd graders that I had yesterday and we read to one another.  I was very impressed at how well the students read.  However, after digging a little deeper, their reading comprehension was a bit of a different story.  It is a work in progress.  We will work on this!

I then spent a few hours down at the preschool.  This is quickly becoming my favorite place to pitch in.  The kids are amazing for so many reasons.  The highlight of my day here was probably doing the monkey bars successfully while having four 4-5yr olds hanging from my neck, belt, and legs.  I also conducted a "how to tie your shoes clinic".  Who knows how much I helped with this effort seeing as I don't tie my shoes like anyone else I know.  Bless these children that were left under my supervision.

I had lunch on the front lawn of the town hall.  A rotisserie chicken and a croissant.  I am falling in love with croissants.  

From here, I was sent to the library!  Librarian for the afternoon!  I dominated.  Seriously though, talk about a fish out of water.  I spent an hour or so working my way through the stacks organizing books by .... well I didn't have a clue, so I chose size. Biggest books first and then smaller and smaller.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.  I am sure I will be fired from this task in no time.  

I then made my way back to the elementary school just in time to be the official assistant to the Art Director.  No big deal.  For the next six weeks, the kids will be treated to art classes with Frances, a volunteer from the UK.  Frances is incredibly talented both with her art and her ability to connect with the children.  I don't have an ounce of artistic/creative talent.  I'm fairly certain that Frances thought that my design was the worst thing she has ever seen.  Ever.  I am going to blame it on the fact that my knees sat a foot above the desk I had to work at and it has been a while since I have used crayons.  However, the children dominated and enjoyed every second of the class!

It is official.  After being the tissue passer outer at preschool yesterday, I am sick as a dog.  I'm going to fight through it though.  Time to head to the pharmacy to buy more drugs labeled in Afrikaans!

How are you all doing? Any updates to report on your end? Let me know.   mmcgilv@gmail.com

PS, It has been stunning here during the day but cold cold cold at night.  Mind you I am in the mountains and the seasons are opposite from the US.  My cabin doesn't have a fireplace.  I'm contemplating using my fire starter tonight to torch the bunkbed next to me to keep warm.  Wish me luck!

Cheers,

Mark/Chops

Breakfast for a a few hundred!

I was Assistant Art Director.  The assignment was... well, I am not entirely sure.  The kids' work looked much better than mine.

When I got home tonight, the gate was locked... wondering if this was because I climbed through a window last night to get in....

Debated eating a few grapes...

I am not going to pretend to know a thing about astronomy.  However, unless that's a UFO to the right of the moon, I think I discovered a new planet!

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

Eye Opening And Tears

Good Evening,

I started my day by heading over to Kusasa's Headquarters just after breakfast.  I was pumped to dig right in to whatever they had in store for me!   I quickly had the pleasure of meeting most of the staff and a few of the other volunteers.  What a delight.  From there, I hopped a ride to the local preschool in the neighboring township.  I spent my morning working with 4 and 5 year olds helping them learn to write their names!  Each of the 20 students I worked with took such great joy out of accomplishing this task.  It was amazing to see.  Of course, a few of the boys were drawing pictures of animals and of the girls sitting next to them, but that doesn't fly in my classroom! I got them right back to task.  Half the kids speak Afrikaans.  The other, Xhosa.  Needless to say, we didn't discuss politics.  However, just like my pal Kenny said to me before I left, " A smile works in any language" and boy is he right.  High 5s! are good too!  My hand is sore and I love it!  My only regret was forgetting to take my watch off before entering the classroom.  I have made a very conscious effort to wear neutral clothing and little to zero logos of any kind.  I dream of a future where happiness is achieved through finding fulfillment in what really matters in life, not Ironman watches.   I let myself down. I made it about 20 seconds in the classroom before every kid was grabbing at my stupid watch.  They all wanted it.  I have a lot to learn :(

From there, I went back to the office and pieced together some workbooks for the 5th grade kids.  I quickly reminded myself that I am not smarter than a fifth grader!  (This would be proven a few more times during the day.  Frown face)

After lunch, My new friend Sintu, who works at Kusasa, took me on a tour of the township that each and every one of the students I will be working with comes from.  The township is only located a mile from the center of Franschoek.  However, it mind has well have been a different universe.  Downtown Franschoek attracts some of the richest people in the world as vacation residents.  It looks like the center of town on Nantucket .  I stepped into a few real estate offices and saw plenty of multimillion dollar price tags.  On the other hand,  I'll let the pictures describe the township.  It was beyond heartbreaking.  I was crying within 30 seconds of seeing it.

After the tour, Sintu and I went to the middle school to talk to one of the teachers about me putting together a running club and a soccer team for me to coach!  Very exciting.  After this, Sintu took me to see the soccer field.  From the field, I could see the beautiful mountains, multiple cows eating the what little grass was left on it, and the crushing reality of the lives these children live.  The field separates the school from the township.  Nobody, and I mean nobody deserves to live in a place like what I saw today.   I could hardly breathe and found myself crying once again.

After all this, I made my way over to an after school study program.  I was expecting the 3Rs.  Reading, Writing, Arithmetic  (are those the 3 Rs? That makes no sense…) However, I quickly felt like I did before every exam I took after the 3rd grade.  Not qualified to pass!. The first student that asked me for help was looking to balance his ledger for his accountancy class.  The only ledger I could think of was the name of the newspaper I delivered to the wrong houses in grade school. The second student was looking for a hand in solving equations that had letters in them, not numbers.  Ahhh, this isn't going to work out I thought.  I will do after school programs until midnight, gladly, but I think I may need to stick with the primary school children, not high schoolers.  My saving grace was that I found a younger student that needed help rounding numbers to two decimal places.  After figuring out that commas serve as decimal points here in South Africa, I crushed this activity!  More importantly, so did the little boy!

My day ended around 5:30.  I came back to Otter's Bend to unwind for a bit as today was pretty overwhelming.  I then took to the street and walked to town to find some dinner and an alarm clock.  I found dinner.  No such luck with the clock.  I have asked to start my day earlier than school in order to help feed 500+/- kids breakfast first.  If they are hungry, how can they learn?  If Kusasa doesn't feed them, most won't eat.

I then made my next mistake of my trip. (someone keep count for me.)  I hadn't taken notice that the streetlights here in town end shortly after you break from the main road in Franschoek.  Still having about a mile to go, I had to make my way through some wine vineyards on the outskirt of town in the pitch dark.  I wasn't sure if I had reason to be concerned for me safety or not.  However, I'd have loved to have taken one of my 3 flashlights with me so I could see farther than an arms length in front of me.  Nothing like learning the hard way.

Well, that was my day.

Mark/Chops

View from the Middle School 

Sign says it all

One of my students lives here.  This is when I cried for the first time.

The sticks on the roof will soon serve as fire wood to try and keep warm

Any water is fair game for all

Townships's soccer field.  Cried again.

Blend of such beauty and heartache.  It's unbelievable.

Walk home from the market.  Much more enjoyable in the daylight!

I find the pharmacy overwhelming in English.  Afrikaans... Let's hope this is cold medicine!!

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

4-22-12

Bon Voyage Stellenbosch! Hello Franschoek!

After breakfast, Dari took me to Franschoek on her way to Cape Town.  The whole ride there was breathtaking.  We just kept meandering through the mountains.  Albeit on the wrong side of the road.

The mountains here form almost a perfect circle around Franschoek.  Inside the mountain range are the wine vineyards that encompass the whole town.  Inside the vineyards, the town.  It is here that I have settled in at the Otter's Bend Hostel.  Once stepping out of my door, I am confronted with several rows of pear trees, a quiet river, a horse farm, and wine vineyards as far as the eye can see.  The only word I can think of to sum up what I see is charming.  It really is.  I have not done too much exploring but I think that on the other side of the creek from me, is most likely where the kids live that I will be working with.  It quickly goes from gorgeous to, well, not exactly gorgeous.  

The couple running the hostel/farm are Mark and Mary.   They have been here for 27 years! They are incredibly sweet and had been a little worried as they were expecting me a few days ago.  I felt terrible for the miscommunication.  They have pretty much said that I have free reign of their farm.  I may have to try my hand at roping some cattle, harvesting some crops, and .. ok.. I don't know.  I am just looking forward to starting a fire later down by the river and I'll go from there.

I just spent $250 Rand, or just over $30 at the market.  The only thing that I purchased that I was 100% sure I knew what it was, was a rotisserie chicken.  After that, things got VERY interesting.  Trial by fire.  One thing I know I need to avoid is the milk.  I had cereal/milk at breakfast with Dari this morning.  After she dropped me off here at Otter's Bend, breakfast haunted me for a few hours.  I'll leave it at that.  I usually love grocery shopping.  This time however, it was a scary adventure.  Also, the whole walk home I was wishing I ran into that dirt bike driver from Costa Rica that carried things on his head while driving.  I didn't factor in the mile walk home when making my purchases.  Oh well, great exercise.

Tomorrow morning I will be heading to Kusasa to meet the founder Doug Gurr.  I'm very excited.  In the meantime, I need to figure out some sort of alarm.  I have not slept past 6:30 once since leaving the States but I'd rather be safe than sorry.  Maybe there is a rooster around here somewhere.

My African adventure is off to a great start and my trip as a whole has already surpassed my expectations.  I can't wait for more!

Wish me luck!  I'm not worried about finding a rooster, but with Kusasa!

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

View from my Hostel room door!

View from my kitchen table!

View from the bathroom!

View from the side yard!

Clemson Crew:  This is where Dari and Bear were married! 

If I can get a saddle on this guy, I'll earn my Zoro mask!

View from my dinner table!

Cheetahs are like women: Pretty and Pretty scary!

4-21-12

Bear (Gareth) and I started our day with a great run here in Stellenbosch.  The route he took me on had the Stellenbosch Mountain Range to our right and the campus of Stellenbosch University below us to the left.  Unfortunately there was some cloud cover over part of the mountain range, but we had a great take of the campus down below.  It actually reminded me quit a bit of Clemson's campus.  There were plenty of athletic fields, parks, and the campus looked alive!  My favorite site was probably the University's rugby stadium.    Maybe I'll go out for the team next semester.  Ok, probably not.. I am hoping to at least catch a game while I am here though.

After my run and a quick shower, Dari took me to South Africa's Navy Shipyard at Gordon's Bay.  This was about 20 minutes down the coastline from Stellenbosch.  Here, you can see where the mountains just climbed out from the sea and ascend into the clouds!  It was stunning!

After Gordon's Bay, we went to see some Cheetahs!!  The cost for entering the park? 5 Rand.  Or less than $1!  This was the best 80 cents I have ever spent!  I was so excited to see the animals!  I was contemplating entering the reserve/grounds they were being held on.  Believe it or not, entering on foot is allowed.  However, a few moments later, a very docile cheetah that was just bathing in the sun slowly got up and the next thing I knew, it had pounced from quite a distance away and landed directly on the mesh fence that separated Dari and me from him!  I think it came after us because Dari had on a cheetah patterned shirt (true) and the big cat was looking for a new blonde girlfriend!  The claws from his paws stuck 2 inches through the fence and landed a foot from our faces! Yikes!  I decided to pass on going into the cage.  I cannot believe this is even allowed.  The speed at which the cheetah went from laying in the sun to in my face was mind-blowing.  So cool.  So scary.  After changing my boxers, we went to a bird sanctuary and saw native eagles, vultures, and owls etc.  This was also fascinating but couldn't hold a candle to the Cheetahs.

We then made our way home just in time to join Bear and watch the city of Durban's rugby team, The Sharks, play a game against some team from New Zealand. (on tv) It was very entertaining.  I kept thinking people were going to die because the hits were huge and there are no pads whatsoever.  Great game but the pride of Durban lost.  I'm just now settling down for the night with a pizza and the FC Barcelona v Real Madrid game!  Messi v Cristiano!  Should be a great game.

Cheers

Mark/Chops

PS , Dari had me eat a Bull's tongue today.  I guess it's similar to beef jerky.  I was scared but not quite as scared as my close call with the Cheetah.  I ate it.  It was ok.

PSS, Dari and Bear's house is stunning!  I'll enjoy my last night here as tomorrow I head to my hostel in Franschoek.   Thanks so much for having me mates!  I cannot thank you enough.

Dari and me at the Navy Pier at Gordon's Bay!  Sharks are right behind us!

Mountains ascending from the sea.

Nothing really.  Just having a killer hair day.  No Big Deal!

Little did we know Chester The Cheetah was about to strike!

Moments before the attack!  Absolutely gorgeous!

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

4-20-12

Good Evening,

I started my day at 630.  I wish I had started it a few hours earlier, but the United Nations meeting in my room at the hostel last night had me up pretty late and I just couldn't get out of bed.  There were 7 others in my room and no two people were speaking the same language!  I found this to be hilarious until about midnight.  I then found it to be a headache.  When I departed The Back Packer, I set my eyes on Table Mountain!  This is sometimes found on those  7 Wonders Of The World lists that are always floating around.  After a 2.5 hour hike, of which every step was breathtaking due to both the steep incline, and views, I made it to the top!  I will let the pictures do the talking for what I saw.  However, it was easy to see how Table Mountain is in the running for being one of those Wonders.  The route I took to the summit is called The Gorge.  I did not see a single soul for my entire climb!  I had an entire mountain to myself and it was amazing!  (Everyone else cheated and took the cable car to the top.  Lame.)  There was zero chance I was doing that.  My cab driver to the mountain challenged me to make it to the top in under two hours.  I took his challenge.  I subsequently  lost his challenge.  I was beyond spent when I finally reached the summit, but I was so happy.  The satisfaction for what I had just achieved had me grinning from ear to ear.  Also,  I was in no hurry to go anywhere and that was a good thing.  I spent another 2 hours or so just taking in my surroundings.  It felt like I was on top of the world.  I was on top of South Africa!

After lunch, I descended Table Mountain and headed towards the Victoria and Alfred Harbor.  This is the main port in Cape Town and where I needed to be to catch the ferry to Robben Island.  I couldn't sit still and my emotions were all over the place.  The ferry ride reminded me of the ones I used to take a few times a year to and from Nantucket.  Very commercial.  Filled with tourists.  However, when we pulled into the dock at Robben, my heart began to pound.  I was completely overwhelmed and a bit numb.  My legs although not quite jello, were close.  I had dreamed about coming here for as long as I can remember and now I was living it.

I started my visit to Robben Island with a stroke of luck.  There were about 350 people getting off the ferry and onto buses to begin the tour and I was fortunate enough to have two young women ask to take a seat next to me.  Carrie and Leah.  Both very smart, engaging, and easy on the eyes.  I didn't hold it against them for being from New York.  Thanks for the great company ladies.  Safe travels and good luck at work on Monday!  As for the bus tour of the island, I found this to be ok, not great.  Our guide was entertaining but it just wasn't what I was expecting.  We were then dropped off at the prison itself.  Accompanied by my new friends, we began taking a look at where President Mandela and his fellow freedom fighters were incarcerated.  Our tour guide himself had been incarcerated on the island for five years in the 80s! This blew my mind that he was now giving tours.  After our tour, I pulled him aside to ask why he does this.  He quickly pointed out that he was proud of his past and the history he helped create.  He stated the importance of sharing HIStory with the world.  Everyone knows President Mandela, but there were many more courageous freedom fighters that sacrificed just as much in an effort to change the nation of South Africa and our world.  I was blessed to have met one of them today.  With his first hand recollection of the Apartheid and the life within these very prison walls, he took my heart and soul into the center of one of world history's darkest and then brightest moments.  Thank you.

It was now time to get a look inside President Mandela's cell.  As I stood there, the cell walls were separated by a width just wider than my wingspan.  Perhaps 7x7.  There was a very slim mat that he slept on, (It wasn't until 1975 that the inmates at Robben Island were given beds) a small end table, cold steel bars over a tiny window, and a trash bin that sadly served multiple purposes.  27 years in prison because he was fighting for freedom and equality.  People to people can be so unjust…  Visiting President Mandela's cell was kind of like herding cattle.  I wanted to sit there for hours but I had hundreds of folks behind me that wished to do the same, and the last ferry of the day left in 15 minutes.  I'm very grateful for the opportunity I had today.  I look forward to seeing what I take a away from my visit in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.  This day will stay with me forever.

After Robben Island, I took an hour cab ride to Stellenbosch (Napa Valley of South Africa).  Wine Estates for as far as the eye can see.  I can't wait to sip a fine Merlot!  The landscape is gorgeous and this industry is the lifeblood of much of the nation.    After my cab driver dropped me off at the wrong place, I worked my way through the neighborhood until I found the residence of my dear old friend from Clemson, Darielle!  I will be spending the next few nights in her home before I begin my work with Kusasa.  It was wonderful to see her and meet her husband Bear!  The two of them have quickly shown me incredible kindness and hospitality.  Both their hearts and their home are stunning!  I'm looking forward to  a few days worth of 5 star people and accommodations.

Tonight we went out for a wonderful dinner and followed it up with a night on the town in Stellenbosch.  Highlight of the night was the wonderful company I was blessed to have had, and the steak and cheeseburger I took down for dinner.

PS, we saw a man being put into a sleeper hold tonight during a fight and he passed out cold.  Yup, that happened.  Don't worry, nobody was badly hurt.  I decided not to throw my weight around.

Mark/Chops

Cape Town's "Boston Common"

Dari's Wedding ring!

I don't know how far a kilometer is but that's wicked far!

World Cup Stadium at the V&A Harbor in Cape Town.  Lafif (the soccer club I am on in Boston), let's book our next championship game here!

Sailing a catamaran around Cape Town

Last few seconds of the sunset

Cape Town Lights.  I wish I had a nicer camera to do this justice.

View of Table Mountain from my hostel

Feeling pretty good after 30 minutes

Still feeling pretty good!

Starting to feel slightly less than pretty good, but very excited!

Pretty cool!

I had never wanted shade so badly in my life! Found it :)

Almost to the summit!!

Victory!

Yeah, umm, Amazing!

One of the 7 Wonders of the world!

Cape of Good Hope is out there on the very end!

View of V&A Harbor, Cape Town, from atop the world!

Robben Island Prison Yard

Occasionally President Mandela and his mates were allowed to play soccer.  This was their field.

Inside the prison walls

President Mandela's cell.  7x7 or so.  Heartbreaking.

My tour guide who spent 5 years in prison with President Mandela. Hero.  Unreal.

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days