So after we were evacuated to Morocco for a week and then debriefed on why we were evacuated and then what our options were at that point. I decided to take the option of finishing my service out and then 'returning home'. However, I decided to take the option of them giving me the $ normally used to pay for my plane ticket home and then find my own way back.
I was quite pleased to find that I could find a plane ticket home for the same amount that PC had given me, but only after spending 10 more days in Morocco and then making a small detour to South Africa for another 10 days before landing back in Indiana. So I took that option because that only makes sense.
I was quite unfamiliar with what Morocco had to offer and had decided to join one of my friends that knew quite a bit about the country and had a list of cool things to do and places to see. We traveled around Morocco visiting the cities of Fes, Macnes, Marrakesh, Ourzazate, Essuara, and then Casablanca. We also were joined by a couple other PC friends on a 3day trip that involved camel rides in the Sahara Desert! The cities in Morocco were quite interesting, and we visited the medinas (street markets) in all the places which is what Morocco is known for. We were educated on how Berber rugs are made, leather dying, and silver craftsmanship. We ate the traditional shwarmas, kupto, Berber bread, street fish sandwiches, street egg sandwiches, and drank our share of Moroccan mint green tea. Our camel trek was quite interesting (but not very comfortable), and we had a driver take us through the Atlas Mountains during our jouney as well, which was quite beautiful and adventuresome. I had a great trip and definitely feel more educated in my world travels with a better understanding of how people live in yet another part of this amazing place called Earth.
I then flew down to South Africa where I had rented a Chevy Spark Lite to escort me across the country exploring the many wonders that South Africa boasts of. I met with a friend in Johannesberg when I arrived who helped me plan out my next 10 days and also gave me some tips for driving on the left side of the road because that was a major difference that I hadn't even seen before let alone undertaken. I started my travels in SA by visiting Kruger National Park which is famous for its public status for experiencing a safari adventure. The Big 5 (lions, leapords, elephants, rhinos, and water buffalo) are the iconic figures that everyone strives to see when they go on a safari in SA, and I had a similar goal and desire, only adding to the mix giraffes, zebra, hyena, cheeta, and then any other kind of wildlife that was in the vicinity. Much to my surprise and just as much to the locals as well, I was able to see all but leapords out of my list of animals and then also checked off kudu, reedbuck, impala, wild boar, springbok, hippos, eagles, ostrich, monkeys, banded mongoose, and an array of different species of birds. To say the least, it was a very successful safari that I self-catered not in a Land Rover but yes, a Chevy Spark Lite; and I didn't even mention the amazing landscapes that I also saw. Next, after a 9hr. drive, I spent a night at Sani Pass in the Drakensburg Mts. which reminded me very much of the Smoky Mts. and thus was a cool scene as the sun was fading behind the mts. I then landed in a little faintly known village named Bulungula which is a '4x4 drive' (the Spark Lite handled it though) 2hrs. off the main road down to the Indian Ocean coast in what is referred to as the Wild Coast of SA. It was a very beautiful place that was very much practicing eco-tourism to its finest. I gathered sea shells, walked on the beach, and relaxed by the picturesque hillside community firepit while listening to the local young boys beat out different trance rhythms on the traditional drums. I spent the next day driving 11hrs. down to the town of Nature's Valley which is just outside of the Tsitsikamma NP; the drive wasn't that bad as I had picked up a couple that were from the U.K. and the Netherlands and then dropped them off in the well-known chill-town of Cinsta as I passed by. That night, the backpacker's 'as the locals say' (really cool youth hostels scattered all over SA) that I stayed in, I roomed with some actual rocket scientist from Belgium, how cool is that! After hiking a bit there, I drove to the town of Franschhoek which is located in the 'winelands' just outside of Cape Town. Franschhoek is known for its fine dining as well as being one of the many towns that is located within a short distance of a plethora of vineyards. I on the other hand found that the beautiful mountainous scenery and driving was just as much worth the visit. As well as the local backpacker's whose owner was retired from the carpentry business but still actively pursued the hobby and created some really neat furniture and lodges. After a couple wine tastings the next day, in which I failed in being able to refine my conisour abilities, I drove see the only penguins in Africa, visit the Cape of Good Hope, drive the iconic strip of road from Chapman's Peak to Hout Bay, and then landed in Cape Town. A lady that I had met when I was at Bulungula was the reoccuring host mother of a family that provided housing to international students at the University of Cape Town, and she had instructed me that I was to stay with them when I arrived in Cape Town to which I had no quarems about as it was easy on the $ situation and it's always best to spend time with locals of an area when given the opportunity, in my opinion. I continued to check off the Cape Town must-do's the next day by hiking up Table Mt. and then walking throughout the city center to explore the shops and atmosphere of laid back Long St. and the surrounding area. The most exciting part of me was when I noticed a store advertising Toureg craftwork (which is the traditional tribe of the Sahara Desert whom have a very large influence in Niger). I stepped in to see what the shop had to offer and then while talking with the owners found out they were from Niger, and much to their surprise we talked in Hausa for the next 20 mintues, which absolutely made my day! I returned to my host families home where the daughter who is about my age decided she was responsible for my experiencing the other novelty of Cape Town, its night life; we visited 3 different bars which seemed no different than the array of bars that one could find here in the states before calling it a night. The next day I flew out of Cape Town to Johannesberg where I had one last spurt into the city to try some local food (mashed boiled corn, a bratwurst, and an array of warmed canned food) and then boarded the plane for my connecting flight in Paris.
I had a 10hr. layover in Paris, so I took the train into the city when I walked about for ~4hrs. where I saw the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Notre Damne, and some other architectural eye-candy buildings before travelin back to the airport. Finally, I boarded the plane and continued my journey back to Indy via the Atlanta airport for a quick transfer, and was then welcomed home by my whole family with baloons, hugs, smiles, and the peace of knowing you're home.
