Tag Archives: Semester at Sea
A Poem in Marble
“India is far away, and we don’t know if we’ll ever get a chance to visit it again.” That’s the thought that fueled the travel madness of our last couple days on the subcontinent. On our way back toward Chennai from Dharamsala, we took a little detour and traveled by train from Delhi to Agra […]
Freedom Fighters
There are a great many Tibetan refugees living in Dharamsala today, quite a few of whom are actually ex-political prisoners from China. Several nonprofits support these individuals as they acclimate to life in India, offering everything from job training to language courses. We attended an English class for ex-political prisoners with Laura, and the attendees […]
Monks, Mountains, and MacBooks
We spent the majority of our time in India on an incredible travel adventure to the northern tip of the country in the Himalayas. Our good friend Courtney introduced us to her friend and SaS alum, Laura, who lives with her husband Darren in the mountains of McCleod Ganj, Dharamsala. Dharamsala is the town where […]
It’s Hot…Like a Curry
India is hot…like a curry. It’s mouth-watering and delicious, but every bite burns a little. It’s by far the most exotic and foreign-feeling port of call on our SaS itinerary to date. The subcontinent is a never-ending assault on the senses, and for six days our mouths, noses, eyes, ears, and skin gathered information that […]
Screwed by Screwpine
Between South Africa and India we enjoyed a stop on the lush and beautiful island of Mauritius, northeast of Madagascar in the calm and clear blue-green waters of the Indian Ocean. Only two days and one night ashore are nowhere near long enough to spend in such a tropical paradise, but we managed. We rented […]
Indlovu Project
Our last day in Cape Town, we joined Courtney Miller, a friend and video journalism professor, on a practicum she created for her students to visit the Indlovu Project in the township of Khayelitscha. The disparity between the luxurious A and V Waterfront area where our ship was berthed and the ramshackle tin homes of […]
Tea and Crumpets in the Bushveld
We rounded out our safari at the Garden Route Game Lodge where we got a chance to see oodles of animals including all of the Big Five except the ever-elusive leopard. As it was at Addo, the staff at Garden Route blew us away with scrumptious feasts, luxurious chalet accommodations, and impeccable service. Our knowledgeable […]
High Flyers, Radio Riders
The Elephant Back Safari reserve has a grass runway and small 7-seater prop plane. One of our wilderness game guides, Andre, has his pilot’s license. When he suggested that we could take a little aero tour, we didn’t hesitate to say yes. We flew out over the Addo Elephant National Park and eventually reached the […]
Cribs: Addo Edition
Great travel is about fun people, enriching experiences, and beautiful sights. Our amazing safari adventure showed us that it can also be about exquisite accommodations. At Addo we had a private chalet with outdoor jacuzzi, indoor and outdoor showers (heated by a solar-powered geyser), sheets almost as fluffy and highly threaded as the ones Grandma […]
Unforgettable Facts About the Animal Who Never Forgets
During our stay at Addo, we learned so much about elephants as we interacted with them and spoke with our incredible guides. Ellie facts are so crazy cool that they deserve their very own post! Here they are: Elephants require around 16 hours of grazing time a day. Their digestive systems are very inefficient, and […]