Port Louis, Mauritius and Chennai, India

Hey everyone!
I am indeed posting two blog posts close together, the first I wrote right after South Africa but didnt have the means to post it. Anyway we left south africa and made our way north which was extremely rough and was not fun for my motion sickness-prone body. I was relieved to arrive in Mauritius where we only had 12 hours. Most people assumed that this meant that we only had 12 hours to get a drunk as possible and there were many incidents as a result.
I, on the other hand, just needed a break. I wanted this day to be my spring break. Me and a few people hailed a cab and managed to make it out to a small island where we spent the day in the shallow, warm waters drinking mild alchoholic beverages. The beer, Pheonix, may have been the best beer i have ever had. We chilled with the locals and laughed about how we were on a small island off a small island off a large island off the coast of Africa. It was rather amusing to think about. It was a lazy day in which I came back only slightly tipsy, sporting a beautifully red sunburn and very sandy swimsuit bottoms.

I eventually found out that nearly the entire boat had gotten terribly drunk on their day adventure. This was the last strike for semester at sea and the program is no longer allowed to return to the island. One guy nearly died and was taken to the hospital and rejoined the group in India. He was saved only by his outstanding academic record on board the ship.
The sea between mauritius and india was as smooth as glass, literally. The Indian ocean looked like a calm lake that just kept going. It reflected the sunset perfectly. One of those nights they turned off the lights so that everyone could view the stars. On the ocean, they rival even the stars over Yellowstone on a clear night. It was beautiful and a good excuse for the entire shipboard community to lay out on the deck together in a mosh pit of sorts and play drums while star gazing.

India. How do I even begin to describe India? It has been hard enough trying to describe these countries for how I see them and how this adventure has effected me but India is far harder to write out. If you haven't noticed, I am no writer. I struggle with expressing myself with words. I am much more apt at doing so with art. I will attempt to describe this but only in brief.
Chennai is in Southern India which differs quite a bit from northern India. The people in Chennai are dark skinned, traditionally dressed and their culture is less tailored to tourism. That is not saying much being that the entire country seems to be a huge tourist trap.

The cheapest form of short-distance transportation is by Autorickshaw. If you dont know what that is, it is the death trap in the picture above. Those little motorcycle/cart hybrids go up to 60 miles per hour and can make hair pin turns around various regular hazards of Indian roadways. Being an extremely population dense country, Indian roads have a certain hierarchy demanding respect on the crowded streets. At the top is the Sacred Cow and Buffalo. I am not joking. If a cow decides the middle of a major highway is a good place to lie down and take a nap, no one will protest. They will just navigate around the cow and be on their merry way. Even if that involvs driving off road. Then comes the bus which is the most physically intimidating followed by the car, the auto rickshaw, the motorcycle, the pig, the human pedestrian and then the dog. No one likes the dog.
We rode many Indian auto rickshaws in Chennai. The first day we went out to go shopping for the absolutely stunning textiles India has to offer. we were bombared by people wanting to sell us things or take us places, nothing new. By the time we returned to the ship we felt the need to wash not only our bodies but our eyeballs, our mouths and even our lungs.
The next day we shopped some more, getting used to how the people bargain and trade which is a game of deception and bluffing. I am proud to say that I am quite good at it!! Then I met a semester at sea group and we took a bus to the airport. Indian airport security is not bad at all actually. You can even take a water bottle with you if you want. You dont even have to take off your shoes. I guess that may be unsafe but "unsafe" is a relative term that means much less  to me than it used to.
After arriving in Delhi we found our huge luxurious hotel and crashed. Early the next morning we found ourselves at the train station before the sun had come up. It was creepy and we had both young, dingy looking children and old, dingy looking men begging us for money and food. The terrible truth about giving to beggars in this country is that they probably answer to some overlord that will collect everything they got from sympathetic tourists. You have to just ignore then which, to be honest, takes a little bit of your heart.
We spent a 3 hour train ride to Agra half sleeping while men with food walked up and down the isles. If you have ever seen slumdog millionare you know what our train looked like. It is identical. Anyway after a ton of logistics including making it miraculously to the hotel, we headed off to Agra Fort. The fort was huge and absolutely stunning, almost as stunning as the Taj.

Once we actually made it to the Taj Majal the sun was starting to go down and the effect on the building was increadible! It was a beauitfully constructed architactural marvel made out of white marble. We got to simply sit and relax for a few hours up there. which was a nice break from the people that ablely persued us to purchase their variious wares. Many of them being as useless and pointless as the snowglobe of the Taj.
The next day we went to another palace in a deserted city. That too was pretty cool. The people I hung out with were what really made the trip. I made fast friends with my assigned roommate for the trip and made other friends being our group was a small 20 people. My trip leaders were from colorado and I felt a bit of kinship with them.

I did have some minor ear discomfort on the trip but I managed to ignore it fairly well. The plane ride back made it even more uncomfortable.


The last day in India, we got a rickshaw ride to the zoo where we saw white tigers and even got to ride an asiatic elephant through the elephant exhibit. The babies were so cute!!
Anyway since then I have had a bit of a cold. Yesterday I was not doing well but today I am doing alright. Recently the Tsunami in Japan has been a big worry on the ship. We now get the news broadcasted to the ship so I know what is going on in Japan, Libya, Egypt, ect. For those of you who do not know, our trip to Japan was cancelled because our group thinks that our arrival will hamper aid efforts in the country and fears for our safety. They are currently trying to find another port in which we can go instead.
I also want to send out a big thank you to Granny and Papa who got me a cake for me and my friends to enjoy on the ship! We really loved it and everyone thought it was really adorable. Things like cake, soda and candy are worth a lot more when you are at sea and do not have regular access to them! THANK YOU!

Well until next time,
Genevieve

Cape Town, South Africa

Hey everyone,
Sorry, I havent had internet acess for quite a while. I didnt feel safe taking my laptop out and about. Anyway...
This one is going to be a long one for the simple reason that I LOVE SOUTH AFRICA!!! I swear, I could live here. Brief Summary: Stuck and Sick, Beautiful Waterfront, table mountian, nightout with crew, last min safari, cheetah handling, Amazing wine, comedy club, aquarium, more cheetahs, birds of prey, vine tasting, sand boarding.If you wish to get details read the blog. I assume thats why you are looking at this in the first place.
 The first day was not that great. Everyone was excited to get into this port but 60 mile an hour winds prevented us from entering the narrow harbor. So instead of having an awesome time in Capetown our first day, we spent it pacing back and forth in front of the port while rocking violently. To say the least, I was not thrilled. I was sea sick, and actual sick and just needed desperately to get off the boat whether that meant swimming through great white shark infested waters or making wings out of table cloths and attempting to fly to Capetown.
Eventually, though we managed to make it in but too late in the second day for me to make my Safari. It was cancelled and I was crushed. I wasnt the only one either others were crying which is something I kind of felt like doing. I decided that crying wasnt going to help me in anyway so I tried to find an alternative Safari because I cannot travel to Africa and not see the wildlife.
Anyway, the first day we actually got to be there, I was stunned to see this beautiful harbor. It is called V&A Waterfront and it looks like a vacation place. It is like Europe in Africa. Its really nice, filled with restarants, bars, craftshops and a huge mall. The mall had every american and european brand that you could want. Even an Aston Martin dealership where I drooled over expensive, fast cars. Below is a picture of the waterfront. Yes, there is a Ferris Wheel.

There are also sealions that play in the harbor and by the ship. They are really cool to watch!
Anyway after viewing the waterfront we saw the market and walked into downtown. There was a U2 concert that night and the streets were super crowded. We eventually got a cab up to the cable car station of Table Mountain, though one of the taxis over heated on the climb. Most of the girls I was traveling with were cool but a few were slow and indecisive so that eventually got on my nerves. Once we got to the top, though, the stunning view made me forget my annoyance. We stayed there til sunset and this is what it looked like:

After that, we went back down into town. We showered and changed then left to have dinner at this waterfront restaraunt where we met some of the crew and enjoyed talking and dancing to some really good live music! To be honest i probably drank a little too much. It was alright though, I went back to the room to talk to a friend for an hour and a half and then went to bed.
The next day I woke up and had breakfast and wouldn't you know it, one of the girls I sat with was going on an overnight safari! She invited me to join them in half an hour. I packed a bag and we got a cab to take us 2 and a half hours away to a game reserve. The place was beautiful and was a five star resort. We got a free cocktail then ate lunch, were shown to our rooms, had tea then pet the reserve's cheetahs. Basically, I walked out of my room and there in the grass were three cheetahs all accompanied by girls of about my age. I walked over and pet the cheetahs and talked to the girls about their internship there.
 I couldnt believe I managed to go to this amazing place on impulse. After that we went on a Game Drive. I cannot describe the excitement I felt when we saw lions, rhino, zebra and so much more. After that we had a 5 course meal with wine, sat by a fire pit and talked then went to bed in really comfy beds. The next day started at 6:00am when we got tea and went on another game drive. This one we saw Giraffes and we even got to get out of the vehicle and walk around with them as seen below!!!

After that we returned to port. Me and some of my friends were going to go horseback riding but we decided against it. We went, instead, to a comedy club in, to be honest, a sketchy part of town. It turned out to be a good decision because we got smirnoff ice drinks and sat through 8 comedians. Most of them were really funny and being such an intimate setting, they asked us questions and made a lot of american jokes.
The next day, we went to the aquarium which was really good quality and then went on a SAS tour to a cheetah outreach program. Unlike the cheetah reserve, the cheetah outreach program is for educational purposes more than actually breeding cheetahs. I still got to pet, yet another cheetah. THis one was larger.
Then we went to the Birds of Prey rescue center. They had trained a few permenant residents and we got to hold them like below. I freak out with these types of experiences.

After thet we did a wine tasting and went back. The wine in this country is SPECTACULAR. I wish we could bring it on the ship...
The final day (today), consisted of going to the sand dunes and sandboarding. ITS AWESOME. Its a lot like snowboarding but you get more exercise and its really hot out and you usually only curve with the curve of the dune. It provided lunch and I only went with one other person and so it was nice. I enjoyed it thouroughly. However, I did manage to get sand in places I never thought I could get sand.
Now we are waiting to leave this beautiful port and I think about the people I encountered. The people here are extremely kind. They are always willing to help no matter if they are from the townships or the ritzy part of Capetown. They are very laid back and I felt very safe and at home here. The place is the exact opposite from our last ports and is a needed break between Ghana and India. I, to be honest, dont care much for the whole poverty and dispair part of the countries. Some people eat it up. I care more about what people are doing to wildlife and ecosystems than what they do to themselves and each other. But that is just me.
I hope you all are well and hopefully enjoying this blog. I still welcome emails.
its gefuller@semesteratsea.net I write back quick. It is my one consistantly available form of communication.
Ive got to go do some homework now. Take care everyone!




Genevieve

Takoradi Ghana

hey everyone,
I am writing to you from Takoradi, Ghana. We are at lattitude 4 degrees and longitude .01 degrees. being on the equator as so, it is damn hot. You cant sit in the shade without sweating a waterfall. I suppose Brasil wasnt any better. If it werent for the ships freezing cold temperatures I would probably go insane.
This is a third world country and looks as such but Manaus was pretty poor as well. However, Takoradi makes Manaus seem clean, calm and safe. We walk through litter strewn streets getting our idea of personal space torn to shreds as men try to grab our wrists and to place bracelets there that they will later try to make us buy. You can see below the one stalking me and my friend maria all the way to the market.

A walk to the market is about a mile from the ship and in this heat it is hard not to get dehydrated. The streets reek so bad that I want to constantly throw up and the people harrass me no matter where I walk. People are throwing live goats and chickens into the backs of cars, legs tied. There are children running about grabbing at you and black and green foaming water on the streets. If thats not overwhelming enough, there are large holes in random areas of the street. one of my friends actually fell in one and had to get stitches on the boat. The whole ordeal was very difficult to process and not all that enjoyable.
Today, however, was much improved. We went out into the jungle and walked on canopy bridges which I will post a photo of when I get the pics from my friend. I left my camera on the bus... will never do that again. Got it back though. after that we went to eat lunch and watch the bamboo orchestra. They were spectacular and had us dance with them which was really fun but unbelievably hot. You have never felt hot until you have visited the equator.

Tomorrow I am going to see the old slave castles and dungeons. It should be educational and apparentally emotional. I may also be sleeping in the canopy of the congo on a platform or a few other things I probably shouldnt mention until they are done. If I do my mother might have a heart attack or something. I assure you I have a level head on my shoulders. I wont get into too much trouble but life is boring and pointless without a little risk!
In any case I believe it is my dear brother Zach's birthday! Happy Birthday bro! Below is a picture of your present. I bought it in Manaus! I know its the evening or something there but its actually night here and so I feel like I can say I hope your day is a good one!

Yes I got you a hammock. If you havent noticed, people at CSU like to get hammocks out when the weather is nice, but yours is way cooler than any of theirs. Not to mention im sure a girl wouldnt mind curling up in it! ok too far. ha ha. I love you little bro! have an awesome day!
Anyway, I hope you all are well. I still really enjoy getting email (gefuller@semesteratsea.net) So write me! I am now going to finish watching Sherlock Holmes (which you can tell is showing in my writing) and find a few people who I wish to speak with about plans for this week. Talk to you all later!


Genevieve Fuller

Manaus Brazil

Hey everyone!
We left Manaus a couple of days ago and should be in the open ocean by nightfall tonight. My time in Brazil was far more than I could of hoped for. Some of it were things I probably wouldnt have chosen to happen but probably made me a better person for it.
When we arrived in Manaus I did not expect such a large city to be in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest. Manaus has a population of about 1.5 million people. That number is crammed into a bustling, chaotic, rich city which bombarded my senses into the ground. A mountain girl from a quiet small town is more than overwhelmed by a large American city much less a foreign one. The streets of Manaus in most places are dirty, uneven and littered with garbage. The people are sketchy and try to con you out of your money or else pick pocket you. I made precautions against these and wasnt robbed but I know a significant amount of people who were. The boys of the city like to run around with knives and cut the camera strap around your wrist or neck and run off with your camera.
Other than that the people of Manaus are rich in culture and pride. They have many types of dance which I observed. I will make sure to show you some videos when I get back. There are a lot of sketchy people but there are just as many kind generous ones.
Anyway I got so sick of the city that I was super excited to finally be entering the Jungle. I had imagined going to the Amazon Rainforest since before I can remember. It was much more than I imagined. I got a lot of hands on animal experiance. I got to handle three-toed sloth, black Anaconda, and multiple types of small alligators or Caimen. (as seen below)

I did a night out in the jungle which consisted of anacondas, alligators, lilly pads the size of dinner tables, waterfall swimming, interaction with a poor family on a floating house and sleeping in a hammock with squirrel monkeys running about. It was only 100 Reals which is about 80 USD but I got far more than I thought. The family on the house boat we stayed with had 3 kids all under 7 years and only one room with no insulation or air conditioning. No electricity either. It was a long night that lasted from 5pm to 8am and only 3 hours of sleep. It was tough to deal with the cultural differences and shocks when you are so tired you feel like you are going to relax. Its easy to forget how some people live while in the comfort of an american home.
After that night I needed a whole day of sleep and recovery. But I eventually went back into town and got some amazing pizza, items to be disclosed in the next post and snacks for the long haul to Takoradi Ghana.
Tonight I have an "extended family" dinner. It is a group where the  older inhabitants of the ship are the mom and dad and they have a family of adoptive students. Its an optional support group sort of thing. I should probably leave and go do that now. I will post again once we arrive in Ghana. I will post Feb. 7th. Zach if you are reading this you better check it on your b-day. I will post a pic of your present!!

Genevieve

Enter the Amazon

Hey all!
Im so sorry that I havent been posting but I have been terribly sea sick. It has sucked because I have to catch up for my classes now! Well, as for Dominica we left on Monday. The first day we were there I went on a trip up to the north part of the island. In the car on the way we passed a beach where they shot Pirates of the Carribean 2. If you watch that movie, a majority of it was filmed on Dominica. The indians in the film were Carib Indians and were filmed at actual histoical locations. It was really cool. I took this picture on the side of the boat. I thought it was spectacular.

We went for a hike in the rainforest which was awesome.  I made a bunch of friends. This is from being on the hike. We ate fruit straight off the plants. I enjoyed the best banana and grapefruit of my life. It was a phenomenal experience. The people in Dominica are really friendly and helpful. Though their reason for acting so is obvious. They want the tourist dollar and will be as kind, and helpful as they need to be to win the american soul. The following picture is from the hike:

My time in Dominica was only two days but it was pretty enjoyable. It is completely boring compared to the things to come.
Right now, for instance, we are sailing our huge cruise ship up the amazon. I cannot describe to you what it feels like to talk about the amazon in my ecology class and then look out the window and see it with my own eyes. Its even wierder to be peering out at the amazon in the dark (its 10:00pm here) while i am writing this. I cannot wrap my head around where I am.
I miss you all so much and I really love getting emails so PLEASE EMAIL ME at gefuller@semesteratsea.net

The Caribbean!

Hey everyone, sorry it took so long to update this!! I have nno pictures uploaded onto my laptop right now. i have been seasick for the last several days. It has been a nightmare.
Anyway, I arrived in the bahamas about a week ago with my mom. We fed sting rays, waded with sharks, snorkeled and fed endangered exuma iguanas in the exuma cays It was spectacular, even without the free alchoholic drinks and food! We also swam with dolphins.
Now on the ship I am writing to you as we pass volcanic islands and watch boobies (birds) catch fish by diving. I am finally feeling less sea sick and can enjoy the people here which are easy to make conversation with. Tomorrow we land in Dominica. (pronounce the second "i" as "ee") I will wake up tomorrow and go on a hike through the rainforest.
It is hard to take classes on the boat. Its always moving so its hard not to get sick when taking notes. Its much easier once you get used to it. I already miss every single one of you and I cant believe this adventure is only beginning!
i can be emailed at gefuller@semesteratsea.net
i am trying to connect my colostate one to it
I need to go get ready for tomorrow, i will try and post pics next time!
Love you all!
Genevieve

And off we go!

 For Starters, I am not a English major nor do I care about grammar, spelling or any such things so please excuse any mistakes I make in this blog. It is meant to keep you up to date to what I am up to on my trip not to be fanciful and overly romanticized. I will have little time to write these posts so they will be concise and straight forward, which I hope you will appreciate being that you probably dont want to spend all day reading about me.

Saturday is the first step of my grand adventure abroad. For those of you reading this that dont know what the semester at sea program is then check out their website at www.semesteratsea.net. On Saturday me and my mom are flying to Nassau, Bahamas which is where the ship is docked. We are staying at a resort and enjoying the sun, sea and surf for a few days before I board on the 12th of January. This is the MV Explorer and my home for the next couple months.

I cannot even begin to describe how excited I am about this and cannot wait for it to begin. I hope that you enjoy reading about my adventure and I will see you when I get back!!