The Weather

I've been talking to quite a few people from the U.S. and the consensus is clear; IT'S COLD!!! I've heard reports of sub-zero farenheit temperatures in various parts of the country.



As I'm sure you've figured out by now, since South Africa is in the southern hemisphere the seasons are opposite so IT'S HOT!!! It's also the rainy season so recently we've been getting a lot of rain. Today's weather: Partly cloudy skies and 90+ degrees. This really messes up your perception of weather. Fortunately I will visiting the states in June so it will be a while before I have to experience that coldness again.



On a completely unrelated note, I was at my shopping center yesterday (which has a ShopRite in it) and then I wandered across the street to go to the internet cafe and made a discovery. Behind all of the fruit and snack sheds there was a small passageway. I went through and there was a courtyard that was completely opposite. It was like I walked into a movie. The courtyard was enclosed by shops that had plaster storefronts and the only restaurant was a traditional food shop whose outdoor dining area consisted of tables with a roof made of green mesh cloth. I sat for a while and chatted with the people who were sitting there (unfortunately I had just eaten King Pie and wasn't hungry) and had a nice discussion where I explained to them that not everyo ne in America is rich---an extremely common misconception---and there is poverty in America. They asked if there were any villages like African ones there, I said I wasn't sure since America is huge and I haven't been everywhere; does anyone know of specific places/areas in America where all the roads are dirt and there is no running water or electricity? I would like to be able to answer their question more knowledgeably.

They also expressed to me how huge Obama's election as U.S. President is and that he has a lot of rebuilding to do. Since I missed his acceptance and victory speeches I'm going to make sure I don't miss his inauguration. I'll be in a backpacker in Pretoria watching so I don't miss out on this historic event. Let's hope he meets our and the world's expectations.

Vacation is Over Back to Site

My action-packed and fun vacation is coming to close and I will be heading back to site in a few hours. I am excited to start again because traveling does really wear on you and things were going well when I left.

Since I no longer have my laptop with me I will not be able to upload pictures for a while but once I can I will post them along with a detailed description of my travels.

Good luck in the new year!