The Final Chapter

So after spending a last night at Tom's apartment, I headed off early on Saturday morning (about 9ish) back into New York for the last time. I had breakfast in the city, and then headed out towards Glen Rock, to Chris's house, where I was picking up all of my excess baggage that I had left there. I got there, cooked the rest of the noodles I had gotten the previous day, and then since Chris graciously offered to take me to the airport, I went and chilled with him at one of his mates' houses, before we headed off to the airport. I got there 5 hours early, just so that I wasn't hurried. Chris dropped me off at the terminal which said Continental Express, and apparently I was actually meant to go to the normal Continental terminal, but at least they allowed me to check in my baggage there. However when I got to the baggage counter, the lady said I had to pay $200 since my bag was overweight! There was no way my bag was over weight, I had weighed it at Chris', and it was 30.8kg. I was stymied. So I got all huffed up, and argued that it was the same weight as when I came in, and it said on my ticket that the limit was 32kg, not 23kg! Then she went on to say that if you have 2 items of luggage, both below 23kg, and with a total of not more than 32kg, then that was allowable. So I promptly took out my laundry bag, stuffed in a bunch of  clothes and my sleeping bag, and took my books out and put them in my hand luggage (I have accumulated about 6 books while in the US). And this took my baggage into the non overweight area, for which I was greatly relieved! I then took the Airtrain (a monorail train that goes around the airport from terminal to terminal) to the terminal that I was supposed to be going to to check in. This all went according to plan, so I went for coffee at Starbucks, and then went and found an electricity outlet where I plugged in my notebook, and watched several episodes of The Simpsons, before embarking on my flight. The flight itself was fairly pleasant, the in-flight entertainment was excellent, with decent sized screens, and a large selection of good films/music/games to choose from. I watched Be Kind Rewind, which I have seen before, but this time I noticed that it was set in Passaic, which is a small town in New Jersey on the same rail road as Glen Rock, so I had been through it on the NJ Transit several times. I got to London at 10, without have slept much due to the good entertainment. I did have 9 hours between my flights, so I thought that that would allow for some time for me to rest  in the airport itself. I got off the plane, and went through the security, but the  guy told me I didn't need to take off my belt or shoes, so I went through, and the device beeped, so the next guys got all annoyed at me for not taking off my shoes, even though he could have stopped me, and I was told not to. I think this made him think I was a security risk, because he proceeded to give me a thorough going over after this. I had some papers and maps in my pockets, I had emptied all the usual stuff, wallet, cellphone, camera and Ipod, but the security guy felt me up and demanded to know what was in my pocket, and then when I took out the maps, paper and a notebook, and he demanded that it go through the xray machine again, I mean come on, it was paper, and it went through the arch without setting off the alarm, so I guess he had some real problem he decided to take ti out on me! Then after he felt me up, he got his wand to go over me again, and only after that did he grudgingly allow me to leave.

I then wended my way through to the food court, where I watched a bit of series, before I went and got a sandwich, and tried to get some sleep. I did sleep a bit, but not too much. Then I got on my flight to Johannesburg at 19:00, and was pleased to hear some authentic Afrikaans being spoken, and some decent South African accents! I got on the plane, and fortunately, while I did have a seat in the centre block, the middle seat was empty, so I didn't have to bother about anyone needing to go to the toilet. I sat next to a guy from the UK, who was going to Durban for business, he was a great companion, and we chatted a bit, I hope he has fun in SA.

The next day we got to Jo'burg at 7, and I was very disappointed, there were no biltong stands in the entire airport! so I eventually did find some biltong, but halfway through I realised it had obviously been there for quite some time, since it was incredibly hard, but at least it was a taste of home. I was also shocked, Jo'burg is an international airport, but the announcer was at first an Indian guy with a super heavy accent that I struggled to understand, and then some Xhosa/Zulu guy who I couldn't understand whatsoever! I guess they don't cater for foreigners in Gauteng! Fortunately, when I got back to Cape Town, we had the usual computer generated voice, which was very easy to understand. I got picked up by my little sister, who it was great to see, and I enjoyed the ride back, admiring my mountain, and being glad to be home!

Well this concludes my USA Adventure, all in all it was fun, but I am glad to be back!!!!

Last week in the US

So after spending one last night at Areliene's on the floor, on Sunday I got up early, and met up with Beth W (the girl who I was supposed to be staying with while at DC, before she realised her uncle was having guests), and we did a bike trip to the tidal pool, and saw Jefferson, FDR and Martin Luther King memorials. After that I did my usual thing, and chilled in the closest Starbucks, and waited till It was an appropriate time to go back to Wendy's for the night. Unfortunately she was coming back from New York City, and she got stuck in some rather heavy traffic, so she messaged me to come anyway, and her housemate would let me in. So I went back there, and was a bit hesitant, as it was dark, and I wasn't exactly sure of the address, but fortunately I had remembered the address correctly. Mike (Wendy's housemate) was up watching football, so it wasn't a stress for him to let me in, and he was very hospitable. the next day I got up early, but ended up still being in a rush, as I hadn't gotten enough money on my metro ticket, so I had to go to a special booth, to pay, and it was a big hassle, but fortunately I made it with 15 mins to spare.  The bus ride back was pretty packed, but I ended up just sleeping through most of it. We arrived back in New York at about 3, and I just arbed around and ended up, yes you guessed it, at Starbucks! I was desperately trying to find a place to stay, eventually, when they were closing up, I decided to go to the Macdonalds across the road, which was 24 hours. I then got a message from a couch surfer who claimed to have a contact at a hostel, that there was a space available for $40 a night in a hostel, but by that stage I had decided just to stay in the Macdonalds till the morning. I ended up leaving at about 7, and only then did I notice a sign saying "No Loitering!" oops, guess they don't really enforce that too much!

I then contacted Paul (the Chinsese guy with the hostel contact) to see when I could check into the hostel. He assured me it was the best hostel for the price, and in the best location. I naively believed him, and went along with it. He was supposed to meet me at the place at 12:30, but since he was in Brooklyn, and it was raining, he only ended up getting there at 13:30! By then I was really ready to pass out, so it was quite a relief when he came. The "hostel" however was definitely not what was promised! It was a tiny 2 room apartment, one tiny bedroom, and the kitchen/living area, and the bathroom. Paul had put 3 stretchers in the bedroom, and another 2 in the kitchen. Needless to say it was seriously cramped! If I had had time, I could have got a much better deal through airbnb.com, but at that stage I just needed a place to crash, so I payed him and went to sleep. 

At 19:00 there was a Couch Surfing gathering at a local restaurant, so I decided I was going to go to this. It turned out to be a lot of fun, there were about 30-40 Couch surfers there, and I met a few really cool people. I ended up staying up a bit late, and then I slept in till 14:00, probably making up for the sleep I lost on Monday night.  One of the things I had wanted to see while in New York City, was the Brooklyn bridge, and while the location of the "hostel" wasn't as good as promised, at least it was closeish to the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. I walked down past the power station, towards the East River. On the banks of the river there was a walkway, kinda like the promenade in Seapoint. I walked South down this, passing some parks where there were people practicing soccer, I then got to the bridges, and utilised my tourist right, by taking millions of pictures! I continued down towards the financial district, and took a walk along Wall Street. Outside the New York Stock Exchange, there was a huge police blockade, where they had cordoned off some of the road, apparently the British Prime Minister was making an appearance. I wasn't too keen to see him, so I carried on along to the park on the tip of Manhattan. I then walked back, passing by the 9/11 memorial site. I wanted to familiarise myself with it, as I was going there the following day. I Then got a $5 foot long from subway, and went back to the "hostel" for some drying off (as it had been raining) and some watching of series'. I also went and had a beer at the "Shrunken Head" which was the bar at the lowest level of the apartment block. Paul had claimed it was amazing, but really it was quite expensive, and a bit dingy. Apparently its famous, but I can't imagine why. 

Thursday was the day I had booked to go see the 9/11 memorial, so I got up at a reasonable hour, I had been sharing the room with 2 French guys, and they were leaving for Boston, so we chatted a bit, and it turned out that they were also Couch Surfers! I guess that's how Paul gets his clientele, by keeping an eye open for couchsurfers who are having difficulty finding a spot in New York! Anyhow, we exchanged details, and then they left, and I went off, leaving my luggage at the "hostel". I had checked where I had to collect my tickets  but still got slightly lost. I then asked a information person, but she gave me completely wrong directions, I was supposed to get there at 14:45, and it was 14:25, and I hadn't even got my tickets yet. so I eventually ended up just going to the entrance to the memorial, to ask the guy there. It turns out that that was the place where I had to collect the tickets in any case, and the girl at the counter bumped me up to a 14:30 slot, so I didn't even have to wait! The memorial was quite nice, its basically two pools each on the position of the old world trade towers, which have been sunk into the ground, and have water flowing down into a large pool. At the centre of this pool, where I would imagine the lift shaft of the building would have been, there is another hole, which you can't see the bottom of. All in all it is very impressive, but unless you are looking for a specific name, it doesn't take too long to check it out. Unfortunately they are still working on the museum, so that wasn't open yet. After I went to the 9/11 memorial, I decided, seeing as the weather had cleared up a bit (or rather since the clouds were high and it wasn't raining, I would go to do the Empire State Building. I went along, and outside was accosted by several guys trying to get me to buy "better" tickets. basically they were $54 dollars for skipping the queue (and I think they may have included going to the very top), but since I didn't really want to spend and extra $32, I decided to go for the cheap options. It turns out the queue wasn't even that long, and those that got good tickets still had to queue at the bottom of the lifts. the lift itseldf was quite quick, it went up in 10 intervals right up to about 80. It went up to 87, where we were let out. We then got to see a pretty decent view, even though it wasn't as great as it could have been if it was clear, but it was pretty cool. After that I went back to the hostel, got my bags, and headed out to Queens where I had arranged to stay with a guy from couch surfing. I arrived a bit later than planned, but was still early enough that Tom wanst' annoyed with me. We played baseball with his son Jonathan in his room for a bit, and then had some dinner. I then went out to another couch surfing event, this time at a pub near Union Station, called "Re-Union Bar". It was quite fun, and I chatted quite a bit to an Indian architect who has traveled quite a bit in his profession. I also chatted to a girl from California who is into pet psychology. Its a bit ludicrous, but apparently she is hoping to do some pet/owner compatibility tests. Despite this, she was fun, and offered to give me a lift home. She had parked quite far down, so we took the subway, however we ended up on the wrong side of the tracks. So we went across to the other side, but the card wouldn't let us in, as her metro ticket had just been used. since we had already paid, we decided to jump over the turnstile, since we weren't actually committing a crime, due to the fact that we had already paid for the trip, just on the incorrect side...

It was quite fun never the less, and we got to where she had parked her car only to discover it wasn't there! We looked around for a bit, and then she suddenly thought it might have been in 96th street rather than 86th, even though that was what she had written down.So we ended up walking another 10 blocks, fortunately that was right, and her car was were she had left it. We then proceeded to Queens, where we got lost, since I knew the address, and how to get there from the station, but had no clue how to get there by car! Eventually we got back, and I went to bed, way later than I had planned!

Then today I went down to Canal Street, the main street in Chinatown, to see if I could get some gifts there. After doing way too much shopping, I headed back to Times square to feast on the most yummy ribs ever at EZ Deli which is a few blocks up Broadway from Times Square. Much to my dismay, they didn't have any ribs, so I ended up having chicken and crumbed calamari, which wasn't nearly as good as their ribs! There was some Chinese festival day demonstration in the square, such a pity for them, since it was pouring with rain. I did manage to get a free-bee of two packs of noodles, and a bag with some Chinese writing on it. I then went to the Rockerfeller centre, and walked around there for a bit going to the Lego shop, and also checking out a few of the cathedrals in that area. I then went to grand central station, and then proceded back to Queens. Unfortunately I ended up taking the wrong underground, since  I stopped at the wrong platform. Grand Central Station is a rabbit warren of tunnels, so its no wonder, but due to this I ended up being back pretty late in the evening. I then cooked up some noodles for my dinner, which were quite tasty. Tom gave me some curry paste, which made things severely spicy! 

Couch Surfing in the USA

So I have now officially gotten my first taste of what Couch Surfing is all about. I spent my first night in DC at Wendy's house, and am currently staying with Aureliene (he's a French guy, in case you were wondering). Unfortunately Areliene has just moved to DC, so hasn't got much furniture, so I'm actually more surfing the floor. At least he does have a comfy carpet! So far my stay in Washing ton has been very successful. After leaving Wendy's house in Glenmont on Friday morning, I realised that I was stuck with my baggage, and that they were probably not going to allow me to traipse around the Smithsonian museums with 2 backpacks, so I decided to rather do a tour of the monuments. I started at the Smithsonian Station, and went past the Washington Monument, which is actually rather massive! It seems smaller in the movies/picture. I then went through the WWII memorial, and walked past where the pool of reflection used to be. It is currently under renovation, so is just a muddy puddle, with a bunch of bulldozers in it. That was a real disappointment, as it messed with my picture taking. I then trekked all the way to the Lincoln Memorial, which was good, but it was a great trek, with all of my baggage! I then walked past the Vietnam Memorial to Constitution Pool, where there is a little island with a monument to the people who signed the first constitution. I then walked past the White House, and then made a beeline for the nearest Starbucks to check my couch surfing status ( I hadn't finalised anything for the night, so I was a bit concerned). After that I headed off to Capitol Hill, and then I got a message from Aureliene saying he was home, so I should come there before he went out again, so I got the metro to his place, where it was very good to finally take off my backpack. I definitely did burn a few calories that day! It turned out that Aureliene's friend cancelled on him, so instead we went out to the local pub for a beer.

Saturday i got up early, and took the metro to the Smithsonian. I first went into the Smithsonian Castle, and then went to the Air and Space museum. That was really interesting with displays about the Wright Brothers probably being the highlight for me. I then went to the art gallery next door, and almost got lost in its labyrinth! Can't say I enjoy art any better though. I did go check out some sculptures, and was impressed by one by Roy Lichtenstein, which really played havoc with your senses.

I then had planned to go to a street festival with some other couch surfers. I first made a stop at Starbucks to get my bearings and my coffee, then I headed off to the address where I was supposed to meet the others. I arrived there, and it looked suspiciously like I was at the wrong place, there was no festival, and where there was meant to be a bay, there was a large office block! After much going back and fort, I eventually discovered that I was on H Street NW and needed to be on H Street NE, and all of the streets go from 1 W upwards as they go more West, and from 1 E upwards as they go more East, which was the whole problem, so I had to basically go to the other side of town to get to where I met the fellow couchsurfers. fortunately they had got there late, so I didn't have to worry. It was a fun night's socialising, as it is always great to meet people from another place.

Cheese steak vs Gatsby

So while in Philadelphia I was told I had to sample their local fast food, the cheese steak. so I was told the place to get it was Geno's. So I researched it, and got directions and headed off to the restaurant. I was expecting a US fast food to rival the gatsby. However, I was sorely disappointed, for $9, I expected some serious steak, with loads of cheese, not a beef sandwich with a hint of cheese, I definitely think Gatsby's win!

So I left Philadelphia this afternoon, got the bus to Washington DC, there was some confusion as they struggled to get a girl in a wheelchair into the bus at Baltimore, so we were 45 minutes late. I had to get the metro (train) and got picked up from the station. Its a pity this is only for one night, since Wendy my host has really been great!

Life after the Canada disappointment

OK, so the last time I posted, I was pretty much at the Newark airport with Dan, we "slept" over there, that is he slept, and I overed. I then checked that it was OK for me to stay with Chris that night, and went to the mall, where I chilled in Starbucks for the day, since the mall was really tame. He picked me up at 5, and we went to one of his friends' place in Jersey city to watch the starting match of the NFL season, the Packers vs the Saints. It was a pretty close game, with the Packers winning in the end. We then drove back to Glen Rock (where Chris lives) and packed it in. I was sleeping on Chris' very comfy couch. The next day I just chilled, but we went into NYC for the evening to meet up with Laura and Kaylee, who had just arrived in NYC. We went to a little pub to have supper, and then we trekked across town to go meet up with Ariel who was in a pub near NYU. It turned out that this pub was quite strict on carding people (Chris, who is 23, had to show 3 different types of ID before the bouncer let him in!), so Laura, who is 19, couldn't get in, so she and Kaylee went off to Times Square instead. We had a few drinks, and then decided to go to Chris' sister's apartment, which is situated on the other side of town. Oh, did I mention that I had all my stuff all this time! I had left a few things at Chris' in my duffel, but I had both my back pack and day pack with me. And it was not raining at this time, rather it was very warm, so I was quite drenched (I changed my shirt at Chis' sisters). A few minutes after arriving, Chris decided we were going to leave, so we went, we had to hurry and take a taxi, but in the end we had plenty of time. On Saturday Chris had a surprise party to go to, so I decided to go into the city instead. I was fairly sure I could find my way around. I went off, and walked around town for a bit, making sure I was back in time for the last train to Secaucus (the New Jersey junction station) I got there in time, and took the train that I thought was going to Glen Rock, only to discover at the end of the trip, when they announced "last stop, New York Penn Station" that it wasn't. So while I had planned not to drink during my night out, I ended up having a few beers in various pubs around town, and catching the 5:15 train back. There was only a 6:30 train to Glen Rock, so I got a bit of sleep at the station, and got back to the house at about 7:30.

Needless to say, I didn't end up doing all that much on Sunday ;)

Monday I went back into the City to meet up with Sam, James, Laura and Kaylee at the Museum of Natural History. I thought it was going to be very similar to the movie Night at the Museum, since that is based on the NY museum, but it was rather different. Granted I didn't go see the indigenous American peoples exhibit, which might have contained the Sacgewea scene, but I definitely didn't see the Aztec/Wild West/Roman exhibit or even the Theodore Rooseveldt figurine. Maybe they mixed the museum with Madam Tassauds down the street...

We then parted from the girls, went to have dinner, and did some gift shopping for Sam and James' family (it was their last night), after which I went back to Glen Rock, taking all the right trains.

On Tuesday I got up at 8, made sure everything was packed, and got a lift with Chris' friend (they were off to the beach) to the station. I then got a train to NYC, and walked the block or so to the bus stop. I got the bus to Philadelphia, where I followed the instructions Brett had given me, to end up at the place where he stays. Its a pretty run down area, reminiscent of the dodgy parts of Observatory/Woodstock. There is apparently a lot of drug dealing/prostitution in the area. I put down my stuff, and got settled in, checking my Facebook etc. When Brett and Val were finished their chores, we set off into Philadelphia proper, where we had dinner at a little Restaurant in town, the food was fair, but not amazing. The next day, after helping Brett with doing the beds for the guest house, I went into Philadelphia to see the sites. I saw the Liberty Bell, which was very unimpressive, and then went for a walk around the historical district. There were plenty of interesting statues, and a park dedicated to William Penn, the founder of Philadelphia, which was pretty cool. I then went through Chinatown to the Museum of Art, which is also where the movie Rocky had its stairs scene. At the bottom there is a Rocky Statue, and at the top some "footprints". It also has the most spectacular view of the city, and the Museum itself is very impressive.

I then went back, later than I probably should have, but it was still good. Tomorrow I go to Washington, which should be exciting. I have secured a place to stay tomorrow night, and possibly Friday and Saturday as well.

101 reasons to double check whether you need a visa for Canada with border control

So I've now been away from camp for 3 days. In that time I have stayed in a 4 star hotel on Times Square for $45, been as far as the Glass museum on the Canada tour, only to be informed that my US visa is not sufficient for entry to Canada as I was told by Camp America, but rather that while British and US citizens can enter without a visa, South African and Polish can't! That meant that me and my Polish friend couldn't go the tour. It does mean that now James and Sam (the British guys we were going with) have a queen sized bed each to their selves. I opted to go back at the glass museum, since they were willing to give me a ride free of charge, but Piotr decided to go on, and stay at Niagara, and then get a bus back. Since the bus would have cost $120, I wasn't so keen on that plan! Hopefully I get. some sort of a refund. The previous night we had arrived at about 5pm, and promptly walked to our hotel. Much to our surprise, even though we did know it was 4 star, it was an amazingly expensive hotel! We got our booking for $45, but other people paid $600 for 4 people! Granted they probably got the penthouse suite, and we did have to share beds, but that was still a cool deal! We then went out to a pizza place for dinner, and then Dan, Britney, Sam and I went out for a few drinks. We started at a $1 per half pint bar, and then walked around for a bit, and found one of the oldest bars in New York, where we had a drink, it was served in 2 half pint glasses, and the choice was light or dark ale. I ordered light, but the barman got our order wrong so I got dark, so Britney and I decided, rather than kick up a fuss, we'd both just have half and half. I must admit ale definitely isn't my thing. I have yet to find a half decent beer in the States, but that ale was even less tasty. We then went to a cheap shots place, and had a few shots, and then went to a pub, where there was a dance floor, and danced a bit before we headed back to the hotel. Since it was so late, Britney and Dan snuck into the hotel room with us, and spent the night there.

The next day we went to China town at 7:30 to get our bus at 8. We then went on the bus to the glass museum, where I found out my visa wouldn't get me into Canada, and I got a lift back to New York. This was very irritating, since I was banking on 4 nights paid up accommodation! I had to frantically sms and email everyone who I knew was in New York!

I ended up staying with Dan Evans, another British guy who was not going on the tour, and hence was staying in New York. He had already planned to stay with her, so she graciously allowed me to also stay, possibly partially due to us allowing her to sleep on the couch in our hotel room after we had been out the previous night. Her mom made us pasta and sausage sauce, which was divine, even though we only got there at about 10:30. It was quite interesting, since it was pouring down in New York, when I got dropped off in China Town. I met Dan in the Macdonalds and then we walked down the road, in the pouring rain, to get to a place on Broadway where Britney could pick us up. It was a tight squeeze with all our baggage, especially since she has a sporty car. Then the next morning we caught the train From New Jersey to New York. Dan and I then went to the hotel we had stayed in on Monday night, and got our luggage stored, since he had chatted up the bell boy, and he was willing to put our stuff there, as if we had checked out that morning. We then walked around Times Square, going into Toys R Us and Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co (a Forrest Gump memorabilia store and shrimp restaurant. As we were walking towards Central Park, we were stopped by a girl, and asked if we would like to be part of the studio audience for the Late Show with David Letterman. Dan was skeptical, but I was able to convince him to give it a go, since that could happen was that it was a hoax, and we would waste a few minutes finding out. However it was the real deal. We had to go collect tickets from the theatre, and realised that this was for real! We then had some time, so we went and had coffee at Starbucks, and then walked to Columbus' Circle and Central Park. We then went to the theatre, where we had to stand in line for a while, and we met 2 couples from Wisconsin. I was wearing my Africa signed T-shirt, so the one lady asked if she could sign it, she signed it “Go Pack” which was alluding to the Packers, which is apparently their football team. The show itself was OK, there were some jokes that weren't funny, like his making fun of people who didn't have electricity after Hurricane Irene. Since we had been without water due to the electricity being off, I didn't find those jokes so funny, but on the whole it was good, he interviewed Sgt Leroy A Petry, who has just been awarded the congressional medal of honour, and has a cool prosthetic hand, and Jennifer Love Hewit, who is starring in a new movie. They were really the stars, and lots of fun to watch. Jennifer is as cute on stage as she is in the movies, even if I have to question her dress sense, since she showed up in a frilly top, with pants that must have been pulled up above her belly button! After the show we went and got 99c pizza, and then caught the underground to the end, to go on the Staten Island Ferry. This is the ferry that goes past the Statue of Liberty, so I got to try and figure out how to take pictures in the dark with my new camera. I got about 25 pictures, of which about 90% were unusable. But I did learn how to use exposure, and lengthen the shutter speed for night photo's, so all is not lost, however the pictures still came out blurry. Oh well, what can you expect from a $27.50 camera. We also bumped into a German girl who I chatted to for a bit, she also took the underground, and got off with us at Times Square. We then collected our luggage from the hotel, and then were walking to the Port Authority bus stop, when we bumped into her again. Pity we were in a bit of a rush, otherwise I would have asked for her number, since she is staying here till Monday, and we could have probably hooked up to do some touristy things, and then we wouldn't be all by ourselves! Since I hadn't organised any accommodation for tonight, I'm going to be spending it with Dan, at the Airport. At least I will get to know Newark Airport, so it won't be so foreign to me when I depart. Oh, and this airport seems to be on par with what Cape Town International is, and it also seems to be a similar size. At first it seemed a bit larger, but in retrospect, now that I think about it, its probably a similar size.

That is my first few days off camp. Oh, and did I mention its been raining non stop? That definitely puts a downer on things, but at least New York rain doesn't equal cold, so its still been temperate.

Post camp/Hurricane Irene

Sothe storm has come and gone, and I'm still here. However there is no electricity at camp, so I am alternating between MacDonalds and Starbucks for free wifi. The only problem is getting a lift to Wakefield from camp, its a 5.5 mile ride, so not really within walking distance, since it would take about 1.5 hours to walk...

Camp ended on Friday, and on Thursday we had a "council fire" which was a bit of a joke compared to the real ones, but fun never the less, aside from the one girl who had memorised some really long joke/stand up comedy act, but didn't have the right intonation or projection to get it across. After it ended, and we had sung the camp fuller song, we had smors, which was also fun. Friday was spent doing a lot of packing and preparing for the storm. I helped the boathouse staff pack away boats. Saturday we did more packing away, adn went in to town to buy necessary items, such as coke and other beverages ;) The water was sold out, and I caused a bit of a commotion, as I went into the shops in Mouse's life jacket. It got me plenty of comments, to which I responded "there's a storm coming..."

That night was the night of the storm, massive winds, and the tide rising. There was a serious threat of major flooding, which fortunately didn't happen. We did go out in the storm to appreciate the high winds, and the raging waves, at which point we decided it was time to go for a swim. We also went to watch the storm from the top of the climbing tower, which was fun, until the lightening started, and the girls panicked, and rushed down. We then went through to the hotel, where there was a speaker with music going, so we partied it up well into the night, only going to bed at about 5. We woke up at about 8 and the storm was still going strong. I went for a walk around camp, and saw all of the devastation that the storm had caused and was still causing. most of the docks where severely damaged, and there were branches strewn everywhere.

Since the storm we have been without electricity, and since the water pumps are electric, without water. Power could be back today, or it might only be restored over the weekend. So for now its real camping, along with a bit of trekking to Wakefield for internet access...

Hurricane Irene - Threat or Farse?

So we have been issued with a preliminary evacuation warning. Hurricane Irene is headed for us, and we have to decide what to do. The general consensus is that we're going to just stick it out on Camp, but some people are freaking out. I think its going to be fun. We may well have to put up with a couple of days of no running water and no electricity, but we should be fine, we have plenty of food, and more than enough supplies of stored water. We'll just have to not shower, and flush the toilets with water from the pond, but it will be cool. A great end to a great summer!

So I might be out of contact for a few days, but don't stress, I'll be back in a bit...

Last Few days of real camp

So I am now into my 10th week in the US. The last week has been a bit hectic. It was the last week of camp, and it started off with a rainy day, which was actually really great! On rainy days, we get to sleep in, then we have breakfast and an extended cabin clean up. We then do to the mess hall, and the kids get to play board games, and do a bunch of indoor activities, basically they take care of themselves. I got a lot of reading done, I was borrowing a Terry Pratchett book from a friend, so that was cool, then we had to go back to our cabins for an hour and a half before lunch. In this time, we went mud sliding, the field in front of our division was ankle deep in water, so the kids had a lot of fun! We also went to the soccer field which was a lot more muddy! At lunch, there weren't any top staff present for some reason, so we went a bit wild, they were pumping music through the loudspeakers, and the kids were going off! Normally, in the mess hall, each division has chants, and we kinda compete against each other, but this time we did some Camp Fuller chants, and it was really great, to be all unified and whatnot... We also turned off the lights, and had one of those lines where you follow each other in a line. It was a great vibe. On Wednesday we had Sunprod, which is kinda like an outdoor music festival, basically it was founded by some people who couldn't make it to Woodstock, so instead they made one of their own. One of my campers' fathers was actually one of the founders of it. I sang "We are the Champions" by Queen. In its entirety, it was a bit tame, but at least we got funky T-shirts with glow in the dark writing.

Then on Friday it was the end of camp, so we had our final Council fire. I did the song "Froggie" which has become a bit of a tradition now, and had some girls sing it with me, although I think they weren't quite aware how much energy it entails.

At the end of each session the council fire is a "chips fire" which is basically where everyone takes something flammable to the fire, and at the end tosses it into the fire, and the ashes get spread around camp, symbolising that a part of you remains at camp. So we had that on Friday. As one of my council tasks, I had to make a "
spirit stick" which is basically a stick that you decorate with things that are meaningful to you. I had made one of those, so that was what I threw in at the chips fire. Then after the fire, the most senior counselor in each cabin is given a flaming torch, and we go from the council fire to the docks, where we wait for everyone, and then toss the torches into the water, symbolising the extinguishing of camp spirit. It was a very moving ceremony, and a lot of people where in tears. Then on Saturday we had a staff banquet, which was quite nice,  it was basically a lot of cocktail snacks, and then we had some awards, and a bit of a fun slideshow. We then went off to a party down the road from camp. This turned out to be a bit boring, so I left at about 01:00, I was later told that they went swimming later, which was disappointing, but me and one of my friends from the kitchen staff walked back together, which was great, the weather was nice, and the sky was clear, so that was great. About 500m from camp, a car drove past us, and it was some people from camp, so we got a lift for the last bit.

Then we got our new kids on Sunday, but they were vastly less. It was a bit irritating, since we were supposed to move at 14:00, but the guy whose cabin we moved into hadn't moved out yet, and only really moved out at 15:30, which was when we were supposed to get our kids, so it was a bit tight. then last night we watched a movie. Today I worked with the head counselor, Katy, to sort out the lost and found, and then in the afternoon, I "helped" take down the high ropes course, although my helping was just helping take down one belay cord, which a spider had decided to claim, and then tried to attack me, which wasn't fun, then I got stuck in the middle of a wire, and once I had made it to the end, was told I needed to do another one. I definitely don't enjoy high ropes! The view is good, but its entirely too much work!!!

Today we went to arrange the payment for our post camp trip. Me and 3 other support staff are going to be taking a tour from New York through Canada via Niagara falls, which should be fun.

Camp Fuller pics

Chris a junior counselor

Brad, my division leader

Nora, the girl I do Outdoor Skills with

The "Hotel"

Max, my session 4 co-Counselor, he usually looks less stoned, but it was a surprise photo...

Things I've learnt in the US, and gripes I have.

So I've been in the US now for 8 weeks, so by now I have seen a bit of what life is like in the US, or at least on Camp in the US. One thing that I was told about was that the portions in the US are massive, but I haven't really seen this. Maybe Rhode Island is the exception to that rule. What I have seen is that kids will happily dish up a portion of seconds, and then just not eat it. The amount of wasted food really appalls me, coming from SA where there is a lot more knowledge about poverty, and not wasting food. Even my most dumb and wasteful scouts wouldn't even approach what is considered to be the norm here. Also kids seem to think that if its biodegradable, it will disappear within seconds of them discarding it. I have had to make several announcements about this. Kids will even go and get an apple, bite into it, but not actually take a bite, just leave their teeth marks on it and then leave it by the path, or even in the middle of the field!

I have however learnt how to inject maple syrup into flapjacks, which is quite cool, and into waffles, as well as French Toast sticks (which is like regular French Toast, cut up into three or four sticks, and deep fried I think???).  They also have smiley fries, which are potato chips in the shape of smiley faces. However sweet potatoes are just potatoes with loads of syrup.

Also the showers are perpetually dripping. It seems that the kids here don't know how to turn them off properly. And the taps are really weird! There's a single mixer, and you have to turn it all the way round to get to hot...

Coke vs Pepsi

So when I arrived in the USA  I realised that Coke tasted very different to what it does in SA, so I tried a Pepsi, and it tasted better, much to my surprise, but subsequent to that I have had some of each, and was still undecided, so today I decided to put it to the test, after going to the bank, to cash a cheque that I was given for staff training weekend, even though I specifically gave them my direct deposit details gnnnn!!! I went to the local Shaws (probably the US equivalent of Pick 'n Pay) and bought a 20 OZ bottle of both beverages. I then went to Java madness (where I purchased an ice coffee for Vaughn, who lent me his car for the morning) and sat on the bench outside to perform the scientific experiment. The Pepsi had clearly been less in the shade, so was less cold, and therefore after the first tasting, was definitely the loser, but since I wanted this to be a fair competition, I went back to Java, and asked for a cup with ice, and cooled the Pepsi down. However, even after being cooled, the Pepsi was still of inferior taste to the Coke, so even though they have weird preservatives in the Coke, and even though they use corn syrup rather than real sugar, I still enjoy Coke better than Pepsi.

Session 4 begins...

So its been a while since I last posted, nothing really new has happened, I did get a notebook, so updates may be more regular.

Every time a session ends, the kids go home, and the counselors all get a day off, but since there are still kids who don't go home, some counselors need to stay on in camp to look after them, and do some fun stuff, so I decided to work this last weekend. We did tie dye with bleach, and then went bowling. It was fun, but now I've got a free day that I dont' know what to do with...

I have been placed in another outdoor cabin, I requested the hotel, but then at last minute the Korean ambassador to camp demanded that the boys that were supposed to be in cabin 6 had to be indoors, so they had to change us around last minute. That really sucked, as I was going to be in the same cabin as before, so I didn't pack, so I had to pack at last minute.

I am going to be hosting the next council fire, which should be fun, I'm going to be teaching the kids some Afrikaans phrases, should be epic!!!

Session 3 - The Halfway Point...

So its been a few weeks since my last post, so I thought I'd better update this blog, I am going to try borrow a camera (my charger has died, so I am cameraless) so I can upload a few pics...

I am re-evaluating my stance on the Hotel, there were a few horrible cabins first session but I think that's all done for now. I really enjoyed my campers in session 2, they were great, and the privacy afforded by the counselors room was also a great thing, we didn't have to clean up our stuff during cabin clean up! Last week was bit of a night mare, we had to let some staff go due to various situations, and the Junior staff got a bit crapped on. Also due to the lack of staff, I had to do mountain biking for two days in the morning, which was less than ideal, and I was put there, since I related a story to the program head about having an accident on my motor bike, which he thought I had said mountain bike. I really did not enjoy that, so I'm so glad I was able to go back to archery this morning!

It was really good to get away for the weekend. We went to a friends house in Lexington, which is near Boston. We didn't do all that much, just chilled there, and had an AWESOME meal, but it was just what the doctor order! Then we came back, and got our new kids.

My cabin seems to be great, I've got a new co, called Jeff, and we get on well too. Oh, well that's about all I have time for now.

Session 2 Week 1 Cabin 3 in the Hotel(/jail)

Hey, so its week 3 for me, which means we get a new batch of campers, I've been put with the 3rd youngest cabin, in a section of cabins called "the hotel". Its infamous for getting really gross around week two, and is pretty hot, basically its 4 cabins combined into one building with the bathroom areas bein in the middle. The bonus is that the counselors get a room to theirselve with electricty, so I don't have to charge my Ipod and phone in the Division Leaders' Bunk (DLB).

Over the weekend we had a change over weekend, which basically means that the kids all went home (aside from the internationals) and most of the staff was off for Sat/Sun. Alec, the guy I do Archery with had his Birthday on Thursday, so he invited us to his house for a bit of a party. It was great, he has a pretty massive house with a psuedo guest lodge next to the lake. Myself and one of the British Counselors Harri took a 30 min swim in the lake at about 12, and it was devine, there was phophoresence in the water, so every second stroke we did had phosphoresence which was very cool!

As far as camp goes, every Sunday night we have this thing called a council fire. Basically the "council" is a group of people who uphold the spirit and traditions of Camp Fuller. At first they seemed a bit wierd, but now I realise that its just that they have certain traditions which are different from what I am used to.

To get on the council you have to do various task, in the categories mind, body and spirit, so something like swimming would be body, archery would be mind, and leading a devotion would be spirit. At first this also seemed a bit strange to me, but after chatting to Alec who is also on the council, it seems to be OK, its kinda like proving you really want to be on it. In this light, I have decided to try and get on the council. I attempted the swim, but was a minute too slow, but I have completed the Archery task. There are about 20 task you have to fulfill, andswimming is probably the hardest, although I am also going to have to practice pull ups, as part of the body requirements is to do 10 pull ups, and at the moment I can only manage 3! What really sold me on this was that as a final task you have to spend a night in the woods by yourself, which is super cool!!!

I don't know if I'll be able to do all of the tasks, but I'm going to try, at the very least, I can get into camp spirit in a big way, and make the most of my time here...

I have also sang the song "Froggie" at two council fires, and am planning to sing Shosholoza at the next one. Froggie is a great hit on camp, and I even sang it as a chant during dinner!

I am trying to think up more songs to sing, as council fire is generally more a talent show than anything else, with people singing on stage, rather than everyone participating.

Anyhow, I gotta get off the computer now, since the other South African (Kaylee) wants to have some time on...

Boston till now

Hey, so its gonna be another short one, since I only have 10 minutes. I think the last time I posted I was about to head off to Boston. Boston was great. Its a lot smaller than I imagined, but its pretty cool. We caught the train there, and got there at about 8pm. We then went through Quincy Market which is a bunch of outdoor restaurants, then went to an Italian restaraunt in the North End (or was it the South?). We then caught the underground (it was my first time on an undeground, and it was a tram like thing that made loads of wierd noises) to some other part of town, where we booked in at a hostel, Tom, Dan and myself then went to a few bars around the hostel meeting some fun people, and tasting some mediocre beer. On Saturday we walked back to the station stopping at Fenway park (The Redsocks' home stadium) and agoing through the centre of Boston. We were late by 15 minutes to camp, since we missed the bus which normally goes from Providence to Wakefield, since it only leaves once every 2 hours on a Saturday...

Also I managed to break the screen on my phone, before we even went out, so I had to purchase a $10 phone. But all in all it was a good trip, aside from being a bit on the expensive side.

More about who I work with

So these are not pictures of my co-workers, rather they are just of the camp. I finally got my camera to sinc with the computer, so I can upload photos, yay!

I am currently sharing the leadership of a cabin with a guy called Chris. He's very cool, although I was a bit concerned at first, due to the fact that he only arrived several hours after the campers got here.

I have a cabin with 7 kids, 5 from the US and 1 from Spain and 1 from Italy. They're probably the naughtiest cabin in the junior divion, but when I'm not pulling out my hair due to their misbehaviour, they're good kids...

I am going to Boston tonight for my day off, it should be AWESOME!!! Hopefully I can get my camera to charge, and then get some more pics up...

A day in the life of Mark at Camp Fuller

So I guess I ought to recount what I do everyday now that the kids have arrived, and we are in a pretty set schedule. Basically I set my alarm for 7:15, but really only wake up at 7:30. Then I chill to 7:55 when we have to go to "flags" which is when they raise the USA flag and 6 other random flags, and then recite the pledge to the USA flag (I obviously maintain respectful silence during the pledge, since I am South African!). We then go into the dining hall for Breakfast at 8. At breakfast we are served by waiters (the kids rotate the duties every day) and they also lay the table. We get food via divisions, and there is both cereal, fruit and some cooked food (waffles, eggs, French Toast etc.). After breakfast we have "cabin cleanup" which is where the kids and counselors have to clean up the cabin. Those cabins that are the messiest have to do chores, which consists of either getting firewood, or cleaning the toilets. We then go to our period activities at 9:15, my morning activity is Archery, and we have 4 periods of Archery, with each period consisting of a 45 minutes session. At 12:15 the kids go back to their cabins and chill till lunch at 12:30 (waiters have to go 15 minutes earlier). After lunch is siesta, till 14:15. During this time, sometimes we are allowed to go off campus, so the local coffee shop, Java Madness, is quite popular. Then at 14:15 we go to our afternoon periods, which for me is Outdoor Survival Skills. Then at 17:15 we have more cabin time till Dinner at 18:00. After dinner there's free time till about 19:30 after which we either have cabinals our divisionals, which are basically fun activities with either our cabins or our divisin. Last night we played a game called smugglers, where teh kids are given bits of card, and they have a sock at their side, tucked into their pants, and they have to try get the card from one end of camp to the other, while the counselors have to try steal their sock and thus get their cards. Since half the staff had night off, it was very tiring, since there are hundreds of very active junior staff and only about 10 counselors! But it was also fun. After that its shower time for the kids, followed by devotions at about 21:30. Devotions consist of basically asking a general question of the campers, like "What do you want to achieve at camp?" or "What is your favourite superhero?". After that the kids are supposed to go to sleep, and you can leave your cabin, and just the "On Duty" (or OD) counselors have to stay. They normally have a fire going, and chill around it and its usually a good vibe, and a time to go socialise with other couselors, which you can't really do in the day. You still have to stay on the camp property, unless its your night off.

I had Monday off, we went to Applebees, and then a place called "The Rocks" which is basically just a bunch of rocks by the sea. I have my day off on Fri/Sat (it begins and ends at 17:30), so I'm busy planning what I'm going to do.

That's it for now. I think 2 days in a row is pretty good ;)

Rap, Basketball and rollerskate rinks

So its been a while since I last posted, the computer I had access to died, so that's my excuse. Oh, and the fact that we've been bombarded by kids. Anyhow, towards the end of last week we were finishing up our training. Did a bunch of child protection/abuse seminars, and on Thursday night we had a trip to a local rollerskate rink. The whole vibe is that everyone dresses up, so since I don't really have anything to dress up in, I was planning to go as a bergie, but then one of the British guys decided it would be fun to go as smurfs, so we got a bunch of white shorts from a local 2nd hand shop, and painted ourselves blue! It was pretty cool, we got to skate topless which is always a bonus!

It seems that everyone in this part of the States seems to be heavily into Basketball and rap, which does not bode well, fortunately we do have a rugby program at the camp and I have my Ipod!

On Saturday we were given the day off, so we went off to Providence (capital city of Rhode Island) for the day. Basically we spent most of it in the major mall there. It was pretty big, but not that much bigger than the malls back in SA. Architecturally there was more space, and some of the stores might have been larger, and there was 3.5 stories, but the selection wasn't nearly as good as say the V&A or Canal Walk.

We also moved into our divisions (I am in the Junior Boys Division) which meant moving to an outdoor cabin. The kids arrived on Sunday, and it was chaos! I have 7 kids in my cabin, 5 Americans, one Spaniard and an Italian. They're pretty decent kids, a couple are a bit naughty, but they're basically good.

I have been teaching archery in the mornings (I have the blisters to prove I'm not just teaching ;P) and Outdoor Survival skills in the afternoon. Its pretty cool.


I will post more soon, but since siesta is over, I have to get going...

First World vs Third World

So here I am writing another post. Sorry its been so slow, but the US isn't as advanced as I thought it might be. I thought there would be a whole bank of super computers for international staff to use to contact home, but there's only 1 really crap computer in the basement that is very finicity, and the internet is SUPER slow, so don't go expecting loads of updates. I always heard about the super fast internet you get in the States, but I don't see it. Also the archaic computer I have access to won't allow me to upload photo's, so you'll have to wait to see my pics...

The people in the States seem to all be pretty decent, I have made an effort to learn names, and now I think I know most of the leaders' names, maybe one or two I'm not so sure on. I've been spending a lot of time with the British/Irish staff, as they are really cool. A girl from Durban arrived the other day, she's the marine biology specialist, and aside from supporting the Sharks, she seems pretty cool, kinda nice to have another South African here, although she has been refuting all the lies I've been telling the gullable American/British people. I'm doing Archery with two younger guys, I think one's 18/19 and the other's 21ish, but they like decent guys, a bit shy at first, but after chatting, found we have a bit in common, even though I am sporty, and they're more nerdy. Yay for playing computer games and watching nerdy movies! All in all there's about 95 staff, so its pretty cool. Tonight we're all dressing up, and going to a place called rollarama, which is an indoor rollerblading rink. It should be fun.

Oh, and I've been to 2 Walmarts, I don't get what the big deal about them is. They are just slightly bigger versions of Game. And they don't seem to have mint imperials. I had to buy pep-o-mint lifesavers to sate that craving.

So we have been having more training, pretty boring stuff, child protection and that sort of thing. Abuse education, how to run stuff etc. We were given our assignments, I'm doing archery in the morning (even thoough I've only done it like 4 times), and then "outdoor skills" in the afternoon. I have been setting up a compass trail, and will be teaching the kids how to use camaflage and might make gillie suits. I got put in the junior division, which at first I was a bit bummed about, but it seems that the senior section is all about being cool, and is the in thing, so I'm actually glad I'm not there! I just hope I get the older juniors and not the younger ones!

The weather here is a bit odd, its been great for the past few days (I have been sleeping outside, since the cabin I've been assigned to stinks, and both times I've slept in it I have been bitten to shreds) but now its raining buckets! Fortunately its still quite warm.

Last night we went out with our divisions, and we went off to play laser tag. It was alright, but the whole of the States that I've seen so far seems to have been built in the 50's. It's all super old! I kinda expected the camp to be rustic, after all it is a camp, but it seems that the rest of the States follows suit. I can't wait to go to a real city like Boston, so I can see what the US's modern cities look like.

The first batch of children arrive on Sunday, so things will start getting more hectic then.

Arrival in the USA

Hey, so I'm  in the US at last! 23 hours of flying, and I finally made it to Providence! I really think that babies shouldn't be allowed on Airpplanes, since I spent most of the SA to UK flight with a toddler trying to burst my eardrum by crying really really loudly! Then on the way from Chicago to Providence there was a baby behind me crying the whole way. And those were both of the flights where the in flight entertainment was below par, so some sleep would have been good. The United flight from Heathrow to Chicago was quite good, at least we had individual screens and could select the movies we watched. On the way from Cape Town, we had an archaic in flight entertainment syste, there was a TV that lowered itself from the roof, and looked like it came from the 80's. And at the distance from my seat, it would have been better off if I had watched on my Ipod. And they only showed 2 movies, so at 2am there was a baby crying, and no movie to watch, so I had to listen to the music channel, and read. I had really hoped to watch movies all night, but that wasn't going to happen obviously. Then on the UK to Chicago, as I mentioned we got individual screens, so that was cool, but after watching 2 movies, my screen and controls went on the blink. So I ended up reading for 2 hours, then I realised that whenever I moved my feet, the screen flipped back on. So it was obviously a loose connection underneath the chair in front of me. So for the rest of the flight I was able to watch movies, but it was a bit annoying, since every time I moved my feet, my screen would freak out!

Then on the way from Chicago to Providence they showed the Office, which I'm not too partial to, and then some kind of soap opera, which didn't tickle my fancy either, so needless to say I got more reading done there aswell.

I was a bit concerned, as the flight from Chicago was delayed due to rain, and then had some problem with the brakes.  I only realised when I reached Chicago that I only had a land line number for the Camp, and not a mobile, so I tried phoning to let them know we'd been delayed, but just got an answering machine. I learnt later from the guy who picked me up, that he could have gotten messages off that machine, but I didn't leave a message, so I was  just glad that when we got into Providence (at about 12:15) that he was still there!

The Airports on the way are all super huge, at both Heathrow and Chicago you had to walk like forever to get to where you needed to go. Heathrow was great, its pretty jacked up, everything looks like its been revamped in the last couple of years, their transit/departure lunge is pretty massive, and modern, it was quite cool to chill there for a bit, I just wish I'd had the forethought to get some pounds, since I had to sit on crusty airport chairs for 5 hours or so to wait for my flight to board. Would have far rather gone to sit in one of the coffee shops or restaurants. I did peruse the Whisky shop, and noticed a few familiar brands (thanks Will :P). Chicago also had a pretty hectic Departure mall, but that was just massive, but it looked like it came from the 80's, in fact the whole of O'Hare airport looked like its was last redone in that era. The same with Providence, although Providence pulls it off with a bit more class. I think Cape Town International does us proud in comparison, since its pretty decent and very up to date.

I was a bit concerned about going through immigration/customs, but that was such a breeze, you just had to hand in your passport and forma, have your finger prints taken (they use a cool scanner, so you don't need to get your fingers dirty with that lame ink stuff), then have a sullen officer ask why you're going to the US, and then you were through. The customs dudes just took your forms and waved you on. They didn't even ask "Do you have anything to declare?" I almost felt cheated!

So I got to Providence super late, fortunately the guy who'd been assigned to pick me up put two and two together and realised I was on the Chicago flight, so he waited. I was kinda stressing out that he'd have left and I'd have had to try and find a place to stay for the night, at 12am!!!

Camp Fuller is set on a lagoon called Judith Pond 15 minutes drive from Wakefield, it kind of reminds me of Hermanus/Klienmond, except there are more beach houses on the opposite shore.  Its quite rustic here, with a whole lot of spread out cabins and what not. I've met a bunch of really great people, mostly from the UK, but one or two from New Zealand and Australia. I even met a US girl called Arielle (spelling???) who actually stayed in Cape Town for 4 months, she did a course at UCT, so she stayed in Rondebsch, which was a massive coincidence!!!

I got here a few days early, I thought I'd try have a few days to get over the jet lag and whatnot, but I seem to be doing OK, maybe my Cycadian (spelling???) rythm's or whatever it was that were out of kilter in SA and meant that I couldn't get to sleep there, are all right for the US, or maybe its just that travelling West its not so bad, but when I come back, it'll hit me hard? Anyhow, I got up this morning at 6, and went for a run, so I'm pretty proud of myself, don't think it'll last when the kids arrive though! At the moment I don't have any duties, so I'm mainly voluntarily helping with the washing up guys, who are all British, but never the less are pretty cool. I was beginning to think that the US steriotype was not true in Rhode Island, since a bunch of the people I've met have been reasonably sized, but then I remebered that they're also mostly foreigners. And then I met the kitchen staff who definitely fit the standard steriotype!!!

As for the camp iotself, it's pretty cool, its spread out, with a couple of fields in between, It's pretty massive, I went for a walk around it, and it probably took me something like an hour to walk around most of the site. Its set about 5km from the main road, But the vegitation is pretty thick, you can get through it if you want, but there's lots of small trees and bushes, so it does feel like I'm in the middle of the wild, even if it only takes about 20mins to get to the nearest town. It's set on the lagoon, so there's a couple of jetty's, however you're only ollowed to swim if there's a life guard on duty, which is a bit of a lus! Also you're not allowed to walk with bare feet in the food hall, apparently that's against regulations, and if the health inspector saw, they'd be in deep trouble. I have seen a bunch of rabbits, and everywhere you look there are chipmunks, which is pretty cool, I'll upload some pictures when I get the chance, but that's it for now, I'll write some more when I think of stuff to write about...

Departure Day

So today's the day. I am going to the airport in an hour or two, and my adventure will begin. I'm packed and ready, now just the wait till I leave, and all the goodbyes. Although it shouldn't be too bad, I'm only going for 3.5 months. I'm currently having my last SA fix, Biltong snapstix. I'll have to see how beef jerky compares...

Let the adventure begin!!!

Packing

My Duffel bag

Some of the first items I've put aside...

New Backpack

Essential packing items ;)

Visa's and stuff

So before my adventure begins, I have had to do a bit of prep work. Its all new to me, since this will be my first overseas trip. Since I am doing Camp America through a agency, most of the complications have been sorted out, but there were a few minor set backs. I arranged my flight through a friend at Flight Centre, going from Cape Town to Providence via Heathrow and Washington respectively, and then coming back from New York via Heathrow and Joburg. I was then chatting to a friend who mentioned I might need a transit visa for the UK, so I chatted to my travel agent friend and she said that this was not the case. She also chatted to her supervisor, who confirmed this. So I was happy that I didn't need a transit visa for the UK. However, when I forwarded my literary to the agency that was organising my travel insurance, they checked with the travel agency they are associated with, who then came back to me and said I DID need a transit visa. With having had 2 different opinions on this matter, I was beginning to panic!

So I decided to take matters into my own hand so to speak, and do a bit of research of my own. So I looked up UK transit visa, UK visa, South Africa to USA travel via Heathrow and a bunch of other subjects, and came up with a bunch of information, but nothing that said I had to/didn't have to get a visa, so I thought "why don't I just phone BAA, as Britain's main airline, surely they will know" but they didn't, and the British embassy also seemed clueless. I got given the number for visa applications, which has a whole bunch of info in the various prompts, but basically they all point back to the web site, and you don't get to speak to an operator.

In the end, I decided to err on the side of caution, and decided to apply for one, only to find that the division that  deals with transit visas does actually have an option to speak to an operator, and he said that if I am going to be staying in the airport, and provided I have a ticket out of the UK within 24 hours, I didn't need a transit visa. Needless to say I was suitably relieved, since I'd have been cutting it close, trying to get a UK visa in 8 working days...