Orientation Week

Ok so this will be a pretty long post since it encompasses a lot of different activities. I arrived in South Africa on Thursday the 29th at Cape Town International. There were some orientation leaders (OLs) there to pick us up and bring us to UCT. Once we got to campus and settled our baggage in our dorm rooms we went and toured around some of the suburbs of Cape Town that we would be living in. Friday and Saturday were also spent exploring the campus and the city and participating in orientation events like an african drum workshop.

                                          Drum Workshop


                                          Pictures from campus:

                        Aside from the University of Cairo, UCT is the oldest university in Africa

                                          Jameson Hall

On Sunday we got to go on a tour of the Cape Peninsula. Over 400 exchange students piled into buses and went to see some of Cape Towns most spectacular views.

                      Cape of Good Hope - "The most southern point in Africa" (but not really...)

                                          Our favorite OL in Camps Bay

                                          From and outlook at Cape Point

                                         Ostrich!

Yesterday we had an opportunity to travel to some schools that are sponsored my SHAWCO. These schools are in the townships surrounding Cape Town. Most children that grow up in the townships never leave, and SHAWCO is trying to change that. My favorite school of the day was the Menenberg School. All the kids were so excited to see us, in fact at one point I was carrying three of them. Then when I pulled out my camera and asked if anyone wanted to take a picture all hell broke loose. Here are the results....

Getting dog piled. That is a sliver of my face in the middle.

                                      Trying to get a selfie without any thumbs was difficult.

Afterwards all the kids were most excited about getting to see themselves on the camera screen.

Lastly, yesterday night we hiked up Lion's Head to see the sunset and the full moon. It only takes about an hour, but there were some pretty steep parts at the top where you had to actually climb. I was happy I brought my headlamp so that I could see where I was putting my feet. The views were breathtaking at the top, and of course we had to do some of the classic ledge photos.

                                          My housemates


That is all.

Peace.

Mel.