Tour of the Ship!

Here's the You Tube link for a tour of the MV Explorer done by yours truly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SftCiBif550

Enjoy!!!

Finally...picures!

We made it home after a long day of traveling. It was great and strange to be back in the USA. Still processing and adjusting everything.

I finally have some pictures for everyone!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=137358&id=602112687&l=9d79f6041d
^ is the original album with a lot more.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=165203&id=602112687&l=fa7e2cffe6
^200 more!

Remember you don't need a Facebook to view!

The End

So it’s finally here: the end.  I can’t believe it.  Exams are over (I got all As, of course) and last evening we had the Alumni Ball, which was kind of a SAS prom.  The dessert buffet was the best.  I’m officially a Semester at Sea alum.  Hard to believe.  In my mind it still seems like yesterday I was just leaving the Philadelphia airport on a cold, January morning.  Now, in two days, I’ll be back at that airport, but now it’s spring.   My voyage around the world is over.

So, I literally sailed around the world.  From California, I went to Hawaii, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, India, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, Brazil, and now back home to the USA.  Three continents in about three months- scary.  Sitting out here on the deck looking at the ocean, it all seems surreal.  Did it ever really happen?  Where did the time go?  Of course, these are silly questions.  It did happen, but it all feels like a blur.  So, now I have to get used to the fact that I’ll be back in reality, not the suspended reality that I’ve been in.  Back to working, “real” school, driving, and all that good stuff.   Hopefully, it will be a smooth transition for me.  I think it will.

These past three and half months I think I’ve really grown as a person.  I no longer look at things in such a narrow view, rather I see things on a global perspective.  Reading CNN.com a few weeks ago there was an article about an earthquake in China.  As soon as I saw this my mind flashed to the streets of Shanghai and my time there.  In December it would have flashed to I have no idea.  Maybe a picture of China on the map.  Maybe the Great Wall.  Maybe nothing.  I don’t know.  I do know that I will be doing that for pretty much every country I’ve been to.  These countries are no longer just places on the map or in the news.  I have memories, and feelings associated with them.  To me, they are real.  I’ve been there, I’ve eaten the food, and met the people.   Now, I’ve only scratched the surface of the world, true, but all of this is a major start.  In January the only international destination I’d ever been to was Bermuda, if you can call it that.  So to sum all this rambling up: am I the same person that left on January 16?  No.  I’m a worldly, traveled individual, with a different perspective on a lot of things.   Take Obama for example.  Despite the fact that I don’t politically agree with a lot of stuff he’s done, I see him in a different light.  In both Ghana and Brazil our ship docked in ports where slave ships docked hundreds of years ago.  In these very same ports, African slaves have hundreds of atrocities committed against them and God knows how many other horrible things done.  Knowing about the slave trade is one thing, but knowing that you may be walking on the very same roads that slaves traveled on is very, very different.  In Ghana, also, I met and spent a great deal of time with a native Ghanaian.  He showed me around, helped us break the language barrier, and so much more.  If he’d been born a few hundred years ago, he’d have been a slave.  So to bring all this back to Obama, I really see what he means to the African people, and can relate because I was there.

Invariably, the question I will get asked by so many people when I’m back home will be: “Nick! What was your favorite country?”  The only answer I can think of for that is: “That doesn’t really put it into perspective.”  It’s not just about one country; it’s the knowledge that there’s a world out there.  So, the only people I think I’ll ever be truly able to relate all this with will be the people I sailed around the world with.  Not that we’re better then the average Joe, but we’ve experienced it all together, can understand, and will forever have that bond that one time we sailed around the world together. So, I hope I didn’t ramble too much and that makes a once of sense.  I think it does…

If you ever hear a college student talking about going abroad, recommend to them Semester at Sea.  I’m so glad I choose this over spending a semester in one country.  I’ll never, ever get to travel like this again.  If you ever come across $30,000 and want to do Semester at Sea, become a Lifelong Learner.  They’re older folks who are on the ship with all of us and can experience it.  It’s worth it. Trust me.  You also realize that traveling on a ship is the best way to travel.  There’s something special about sailing into a country, hearing the ship’s horn blow, docking, finally getting off and seeing the ship.  Way better then flying. 

We arrive in Ft. Lauderdale on Wednesday, and I can’t wait.  I can’t wait to be home, eat American food (cheesesteak anyone?), see my family and friends (Vino’s guys? Can’t wait!), drive, and just be back into my normal life again.  A good song that sums up how I’m feeling right now is “Last Days” by Sugar Ray.  It’s on You Tube if you want to hear it.   These last few days on the ship I’ve declared “cruise ship days.”  That means laying out reading, drinking smoothies, and just enjoying the ocean. 

So, first and foremost, I’d like to thank my parents.  Not only for paying for this voyage, but for letting me travel around the world and supporting my decision to do this.  I’m sure they were nervous at some points.  I don’t have kids, but I imagine knowing that one is going to all these crazy countries could make you bite your nails occasionally.  I love you, and will see you on Wednesday.  Secondly, I’d like to thank Dr. Nick Uliano Cabrini College’s Study Aboard director.  Without his advice and words of wisdom, I might not have decided to do this last summer.  And lastly, I’d like to thank so many people for reading this blog!  From the e-mails I’ve gotten and what my parents have told me a lot of people are!  I’m glad I could share this voyage with so many people.  I hope my writing and attempts at humor didn’t fail every time.   If you want, e-mail me: djd4598@mac.com.  Once I get back home, I’ll be practically living on the Internet, uploading pictures.  I’ll post the link to my Facebook album (you don’t need a Facebook to view them!) and I’ll also upload a tour of the ship, done by me, to You Tube. 

Now, I’m bracing now for some tearful goodbyes, happy reunions, and long day of traveling on Wednesday.   Think of the last day of a vacation (how you just want to be home) times a thousand.  Lots of luggage, lines and complicated customs procedures.  See everyone soon and again thanks for reading!  Check back for the pictures and video links!

The Rest of Salvdaor...

My last four days in Brazil were okay at best.  Unfortunately, I got some kind of food poisoning and was cooped up in bed for a day and a half.  Not the best way to spend time in port, but oh well.  I got through seven countries without having any type of stomach issues, despite constant warning from the ship’s doctor. 

On my second day I had a very interesting tour of three different schools in Brazil.  We went to a local community school, in a very rough neighborhood in Salvador.  This school survives off of $6,000 from a charity in Switzerland.  All of the teachers are volunteers and the school is mainly seen as a haven for kids in the neighborhood.  The kids put on a dance show for us and it was great!  The second school was a public one in a more middle-class neighborhood.  It was a high school and Brazil has a very interesting system regarding students and college.  All high school students are required to take a test, kind of like an SAT.  Riding on this SAT is a lot.  If the students get a certain mark, they are admitted to public university for free.  We learned a lot about more about the school system in Brazil and how the system is divided between Catholic schools and the public ones.  The last school we visited was another public high school in a more sinister neighborhood.  This school was actually founded as a project to educate Brazilians about their different heritages, Portuguese and African.

In the afternoon we went to a gorgeous beach.   We had a relaxing afternoon and evening on the beach, ending with a beautiful sunset.  We then got Aci, a berry concoction straight from the Amazon.  It was delicious, and best of all it’s one of the healthiest things you can eat.  It’s sold in the U.S., but it’s also very, very expensive.  I’ve seen it in health food stores.  We went back to the ship early, as we were all exhausted.

On Friday, I went to a nursery school for a visit.  All working mothers in the neighborhood the school’s located in (not the best one) can have their children stay here for free while they are at work.  We got to meet all of the kids, aged 6 months to 5, and then spent about two hours playing with them.  They were the cutest kids I’ve ever seen!  I know us being there meant the world to them and I was grateful to give my time. 

From Friday afternoon to Saturday evening I was sick.  I have no idea what I ate, but something didn’t agree with me.  Not the most interesting stuff to write about, but like I said, I consider myself lucky not to have gotten sick in any previous ports.   I know people on board who have been in multiple ones. 

Saturday evening was the first time I got off the ship and we went to dinner at a local pizzeria.  I was happy that my appetite had finally returned and dinner couldn’t have been more delicious.  Sunday, we spent our time walking around different parts of Salvador, and buying souvenirs.  It really is a gorgeous city and I wish I could have seen all it has to offer.  Hopefully, I’ll get back here one day. 

So, now we’re off to Florida and home.  I can’t believe it.  Seeing “Salvador to Ft. Lauderdale” on my room’s television screen is so strange.  I will write one final post about a bunch of different things- after I get through finals.  I am still in school here…

Salvador Day 1

We arrived in Salvador, Brazil on Wednesday, April 21 (two weeks from day we’ll be arriving in Florida…so crazy!) at 8 AM.  Customs didn’t take long at all and we were off the ship by 10 AM.  Our plans for the day were nothing but wandering around the city.

Salvador had a different feel from any city we’ve been to so far. I can’t put my finger on it, but it was very different.   There’s Lower Salvador and Upper Salvador, Upper is where we spent the majority of our day.  You have to take an elevator to get in between the two, which I think is pretty cool and very different. Several of my friends who’ve been to Europe say that it reminded them of European cities.  I’ve never been to Europe, but could easily see how correct they were; you can definitely tell that a European power controlled this country.  Everywhere there were cobblestone streets with little shops, cafes and multi-colored houses.   We spent a good deal of time going in and out of different shops and then got lunch at one of the cafes. 

I also can easily see why there’s such a problem with mudslides in Brazil.  While we were eating lunch, it POURED rain.  There was a good ten to fifteen minutes of nothing but a straight downpour.  It was crazy…I’ve never seen rain like it.  It was actually very cozy sitting in a café drinking hot, Brazilian coffee (very good but I can’t wait for my cup of Wawa Joe when I get back home) watching the rain pour.  Lunch turned into an hour and a half affair due to the rain.  

When the rain finally ended, we got on with our day.  We went into a Catholic church, St. Francis, for a tour.    This was the most beautiful church I’ve ever seen.  The statues, paintings, Crucifixes- everything was so ornate and detailed.  I could not get over it.  No church I’ve even been into at home even comes close to what this one was like.  It also was huge.  They had whole rooms devoted to the Stations of the Cross, different Brazilian or Portuguese Saints, and the Blessed Mother.  In addition to the main church, there were two very large chapels.  I was in total awe of everything.   

After touring the church, we got lucky.  They were filming a music video for the World Cup on one of the streets we wandered onto.   This video will introduce Brazil when the world cup rolls around.  So we all got to be in the music video for the World Cup (which hopefully will appear on YouTube) and got interviewed for a local news station.  Well, I didn’t get interviewed but some of the other SASers in the group did and they were going to show footage of all of us, in the video, on TV that night.  So, while I was at dinner, Salvador residents were seeing my mug on TV. 

That night we went to a local place for dinner right on the beach.  The restaurant was a little pricey, but the atmosphere was awesome.  I got Portuguese pizza, and it was the best pizza I’ve ever had.  There’s something very different about the crust/dough.  It was delicious. 

Sadly, the only thing about Salvador I didn’t like was how venerable I felt at different points during the day.  The city is known for frequent muggings and petty theft.   We hadn’t been in Brazil for four hours and we heard stories that fellow SASers had been mugged.  I know we all stick out like sore thumbs, but still that was quick.  At several points I just felt unsafe and decided not to go into certain streets for fear of getting mugged.  I definitely think this is the port where I need to be the most careful.  At least it’s the last one and I didn’t feel this way anywhere else.  Not too bad. 

So aside from the muggings, I’m looking forward to spending the next four days in South America (my third continent!).  I have two service visits to different schools in Salvador and then I have no idea.  Everyone who I’ll be spending the time with is low on cash.  So we’re going to see how much we can do in Salvador with spending the least amount of money!

Last Destination...

We arrive in Salvador, Brazil tomorrow.  I was planning on going to Rio, but my bank account told me otherwise.   So, I’ll be spending five days in Salvador.  One of the inter port students on the ship told me Salvador is a much better place to see what Brazil is like.  It’s not as touristy and very authentic. I’m excited.  I have two service visits to schools planned and I’m looking forward to them.

The last five days have been nothing but schoolwork.  Everyone on the ship is pretty much just doing homework, getting those last assignments done.  I was proud of myself and got done what needed to be done.  I still have two exams to prepare for after Brazil, which aren’t going to be so much fun.  So the last stop of my journey begins tomorrow!  It’s going to be great! 

The Rest of Ghana

My second day in Ghana was one I’d been looking forward to for a while.  I visited the Morning Star School, a private school in Ghana.  It’s a religious, K-9 school with just about 1100 students.  Unfortunately, only the ninth graders were in that day.  The rest of the student body was on vacation.  The ninth graders were in to prepare for a government test that will determine if they go to high school or not.  It’s different in Ghana.  In 9th grade, all the students take a standardized test and then depending on how they do on this test, they will be gain admission to a high school, which is 10-12.  So there’s a lot of pressure to do well.  We spent a good three hours with the school’s headmistress and she told us pretty much anything we wanted to know.   The school reminded me A LOT of a Catholic grade school.  Religious paintings all around, prayers in the classroom, and I dunno it just did.  There also was a poster in the library that said: “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”  This poster was in my 7th grade classroom and half the people on the trip said they’d had this exact poster in one of their grade school classrooms. 

I had a chance to have a conversation with several of the ninth graders there and they just reminded me of me when I was in eighth grade.  They told me they loved it because they were the “kings of the school.”  They also were nervous about going to high school the next year and would be parting with students they’d known since Kindergarten.  I felt the exact same way in eighth grade.  King of the school, nervous about high school, and sad about parting ways with the St. Philip Neri Class of 2004, most of the whom I’d been with since Kindergarten.  Funny that Western Africa reminds me of this.

The headmistress took us on a tour and answered our questions.  One thing that is very different from private schools in the U.S. is that Ghanaian private schools get no funding from the government whatsoever.  They are completely dependent on the tuition.   Private schools, however, are the top rated schools in the country.  The headmistress said: “No public school comes close.”  I’d like to think she wouldn’t be lying (especially since the school is a religious one) and from some of the things she was telling is it would make sense.  Very interesting stuff.  The headmistress also told me she’d love for my future students (I’m an education major) to be pen pals with one of her classes.  That’s going to look good on my résumé one day. 

After the school visit, I returned to the ship and then was headed out for the evening.  We were fortunate to meet a Ghanaian named Nii (pronounced “knee”) on the first day and Nii was no ordinary Ghanaian.  He has a bit of a history with SAS.  In between every port we’ve had an inter port student.  A college student from a university in the next country we’re visiting sails with us from one port to the next.  This student will talk in lectures, answer our questions about the country, gives us good things to do, and stuff like this.  Nii was the Ghanaian inter port student from the Fall 2009 SAS voyage.  He ran into us on the street and told us and we couldn’t believe that we’d run into him.  He sailed with the MV Explorer from Casablanca to Accra last time she went around the world. 

Anyways, Nii wanted to help us SASers out again.  He had taken my friends all around Accra while I was visiting the school and was hanging out with us again at night.  He drove us to the resort we were heading to, Big Millys.  It was a forty-five minute drive from Accra and on the coast.  It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but it was a great time.  It basically was a village hotel.  We had a great night there and Nii spent the night with us.  He was fun to talk to and I just couldn’t believe that he was going out of his way to help us so much.  We’d only met him about 24 hours before. 

The next day Nii arranged for us to have a Ghanaian style brunch, again going out of his way to help us.  The food was very spicy, but good and ultra fresh.  I think they may have killed the chickens and caught the fish that morning.  Afterwards, Nii took us to some secluded beach areas and I got a chance to swim in the Atlantic Ocean.  I still can’t believe it was the Atlantic.  This is the ocean I swim in every summer and have hundred of memories because of, but this time it was the other side.  I don’t know if it’s a feeling I can describe with words.  I felt at home in it and swimming today was unlike any of the other swimming I’ve done on this trip.   This probably makes no sense at all, and like I said above words just can’t describe it. 
So, it was a great evening and day getting to know Nii.  He had really interesting things to say and I really learned a lot about Ghanaian people from him.  I still CAN NOT get over how hospitable he was to us.  Hopefully, I can be the same way to a tourist in Philadelphia one day. 

Another interesting thing happened when I was traveling with Nii.  One the way to Big Millys, he took us to an off the beaten track restaurant.  It was a little joint run by a family.  The woman who served us and cooked our food had on a very interesting t-shirt.  It was a Catholic school’s basketball jersey.  It had the name on the school and a bunch of sponsors on the back- the exact same kind I used to wear in grade school.  The funny thing is I remember donating these old jerseys and seeing people donate jerseys exactly like them at church!   You’d always hear they went to African nations and I saw with my own eyes that they really do!  The lady told us jerseys like these come in every so often from U.S. Catholic organizations and are sold at a used clothing store for what would amount to $.25.   Nii said the region we were in relies on clothes like these because it’s the only kind the sellers can afford.  It was just so crazy and strange to see. 

Nii took us back to Accra and we headed back to the ship.  It was sad to say goodbye to him (we couldn’t see him the next day because he had classes) and I have his contact information so we can keep in touch. I spent the evening on the ship, as I was completely exhausted.  The heat, 3 hours or so of sleep the night before, and swimming drained me. 
The next day I didn’t do too much.  I headed into Accra and got some souvenirs, including an awesome African shirt, and spent a few more hours walking around the city.

Ghana was a different country.  The people here are very laid back, and very welcoming to Americans, which was so nice.  However, I didn’t really like the fact that it was so hot.  I can deal with the heat, but imagine walking around a big city where there’s running sewage everywhere, and it’s 100 degrees out.  Not the best smell in the world.   Also, a hidden price developing nations like Ghana are paying is traffic.   If you think traffic is bad in the United States, it’s ten times worse here.  The roads are terrible because there’s just a lack of basic road infrastructure.  Nii was going all over the place to get on to the highway.  There were very few labeled entrances and exits.  You just drove on a dirt road until and went into traffic.  Imagine 100 cars doing this at a time and then imagine the traffic problems that would create.   We spent a lot of time sitting in traffic.   

So, now we’re crossing the Atlantic Ocean and off to Brazil, our last port of call.  I cannot believe there’s just 21 days left on this voyage.  I have no idea where the time went.  Hawaii and Japan seem like another lifetime ago.