Stu's visit to Egypt (year 2)
12/22/02
Greetings Family from South Africa!
WOW! I can't get over the landscape here. It is stunning. I'm taking plenty of photos.
We arrived on Friday afternoon and were greeted at the airport by Evita and her 89 year old grandfather. He turns 90 in March, but doesn't look a day over 75. Michelle and I picked up the rental car (with NO hassle. A pleasant change from life in Cairo) and followed them to the grandparents house. It was about a half hour drive from the airport on the opposite side of the road. They drive like the British here, on the left side of the road. The car is even built backwards with the steering column on the right side of the car. Luckily the pedals are arranged properly so that I could clutch with my left and brake with my right foot. Shifting with my left hand is bad enough. And, of course, there's cleaning the windshield every time I want to signal a turn. So far so good on staying in my lane though.
We visited Evita's Grandparents for the afternoon. They live in a beautiful house ot the foot of a mountain. It reminded me of Aunt Phyl's place at the base of Mt Tom. Tons of flowers and gardens. It was the first day of summer so lots of things were in bloom. We drove into Capetown that evening to stay with Evita's cousin. Weibka (pronounced "Veeb-ka") works for an adventure travel company here and lives in a small flat right in front of Table Mountain. She has a great view, but has a flatmate to make it affordable. Housing here is expensive. Her flatmate is a tiny Argentinean named Paola. She cooked us a traditional Argentina meal of fish and rice, then crepes for desert. Very hospitable and delicious. Good times. And, once again, I find myself sharing accommodations with four females. Just one of the girls...again.
Yesterday, we got picked up at 5:30 am for a day on the water. The goal was to swim with the sharks and live to tell the tale. The boat was located in a small village about two hours away. Then it was another hour by boat to the site. The weather was sunny and warm with a great sea-breeze to keep us comfortable. Once we were anchored at the site, the drill is pretty simple. Throw some chum over the side and wait and see who comes to dinner. One thing I learned was that those 40 minute documentaries on Discovery take 6 to 8 weeks of 12 hour filming days to make. Apparently sighting Great Whites is akin to sighting bears in the Adirondacks. Everyone knows they are there and it's not unusual to see one, but you're not going to be stepping over them every time you leave the house.
We only had to wait about fifteen minutes for the first shark to start circling the two huge tuna heads that were being used for bait. It appears as a dark shadow below the surface and it followed the bait towards the boat as the skipper pulled it closer and closer. It lunged out of the water a little and actually slapped the rear of the boat with its tail as it fought for the end of the rope holding the bait. I felt the boat shudder and there was a drenching splash that caught us unaware. Then it was gone. The skipper apologized because at 3 meters, it was considered a small one. A very cool experience.
Then we waited some more. An hour later the same shark returned and promptly left without a spectacular show. And that was it all day. We stayed on the water for about four hours and the weather was great so it wasn't a complete loss. They had the cage ready for people to go in, but with no shark sightings there wasn't much point. The water is very cold and getting into and out of a wetsuit is a painstaking experience. I took some photos with my digital, but I think they only show splashes.
It's Sunday morning and I've got two more weeks to soak up as much of this place as I can. I'm serious about the landscape. It just boggles my mind that I am here.
Now for some news on my future plans. I have told my current school that I will not be returning next year, I have registered for the ISS recruitment fair being held in NYC on Feb 9-13. I have a flight reserved for Friday 7 to friday the 14. Depending on how quickly I get a job I may have a few days to get to Rochester. That will have to be a game time decision though. I have some specific schools in mind, but as with any job fair, I am keeping an open mind. I am looking to work at a better paying, more prestigious school. These are the upper end, more competitive schools, but I'm a good candidate so i am hopeful.
I know this is a bit disappointing to some friends and family. I do miss people and will make it a point to come home more often in the future. I am determined to come home for the winter break next year no matter where in the world I am. One of the purposes of aiming for a better school is so that I can afford to do that. If it makes you feel any better, I LOVE this life. Seeing the world has been a lifelong dream and I actually found a way to have the money and time to do it. Working in the states just doesn't allow this lifestyle.
Well, I've got a ton of postcards to write. I'll be in touch.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!