Whew! Lucky break getting on the Internet!

I feel like I have stepped back in time trying to use the Internet. I just hope it doesn't fail before I get this composed and published. It's now 1:30 pm on Friday, Feb. 29

Back to South Africa
I read somewhere that South Africa was a place of contrasts and I found that to be true. The port at Cape Town was a wealthy area, beautiful and sparkling clean as I could imagine. Then I saw the poorest of the poor in the townships.
While in Cape Town, I visited the Desmond Tutu Peace Center. The CEO met with us and she is one of the most outstanding women I have ever met. She is trained as a psychologist and counseled people during the Truth and Reconciliation process. She lived through Apartheid as a teenager and saw the brutal acts that occurred (she saw a man beheaded while she stood on the steps of her house.) It is hard to imagine how the black Africans who survived have created a life for themselves.
The City of Cape Town has given the Peace Center a piece of land, so her challenge is to raise money in order to build an appropriate building where people of all nations can meet and talk about how to live peaceably in the world. They will be training people to go to schools in order to assist teachers in teaching peace. The Center is creating "Pathways to Peace" as their brochure states.
That evening I took a Semester at Sea (SAS) sponsored trip to several townships (I had never heard "townships" and didn't realize what they were.) This is a trip I would never do by myself because the townships are very high crime areas. We had a young man for a guide on our bus who was raised in a township so he answered our questions very candidly. Even though I have been to India, I had never seen the extreme poverty of the thousands (perhaps millions) of black Africans who live in townships. The initial inhabitants were removed from their homes/farm lands about 14 years ago and made shacks from anything they could find--shabby wood, sheet metal, sea-going contains--just four walls, sometimes a roof which was a sheet of plastic. The shacks are crowded together with very little area to even walk. They have very little water (some go a great distance to get it), no electricity, and no way to make a living. The government offers them no assistance. Since they have so very little money, most people use a barter system to get what they need to survive. One township averages 30 deaths a week from AIDS.
At one of the more prosperous townships, we stopped at the Community Center and participated in a drumming circle. During our Global Studies classes, we learned the importance of music and dance to the African people. It is a way to express their emotions and a source of healing. We were served dinner (local food) at a house/restaurant. Some of it I didn't know what it was, but I recognized the chicken wings and fried chicken feet. Can you imagine being so hungry that you resort to eating chicken feet? They played the traditional xylophones, sang and danced for us. I learned so much, and again was reminded how very privileged I am.
The next day a group of 53 of us flew to Johannesburg and took a two-hour bus drive to Pilanesberg Game Reserve where we spent four days. We stayed at the Ivory Tree Lodge which was really posh. The unique feature in every room was an outdoor shower (and under the full moon for us!) We had wonderful rangers who took us out for 2 safari drives a day: one at 5:30 am and the other at 4:30 pm (lasted until after dark, so saw the nocturnal animals). We saw a myriad of animals (everything except cheetahs and leopards) - up close. It was amazing to see the animals in their natural habitat. The first evening we saw lions rolling in elephant dung. The ranger said they believe this behavior makes the lions smell "unique" and they attract the females. Men, are you willing to go to such extremes? Elephant dung can also be dried and smoked and it has similar effects of marijuana. Who knew? I haven't downloaded my pictures yet, but I hope to have some really great pictures to share.
I'll close for now; we are sailing toward Mauritius. It is believed that Mauritius will have better Internet service. We arrive tomorrow morning ~8:00 am. It promises be to a beautiful place. Mark Twain visited this island and recorded his poetic delight when he wrote, "You gather that Mauritius was made first, and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius."