I absolutely loved South Africa. South Africa had been the country that I was most looking forward to on this entire voyage, and it definitely did not disappoint! South Africa has been our longest port thus far, and I cannot believe how fast my time flew by.

We arrived into port four hours late. We had originally been told that we would miss the entire first day, so I was thrilled that it was only 4 hours of missed time. We usually arrive into ports too early to wake up and watch the ship pull into port. Since we came in at a more reasonable hour everyone was up to watch the amazing views of Table Mountain come into focus. My friends and I grabbed lunch as soon as we got off the ship because I was (and still am) so tired of ship food. After lunch we went to the Zeitz MOCAA Contemporary African Art Museum. It is the largest contemporary art museum in the world, and it was incredible. It is such a diverse museum. After we left the museum we explored the waterfront and shopped for hours. Later that night we went out for dinner and met up with a bunch of other SASers for the evening. We ended up staying out until midnight! We barely made it back to the ship on time to catch our 1 am bus to Mossel Bay.

This day was and will always be the longest day of my life! A group of 45 SAS (Semester at Sea) students traveled 6 hours to Mossel Bay. I was lucky and slept almost the entire time, but my unlucky friends told me it was a very rough trip due to the lack of infrastructure in rural South Africa. The roads were really bad so I’m thankful that I slept. Once we got to Mossel Bay our large group split into two. My group went cage diving. We walked down to the boat and boarded the boat for a very rocky ride. We drove out to Seal Island which is the best place in the world to view Great White Sharks. I was fortunate to see a shark take down a seal! That was the signal that it was time to get in the water. I suited up into a wet suit, and I got to be the first person in the cage! I was in the cage for 30 minutes and It was the most thrilling experience of my life. We saw 4 Great White Sharks. They were so peaceful and very curious of us. It was neat to see these beautiful animals in there natural habitat. After I got out of the cage, I warmed up on the deck and watched the sharks swim right below me. Since the water was so rocky most people in my group got seasick which put a damper on the morning. It was really gross, but our guides told us that it attracts sharks so it was actually for the best! Once everyone had gotten his/her chance in the cage, we packed up and headed back to the dock. After we dried off and had a quick snack we got back on the bus.

We drove to this airport hangar in the middle of nowhere. After many safety demonstrations and paperwork, I got suited up and ready to go. I was ready to jump out of a plane! I was in the third group, so I had some down time before I got to go. Once it was my turn, I went out into this field and watched the group before me make its way to the ground. I put the rest of my gear on and met with my instructor, and we loaded onto the plane. I was so excited the entire way up. Skydiving had been something I had wanted to do for as long as I can remember. There were six of us in the plane, and I was in the position to go second. My good friend, Kobe Richardson, was first. I didn't start to panic until I saw her legs dangling out of the plane. I only had a couple seconds to worry because before I knew it I was already out of the plane. I jumped out of a plane that was flying at 10,000 feet. Words cannot describe how the incredible the rush was while I was in free fall. Once the parachute popped out, I was able to catch my breath. My instructor let me take the reins and steer the parachute all by myself! The jump was everything that I’d imagined and more. I sadly had to come back to the ground, but I will be diving again soon! From the moment the plane left the ground to when I landed was only about 20 minutes! Cage diving was quickly bumped to the second best experience of my life!

Next my group drove to Botlierskop Game Reserve for a game drive. We ate lunch and then loaded up into a huge truck and set out to see some animals. The best way that I can describe the drive is to compare it to the Indiana Jones Ride at Disney. We could barely sit up because it was so bumpy. I saw so many amazing animals. We saw rhinos, elephants, zebras and lots of antelope. After a quick drive we headed back to the lodge and left. We drove another 2 hours into the woods to the lodge/hostel where we stayed the night.

I woke up at the crack of dawn, and we headed to Bloukrans Bridge. This bridge is the highest bridge in the world that allows bungee jumping. After getting harnessed, our group walked to the middle of the bridge. The walk was honestly scarier than the jump because I could see the ground right below me. When it was my turn, the men tied up my ankles and I hopped to the edge. Free falling was absolutely surreal! I didn't even realize what was happening and then I was hanging upside down in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. After everyone got his/her turn to jump, we loaded up the bus the final time and drove over 8 hours back to Cape Town. My friends and I went to Grand Life Cafe. It was the the cutest restaurant I have ever been to. I stayed on the ship that night.

I had another early morning. (I'm honestly not used to sleeping in port at this point). This time I was traveling on a Semester at Sea program. We all met on the ship and headed to the airport. We took a British Airways flight to Johannesburg and then had an additional 3 hour bus ride to the Mabula Game Lodge. Once we arrived we had a quick snack and went out on our first game drive. It was so neat to see so many types of animals that I've never seen before in the wild. After the sun went down, we went back to the lodge and had one of the most delicious meals I've ever had in my life. The meal was steak, gnocchi, calamari, corn, bread, grilled chicken, and ice cream. In the middle of dinner a group of traditional drummers and dancers performed for us.

The next morning I had a 5 am wake up call. We rushed out into the bush to see the wildlife while it was still cooler. Right away we spotted a Momma cheetah with her four cubs. The cubs ran up to our Jeep, and they were so cute. After another two hour drive full of other animals we headed back to the lodge for a day full of relaxation. I spent my “relaxing” day eating because the food was so at Mabula. In the late afternoon I went on another game drive. The sunsets in the bush are unbelievable. My pictures do not do them justice. After another long day we went back to the lodge of another wonderful dinner.

The next morning I had my final 5 am wake up call and my final game drive. I ended up seeing 3 of the big 5 so overall it was a great trip! I will have to go back someday to see the leopard and the lion in the wild. After our drive I had to bid a farewell to Mabula and make the trek back to the ship.