Sugar Cane

I’m having trouble figuring out where to even start. The past week has been absolutely amazing, but I’ll try to restrain my excitement in order to keep this post a suitable length.
Last weekend was spent in the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains about three hours away from Durban. We took a nice 3 hour hike to the top a mountain to view cave paintings. The cave paintings were pretty awesome, but they definitely did not compete with the view of the valley. It was easily one of the most gorgeous places I have ever experienced. I posted a picture of the mountains in my last entry. It was wonderful to be out of the city, see the stars, and breathe fresh air.
On Monday, half of us traveled to a rural area called Amatikulu, which sits near the coast about an hour and a half outside of Durban. Myself and my friend Erin lived with a family in a small house where all eight of us slept in one bedroom. We had a few unexpected amenities, such as electricity and a washtub, but did not have running water or a toilet. We coped just fine with the only major problem of having super greasy hair. I know I have stated this once, but living with this family reiterated the fact that you can live a very happy and vibrant life without any luxuries. No one complained, and everyone had a smile on.
Our mama was a Community Health Worker and we followed her around during the day to all of the houses she visits. Each day we probably averaged about 6 to 7 miles of walking on dirt roads, across rivers, and through cow pastures. My mama was also really good at hitchhiking, so we got a few rides to save us many miles of walking. It was an awesome experience to follow my mama and learn about some of health problems in rural areas. Although I must say that I witnessed some extremely disheartening living situations that I will always have etched in my memory.
We returned back to Durban on Thursday, and on Friday we had our ‘Farewell Party’ for our Cato Manor homestay. I have officially packed up my bags and moved out of my homestay house. It was a very sad moment to leave my family that I have grown so fond of. During the last evening at my house we exchanged stories about my time in Cato Manor. I told my mama that I would miss her excellent cooking and she told me that she would miss my laughter. Now who wouldn’t get emotional over such a discussion?! I plan on returning a few times on the weekends to visit with my family before I leave. I just couldn’t cut the umbilical cord right now. Although I must still be cautious because my mama continues to threaten to find and steal my passport so that I can’t leave the country.
I am currently sitting on a balcony at a hostel overlooking the beach, listening to Justin Timberlake, and stroking my clean hair. I leave tomorrow for another weeklong rural homestay where I will be sleeping in cramped quarters, listening to Zulu, and avoiding touching my oily hair. Ignoring my sarcasm, I’m actually extremely excited for another shot at a rural homestay. I’ll do my best to create some more great stories to share!