Port #16: Fort. Lauderdale, Florida

Time with Grandma and Grandpa!
(A 'Post Ports - Final Reflection Blog' will be written and shared in the coming weeks...)

Port #15: Dominica

Dominica was our last pot-of-call.  A Caribbean island to round out the 16 city, 14 country tour of the Atlantic Rim.  The island visit was overshadowed by the tragic boating accident and death of a student – Casey Schulman.  Casey was a bright, engaging student who modeled kindness, generosity, a positive attitude, and optimism.  Although I do not recall having any conversations with her, without fail, Casey would acknowledge my presence with beaming smile whenever we crossed paths.  It was a smile of sincerity.  She authentically acknowledged my presence, as she did with everyone else on the voyage, whether she was a close friend or not.  Her passing was incredibly difficult for the entirety of the shipboard community, especially for the 50 or so students who were with her in those final hours. 

Although there was significant grieving and a profound sense of loss, her passing created a space for the entirety of the shipboard community to come together and celebrate the blessings and transformation that was the whole of the voyage.  Our community reached new levels of connectedness, which only enhanced the experience as we rounded out the tour de Atlantic.  As a community, in just a week’s time we balanced feelings of devastation with feelings of joy.  Although Casey’s passing was a tragic part of the experience, it was one part of a truly learning-filled and transformative voyage around the Atlantic.   

In addition to being available and responding to student needs the night of Day One and throughout Day Two of Dominica, I was able to venture out and explore the tropical island.  I visited The Emerald Lagoon, and took a driving tour through the heart of the lush, mountainous island.  On the second day, I went snorkeling in the Champagne Reef. 

Port #14: Manaus, Brasil

After a six day sail up the Brazilian coast, we entered into the Amazon river for a two day sail to Manaus.  As part of that experience, the US Ambassador to Brazil, Thomas Shannon (with his wife and several staff members from the Embassy), joined us for a historic visit.  He is the first Ambassador to sail on the MV Explorer.  Simply, it was an honor for him and his crew to join our community.  More so, he was a remarkable ‘guest’.  He immersed himself in our culture all the while providing depth and insight to an already robust voyage experience.

On day one in Manaus, I ventured out into the city alone.  I visited the city center in the morning and then headed out to a local university – Federal University of the Amazones.  Although the facilities look modern and the academic programs are substantial, who wants to study in the heart of the Amazon jungle?  While there, I walked in on a Futsal game – think indoor soccer, but in an open air building.  It was fantastic to see culture-in-action especially in a country where futbol (soccer) is cared for and played so passionately.

Day two was spent on a Semester at Sea program that took us into the jungle to hike and swim in caves and waterfalls.  Tremendous!  It was a fantastic day dipping and diving in pols of water in the heart of the jungle.

The last day was spent on a boat ride to visit the ‘Meeting of the Waters’ – where two rivers come together (of two different colors) to form the Amazon.  There is an amazingly clear distinction between the two and it is fascinating to watch the rivers meet and mix.  The rest of the day was dedicated to visiting Amazon River island communities and learning about how they farm and collect rubber from rubber trees.  These communities seem to live in extreme poverty and are at the will of the river.  I am not sure how the government or organizations might assist except for providing opportunities for them to share their stories to tourists (such as myself.)

Port #13: Rio, Brasil

As soon as getting off the ship in Buenos Aires, I was on a bus heading to a small beach community several hours away from the bustling metropolis.  Buzios is on a peninsula and is absolutely gorgeous.  The rocky and forested land juts out into the Atlantic and has at least a dozen amazing beaches.  My time in Buzios was spent exploring many of the beaches and visiting the small downtown with fantastic shops and restaurants.  The limited time spent in Buzios was not enough!  I am already planning my return trip.

For my last day in Rio, I met up with two students, Nick and Sara.  Even in the pouring rain we trekked into the city to explore the sights.  We visited Corcovado (Christ The Redeemer statue), Ipanema and Copacabana (two white-sand beaches in the heart of the city), and the most famous artistic stairs in the world – the Selaron stairs.  Although we were drenched for most the day, it was wonderful walking around the city and spending some time with the two of them – two of my favorite students…  

Port #12: Montevideo, Uruguay

I had high hopes for Uruguay.  My expectations were met.  Montevideo, the southern most capital city in this hemisphere was much smaller than Buenos Aires.  It was much more manageable.  Once getting off the ship, I took a jog on the Rambla – a biking/walking/jogging the length of the city on the river. It carried on for miles upon miles – literally.  Before understanding the length of the Rambla, I thought I would do the whole thing.  After four hours of jogging and walking, I headed into the city for breakfast.  From here, I traversed just about the whole of the ne and old city before reaching the ship to shower and change for supper. 

Day 2 was spent on a Semester at Sea trip to visit museums and the beach resort town of Punta Del Este.  Not much to report from here except that vacationing in Punta Del Este needs to be on the list if you are interested in a genuine beach vacation.

The last day was another city day of walking around, eating, walking some more, eating some more, spending the last of the pesos, etc.  

Port #11: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Upon arriving to Buenos Aires, I was completely dumfounded at how developed the city was.  Large, modern skyscrapers lined the skyline.  My ignorance led me to believe that the whole of Latin America was part of the backwoods, developing world – similar to what I experienced in Nicaragua and Ghana.  Absolutely not the case.  Argentina is making it happen!  Buenos Aires is developed and is on the rise.

The first day in BA was spent walking around the city to visit the parks, historical sights, tourist traps, etc.  Buenos Aires is a sprawling city.  Miles upon miles were walked.  The second day began with a jog along the River (Rio Plata) specifically within a nature reserve.  It was amazing.  Upon returning to the ship, I and some other friends/colleagues ventured out to a wine tasting.  This was a food-filled, wine tasting experience.  As great as the food was, the wine was even better.  All the bottles were from small, family-run wineries in Argentina.  Of course I had to support small business by purchasing a couple of bottles…The rest of that afternoon, evening, and night was spent causally walking from the tasting to the ship making pit stops for ice cream, empanadas, and other local delicacies.    

The third day was a duty day – my last day on duty while in port.  There were no issues to speak of, and more importantly, this was the day I finished my Comp.

The last day was spent like the first – walking and visiting different parts of the city.  Although this day, I treated myself to a top-line slab of beef.  I’ve never had meat like this.  To all my meat (and potatoes) friends out there, you’ve got to make your way to Argentina!

Port #10: Cape Town, South Africa

My visit to South Africa was not a typical SaS experience.  Over the last few months I have been reading and writing for my Fielding (PhD.) Comprehensive Exam.  This is one of the last requirements before I step into my dissertation research.  Essentially, this part of the Comp. is a critique on a body of literature of my choosing.  I chose to dive into the mentorship literature as this is what I am leaning towards for my dissertation.  (Typically, students use this as a precursor to their Literature Review for the Dissertation.  Something I have chose to do as well.)  That is all to say that my time in Cape Town was spent collecting my thoughts, organizing my notes, and preparing to write.  The writing would occur during the South Atlantic crossing from South Africa to South America.  I rented a space in a Bed and Breakfast just north of Cape Town in a town called Blaauwberg.  It was right on the beach with a direct view of Cape Town and Table Mountain.












We arrived in Cape Town the morning of October 18th – my birthday.  (The night prior, my colleagues through me a surprise party (a Chips and Salsa party).  The birthday morning was spent watching the sunrise over Table Mountain – an amazing sight to see.  Once we received permission to get off the ship, myself and some favorite students hiked up the Mountain.  The weather below was glorious.  Hot and sunny.  As we hiked up, the clouds began to cover the mountain which made for a cool, foggy, and absolutely beautiful ascent.  Once at the top, it was completely cloud filled.  However, by the time lunch was over, the clouds had dissipated and the entire city and region was in view.  As soon as the hike was over I packed my bags and headed to Blaauwberg.













The whole of my four days there were spent either seep within the literature or taking a break by walking on the beach, eating at a local restaurant, or exploring this hamlet just north of Cape Town.  It was the perfect birthday get-away and time spent immersing myself in some much-needed Comp. time.  It was this experience away from the city and the typical tourist activities that enabled me to get after my exam and submit it on the other end of the Atlantic…

Neptune Day

For sailors across the world, Neptune Day has significant meaning.  It is the day when one crosses the equator.  The first time one passes from North to South or South to North is typically celebrated through various hazing rituals including fish guts, shaving of the head, etc.  Although the Semester at Sea experience was much lighter in intensity (and was, of course, all challenge-by-choice), the experience was quite a special occasion.  By crossing the equator, one transitions from pollywog to shellback.  We are blessed to cross at both the equator and the prime meridian – making us emerald shellbacks.  We were essentially at 0 degrees, 0 degrees – neither North, nor South, nor East, nor West!

The day began with a parade of drums, pots, pans, and shouting, to wake up the shipboard community.  Once everyone was awake and well, we proceeded to the pool deck where a royal procession began to introduce Neptune.  From there, the festivities really began.  We were to line up and prepare to have our version of fish guts poured on our head before kissing a fish.  We then processed pass the royalty before getting our heads shaved.  As the pictures show, I fully immersed my experience.  

A Ghanain's Hope For The Future

Over lunch on the first day, another student and I invited our taxi driver to lunch.  I was curious about getting to know him and asked what one hope of his was for the future.  His response intrigued me.  He shared that he hoped for good leadership.  (As a side note, Ghana is in the midst of a contentious presidential election which will be determined in early December.)  He believed that only with good leadership can Ghana continue to be a model and exemplar of democracy in Africa.  I believe that is true.  I also believe that his comments shed light on the leadership psyche throughout much of the world.  That leadership is equated with power, position, and prestige.  Only those in ‘positions-of-leadership’ can bring about desired change.  I wonder what it would take for him to view himself as an empowered agent of change rather than relying on others?  I wonder how we might shift our leadership frame to be more about the person (who am I?, what are my values?, and what is my vision?) and the purpose with which one leads (for personal and communal transformation)?  I’ll certainly be processing this some more and look forward to similar conversations in the ports to come…           

Port #9: Tema/Accra, Ghana

I was welcomed to the Ghana with the smell of the developing world.  A smoke filled my nostrils – a familiar scent.  The same as when first leaving the airport in Managua.  It is the smoke from small fires – flames at just about every corner that when emitted into the air, provide the aroma and fragrance of the world, developing.

After this welcoming, I ventured from out from our port city, Tema, into the capital, Accra.  Only 16 kilometers away, the bus ride took almost two hours.  There is a serious lack of infrastructure and the result is an amazing display of traffic.  Eventually, I stepped off the bus in Accra and was greeted with an assortment of youth trying to sell whatever goods were in their possession.  After a brief walk around Oxford Street, I ventured out to the University of Ghana – Accra.  From there, several students and I took a cab several hours away to Cape Coast – a town on the central coach of the country with historic implications.

Our Cape Coast visit including a night’s stay at a crocodile sanctuary.  We also visited Kakum National Park for their Canopy Tour as well as two slave dungeons.  These slave dungeons were used by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British to round up Africans from all over Western Africa and ship them to the ‘New World’.  It was profound touring the spaces.  We viewed the rooms they were forced to live in – upon one another in their own feces – and where they were tortured, raped, and beaten.  We were also witness to the Door Of No Return.  These doors would be opened just before the slaves were guided onto ships headed across the Atlantic.  Touching the door and being in these spaces was a harrowing experience.

The next day, with other students, I ventured to a hill-town north of Accra.  We visited an absolutely gorgeous botanical garden and experienced a downpour of rain to highlight the rainy season.  This enables us to take a put stop at a local restaurant for lunch where we dove into fresh fish and a traditional Ghanaian meal.

Port #8: Canary Islands

We visited the Canary Islands for two days.  For me, day one was spent on the ship.  I was on duty and was expected to respond to any emergency or non-emergency situations that might arise.  Nothing did during the day.  At night, there were several intoxication situations bit nothing out of the ordinary. 

On the second day, I co-led (with my supervisor and the Dean of Students, Lisa Slavid) a four-hour leadership retreat.  The of us participated in the reflective experience that was one of my highlights this far on the journey.  We began with some ice-breakers / team-builders to get to know one another.  From there, I shared a bit about the history of leadership as a field of study, where we are at now, and where the edge is expanding to.  At that point, we paired up and walked (twenty minutes or so) to a square in the heart of town.  In those dyads we expressed the ways in which our values impacted our leadership.  Once we arrived at the square, we carved out time for private reflection. We concluded with a whole-group dialogue and closing exercise before going our separate ways.

The Leadership Retreat Group

After the retreat, I took a taxi to a beach that locals tend to visit (rather than tourists).  The water and the black volcanic sand were incredible.  The time spent on the beach was exactly what I needed to leave Europe and head to Africa.

Islamaphobia on board the MV Explorer

I’ll preface this post by sharing that I do believe Semester at Sea made the right decision – the only decision they could have made – to cancel the visit to Morocco.  With that being shared, I do believe much of that decision is rooted in political positioning as well as islamaphobia that has become all too common place in the American psyche and culture. 

Our voyage was supposed to take us to Morocco (Casablanca) for four days.  Instead, we extended our stay in Cadiz, Spain and added a new destination – The Canary Islands) for two days.  After the two USA embassies were bombed, the government (State Department) issued a warning for most (if not all) Islamic countries.  SaS decided it was not in our best interest to drop over five hundred Americans in an environment that could ‘potentially’ be dangerous.  News media reports there had been anti-American riots throughout Morocco and that there was civil unrest.

For me, the issue with not visiting Morocco is that we shy away from ‘other’.  Instead of engaging in dialogue and developing mutual understanding, we only perpetuate the stereotypes and keep ‘them’ as the ‘others’.  Islamaphbia has only been enhanced by many within our shipboard community because of the limited messages received about Islamic countries.  Muslims are viewed as unruly enemies – people with whom we should fear.  Our visit to Morocco would have been an opportunity to shift from seeing them as ‘others’ to brothers and sisters – siblings in our global community. 

With that being shared, I am also conscious of our collective maturity.  For enough people to bring this to attention, our time in Europe had revolved around alcohol.  Students would drink to the point of intoxication – severe intoxication for some.  I’m not sure some members of our community were ready for that transition.  I can’t imagine they would have represented themselves, this program, or the USA as the stewards and ambassadors we would hope for.  It will be interesting to see how folks react to The Canary Islands and then our first non-European port-of-call, Tema/Accra, Ghana. 

Flirting with Exercise

I had envisioned a voyage of discovery and transformation prior to embarking.  It has been nothing short of that – in many different aspects of my life.  Part of that transformation was going to happen through exercise.  I was going to transform my body via P90X.  That has yet to happen.  My commitment to Tony Horton and the P90X program has waned substantially.  However, I’ve flirted with many other types of exercising.  This is a wide, wide world and after dabbling in many experiences have realized that, for me, being in a group environment is much more successful than attempting it solo.  I’ve attempted or engaged in various ‘programs’ including P90X, Insanity, and CrossFit.  And, I’ve worked out with several groups of people for conditioning or weightlifting.  It will be interesting to see how the rest of this voyage unfolds as we will have many more days at sea – where the working-out tends to happen.

'Guests' Not 'Tourists'

The first few stops – all in Europe – had a sense of comfortability.  It was ‘easy’ – English was spoken virtually everywhere by almost everyone, the amenities were similar to what we experience at home, and the sights were to be expected (e.g., a medieval church on every tour).  Students, staff, and faculty alike, it seemed, took advantage of the comfortable.  Although I believe many of us approached it in this way, I’ll utilize the ‘I’ language and situate this blog post from my experience.

I approached my first few ports-of-call as a tourist.  I saw the sights, participated in the tours, engaged in the typical things (e.g., Guinness in Ireland, fish and chips in England, frites in Belgium, etc.).  However, that approach was leaving me less-than-fulfilled.  After several stops, I decided to make a change.  Instead of approaching my voyage as a ‘tourist’, I would approach it as a ‘guest’.  Here are just a few descriptors of how I differentiate a tourist from a guest:

A tourist focuses on the sights.

A guest focuses on the connections – to the places and people.

A tourist focuses on dropping in and just as quickly getting out.

A guest focuses on immersion – diving into the community and experience.

A tourist is guided by an attitude of otherness – seeing the other as separate.

A guest is guided by an attitude of openness – an invitation to engage in an ever-unfolding experience.

Port #7: Cadiz, Spain

We are in the process of leaving Spain.  What was supposed to be a four day stay became a six day visit.  Our original itinerary had us visiting Morocco for four days.  However, Semester at Sea decided that because of the political situation, Casablanca was not a viable option.  Instead, we extended our time in Spain and added a visit to the Canary Islands.  We’ll be arriving there after one day at sea tomorrow.

While in Spain, the city of Cadiz became my headquarters.  I was able to venture into the mountains for several days, but used the coastal city as home base.  Cadiz is situated on the Atlantic Ocean and has both amazing history and beaches.  It is a small city in the poorest state in Spain.  It is a sleepy town with much culture and tapas.  I spent many-an-evening touring the narrow alleys and city streets visiting spots for tapas, wine, beer, and socializing.

When not in Cadiz, I was hiking the mountains and exploring the famous White Towns of this region.  In these quite quaint towns just about every building is white washed as a way to protect it against insects and fungus as the people against the scorching heat.  The two pictures below are of a town, Grazalema, a village I will certainly return to at some point in the future.  It is in the midst of the peaks of the Grazalema National Park.   A magical place.   

Port #6: Lisboa, Portugal

My experience in Lisbon unfolded in an unexpected yet deeply gratifying way.  I was offered a job interview which was to take place via skype.  In order to facilitate that, I would need a hotel or another space that had a stable internet connection – the ship’s internet would not work.  After researching hotel prices and locations, I decided to pursue AirBnB.  A very wise decision on my part.  AirBnB connects people with apartments, extra bedrooms, or spare couches with those who are looking for a place to stay – typically much cheaper than a hotel.  I found a tremendous spot, a yoga studio, in the heart of Lisbon.  It was the right type of place for the interview and to crash for a night.  The interview took place on the second day. 

The first day was a duty day.  I was required to stay on the ship and be available for whatever emergency and non-emergency situations might emerge.  Because of some miscommunication, I stepped in to provide a tour for representatives from the Fulbright Portugal office.  It was a two-hour experience that went off without a hitch.

That night was a busy night, to say the least.  Many students decided to drink to intoxication and return to the ship at all hours of the night and morning.  That resulted in no more than three hours spent sleeping. For me  My time awake resulted in responding to the inebriated.  With limited hours of sleep, my shift ended at 8am and I headed into the city to get situated in the rented apartment and prepare for the afternoon interview.

Following the questions and answers, I headed back out into the city.  I ventured out to the University of Lisbon to check-out the campus and to connect with my new friends – two of the Fulbright staff members whose office was located at the university.  We spent the evening with beers and conversations chatting about the difference between the USA and Portugal.  It was time well spent.  Engaging conversation to say the least.  I am hopeful.  Young professionals from across the globe are engaged in deep and meaningful work and yearn to challenge the way things currently operate. 

I departed the conversation with filled with inspiration and ventured to the Alfama neighborhood- just below the Castle of St. Jorge.  It is within this old part of the city that the alleys narrow, and every turn leads you through a magical up or downhill corridor.  I ate tapas at a fantastic little restaurant before walking for hours on end through the streets – new and old – before heading back to the apartment.

The last day in Lisbon was spent doing the same – walking through the streets and exploring the sights.  From park to alley and alley to park until meeting back on the ship for our evening departure.  And now I am in Cadiz, Espana.          

View into the restaurant

View out of the restaurant

Tapas dinner

The absolute best apple pie i've ever had...

Port #5 Antwerp (Continued)

After several days of roaming around Antwerp, it was fantastic to visit some other cities within Belgium.  Antwerp consisted of:


 - eating frites (fries)
 - getting lost in and out of the narrow cobble-stone alleys
 - happening upon the red-light district
 - eating more frites
 - falling in love with frites all over again

Bruge

 Although we were docked in Antwerp, I was able to spend a hunk of time in Brugge and Ghent.  Both cities were built in medieval times and have wondrous water-ways.  Bruge is considered the Venice of the North.  All in all, it six days full of walking, exploration, eating, and all-around good times.    

My favorite Frite spot