As the title explains, this week we traveled to the Limpopo province of South Africa where we were hosted by Professor Themeli's extended family as we learned about Venda culture. (For those who don't know, Professor Themeli is a Fordham professor from South Africa who helps to oversee the Ubuntu program.) His sister was even generous enough to lend us some traditional wraps to wear over our skirts for when we met the chief. The ceremony included music and dancing as well as what seems to be every South Africans favorite activity - making the Americans dance with them. It was incredible to drive five hours north of Pretoria and suddenly be surrounded by people wearing Fordham shirts and be treated with such hospitality. After this we were able to see more of the beauty of Limpopo. As we drove around the area, we began to see the truth in Limpopo being called "the bread basket of South Africa." Besides seeing lots of farms growing everything from bananas to tea, we saw banana and mango trees growing wild on the side of the road. Our final destination was the big baobab tree which we were able to climb. Here the landscaped changed from the lush surroundings of where we were staying to dry grass land but the colors were still beautiful.
1 Comment
Anne Galbraith
5/13/2018 06:35:40 pm
Limpopo looks very lush and beautiful. And fun - meeting Prof's family,, having a brush with the royals, and climbing a baobab!
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