At the clinic today we played a game called "Find the Ball." We split into two teams and lined up facing each other. Then we squished together as much as possible, and we would pass a tennis ball to each other behind our backs. The other team would guess who had the ball behind her back (hence the name).

The girl who ends up with the ball has HIV in this game of Find the Ball. (Alice Keeney for the Washington Post)

After each team went once, we switched out the plain tennis ball for one that had "HIV/AIDS" written on it. When we played the next round, we pretended that the girl holding the ball "had" the virus. It was almost impossible to tell from the front who was holding the ball, which was supposed to signify that you can't tell who has HIV/AIDS just by looking at it. It was something that I already knew, but the game's message really hit home.

It's more than likely that some of the girls at the camp have HIV, but it's so strange to think that about girls who we have just started to get to know. When I hear the statistics about HIV/AIDS, I always envision some fictional population that has the disease and not real people who I've talked to and spent time with. What was just a simple game that reiterated information that I already knew really put the whole situation into perspective and helped to make the situation more real. When it comes down to it, statistically it was most likely that one of these girls could have HIV and I wouldn't know just by looking, or for that matter, that any of the countless people we've met could be infected.

On Monday evening we went shopping and to dinner on the boardwalk in Summerstrand, an upscale beachfront suburb of Port Elizabeth. I had mixed feelings about this; the boardwalk consisted of a string of affluent shops and restaurants, and I felt like we should be somewhere less like the U.S. -- where there wasn't a KFC, for example.

People along the boardwalk were dressed like you would expect them to be in the States, which added to the weirdness. Just like in Cape Town, I sometimes found it hard to believe that I was really in Africa.

I also felt like such a tourist going there to shop. Among the cafes and clothing stores, however, were several booth-type shops with more traditional looking items. One of the stalls had merchandise with authentication tags saying that the wares were handmade in a township.That booth offered some really interesting stuff made from recycled cans, vinyl, telephone wire and old records.

One vendor bragged about having "The Best Pancakes in the World." Other vendors sold carved wooden objects (bracelets and sculptures, for example), handmade mobiles, jewelry, and paintings.Although the environment felt kind of artificial, it was fun shopping for African goodies. We had been told that if we wandered through the townships after dark there was a chance of being mugged, so I guess this was a better alternative.

Everyone got gifts for their families and friends. Carved salad tongs were a big hit, as were earrings, carved candlesticks, masks, carved statues, woven baskets, and beaded African animals. There were tons of different restaurants of different nationalities (Chinese, Indian etc.)

We had dinner reservations for 8 p.m. at a restaurant called Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately, we finished shopping around 6:30. Having more than an hour to kill before we drove to the restaurant, we decided to have a little "snack." Everyone was very hungry, so we went to an ice cream shop, where we proceeded to over-order (between the two of them, Anna and Natalie had hot chocolate, ice cream, and a chocolate shake topped with chocolate mousse). Everyone was nice and full by the time dinner rolled around.

Apparently, Buffalo Bills was a big game restaurant, but the menu wasn't very adventurous. Most people got chicken, but a handful got the kudu steak (Kudu is an African animal that looks like an antelope. We saw one on our drive back from Richmond). Kudu tasted pretty much like steak, but a little richer and easier to cut.

After all that food, one of our tables still ordered dessert.

A couple times a day, maybe two or three times, I look out the window of the van and experience a split second of sheer panic. We're on the wrong side of the road!!! I want to scream. This lasts for about half a second before I realize that the right side is, in fact, the wrong side of the road, and that we are in no danger of a head-on collision. You would think that after being in the van for about four hours every day, I would be used to it by now. But because of the way the windows are, it's not that noticeable unless you look from a certain angle. Yesterday, when we were crossing the street after lunch, I thought that one of the cars didn't have a driver until I realized the passenger of the driverless car was actually the driver.

Today was our first camp, which we had in Khayelitsha, the biggest township in Cape Town. Running the camps was so much fun. Honestly, I was dreading the first one just a tiny bit. I found the prospect of having to be perky and enthusiastic in front of a hundred kids I didn't know a little intimidating, but today's camp was one of the most enjoyable experience so far. (And I'm not just saying that.) The players split up into groups of two counselors with a group of players. I was with Natalie, six 10-year-olds and six 11-year-olds (Team Brazil!). The girls were very enthusiastic and very adorable. Tiffany would direct everyone before the Blast players would demo each skill for the entire group. Then we would split up into our individual teams of 12 or so players and practice the skills and coach the girls there.

We also went to Table Mountain and the Two Oceans Aquarium today. We took a cable car up to the top of the mountain, which happens to be the oldest mountain in the world (who knew?) and walked around up top. It was SO COLD at the top because of all the wind. My camera hand went numb after about two minutes, but the view from the top was amazing.

After that we went to the aquarium, in which was possibly every character from every underwater Disney movie I've ever seen -- Finding Nemo or The Little Mermaid, anyone?

Tomorrow we're leaving Cape Town and driving to Port Elizabeth, which means that we need to be up by about six to eat, pack, and leave for the eight hour drive. Yikes!

Right now I'm sitting in a van with 17 other people, including the driver, frantically typing with a laptop on my lap and Table Mountain looming just to the right. Very strange. The last couple days (Has it been a couple? It's Tuesday, but feels like it should be Monday.) The trip over was uneventful in a good way; I honestly expected something to go wrong on the way here, but nothing did. No lost luggage, missing passports, or anything -- just a very long flight. Our trip was almost exactly 24 hours door to door.

D.C. Blast players and coaches with Consulate General Helen La Lime, back center, and other U.S. embassy workers in Cape Town, South Africa. (Alice Keeney for the Washington Post)

We are driving over to our first match right now; it's about 5 p.m. our time (11 a.m. EST). This morning we went to the U.S. Consulate in Cape Town (there are three consulates and an embassy) for the United States in South Africa. Dan Claffey gave us a security briefing with a surprisingly entertaining slideshow to accompany it. (There was a picture of a kitten being held up at gunpoint, I guess to emphasize that anyone could fall victim of muggers and violence.) Paul Patin and Consulate General Helen La Lime talked to us about the US's main goals in South Africa, which include HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and treatment.

After the embassy we went to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront for lunch. (To my sister: I had sushi, chicken and noodles, fried rice, and a taste of calamari.) Then we went to a store to buy sweatpants and sweatshirts for a couple people -- it's colder than most people thought it would be.

I can't wait to see how the soccer game we're driving to will be. [Editor's note: Allie and her team members are scheduled to play a South Africa women's team.] The entire bus is almost completely silent. We got up at 8-ish (2 am EST) and everyone is so exhausted. (Of course, as soon as I typed that someone started a loud conversation behind me.)

I think that's enough for this blog. I can hardly keep my eyes open. I feel like I should write a nice, conclusive wrap up of the last two (or three?) days but that involves summoning more energy than I have left.