RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) — Rapid City is hosting 9 representatives from its sister city in Germany. KELOLAND’s Tyler Louder met up with the group in Wall on day two of their 10 day tour.

Wall, South Dakota is a long way from Germany, but that isn’t stopping the people taking part in today’s tour from making a cultural connection.

“It’s an exchange of the sister city, Apolda and Rapid City. So we’ve made a lot of good friends and have had very nice experiences,” Apolda Representative Sabine Froese said.

“Is that we can enhance people’s lives, we can share information, we can learn about other cultures, we can learn how to get along with other people. We just have a really great opportunity every time we have, not only this but in everyday life,” Rapid City Kahuna Thomas Odeen said.

This sister city relationship has been going on for over 30 years. With both Rapid City and Apolda, Germany, alternating on sending representatives back and forth every other year to tour the area.

“You can see the big country. Not everywhere is a house or a hill, it’s so wide and it’s such beautiful nature here,” Froese said.

Today’s stops included Wall and the Badlands. During the 10 day visit, they’ll be taking in everything western South Dakota has to offer.

“We have an interpreter but one of the key phrases we like to use when we’re all going somewhere because it’s kind of leisurely right and we actually all take our time, and when we all have to go together we just say let’s go. Everybody understands that, and that’s the universal exchange right there,” Odeen said.

The goal of Sister Cities International is to connect globally and to thrive locally.