I just got back from a week in Cape Town and it was probably one of the best (if not THE best week) of my life. I absolutely fell in love with the place. The scenery is stunning and there are so many amazing things to do.
I traveled with one other girl with my exchange program and we had a great time together. We arrived Friday night last week and had a crazy, action-packed week from there.
On Saturday the two of us went to Robben Island. It was absolutely incredible. First of all, it's beautiful. You pull out of the V&A Waterfront (which is kind of like a super nice version of Fisherman's Wharf in San Fran) on a ferry, and then look back over the city of Cape Town with Table Mountain towering behind it. Once we got to Robben Island we went on both a bus tour, and then a walking tour of the maximum security prison, lead by a former prisoner himself. It was so inspiring for me to see this man who had been imprisoned for 6 years, living and working on the island that had confined him for so long. He even lived next to a former prison guard of his. It really brought my life in perspective. I still carry around baggage of stuff from a long time ago that really doesn't matter, while this man has chosen to put the past behind him and focus on the positive. It was really inspiring and humbling for me to listen to his experience. We even saw the cell that he was imprisoned in (as well as Nelson Mandela's, of course)!The next day was super random, but so awesome! On the plane ride to Cape Town my friend and I sat next to this guy who leads extreme sporting tours outside the city, so he offered to take us sandboarding (like snowboarding, but on sand) with a big group for half price. It was so much fun! I was terrible, but that wasn't the point. We just had a good time. The group of people was super cool as well. It was a bunch of 18-23 year-old volunteers, so we had a ton of fun with them. The sand dunes were beautiful as well!
The next day we climbed Table Mountain. It was
a trek, let me tell you! Though the hike was fairly short, it was super steep and fairly challenging. It was so rewarding to get to the top and look out at the incredible 360-degree view though. So worth it. :)
After that, we went on a wine tour. It was super fun, but pretty crazy! We started at 10 am and went until 6 pm, so it got a little nuts! It was a good group of people though, and the wine country was gorgeous. We learned all about how to make wine, and tried everything from whites, to reds, to roses, to champagne and sparkling wine. Originally my friend and I were going to stay several nights in the wine country, but we decided to just do a tour into the wine country from Cape Town instead, and that was perfect. It's almost jarring out in the wine country... it's so upscale and safe, it didn't even feel like we were still in South Africa!
The next day we hopped on this tourist bus called the "Red Bus." We were super skeptical, because I'm personally not a fan of super touristy things, but it ended up being great! For a very good price we were able to hop on and hop off at various stops, and see a lot more of the area. Our first stop was the Botanical Gardens and it was beautiful! The flowers were gorgeous, but of course the mountains were towering behind it, making it even more amazing. The next stop that we made was the Bird & Monkey Sanctuary, which we weren't too s
ure about originally, but it ended up being awesome! We saw all kinds of birds, and we even got to play with monkeys! They were climbing all over us! Our last stop was Mariner's Wharf, this quaint little fisherman's area where we grabbed fish & chips and sat along the water to eat it. It was a great day.
Then the next day we did a Cape Peninsula tour. It was amazing! We went to
Cape Point, the southwestern-most point of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach (the beach with the penguins!) and Seal Island. We got to bike
through the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, which was awesome. The group was so fantastic too! There were people from England, Italy, Japan, South Africa, Northern Island, Germany and France. The tour guide was a kick too, so we were laughing and singing the whole time.
While at lunch that day, baboons attacked the picnic area and snatched a candy bar out of this little boy's hand. It was so scary! Baboons are fierce! It was such an African moment. :)
Then the last day we went to the market (where I actually haggled, be proud!) and the Two Oceans Aquarium. It was very relaxed, which was nice since the week was so packed!
Another great thing about the trip was that I got to see DU people studying at UCT and meet a bunch of the other UCT interstudy students. We hung out at their apartment one night, and then went out together the last night (where we also bumped into the group from sandboarding, so fun!). It was so great to see them.
Even though I am absolutely in love with Cape Town and am dying to go back, I feel really good about studying in PMB. I needed something shocking, jarring and challenging, and PMB has been all of the above. Even though all of those things have caused a lot of turmoil, I feel like that is what is making my experience what it is, and it is those things that are shaping and molding me. Therefore, I don't regret being in PMB at all. I am hoping to come back to Cape Town next summer as an intern, but we'll see how it goes. I just can't get enough of the place!
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