Bye South Africa

Well, I leave South Africa today and I just can’t believe it. The last two and a half months have flown by and it is now time to move onto the UK for new adventures.

I have spent the last couple of weeks here, thanks to the warmer weather, exploring the outdoors here. Cape Town is simply STUNNING and filled with mountains J hurray! The good thing about leaving this week is that my body can finally have a rest. My arthritic knees have been pushed to their limit…for now.  So, here are my mountain adventures.

As I have said before, Table Mountain consistently strikes me as regal. It towers over the city and it is beautiful whether it is covered in clouds, which I found is pretty normal, or against blue skies. The views from the top of the mountain are just as marvelous! We took the cable car, which had a rotating floor that really threw us, up to the top and then hiked around up on the top. The amazing thing about the top of the mountain was that you would continue to walk along the top and see different mountain ranges, lakes, and neighborhoods the further that you went. The entire length of the mountain took about 45 minutes to walk. The day was perfect, not a cloud in the sky, and the wild flowers were up and the frogs were singing. Walking along the ridge of the mountain was so peaceful, especially because it took us away from the crowds of people. It was a perfect, absolutely full afternoon on the mountain.

A few days after journeying to the top of Table Mountain, I went to the Cape of Good Hope nature park. In the park, there is the Cape Point, which is the tip of the Western peninsula. The park is hugggeee and there is a lot to do there. We spent the entire day at the park, which was much needed. In the park there were a lot of drives and walks that you could take. The park was beautiful! It was filled with wildflowers, rocky beaches, and breathtaking cliffs. We even spotted some assorted animals. The afternoon ended perfectly with tea with my host family. Tea, by the way, is one of my favorite parts of life here. I have always drunk tea, however, it was never a stopping point in my day. Here my host mom will treat tea as a break in the day—a time to pause and have some conversation. It is not just a way to wake up in the morning or a way to calm down at night. And it is best served with cookies, I mean, who doesn’t love a break in the day to have cookies?! Exactly.

The most recent of my adventures happened over this weekend. The girls and I had the fortune of meeting someone who likes playing outside as much as we do, and luckily, he has been able to show us a lot more fantastic spots. The weekend adventure began on Friday with a night hike up Lion’s Head, which is the mountain to the right of Table Mountain. The hike was strenuous! But man, it was so worth it! The top of the mountain, although it didn’t offer a great view of the stars, gave us a spectacular scene of the city lights down below. I was amazed with how brightly the mountain was lit up from the city lights, especially Table Mountain. Table Mountain had a dark and ghostly look due to the glow of the city lights. After the hike we went the piers of Simon’s Town and Kalk Bay and greeted some late night fishers. On Saturday we went for a hike at the Rhodes Memorial, a monument in town. We saw an old block house and decided that it would be our hike for the day. Haha, and another steep hike we faced. The day was much more windy and so when we finalllllly got to the top, we decided that we would have a long break and hide from the wind. Our small picnic at the block house had lovely views of the city harbors and some cool old cannons. The adventure weekend ended with bouldering on Sunday. By the end of the weekend I was finished! My body was telling me that it was time for a rest and a hot bath. Despite how tired I was, it was just the most wonderful last weekend that I could have in Cape Town!

And now, my adventures here come to an end. I cannot put to words the emotions that South Africa has brought to me. All that I know is that I have been so blessed to be in such a wonderful place for the last two and a half months. I have met wonderful people who have inspired me, played with unforgettable children, and experienced the kindness of strangers. What I have experienced here has changed me, pushed my emotions, and opened my eyes. I am terribly sad to leave; however, I know that it is time to leave and continue on. I am so thankful that I came here. South Africa has been a blessing.