Adventures in South Africa

How's it? I'm currently in East London, SA, getting ready for a week long adventure up the Wild Coast. My program sadly ended May 13th after we all met back up in Gaborone and presented our Independent Study Projects. My friend Kate and I decided to take advantage of our location and explore South Africa before returning back to the good ol' USA. Our first destination was Cape Town. This area of Africa is much more developed than Botswana. We stayed with a girl named Maria- a childhood friend of Kate's that now lives in Cape Town- and her South African boyfriend Joe. We spent our first day in city on a tour bus that drove us to many hot spots. We visited the amazing Kirtenbosch Botanical Gardens and the V & A Waterfront. Cape Town is absolutely beautiful, with the lively Atlantic and Indian Oceans on the coast and several large mountains sprinkled about the area. One of the most famous mountains in Cape Town is called Table Mountain (it gets the name from its flat top seen above). We wanted to climb to the top of the Table Mountain during our stay but unfortunately it rained the entire time we were in the city. I was able to visit a friend currently studying abroad at the Unversity of Cape Town and after touring the gorgeous campus, she took us partying down Long Street. This road has a lot of character, with its many backpacker locations and bars/clubs. Kate and I were also lucky enough to experience the winelands of South Africa when we visited Joe's sister's house in the vineyards of Stellenbosch and enjoyed a lovely lunch of warm soup and several glasses of red wine. Between the endless vineyards, barns full of riding horses, and the rolling hills in the background (with a rainbow in the distance), I was convinced that I had accidently flown to a rural European village. Maria also drove us to Cape Point in the Cape of Good Hope Reserve, one of the most Southern points of Africa. Visiting South Africa and getting to know many locals has been a very facinating and educational experience. The after-effects of apartheid are very visible and shocking, and I feel uncomfortable trying to look past the inequalities of the country when they are so apparent. Nevertheless, I am excited to continue my journey in South Africa. I will be flying back to America May 24th after I take the Baz bus up the Wild Coast. I predict lots of hiking, surfing, and snorkeling in my future :) Don't worry, I'll be looking out for all of the Great White sharks that lurk in these waters.