Cape Town, South Africa

Thank you again to Kevin for this post and Eric for helping with the pictures. This blog is a great collaborative effort!

Departing from Mala Mala meant leaving behind all our new friends (human and otherwise), the beautiful African bush scenery, and the cozy accommodation of the camp. Cape Town was the destination, and although we had seen plenty of pictures through months of research, we weren’t really sure what to expect.

Upon arrival by airplane, my mom spoke the words that would later be able to sum up the entire Cape Town leg of our journey: “I can’t tell if this is a really colorful city, or if it’s just such a strong contrast from where we came from.” The historic city was incredible, but in a completely different way.

It certainly didn’t take long to understand the extent of Cape Town’s beauty. After picking up our luggage and meeting our new guide Christine, we set out on a half hour drive to the Welgelegan (don’t try to pronounce it, you’re doing it wrong), where we had rooms booked for two nights. On this short drive, we looked out the car windows to find breathtaking views of sunshine on the water and clouds sweeping low on top of the famous Table Mountain - beautiful for sure, but a little bit different from dirt roads and large scary mammals.

On the night of our arrival, instead of enjoying a cozy meal under a canopy of stars as we had become accustomed to, we took a taxi to a bustling shopping center on the Waterfront. While we all recoiled from a bit of culture shock due to the startlingly different environment, we were able to enjoy a delicious Italian meal before returning home in time for the Olympic Opening Ceremonies and a full night of rest.

We woke up to a nice breakfast of cereal, yogurt, eggs, and Michael Buble music (never part of the Lion King soundtrack, if I remember correctly), before leaving with Christine for a full day tour of the city. Our itinerary featured a boat ride to a seal colony, unbelievably scenic drives to the Cape of Good Hope and its lighthouse, photo ops galore, and time to view the awkwardly pleasant African penguins. It seemed like every time we turned around, the muttering of “Wow” or a camera click quickly followed. It was certainly a day to remember, capped off by a nice grill dinner back at the Waterfront and disappointing news concerning Michael Phelps’ first performance in London.

Tomorrow we’re off to Victoria Falls, and as nice as it would be to enjoy another day in Cape Town, I’m sure nature will once again take our breath away.