An Adventure to Cape Town

Two weekends ago, we packed up our bags, grabbed a reasonable amount of money (enough to enjoy a few drinks during the rugby game), jumped in our friend (and South African lifesaver) John’s car and were off for a weekend adventure to Cape Town. Officially, we live in Stellenbosch, which is 30-45 minutes outside of Cape Town, so the trip was fast and easy.

On the way there, we had to stop at John’s house in Somerset West so he could stuff some clothes in a backpack. This was an unexpectedly nice stop, as we met his parents (he still lives at home and is headed to the United States on 20th August) who are absolutely lovely. They remind me of my parents in a way. His mom talked non-stop, but in a good way and his dad would make funny remarks under his breath from the corner chair. They were absolutely hilarious and I really enjoyed hanging out with them for a bit. They also had a parrot, who I wished I could pet and hold, but apparently he hates women, so that was a no go!

Shortly after John packed his bag up, we were on the road again, on our way to Cape Town. We arrived at Blue Mountain Backpackers, a relatively big hostel (although they are called “backpackers” here, not hostels) on Long Street, the main street where all the bars and clubs are located. We got our own room, even though it was dorm style because there were only 6 of us staying. And at R100 a night (approx. $12.50), it was a steal. The beds were more comfortable that our beds in our apartment on campus!

We quickly dropped our stuff off and headed to Newlands, the home stadium for the Springboks rugby team. The South African rugby team is number one in the world, so it’s slightly a big deal We tried to get tickets, but they were sold out and there were too many of us to pick some up off the street, so we headed to a nearby bar, aptly named Springbok Pub and watched the game with rowdy fans. After we won (yay!) there was some live music out back and we headed out there for a few hours. Everyone was excited over the win, so there was much dancing and drinking to be had by all. We met a bunch of people from around the world and everyone was amused that we were American (they usually are…for some reason, they LOVE Americans, especially natives). We left the bar and headed back to a Mexican restaurant around the corner from our backpackers. It was pretty good, but it might have been the alcohol speaking on my behalf. The night ended early and we were all passed out by 11pm. It had been a long day.

We were up and out early the next morning, and after renting another car, ten of us (John and 9 girls!) were off to Cape Point. This was sure to be fun, with a promise of beautiful views, some fynbos (a type of plant indigenous to South Africa) and hopefully wild baboons (which we did end up seeing!!)! It turned out to be a beautiful day and was everything and more. We climbed to the top, where the lighthouse was located and it was absolutely gorgeous. Most of these views are not done justice by words or even photos. I can’t begin to describe the landscapes of South Africa. I can’t wait to explore more of this country and neighboring lands.

On the way home, John took us to a small beach where we saw Jackass (African) penguins in the wild, without any gates or fences holding them in. There weren’t many of them, but it was so cool! I really enjoyed the private view. We were the only one there too, so it was a great experience to end a wonderful weekend.

After a long weekend, Kat and I decided to join Kimmy and Meghan and head home on Sunday night. The rest of the girls (and John) stayed until the next day, but ultimately, I was glad to be back in my own bed. Here are some photos, I hope you enjoy!

More posts coming up: spending time with Mom & Dad, a write up of Kayamandi, and an exciting adventure to the Cederberg Mountains