WeekEND Wrap Up

This weekend was our last weekend in Cape Town and our last hoorah as a group. We took a half day at the hospital on Friday and drove out to the winelands because neither Jay nor Ryan had been there yet. Our local coordinator emailed us directions on four locations to visit, but her directions were kak (crap in Afrikaans) and so we ended up driving in circles for over two hours! We did make it to Fairview Wine Estate where there was both wine and cheese production; so while my three groupies tasted wine I indulged on very fresh varietals of cheese… yum!

We also made it back to Spier Wine Estate (the place with the Cheetahs) where we ate dinner at the very highly reputed restaurant, Moyo. The food is served all buffet style, and though it was good food the atmosphere of the restaurant was the most stunning element. If you notice on the picture, we all have white face paintings, which is a Zulu tradition for special occasions.

For Saturday we planned a full day trip to drive around Cape Point. We rented a car and left very early in the morning heading due East and then South: traveling through Muizenburg, Fishhoek, Simonstown and Boulders Beach. All of these coastal towns were charming and situated with exquisite ocean views. Boulders Beach is unique in that it is home to the African Jackass penguin population, which we were thoroughly entertained by!

My friend Bridgett met us at Boulders Beach and joined us as we continued South to Cape Point, the southern most tip of the continent. Having worked in the National Parks, Bridgett was a wonderful guide as to the wildlife and scenery… including very sociable baboons.

It's a scary thought that the only thing beyond the horizon is Antarctica...burrrrr.

With no where else to go but North, we drove back along the Western coastline through Hout Bay and Chapmans Peak, where we witnessed a spectacular sunset.

Sunday was pretty unremarkable as Shanley and I took advantage of some R&R (and Vitamin D) on the beach while the boys were off on a shark diving adventure. Of note, however, is the fact that I got to drive the rental car, which was my first experience driving on the left side of the road and shifting the gears with my left hand. It really does require adjusting your spatial orientation, so I was extremely grateful for Shanley’s support as my copilot; I am happy to report though, that we had safe travels.