3,563 ft - Table Mountain Summit

Yesterday five friends and I climbed Table Mountain.  It was my first time scaling a mountain (I believe - parents, confirm this) and the most strenuous 1.5 hours of my life.  But first...

On Thursday, when I wrote about Cape Point, I skipped over our Monday through Wednesday activities, which were visiting the District 6 Museum, going to the SA National Gallery, and completing a "transportation exercise" conjured up by Vernon (our master/expert tour guide).

Day 4 (Monday 8.31): 

 On Monday we went to the District 6 Museum.  We learned the history of the demolished community and explored the various exhibits.  Above is a photo of a map laid out on the main floor of the building.  Visitors to the museum have labeled spaces where various families lived, making for a very thorough record.

Photos of residents printed on cloth hang around the 2nd floor of the museum.  It was small, but it started out as a 2-week exhibit in the 1990s and has been successful ever since - pretty impressive.

One exhibit was all about the barber shops and beauty salons of the 60s in District 6.  Here my roomie models one of the hair driers.  The middle picture in the row to her left is of our tour guide back then!  Got a sweet mushroom (what they call a bowl-cut) going on.

Another exhibit about children, complete with a hop scotch (hope I got that right) game that goes into the display box.  These cats are creative.  The mural in the background was bathed in light from  windows all around... really pretty.

The tower down the middle is made up of salvaged street signs from District 6.  Much of the museum was composed of salvaged debris from the demolition.

Day 5 (Tuesday 9.1)- Random Places on Brownlow, Kloof Nek, and Long St.:  

 

This is a photo of the cafe by our manor which I promised to post earlier.  They make delicious oven-fired pizza and drinks.  Have only been once for fear of spending too much rand.

 Here we see the choice nighttime hang-out of the group, Rafiki's.  They have a sweet pizza and beer (I mean soda) special and another which involves rump and prawn.  Haven't tried either yet, but I have three months...  Locals use it as a place to catch rugby games and at night they have dancing.  Though some nights it can be relaxed as well.  This was snapped on our way

Walking along Long Street, this gem was spotted.  The baby shirt reads "I Love Boobies."  Those Cape Townians have a sense of humor, eh?

The Carolines and I made our way through Company Gardens to the SA Portrait Gallery.  They had a sweet bronze exhibit and really interesting art from South African and UK artists, spanning centuries up to 2008.

OBAMA!  A flier from the Argus spotted whilst walking around downtown.  Our resident Canadian points.

Day 6 (Wednesday 9.2)- Public Transport Exercise
On Wednesday we were each assigned into teams chosen by Vernon to complete various public transport exercises. Some teams were made to take mini buses from Tamboerskloof or downtown to areas around Cape Town.  My team, however, only had to go from the Hiddingh Campus about a 15 min walk from home (where you find fine art, film, media, and drama studies) to Lower campus, then walk down Main Street in Rondebosch to a Woolworth's.  There, we were instructed to buy a bag of sour cream potato chips.  Simple enough, yet we managed to take a full four hours to do it.  On the plus side, our group was Team Zebra (pronounced zeh-brah).  If I figure out how to edit them, I will post the videos taken of this catastrophe adventure.

Thursday and Friday we made a trip to Cape Point (which I wrote about earlier) and started classes.  The first is a history survey course (for which Mandela's autobiography prepared me more than I expected) and the second is a course on the 21st Century Scramble for Africa, taught my Mama Lee herself.  The subject matter is pretty complicated... wish me luck.

FAST FORWARD TO...

Day 9 (9.5) - Hike up Table Mountain
We began our hike at the doorstep of Hillcrest.  The walk to the beginning of the trail at the base of the mountain alone took about 2 hours.  We went up Kloof at a steep incline the whole way, still on sidewalk up until this trail near the base which ended up being a 5 minute detour.  Finally we reached the main visitor's center at the base and they told us we had to walk another 2km up the road to get to the beginning of the gorge trail.  After some false starts, we were off!

Cut to an hour later.  I feel like my heart, lungs, and legs are going to explode.  The fear of passing out from exhaustion has never been so real.  The route we took isn't really a trail - there are no smooth parts of it.  Instead, it is like a giant staircase.  Imagine having to take stairs two at a time, sometimes on uneven footing, going up hundreds of feet vertically.  I was pretty glad we had gone during winter, because I think the hike during the summer would give me heat stroke.  About 30 minutes from the summit, we saw some graffiti which captured our sentiments perfectly:

Caroline was a beast.  She kept us at a pretty good pace, so that only about an hour and 15 minutes into the hike we were already near the top:

At least it was gorgeous. We had to hike around the side and up the back, so this was taken between the rock formations looking back (see below for reference, too).

Even so close to the summit, many a rest break was taken to avoid collapse.  Andrew is a LITTLE too excited.  I don't know how I had the strength to push the shutter on my camera.  Part of me was also very angry - I hate this hike, I hate my legs, I HATE TABLE MOUNTAIN, so luckily I didn't punch anyone in the face.  It did help that another hiked on the way down said "break a leg."

AT THE TOP!  I have never been so giddy.  Even though the temperature was probably around 40F, I was still in my shorts and shirt, sweating.  Then the wind started getting to us and we bundled up.

It was a relief to not see any more rocks to climb above us.  Level ground, FINALLY!

 Though it was cloudy, the sky was really gorgeous from the top.

Once we went around to the ocean side (Hout Bay I believe), it was even more evident how far we had gone.  From sea level to about 3500ft.  I'm really glad I went with experienced hikers and they could see how pumped I was to have made it.  Maybe some day I'll get to attempt 10,000ft or higher.

This is me being a fool on a bridge across the table top.  Again, I was delirious.

Many an epic photo was taken at the top.  The Atlantic Ocean sits in the background.

 

Victory dance by Caroline.  In the background you can see the cafe.  Yes, there is an eco-friendly restaurant at the top of Table Mountain.

 

As the sun set, it looked like a painting.

 

Looking out over Lion's Head peak (also a very hard climb which seems dwarfed by Table Mountain) and the city.  Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for three decades) can be seen.

The City Bowl and Table Bay as seen from the summit.  It was glorious.  Can't say I'd do it again, though.  Haha... maybe.

Rotate to the right a bit and you get a great view of Devil's Peak and the Tater Tot Mountains (not their actual name, but can't pronounce or spell it).

A shot of the cable car making its way down the mountain.  We took the last one down because hiking down would have been dangerous past sundown.

Victory!  The girls in green jump at the top of the mountain.  Another take below:

Then it was my turn to take some solo shots:

I was a bit too excited at this point.

As the sun set, we made our way to the cable car.

Goodbye, Table Mountain!  It's been a pleasure making your acquaintance.

The cable car comes real close to the rocks.  It was awesome!

The team!  Walking downhill after hiking was an effort.  Our joints were jumbled, making our legs like jello.  But we were oh so happy.  Look at those faces.

Anne-Marie, looking almost as excited as I am at the prospect of going to Disco Nights.  Look at that.  Or the Baxter Dance Festival.  Good times.

Our victory dinner was at Mexicano.  WARNING: Do not go here.  As Andrew said, "you can't do Mexican in Africa.  You just can't."  All the waiters were very emo and they even dared to give us ITALIAN MINTS with the check.  The food looked like they had Googled the recipes before serving it.  And our check took half an hour to receive.  Again, GOOD TIMES!

We were NOT happy campers.  Caroline was looking especially homicidal.

We decided that going to Cape to Cuba would have been a much better choice.  Check out the front of the building during the day and at night.  Complete with Cuban flags on either side and neon.  Mexican was a bad choice.

Overall, though, hiking Table Mountain was a great success!  Glad I was one of the first 6 from our year to do it.

The Edge of the World...

Or should I say, the-place-for-which-pictures-do-no-justice.

Though it was incredibly difficult to capture the beauty of Cape Point, I will attempt to do so.

 

We began our day of travel with Clifton Beach.  It was really cloudy and freezing, but still fun.  I finally touched the Atlantic in Africa!  Having the mountain right in the background with the sand was incredible.  Still not quite used to seeing pines and palm trees so near each other.  Actually - kind of reminds me of Honduras.

 

 Even when it's cloudy, it makes for great weather-watching.  I don't even know if that's a real hobby, but you can definitely have fun just watching the clouds go over the Cape Town mountains.  It seems as though they come so close to you (see above).

There was this sandy froth building up along the rocks which was cool enough to make you want to touch it, but just repulsive enough to make you not do it.  We climbed along the rocks since they were pretty low, which was fun.  I think it'll be a completely different place once summer comes around.

Next, we drove over to Hout Bay (Bay of Wood) to check out the fishermen and stands there.  They are notorious for a mean hake and chips (I think I'm getting that right).  The people who ordered it got the whole van smelling like heaven.  I need to go back.

Mariner's Wharf - Fish Market - Liquor Cove.  What a fantastic name.  This is said place where one can purchase the fish and chips.  It's where the true Cape Townians come for the dish, since it's ridiculously fresh.  Mmmm...

 

Little did we know that our next stop would be HEAVEN - known here as Cape Point.  The entire park was constructed from these stones, which was a nice element.

 

 Baboons were running alongside our van when we rolled in.  Unfortunately, we did not see them in the park (and turn into the paparazzi... the penguins suffered that fate, read below).  I was really hoping one would fall in love with me and I could take it in as my own.  Alas, no pets to be had at Cape Point today.

 

I walked a mere 30 ft. and ALREADY there were amazing views.  This is in front of the entrance to the park restaurant.  The stone everywhere was real pretty.

 

 

 This, my friends, is an ACTUAL restaurant.  I know, you probably think I photoshopped this.  BUT NAY.  It is 110% real.  So real it made me giddy.  And this was only the beginning.  The restaurant is called "Two Oceans" because close by, the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet.

UNC is treating us pretty poorly, no?  Lunch was so amazing.  I had a seafood curry with 'still water' (just bottled water... but you have to say STILL or they give you sparkling... carbonated water just doesn't do it).  The restaurant had wraparound windows that gave you a view of the coast seen in the picture above.  I probably gaped between bites.

 

 See that monstrosity on the left?  It was a huge bottle of wine worth R12,000.  Compare it to the still big but normal-looking one on the right.  Pretty incredible.  How would you even pour it?

Cape Point, South Africa.  Sign in background reads: "Baboons are dangerous and attracted by food."  Supposedly they have a weakness for ice cream.  Should have brought some Ben and Jerry's as a lure...

Mom always used to talk about the "funicular" in Puerto Rico, but I did NOT realize it was also a word used in English.  Hello, epiphany.  Notice how I am not taking this picture from the funicular/monorail, but instead from the walking path.  By the time I got to the top, my legs were in fire and my seafood curry threatening evacuation.  It was great, though, I promise.

Nope, I didn't scan a postcard to get this.  This is one of the most famous views of Cape Point.  I was almost walking backwards to look around the entire time.  It is definitely one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

 

 This tower is used to record weather, because according to my friend who knows anything there is worth knowing, it is one point on Earth with some of the cleanest weather.  It made sense, because I felt rejuvenated and then some after hiking around.

 

 As you can probably guess, seeing this sign brought me back home (mentally).  My roommate pointed out that it was the southernmost point in the world we had ever been.  It brought on some intense feelings.

 

Had to use Caroline to illustrate the height and drama of this landscape.  The waves crashing beneath us and the extremity of the cliffs was staggering!  I cannot recommend this place highly enough!

 

 There's me!  In shadow.  You got excited eh?  It was amazing that the walking trail went this far around the cliffs and that there were no handrails.  Definitely one of those experiences you call home about AFTER the fact (as proof of survival).

 Clearly, I was really bored up until this point.  NOT.  Boulders Beach (the final stop of the day) was also great.  My camera battery died, but know that there were penguins in the beach shrubbery everywhere and the aquamarine water was super close.  Another gorgeous view.  How monotonous.  But seriously, this penguin stole my heart.  See below for explanation.

 

 How great is that?!  Note: I was not zoomed in on my camera.  These used to be called Jackass penguins but I believe they are now known as African penguins.  I'm not sure exactly where the first name originated, but I think they are glad to be rid of it.

 

 POO-BIN.  For all of your dog rubbish needs!  Bags offered along the walkway as well.  ALSO - people LIVE right on this beach.  WITH PENGUINS.  Jealous, much?  Absolutely.

 

 On my hunt for baby penguins, someone pointed out this little youngster.  The furry one hiding behind the cactus-looking leaf.  He was shy at first but then popped his adorable face out for a Kodak moment.  They were too great.

 

 On its last breath, my camera snapped this gem.  I could just hear their little penguin voices saying "Gee, William, wasn't that a lovely walk?"  "Why yes, Margaret, the humans were pretty tolerable today.  How do you think little Henry is doing?"

Sigh.  I need to go back.  I'll be the luckiest woman in the world if I can bring my whole family here.  And friends.  And their friends.  Gotta start saving up... it's more than worth it.

School, Vineyards, and Church

It might be impossible to capture the sights, sounds, and tastes of the last few days but I will attempt to do so. Now.


As you gathered from the video update, our orientation week has been just shy of insane.


Day 1 (Friday 8.28):
We woke up to our glorious view of Table Mountain and Vernon gave us a run-down of all the zany things we would be up to for the next two weeks. It was pretty chilly, but we were soon deceived by this California-like weather – by the afternoon we were sweating up storms. As we were awaiting our transport, I decided to take a look around the blooms of our front yard (if you can call it that) and take photos. Boredom? Nay. Fascination? Absolutely. It should be even more beautiful when spring rolls around.

We then hopped aboard the van and set off for Rondebosch, which is where the University of Cape Town is located. The entire campus is on a hillside, making for a really incredible view and photogenic scenery, but I did not snap any shots of it just yet. We proceeded directly to the School of Law (where our classes will be taught) and were given yet another security briefing by the CPS (campus protection service). They said that if you say “security” or “police” to refer to them, NO ONE will know what you’re talking about. So we all tattooed CPS to our brains. On the bright side, the law school was real pretty:

After seeing UCT and being gazed at by students who all look like they are starring in an Indie film (think dark, bohemian clothing, everywhere), we set off for lunch at Charly’s. All Vernon said about it was “I want to know your comments about it” and “know what you want to order, then run to the counter.” We arrive at this bakery that looks like it’s edible – bright pink paint frosted with white and bubblegum lettering. An inscription on top of the main door says (only for mature audiences) “MUCKING AFAZING.” I had a veggie quiche slice and a very decadent chocolate cake for dessert. Ah, the first of many glorious meals paid for by UNC (aka my tuition, whateverI’moverit). Don’t have any photos of this either, but maybe one day you can come back with me to Cape Town and we’ll have some Charly’s.


Speaking of coming back to Cape Town, at Charly’s we met an alumnus of the program who now lives and works in the city organizing study abroad groups from UConn. He was picking up a cake at the bakery. How awesome is that?! He seemed really cool, and is coming this week to talk to us about his experience. Very excited.


When we were all way too stuffed from lunch to think, we returned to Tamboerskloof (our neighborhood) to make some purchases. For me this consisted of buying 8934 pounds of groceries which should at least last me the next week or two. We bought mostly everything at Woolworth’s, which is a nice grocery store in town that has a good selection of organic/natural products. I even got a reusable orange shopping bag for R7.8 (about a dollar!). Great success. We also just walked around Long Street and got to know the area a bit more (it made me love city life).


The rest of the afternoon was pretty uneventful, until Vernon informed us that instead of dining at Da Gama’s that evening, we would go to Addis on the Cape (I believe that was the name) for Ethiopian cuisine. It was right in downtown Cape Town. At the restaurant, we sat on wicker chairs around these table-like stands that had woven conical covers on top (a picture really would have helped, but Dianita was not thinking at this point). The waiters removed the covers and revealed the plastic table surface with a really interesting design. Basically, they used these holders to put our dinner plates on them, which were actually giant bowls we all shared out of. Dr. Lee (the UNC professor for the trip), said that since she liked it, it must not have been real Ethiopian food (in Ethiopia the food was much “stronger”).


They had us wash our hands with water poured over them and into a bowl, then eat with a spongy white bread that reminded me of very soft pita. It came in rolls, and we were instructed to tear off a piece and use it to grab the different foods on the main bowl. We ordered one of their group specials, so each table got eight different dishes made from chick peas, lentils, lamb, prawns, chicken, beef, tomato, and other ingredients. Needless to say, we were lethargic after all the free food, and almost had to be carted out of the place. Good times on the cape.




Day 2 (Saturday 8.29):
Warning: these details might be fuzzier than the rest because we awoke still fairly tired from the night before. We decided to explore the nightlife on long street, but really only got as far as Rafiki’s. Some friends and I chatted with a South African couple (the woman was a Cape Townian working with autistic children and the man an actor from Jo’burg now studied economics or something) and a Berliner who also spoke Spanish (si, pude practicar un poco – I thought Honduras would be the end of my Latina streak). Even though we did not stay out very late, we were still groggy in the morn.






Anyway, this day we were to go on vineyard tours, which make up a huge part of Cape tourism. We began with a family-owned farm called Altydgedacht in Durbanville, South Africa. Dare you to try to pronounce the name. Our van rolled up to this estate that was reminiscent of a plantation in the South (of the USA, that is), and we were greeted by the owner and his horse-size ridgeback dog (the breed has this line of hair down the back that goes against the grain, making for a Mohawk-like ridge). The winery is surrounded by hills with rows and rows of grapes, as well as a small nature preserve that they are trying to develop.


We arrived freezing to death because we were under the impression that when it is cold in the mornings it gets warm by noon (see Day 1). How terribly wrong we were. Shivering the entire time, the owner gave us a history of the farm, beginning with a cute story about how the Portuguese settlers were the first on the cape, which was not developed until the Dutch East India Company turned it into a stopping point on the way to the East Indies. He neglected to mention the millions of displaced natives, but maybe the wine has blocked out the memory over the years. Moral of his story: the vineyard has been passed down for centuries and the women on the farm have an important role (they kept emphasizing this for some reason). His lil’ speech was followed by a tour of the farm, conducted on an old army truck (a Jeep-looking khaki thing) by the owner’s brother. It was really bumpy and we definitely didn’t fit (especially with the horse dogs squeezed between us), but I enjoyed hanging off the front and getting a look at all the vines (and by looking at the vines I mean conversing with Professor Lee and the owner’s brother).


If my parents were not reading this, I would say that afterward we had a delicious wine tasting, beginning with a Sauvignon Blanc (which DEFINITELY sounded like “Seven-Year Blanc” in an Afrikaaner accent) and including a Pinotage. The bottle to my left describes it as a “full-bodied dry red wine. Plum and raspberry flavours combine with gentle oak overtones, to create a complex wine with soft tannins and a lingering aftertaste. Cellaring potential: 8-10 years.” It’s a wine native to South Africa, because it is a mix of two varieties whose names escape me right now. All of this may or may not have happened.


Following Altydgedacht (it’s taxing to type that, I promise), we took our maybe wino selves over to Spier Estate. Vernon included these on the tour to serve as contrasts. The following description of Spier will likely not do it justice. First: picture Disney World. Second: remind yourself that THIS IS AFRICA. It was completely different from the humble family-owned estate. I was told that there is a resort and other amenities at Spier which I could not even see from the parking lot. Upon entering, we were greeted with a huge lake flanked by picnic tables and children riding ponies (not making this up) and a gorgeous restaurant/store called Moyo. Moyo is… ridiculous. There is a gift shop with goods from all over the continent, and the food boasts the same kind of variety. You can sit in tree houses overlooking the estate or in these tented lounge areas or in the main dining area, which has a stage on which African singing and dancing is performed. A gentle woman goes about painting everyone’s faces with a simple white design. It was outrageous. The food was amazing, but I did not try the wine. Vernon insisted that I have try this cakey pudding dessert with custard on top that is very South African, and by that point I wanted to explode. Everything felt unreal. Again, I failed to take many pictures of the heavenly place, but I bet we’ll return. Definitely an unexpected place for lunch.

While trying to walk off the 80 pounds of food rolling around our bellies, we headed over to the cheetah reserve compound to check out the rehabilitation efforts of Spier.

One thing led to another, and since I was not thinking very clearly after all the food, I thought it would be brilliant to pay the US$12 fee to touch a cheetah. Yes, I touched a cheetah. I went with two other ladies from the group. We were told to use firm strokes and keep our fingers together. Apparently one of us tickled Hemmingway (our cheetah’s name) because he reared his head around and growled menacingly. Luckily, we had all perfected the stance the trainers told us to use, because we sprang up instantly. Yeah, we were pro’s. We kept petting him for a bit longer and did a little photoshoot. Towards the end we felt kind of guilty for bothering Hemmingway, since he seemed tired of all these humans stroking his left side.

While waiting for the entire group to meet up by the parking lot of Spier, we had some good times with Dr. Lee. Some good jokes may or may not have been told. Basically, we ended the day as BFFs (best friends forever). See photo for proof:

That evening we returned to Tamboerskloof and dined at the café down Brownload road (same one our guesthouse is on). For reference, below is a photo of our guesthouse during the day, taken yesterday (thanks to Caroline for modeling).

I had a salmon, cream cheese, tomato, and lettuce sandwich with home-brewed ginger beer. It was delicious. We also became friends with the woman who took our order at the counter, and the over-eager bus boy who explained everything to us (including how long the pizza takes to make and how if we ordered more it would take longer… apparently American intelligence is grossly misjudged). Overall, it was great. Must post photos of it soon.




Day 3 (Sunday 8.30):
We awoke on the day of rest thuper pumped. Why, you ask? Because today we were to visit a township for the first time. The orientation packet read “Depart for Guguletu for Township Faith Experience,” but even that and Vernon’s brief description did nothing to prepare us. We drove for quite some time outside of the city, and knew when we had crossed into Guguletu. It was tightly packed and there were people everywhere. We drove up to a small building with a queue of people outside waiting to go in, and immediately panicked about not being able to all fit in the church. No worries, though. Apparently we had arrived just in time, since we just took our seats with the rest of the crowd. Upon entering mid-song, we were greeted with the vocal power and spirituality of the Sivuyile National Baptist Church. The service was entirely in Xhosa, peppered with English and the occasional reference to us by the pastors. They were welcoming and very kind to us. A little boy blew a kiss at me, and it pretty much made my day. Most of the congregation was older women, making for beautiful singing. Two women donned cushion-like hand instruments for percussion, while another held a metal instrument that was similar to a cowbell. Whenever one of the percussionists would bring their hands together, it shook my soul. Yes, it was that deep.


They gave us lunch after the service, which was SO nice – and delicious. We had grilled chicken, this spinach dish that tasted like mashed potatoes (friggen amazing), sweet carrots, and yellow rice.  Each of us went around and introduced ourselves to the elders of the church and they asked us to help with some of their HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns.  It seemed that they were surprised by how diverse our interests are.


Around the townships there was some really great graffiti art.  Por ejemplo:

While in Guguletu we also saw a commemorative sculpture with the names of seven ANC Youth members who were murdered by the police for their political resistance efforts (only 5/7 seen in photo):

Later we climbed up a lookout hill and Vernon told us more about the townships surrounding it (such as Khayelitsha, where one woman from our group will be interning).  There was also an area of cleared land which was preserved by the government for the Xhosa men to continue their right of passage ceremonies (which includes going for days without water and slowly being introduced back into society, as Parks, our driver, explained).

Finally, at the end of that day, Dr. Lee INSISTED that we try Nando's.  It's basically a fast-food place like Chipotle but instead with Portuguese-style grilled chicken that is flavored with their special "peri peri" chile sauce.  It was quite delicious.


Updates about the rest of the days up to today to come!  Thank you for making it this far.  Leave a comment/message and I'll send a postcard.