Lovely Cape Town

I'm back near White River – after a pretty amazing 8 days in the cape town area. It was a dream week spent with a wonderful new friend in some of the prettiest places I have ever seen.

Often we were asking ourselves… Are we still in Africa?

Jean-Aimee (a fellow Hands at Work volunteer) and I decided to go to Capetown together back in June when the team was still here. Total amount of planning for this trip? None. Just a plane tickets… and then later thanks to the very generous parents of another volunteer – a place to stay!

It was my first real taste of culture shock… 3 days after the stripped down simplicity of Mozambique – the very modern, the very western city of Cape Town. In the cool winter temperatures – Cape Town felt very much like Vancouver in the spring time. And – in a busy restaurant full of beautiful people with designer hand bags and sun glasses – I'll admit that I was overwhelmed enough to have to hide my burning eyes behind a pair of sun glasses.

Still – the week was incredible. We began in Stellenbosch – wine country! We were hosted by a lovely Africaan couple – in the community 30 minutes out of town. It was beautiful… and the perfect home base for two ladies exploring a community during its annual wine festival! We went out for beautiful dinners, shopped in gorgeous small town shops, played dress up in the cutest little dress shop with the cutest shop keeper and went to tasting after tasting! (Bilton Estate Shiraz 2004 – my personal favourite ;) After a few days – and a pedicure – we drove into the city.

Usually a very rainy place- Jean-Aimee and I had amazing luck and 3 days of sunshine! We visited the waterfront…. took the ferry over to Robben Island – to visit the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for most of his adult life – and climbed Table Mountain! (2 1/2 hours straight up – after 2 months of being pretty sedentary here in Africa – was no easy task!) After a night in a beautiful little bed and breakfast – we played with penguins in Simon's Town and discovered what I've decided is my most favourite spot in the world. The cape of good hope.

We were even chased by a baboon for good measure! We had ice cream cones – and the baboon is a fan. We had to split up and make a break for it – unfortunately for Jean-Aimee it was either the cone or her.

Eeeek.

Tomorrow night I begin a 4 night community stay in Masoyi. It means another huge culture change – from the ultra western world of running water and flushing toilets and big meals with wine and dessert – to the modest homes of people who are very good at making the most of the little they've got.

It should be quite a week!