Today was a fantastic combination of activity and sensory indulgence as we biked over hilly, challenging terrain and experienced gorgeous views and delectable local cuisine. We were up and out of Cape Cadogan Hotel at 8 AM this morning and heading towards the Cape of Good Hope – the most southwestern point on the African continent. Along the way we stopped to take a look at the grounds of Groot Constantia (Big Constantia), the oldest winery in South Africa (established 1685). The winery was begun by Simon Van der Stel, the first governor of the Cape of Good Hope, who ordered soil samples from numerous areas south of Table Mountain and, after analyzing them, settled upon the absolute best. The location is just stunning with acre upon acre of vineyards and mountains rising on all sides! On the property there are beautiful white washed buildings with thatched roofs in the Cape Dutch style. White and red rose bushes are planted at the end of each row of grapes. I found it aesthetically spectacular, but apparently it serves a purpose as well! Doug explained that grapes and roses suffer from the same types of disease, though roses show it more readily, thereby allowing winemakers to know if something is going wrong with the plants.

Once we left the vineyard, we continued toward Cape of Good Hope. We pulled off to the side of the road to look at an ostrich farm when Graham noticed a Chacma baboon sitting in a nearby tree. These baboons are unique because they will fish for mussels in the sea. Apparently they are also thieves! Carmin warned us to be careful because baboons like to steal things, especially if they think it is food, and are likely to make off with your camera if you hold it up to your face! Soon a whole group of baboons appeared, crossing the street in front of us bound for the ostrich farm.

Not long after spotting the baboons we came to the Cape of Good Hope. Standing at the edge of the continent was so cool! The ocean seemed immense and engulfing, but the aqua color of the water was incomparably beautiful. This stop was brief as our cycling guides, Peter and Margaret, were waiting for us at Cape Point. They passed out helmets to Dan, Carmin, and myself and gave us a quick lesson on how the gears worked and what our ride would be like. We peddled down the road for a while and then up a steep hill that led to a scenic lookout over False Bay. Cliffs lined a shore covered with rust colored boulders. You could see straight through the clear blue water near the shore. Peter told us that this area is seasonally occupied by whales and, as a result, whale watchers! We headed back to the main road and soon came down to the beach. That was my absolute favorite part of the ride - with the ocean sparkling before me and the wind whipping all around, I was filled with a true sense of peace.
I loved the ride through the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, though it quickly became evident that I hadn’t really ridden in a long time. I forgot those bike seats can be so uncomfortable! I would highly recommend bringing a pair of bike shorts with you.

Following our ride, we headed to a charming seaside town called Simon’s Town, named after the aforementioned Simon Van der Stel! We ate at Bertha’s restaurant, which sits beside a harbor.

The food was very good and fresh. Dan raved about his gargantuan prawn (giant is an understatement).

We made it back to the hotel just after 5:00 PM and had a little downtime to relax and freshen up. Nothing was planned for dinner this evening, as all of our trips allow guests one dinner on their own to create their own experience. Dan and Dennis spoke with the hotel clerk who recommended a restaurant just down Kloof Street. Earlier in the day Carmin and I discussed how meat from beef and poultry has a different texture in South Africa than it does in America. I know it might be a strange thing to notice, but I resolved to try a South African steak at the next opportunity and the chance came sooner than I anticipated. At dinner I ordered a fillet and it was very good – savory, tender, and juicy but somehow softer than in The States. Carmin ordered Warthog ribs for herself and offered for us to try some. They were delicious and moist, very similar to pork ribs with a slightly different flavor.

Tomorrow we’ll be kayaking in the ocean near a penguin colony. I absolutely cannot wait. I definitely need to charge my camera battery for this excursion! Afterwards we’ll have a picnic lunch and tour (and taste) the wine region known as Stellenbosch.

We rose a little earlier this morning to have breakfast at 7 AM so we could be on our way to Table Mountain at 7:45. When we arrived, Doug was waiting with our tickets for the cable car ride up. The ride itself was amazing, as the tram rotated so riders were able to enjoy the entire landscape without having to nudge one another out of the way. We were some of the first people to be on top of the mountain this morning. The views were breathtaking in every direction.

Doug pointed out different areas that were of significance, such as Cape of Good Hope which is often believed to be where the Atlantic and Indian oceans converge. He spoke to us about the different plants on the Cape and how, though only covering 0.06% of the Earth’s surface, this region has so much unique plant life it qualifies as the smallest but richest of the 6 floral kingdoms. He was more than happy to answer any questions we had.
After taking loads of photos, Dan surprised us with a sumptuous display of sliced apples, pretzels, and candied fruit that he’d been carrying all morning in his backpack! No one had any idea this was coming but it sure was a nice surprise. After indulging a little in the food, we began our hike down the mountain along Platteklip Gorge. We encountered many friendly hikers on the way down and took in the stunning scenery. The path, which zigzagged steeply all the way to the road, was made into stairs out of rock with mesh nets of rock along the outside of the trail meant to prevent erosion. As we approached the bottom, clouds began to pour over the top of the mountain. I was so happy to witness this because Carmin described it to us the previous day and referred to it as “the tablecloth.” It really resembled one.

After our hike we had a seafood lunch near the hotel and showered for our afternoon activity. We were picked up at our hotel by Jimmy, our guide for the afternoon. He is a native of one of the townships on Cape Flats where black Africans were placed for a variety of segregationist reasons, ranging from fear of the Bubonic Plague in 1906 to apartheid. We began with a driving tour of District 6 where over 60,000 people were forced to relocate during apartheid. Sadly, a cobblestone street is all that remains from the last evacuations in the 1980s. We stop at the District 6 Museum where people are invited to reconnect with others from the area and tourists can learn about the horrible suffering the locals had to endure as well as see photographs and relics of what their lives had been like – barber shop tools, mirrors, and newspaper clippings were artfully displayed in the museum. One particularly touching story I read during our visit was of a man who’d owned 50 pigeons. He was forced to move and, once settled for several months, let his pigeons out to fly to see if they’d return to him. They didn’t return that night, which troubled him greatly. As he drove to work the next morning, passing the bulldozed lot where he used to live in District 6, he saw all 50 of his pigeons sitting there, staring at him, as if they were asking where their home had gone.

Our next stop was Langa, a township in Cape Flats that was truly vibrant with a culture all its own! Jimmy told us that the township was divided into four sections: working class, well-off (professional occupants), converted migrant hostels, and shanties. We drove through streets bustling with activity before we were able to get out and walk around amongst the people. I must admit, my head was swimming at this point and nausea rising in my stomach at the impoverished conditions some of the people appeared, at first glance, to be living in. Jimmy did an excellent job of describing the different types of people and how many of them had come to Cape Town in search of a better life. After our tour concluded, I had a more settled and understanding feeling of the place. Our first stop was a “project” or community center where local young adults learn crafts such as pottery or painting. I purchased a beautiful vase and Carmin bought a dish.

A little further inside the settlement, we came to a restaurant of sorts. Ladies sat outside of hovels burning hair off the heads of dead sheep which were then boiled and sold as food to the locals. Dan, seeing how squeamish I’d been of eating prawns whose heads, feelers and legs were still attached, thought I’d be too squeamish to try the sheep head and purchased half of it for me to try. Unfortunately for Dan, cockroach-looking seafood and good, old fashioned bbq is a very different thing to me. Carmin and I gladly tried both the cheek (meat, fat and skin together) and the tongue (which, like cow tongue, is considered a delicacy). Neither was bad, though the cheek was a little too chewy for either of us. We walked through the streets where the children held our hands and took a great interest in our cameras. Dennis had a ball with them – snapping their photos and showing them their images immediately through the display screen on back. At the corner, where Jimmy brought the car around to pick us up, a craft stand had been set up for us tourists.

Our next stop was a shanty neighborhood where two women stood behind craft booths waiting for our van. Once again, I grabbed some souvenirs. We were allowed to see the inside of her home, which was made of plywood and sheet metal and barely two rooms. It did have electricity, though, as candles or fire of any sort was extremely dangerous and had burned down 250 homes only 7 years ago. The home was very neat and clean with appliances such as an electric range and a sewing machine. Jimmy informed us that this woman sewed traditional gowns for the women, including wedding dresses. The final stop we made was at a medicine man’s place of business. It was very dark and musty inside as animal skins and feet, mushrooms, and a myriad of other things I couldn’t quite discern in the low light hung from the ceiling or decorated shelves and random areas of the room. He put on a fur hat and beaded sash and spoke about the different potions he can make to help a man find another wife (this culture allows for up to 5) or cure an ailment. Outside of his place of business were the largest number of craft and jewelry tables of all, and Dan took this opportunity to buy some gifts before we headed back to our hotel.

Dinner tonight was a cultural affair at the Gold of Africa Museum, a small museum that highlights gold work rom all over Africa. A drum workshop was underway on arrival and everyone participated in the fun, though humbling experience. That definitely takes a lot of skill! Carmin remarked that she found dinner this evening particularly special and the highlight of her day. Many small dishes from all the different regions of Africa were represented. People drummed and danced in beautiful costumes and the Xhosa singing was truly moving. It was the perfect ending to the day.

As we left dinner tonight, the winding road back to Cape Cadogan allowed us stunning views of Cape Town beaming in a radiant glow of electric light nestled against the base of the mountains and curling along the sea. We had a great introduction to this beautiful city today. As we enjoyed a splendid breakfast in the hotel this morning, we were met by our guide, Doug, and driver, Graham, who engaged us in pleasant conversation until we were all ready to depart for the first activity of the day: a drive into part of Table Mountain National Park.

We stopped to lookout over the “city bowl” – so named because it is surrounded in a semi-circle by Devil’s Peak, Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, and the great Atlantic stretching almost endlessly to the west. We continued a little further and came to Signal Hill, which is a jumping off point for hikes to Lion’s Head and from which we could see amazing views of Table Bay and Robben Island – where Nelson Mandela had been imprisoned for 15 of his 27 year sentence. Signal Hill is named for the noon day gun which fires every day at 12 PM but originally was fired to signal to farmers to load their wagons full of produce and bring them to the harbor because ships had arrived! Doug regaled us with the history of Cape Town, beginning in the 1400’s with Portuguese sailors in search of a spice route to the east, to the first Dutch settlers and the wars between the Dutch farmers, Boers (which means farmers), and the British. The lesson continued to cover modern topics such as Apartheid and embargos against Africa which began in the 1970s and caused South Africa to be isolated until the mid-1990s when Apartheid was ended and black people were given the right to vote. Since I grew up and went to school during Apartheid while America’s sanctions against South Africa were in place, I don’t remember learning much, if anything, about South Africa or its political struggles while in school. Doug’s knowledge of South African history was truly amazing. I couldn’t have been more impressed by not only his lesson, but also his genuine passion for sharing this information and his good natured way of communicating with everyone in the group. I also was awed by the respect most South African’s have for Nelson Mandela and am interested in reading his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, which was recommended by Doug and Carmin alike.

Upon leaving Signal Hill, we headed into the city center, passing colorful Malay houses where the Muslim people were brought as slaves. We began a tour of the city where noteworthy sites were pointed out. My favorite part was when we got to get out at Green Market Square and do a little shopping. African crafts of all kind were available for purchase in this open-air market, very similar to a flea market or Mercado (being as I am from San Antonio, this is very much what it reminded me of). There were beaded wire animals, carved masks, paintings, statues of animals made of wood or stone, bags, clothing and more. We were here for a brief 20 minutes, but it was fantastic and Carmin was wonderful, leading me around and helping me understand the currency and negotiate fair prices for souvenirs.

We stopped for lunch at a quay side restaurant on the Victoria and Alfred waterfront. At Carmin’s suggestion I ordered a delicious calamari steak (blackened). I had no idea calamari steaks even existed, but I am glad I do now as it was very good.

After lunch we headed to the Two Oceans Aquarium which is featured in our family trip to Cape Town: South Africa Family Adventure Safari. I am not a fan of zoos or aquariums, so I was not looking forward to this activity and sort of hoped we’d be through the aquarium quickly. However, not long after we’d entered, I found myself interested in the sea creatures – giant rock lobsters, frightening translucent jelly fish, and fun, educational touching pools. The girl that worked at one of the touching pools explained to us the different kinds of life in the tank and encouraged Carmin and I to touch two different starfish, explaining one was an herbivore and one was a carnivore! I never would have thought a starfish would be carnivorous, though I suppose I never really thought about a starfish eating! I also felt the tendrils of a pretty purple sea anemone which, after my finger lingered too long, gave a barely noticeable poke which is its mechanism of killing and trapping prey!

We came to an atrium that housed the first African penguins I have seen! There was a lady feeding them and Rock Hopper penguins as well. They were adorable! Dennis spent a while photographing their antics. I am really looking forward to the personal encounter we’ll have with them when we kayak out to one of their colonies on Friday.

We had a mere hour of downtime at the hotel before we were off again, this time to dinner. We ate a variety of seafood at Codfather. The ordering process was truly unique. You can grab your own sushi from a rotating bar or order oysters as an appetizer. For the main course, you select from a variety of fresh fish and prawns which are displayed beneath glass and the flavor and texture of each type are explained to you by the waiter. They are then cooked and then served at your table with a variety of sauces and accompaniments. This dinner was fun, tasty, and a great way to end our introductory day in Cape Town.

Tomorrow the morning starts bright and early with a hike on the 3,300 foot Table Mountain. I am looking forward to getting out and really stretching my legs.

Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel is beautiful and open, airy, and light. I can’t wait to see it during the day! I landed in Cape Town (CPT) just after 9PM local time (SAST) – only 22 hours after beginning my journey in New York City (JFK). I had been so worried and paranoid about the flight for absolutely no reason. I couldn’t imagine spending that long on a plane, especially in coach, but I couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised. Having never flown on South African Airways, I didn’t know what to expect. Since the majority of my time today was spent traveling, I’ll give you a rundown of what it was like just getting to South Africa.

Pre-boarding was exceptionally easy, although it has been years since I’ve traveled internationally and I wasn’t terribly familiar with the process – I didn’t remember that I had to carry my own luggage to the screening area! It was very smooth and the South African Airways employee at the counter was friendly and quick. I also didn’t have to wait in line at all to get checked in or receive my physical ticket. I was really sad to say goodbye to Justin, who’d accompanied me to the airport, but still, I was excited, and made a lot of phone calls as soon as I got on the plane.

Hour 1 (4:40 PM EST): Boarded in coach (“economy”) and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of seat pitch (recline) and that my whole row was empty except for my seat. The configuration was 2-4-2 and I had an aisle seat in the middle section. Also, every seat had its own TV screen! The safety demonstration was not done by the flight crew, but rather a cartoon played on the TVs that explained all of the emergency instructions and federal regulations. The flight attendants did point out the emergency exits. As two of my cousins are flight attendants with American Airlines, I couldn’t help wondering if they’d prefer a system like this. We were informed by the “Flight Crew Coordinator” (chief flight attendant/purser) that more passengers would be joining us in Dakar, an estimated 7 hours from then. I eyeballed the empty seats and greedily considered using them as a bed in which to nap before we got to Dakar. My mind went into a spiral of questioning: What time will it be when we land in Dakar? What is Dakar like? Why do most people travel from Dakar to South Africa? How many passengers will join us? The flight attendants came through the aisles and handed us overnight kits with comfy yellow socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and sleep masks. I slipped out of my heels and into the socks immediately. What a relief! I decide to read my book since we’re still waiting to take-off.

Hour 2: Neck hurts from looking down and we are still taxiing at JFK. I am really stuck in what they call the “international rush hour” this time. My heart beats harder as anxiety rises in my chest at the thought that we’re about to fly over the Atlantic Ocean to Africa! We finally become airborne at 20 past 6 PM.

Hour 3: Drink service followed by dinner. You can have a free glass of wine or beer with dinner in coach on SAA. I decided to go for it and opted for the cabernet sauvignon which was from South Africa – Boland Kelder. It was good, as was my dinner, but the two did not go well together! The dinner was impressively diverse – chicken tikka masala with what I imagine was saffron flavored long grain rice and vegetables. There was a roll with butter, crackers and cheese, a little cucumber salad, and chocolate mousse.

Hour 4: Decided to explore my entertainment options which led me into playing a tetris-esque game set inside a volcano. My sister, Val! probably would’ve been entertained for the entire 22 hour flight with that game alone.

Hour 5: Captain informs us we’ll land in Dakar at 8 AM (SAST). I am done with Tetris-esque game and decide to read some ALA work related material then brush teeth with handy SAA kit and fall asleep.

Hour 6 – 10: Sleep

Hour 11: I wake up to flight attendants helping people gather their luggage in low light. Trash is collected. I reference the flight map on the seatback screen and note we have come 3,707 miles and are 26 minutes from landing in Dakar. We arrive in Dakar at 6:18 AM (GMT). The plane is cleaned and the flight crew changes. This is a strange experience for me. Almost like traveling on trains in Europe where you begin in one destination and seats are reserved for passengers with little slips of paper on which their names are written that will be joining at some future stop. It seems odd for an international airline. All of the people I noticed earlier with interesting, colorful clothes (robes or billowy blouses) and hats get off at Dakar. One man in a white robe carries an incredibly large boom box. The demographic on the plane is well mixed, white, black and Asian of varying ages. Almost everyone takes this stop as an opportunity to stand and stretch their legs.

Hour 12: Only one passenger joined my row and we are on our way yet again. We’re approximately 8 hours from Johannesburg now and the sun is just rising over Dakar. A flight attendant makes an announcement that they have to “spray the cabin” and as soon as the PA is over, flight attendants come through the cabin with what seems to be scented aerosol fumigators. I wonder what they’re doing and make a mental note to google it when I land! (Google tells me they were spraying pesticides to ensure no agricultural contamination occurs.) I was informed a sweep of the cabin would be made to ensure all carry-ons are accounted for, but this did not come to pass. Soon the realization hits me that it will still be twelve more hours before I arrive in Cape Town.

Hour 13: Breakfast is served and you can choose between eggs or French toast, so I go with the French toast. It’s a complete breakfast with a croissant and jelly, yogurt, mixed fruit, and orange juice. A few moments later the beverage cart comes down the aisle and offers coffee, tea, water, or other juices.

Hour 14: Sleep

Hour 15: I awaken from a strange dream about a plane landing on an urban street and fall promptly back to sleep.

Hour 16: Sleep

Hour 17: More dreams but I am finding it more difficult to sleep because I am starting to feel pain in my knee, hip, and rear end! It is not too bad though. Lunch comes soon enough and the choice was between fish and beef this time. I chose fish and it was again a full meal with salad, bread and dessert. Custom forms are passed around.

Hour 18: Read

Hour 19: Deplane in Johannesburg (JNB) at 5:30 PM (SAST).

Hour 20: It was a very long walk, maybe a mile, from the jet-bridge to the baggage claim and customs. I got my passport stamped and stickered. Right outside of customs I was met by two men that Carmin arranged to help expedite my passage to the domestic terminal and help me check in. They sure did! One had actually been waiting for Dan and Dennis but somehow missed them. They were very nice guys! I had to stop briefly in the restroom and made it to the gate for my Cape Town flight as it was boarding. Talk about perfect timing! The flight attendants for SAA are super professional with a Swiss-like precision to them, yet with a softer, friendlier edge.

Hour 21: I was seated in an emergency exit row, so my backpack and purse both had to go in an overheard bin. The flight attendant was very helpful in storing my bags for me.

Hour 22: I finished the book I brought to read. Luckily, I had a second to start. Supper is also served, this time the choice is fish or beef again, so I go with beef. I am still glad they are giving us meals, but traveling and airline food is wearing on me. I feel bloated, gassy, and in need of proper rest. All of my discomfort is abolished when I have a brief chat with the lead flight attendant. He asks me where in The States I am from and that my accent gave it away. Being an American without much of any accent, I find this very charming and am proud to announce I am from Texas but reside in New York. He tells me that he loves New York and begins listing off cities in Texas, asking if I am from them (Dallas, Houston, Austin). I am from San Antonio, in case you’re curious. I feel a little embarrassed that I know virtually nothing about Africa (South Africa or otherwise) or its cities. I wonder with all openness whether I’ll fall in love with this place and want to stay. I am easily drawn to things, like a moth to the flame.

We departed the plane via air-stairs at Cape Town’s airport, but the stairs were enclosed in a sort of dark tunnel! The wind outside was blowing fiercely and we cram into a shuttle to get to the terminal. Carmin met me at the airport. Her hair is longer than in her photos but her smile is just as nice and her eyes the same green! It’s so nice to see and speak with her in person. We get in a van and I meet the men that will be driving us around Cape Town tomorrow and explaining the history of the city and its people. It is late (2 AM here!) and I seem to have forgotten their names, but I’ll definitely have them for tomorrow’s update.

This evening the city was a dark, hilly landscape with glittering lights accentuating its undulating curves – just a tease really. I am looking forward to the morning and a true sense of this place. The hotel is made of several buildings (a master guesthouse and nearby apartments) which are strung together through narrow cobbled passages with gates.

I want to draw comparisons, because that is what the human mind is used to doing, for comfort and familiarity, but it seems too early and unfair to this new city, this new country. I will say, however, it feels a bit like Puerto Rico with the wind and beautiful flowering scents, and a bit like Venice, with the narrow passages and uneven walkways, but there is something else about it completely unique and unlike any place I’ve ever been.

Tomorrow is a city-orientation day with the afternoon opened. The plan is to see how the jetlag affects us. We’ll be dining at a seafood/sushi restaurant called Cod Father on the waterfront tomorrow afternoon. I love the name. I will write more tomorrow!

The last few days have been filled with activity, from cooking Thanksgiving dinner to rushing around purchasing last minute supplies and packing. I received my Eagle Creek ORV Trunk on Friday (thanks to Sarah at Austin-Lehman in Montana for hurrying to FedEx on the day before Thanksgiving to send it to me in New York City)! It definitely has a good capacity and I dig the separate storage areas as well as an isolated ‘dirty clothes’ area at the bottom of the bag. Impressively, I actually packed most of my clothes in it Friday night. I usually throw things in my suitcase on the morning of a trip. Then again, most of my trips aren’t 2 week long complex and active adventures.

Every store was overrun with bargain hunters this weekend but I still managed to find all of the remaining items on my list (save one)! Since it is now winter in New York, it was pretty much impossible to find a decent selection of shorts! As is to be expected, there are weight restrictions for luggage on all of the flights I am taking. Between JFK and Cape Town the restrictions are typical - 2 pieces of checked luggage weighing no more than 50 lbs each is allowed per passenger. However, the smaller planes for our flight to the remote game reserve where we will be going on safari are a little more strict. You can check only one soft-sided suitcase or duffel bag with a maximum weight of 44lbs (20 kilograms) and bring aboard one small carry-on bag (purses and camera equipment count toward this). Not only do I pack at the last minute, but I typically overpack – worrying about whether or not I’ll need something once I get to my destination. I also plan to do some shopping while I’m in Africa so I can bring back souvenirs for my family and friends, so I didn’t know how I would be able to handle the weight restriction. Carmin set my mind at ease by assuring me that we can safely store extra bags in Johannesburg and just take a small bag with us containing enough clothes and supplies for the safari portion.

Thanks to the packing list in the wonderful pre-trip planning document Carmin sent me, I had an easy time packing just the things I needed. I knew exactly how many pairs of shorts, pants, and t-shirts to pack as well as whether I’d need other clothes for dinner in the evenings or a swimsuit. According to the document, the majority of clothes I need are for active days. Specifically recommended were loose light-weight fabrics, quick-dry pants with zip-off legs as they’re ideal for changing weather conditions and a quick-dry long sleeve shirt for protection from the sun and for cooler mornings and evenings. Only a couple of semi-formal outfits are necessary for dinners in Cape Town. Bright colors are not recommended on safari, but I was surprised to read that white is not suggested – apparently this is mostly due to how dusty and dirty the safari tents tend to become. Mostly khaki/neutral colored clothing is advised to help blend in to the environment – the idea being we can get closer to and spend longer watching the animals in their daily routine if we don’t stand out. Unfortunately, most of my clothing is black (I sound like a true New Yorker, don’t I?), but Carmin tells me blacks and blues are no-no’s on safari because they attract insects, especially tsetse flies that, as Carmin says, “pack a mean bite!” Yikes!

Speaking of bugs and bites, one thing everyone was having a lot of fun giving me a hard time about was all the different shots they thought I’d have to get for my trip. Thankfully, no vaccinations are necessary to travel to South Africa from North America. ALA recommends that anyone traveling internationally have an up to date tetanus shot and consult with a doctor or local travel clinic for professional advice. Malaria does occur in parts of South Africa and our 4 days in the Greater Kruger Area takes us into the malaria zone, so we’ll be taking malaria prophylaxis before embarking on safari.

One of the most important items I had to purchase this weekend was a plug adapter because sockets in South Africa are different (three-prong with circular metal pins and one large grounding pin). Electrical voltage is also different at 220 – 240-volts in Southern Africa compared to 110-volts in North America. Luckily, my laptop and camera charger both work on dual-voltage. My laptop will barely keep me company on this flight, however, since it is 22 hours (JFK – JNB – CPT) and there are no power outlets in coach. I stocked up on reading materials today!

I can’t believe I am departing tomorrow! I am both excited and a little sad. I am sad to be away from my sister (Val!), boyfriend (Justin), and our puppies (Ruby and Eve) for 2 weeks. It’s the longest time I’ve ever been apart from Justin since we began dating 3 years ago. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder so I am sure both Val! and Justin will be thrilled to see me when I return – the gifts I plan to bring back for them probably won’t hurt either. Why I am excited is obvious, I’m sure! I know I am going to have a great time and do so many new things. I’ll also get to share my experience with everyone reading this blog, which is enormously important to me. Thank you for your comments so far. The journey is just about to begin, and I am really thankful you’re along for the ride.

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I can’t believe there is only one week left until I depart for Africa. I will be getting on a plane in almost exactly 7 days to spend a grueling 22 hours or so traveling to Cape Town. I know it will be worth it: The anxiety, excitement, and nervous energy coursing through my body makes it impossible to believe otherwise. Am I more anxious than a typical customer? Possibly, because I am worrying about whether I’ll run into any internet or computer issues while I am there, but who knows? I would be hard pressed to believe that many people bidding familiarity goodbye for 2 weeks to embark on a trip to such a distant and seemingly remote destination would be perfectly calm.

I’m in New York City three days before Thanksgiving. It’s cold and murky with rain coming down in an unwelcome drizzle, but next week, my days will be filled with activity, warmth, and sunshine. I’ll be bike riding through African wine country, kayaking to see penguins (PENGUINS! I had no idea there were penguins in Africa) and riding beneath a starry sky on a nighttime safari in the remote African wilderness… I may be a complete dork, but one of the things I am most excited about is having this amazing opportunity to view stars I have never before seen in my life: those that exist only in the southern hemisphere!

Carmin sent those of us that are going on this trip a very detailed pre-trip planner. There is a welcome letter and useful information including a checklist to help you plan for your trip, reminding you to book airline tickets and verify that your passport is up to date with plenty of blank pages. Apparently this trip will fill two pages of my passport, which is great because it’s fairly empty! I seem to have a hard time keeping passports around, as this one is my 3rd in only 10 years - backpacking through Europe sometimes has disadvantages such as sleep deprivation and forgetfulness!

The most compelling part of this document, for me, is the itinerary! First, I am so excited that, though my flight is long, both dinner and breakfast will be served onboard. While I absolutely love JetBlue and the snacks, I am looking forward to real meals, if only to feed my nostalgia for what it once meant to fly. I will meet Carmin for the first time as soon as I land in Cape Town. She and a guide will be picking me up from the airport. Then we’re off to Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel which sits at the base of Table Mountain! Of course, being the obsessive person that I am, I googled “Table Mountain” for images. Let’s just say it is aptly named! Everything I see and learn regarding this vacation amazes me. South Africa truly is a beautiful country.

Africa has always seemed impossibly far away. Growing up in the 1980s and 90s, the few things that stuck out in my mind
about Africa were largely negative, from the continent having the largest concentration of AIDs in the world, to seemingly endless wars and the trouble with elephants being poached for their tusks. The benefits of going on safari, seeing the foreign and exotic landscape and animals, and meeting the indigenous people seemed far too dangerous.

It was less than five years ago that I even learned metropolitan cities existed in the middle of what I’d always thought to be severe, hot, dry wilderness. Never mind I had no idea there were wineries and waterfalls. I’d only met one person in my life before I moved to New York who had actually been on a safari in Africa. He is a serious hunter and rancher in Texas. His photographs showed images of exotic animals, beautiful landscapes, smiling people, and huge termite mounds 2 or 3 times as tall as an average person! He’d gone on a luxury safari which had cost him upwards of $10,000. He said he loved it so much he’d go back in a heartbeat. I was completely floored with how safe he felt there, how kind everyone was, and by the beautiful scenery in his photographs. It seemed that there was much, much more to Africa than I’d learned in school.

Just one month ago I received a phone call from Dan (Dan Austin - Director and co-founder of Austin-Lehman Adventures) and Carmin (Carmin Arnot - South Africa Regional Director). It was my very last day working for JetBlue Airways. They had both been on the phone for a while going over their plans for an Africa trip and abruptly called to ask me if I wanted to go. I was at a loss for words… OF COURSE I wanted to go! Who in their right mind would say no to a trip to Africa? And I hadn’t even officially started working with Austin-Lehman yet! I was told there was still a lot of planning to be done and that I may end up not being able to go at all – everything was still pending approval. I tried, to little avail, to keep from getting my hopes up or talking about it. Finally, last week, it was confirmed – I am definitely going!