Cape Town

Our semester week long break was from Sept. 26 – 30.

During the break I travelled to Cape Town, South Africa with a few friends. The travel time to get there by bus was 25 hours. Thankfully for most of the way (after our layover in Johannesburg) we were in a sleepliner (double decker), which was actually more comfortable than an economy airplane seat, so it was not so bad. The South African landscape is quite different than Botswana's, less dessert and more rolling hills with sparse shrubbery and such.

Cape Town is on the most southwestern point of Africa, and has a mountain in it called Table mountain. We hiked up the mountain, which took about 2 hours. It is called table mountain because it has a big flat top (upon which there is a restaurant and gift shop, along with a cable way, so not the most adventurous experience) We then took the cable car down the mountain.

top of Table Mountain, overlooking the Cape Peninsula and Atlantic ocean

I also abseiled partway down the mountain. The abseil was 112 meters, which is the tallest commercial abseil in the world. Abseiling is rappelling down a cliff where the person rappelling controls his own descent, and generally tries to bounce/jump out from the cliff. I can't say I jumped out from the cliff very far, because it was my first time and the whole experience was one of the most intense things I have ever done. Table mountain is over 1km high, and heights and climbing are definitely not my thing. Needless to say, while walking off of a cliff 1km in the air (actually while leaning back on a rope over the edge...) I was virtually scared out of my mind. But it was one of the coolest, exciting and best experiences ever!

Abseiling (yes, those are roads and houses way down there)

We also hiked “The Lion's Head”, a large rocky hill near table mountain.

on top of the "Lion's Head" (it did actually look like a lion's head from a distance)

We also did a tour of the peninsula, where we saw Southern Right Whales, South African Fur Seals, and African Penguins. We also did a bike ride for part of the trip through a kind of field wasteland area in the center of the Peninsula, and stopped at the most southwestern point of Africa.

South African Fur Seal Colony (unique because they're furry)

Cape of Good Hope, the most south western point of Africa

We toured the city and saw some museums, art gallery, the “Company Gardens” (previously owned by the Dutch East India Company), the Kirstenbosch gardens (one the greatest botanical gardens in the world), and did a wine tour at Groot Constatia. We also went on a tour of Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, which was a unique historical experience.

Kirstenbosch Gardens

For the trip home, we took the train back. This turned out to be quite the excursion, as the South African train system is in need of some repairs. Riding the train was interesting, at least we got to walk around and go to the dining car. But we spent a significant amount of time waiting for various delays (power outage, traffic lights not working...), so much so that the 26 hour train ride became a 40 hour train ride! After which we missed our bus back, had to stay overnight in Joburg and then take an additional 6 hour bus ride to Gaborone. I think I'm ready to not travel for at least a little bit...