Hello/Goodbye

Exhilarating, phenomenal, and surreal – these are the words I would use to describe my past few days in Cape Town. Recently, someone asked me to choose the best thing I’ve done abroad thus far. To be honest, I didn’t have an answer. While Cape Town has definitely been treating me well, I couldn’t pinpoint one moment and confidently say, “blank changed my life!”

That is, I didn’t have an answer until Friday when I went paragliding off of Lion’s Head.

You may recall Lion’s Head is one of the nearby mountains in Cape Town I recently hiked. You may also recall I told myself I’d never hike it again. Well, this all changed a few days ago when I found out that in order to paraglide off of Lion’s Head, I had to hike up Lion’s Head. In retrospect, this seems obvious, but that never clicked in my head before I signed up.

My mom often tells me not much has changed since I was two; if I am hungry and tired, I’m not the most pleasant person to be around. On this morning I was operating on a few hours of sleep and only a banana in my stomach, so I certainly wasn’t stoked to set out on an unexpected early morning hike. But, after much debate, I agreed to bite the bullet and complete what I had set out to do.

So, after another hike up Lion’s Head, I finally made it to the take off point and was ready to go. I put on my helmet, got the parachute attached to my harness, and literally jumped off the cliff. Luckily I was all strapped in, so instead of plummeting to my downfall, I was instantly lifted into the air and got a bird’s eye view of Cape Town. The scenery was breathtaking and it was incredible to see the city from that perspective.

This is Africa! (Click photo to enlarge.)

Little did I know, the best part was yet to come. While in the air, the pilot I was tandem to told me it was “rollercoaster time.” Granted, I didn’t know what that meant, but I didn’t have many options at that point. Lo and behold, the following few minutes would be the most fun I’ve had in Cape Town up until this point.

What a way to start the day! (Click photo to enlarge.)

I can’t quite describe the feeling, so I’ve included a clip to help explain what it was like to be in the air. Fair warning: you’re about to get a good laugh at my expense. Let me also preface this video by saying I was hysterically laughing the entire time. I have a theory that too many endorphins were released in my brain at this moment, leading to the maniacal reaction. That being said, this made me realize that all of my hard work was worth it.

This will be my last blog post for the next couple of weeks, as I will soon be departing for a 10-day camping trip in Botswana and Zimbabwe. While I’m there, I will be going on game drives, white water rafting, and will finally get to do the thing I have most wanted to do in Africa: bungee jump off of Victoria Falls! I’m sure I’ll have many stories to tell and pictures to share upon my return and I can’t wait to experience the other activities southern Africa has to offer. Farewell for now!

The Lion Queen

After another whirlwind weekend, I’m convinced I’m living in a winter wonderland. It’s such a treat to be a tourist in my own city and explore places I’ve never been before. The past few days were full of adventure and trying new things, both of which I’ve learned are essential when studying abroad.

On Friday I embodied my inner aristocrat and attended High Tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel. To summarize teatime in one word, I would say it was idyllic. I ate delicious finger foods, scrumptious sweets, and drank traditional British tea. As if that wasn’t enough, the scenery was stunning. Much to my surprise and extreme satisfaction, the hotel is painted an adorable light pink. Even with a leisurely stay, I never wanted to leave! Below are pictures to do the setting more justice than my words ever could.

The Mount Nelson Hotel in all of its glory! (Click photo to enlarge.)

Believe it or not, these are only some of the treats the hotel had to offer! (Click photos to enlarge.)

The fun continued on Saturday with my first visit to Camps Bay, a nearby beach. The sun was shining for most of the afternoon and luckily the water was just warm enough so that my friends and I could jump in the Atlantic Ocean. I can’t wait to return to the beach when it warms up a bit more!

This view really never gets old! (Click photo to enlarge.)

Sunday was a day I will never forget. After a lot of convincing and motivation from friends, I hiked Lion’s Head to see the sunset and the full moon rise. I’m not much of a hiker (i.e., not at all), but it was a rewarding experience. I can’t say I’m rushing to hike again, yet I’ll always cherish the moment of making it to the top and gazing out to appreciate the wondrous view.

 The view from the top of Lion's Head was sort of worth all of my hard work!

Hook 'Em from over 2,000 feet up in the air!

The full moon and city lights were phenomenal!

This coming weekend is also sure to be an eventful one. I am doing a homestay in the rural town of Grabow, the largest fruit exporter in South Africa. I’m eager to meet my host family, learn about their customs, and drink some of the famous Elgin Valley apple juice, Appletiser!