Wow, there is SO much to tell. I have to backtrack several days, back to Wednesday, December 24 . . .
Christmas Eve! This day we had planned to go to the beach or climb Table Mountain but it was kind of overcast (which sucks, because I have realized that everything I really want to do depends on nice weather) so we went to Canal Street, which is basically a HUGE mall, like at least 4x the size of the average mall at home. It was really nice, though was very different from American malls-- lots of big furniture stores, large restaurants, and I passed at least two stores only selling meat. I wasn't really in the mood to shop, mostly because I was bummed to be indoors at all and because I'm not about to spend my money (already) on things that I could pretty much buy at home also. I spent a good amount of the time getting coffee with David (18, UK) who is done at Bap but spending ~10 days at the house until he goes on to Germany or Amsterdam or somewhere. So that was nice to get to know him. That night we (me, Georgina, David, and Kim- a former volunteer who came back to visit her last night in the country) went out in Obs to a pool bar kind of place that has two for the price of one Wednesday nights. I played one game of pool and actually did quite well. After being there for a while we went to Long St. to a bar called The Dubliner... SO much fun. It was such an awesome Christmas Eve atmosphere, really good music, and I talked to and met so many neat people. Then we went across the street to a bar/club called Jo'Burg, where we were until they closed. It is really weird here though because it gets light early- and bright too, like it was maybe 5 or 6 am and looked like it was like 9am out. Really, really fun night.
Thursday, December 25: The next day I somehow woke up without a hangover-- a Christmas miracle!! Granted, Georgina and I didn't wake up until 1, but oh well. We met Ida at Camps Bay Beach which is just on the other side of Table Mountain/Lion Head. It is such an awesome place-- a gorgeous beach, clean water (though FREEZING is no exaggeration, it is painful to go in), the beach is lined with palm trees and on the other side is lined by a street with really nice hotels, stores, and restaurants, and then the backdrop of it all is the 12 Apostles, a mountain with 12 separate peaks. So we layed out here all day- it was hot!- and got lunch at a really good cafe right there. We are about to do the same thing today. What a Christmas!! It sure wasn't traditional but I wouldn't mind spending another one that way. There were very few signs that it was a holiday except for the occasional person in a Santa hat or reindeer ears, just lots of families out picnicking. Christmas night we had sort of a Christmas dinner that Ed had bought us- 2 chickens and some veggies. We also made some mashed potatoes, it was pretty good. Just watched a movie and stayed in.
Friday, December 26: The day after Christmas Me, Ida, and David decided to climb Table Mountain. I would like to preface this by saying that I consider myself in relatively good shape, and I would think that I would be a decent hiker though granted I haven't hiked legitimately since probably the Ochsenreiter California Trip of '95. However, not one person that I had talked to about Table Mountain mentioned to me how INCREDIBLY HARD it is to climb. We started at about 1:30pm, and the first part of the trail is steep, though not even THAT steep (it gets steeper later), but this part was soooo hard. Basically you are climbing rock "stairs" (I use the word stairs incredibly loosely here), but the rocks are tall so it takes a lot of effort to take one step, and then in some areas there is no order to the rocks at all so you are just scrambling up over random rocks... it sucked. Like Ida and David have done it at least 3x before so they had no problem but I was thinking why in the world am I about to spend my day doing this?? Eventually I made it to the top of that section, and for a while you are going pretty much flat because you are basically walking the length of the mountain. David and I walked this part together (Ida was way ahead, Norwegians must be good hikers) but then he got a headache so he decided to turn around. I was fine with this because I didn't want to have to keep up with him on the uphill part and there were a good amount of other hikers going up and down so I wasn't on the mountain by myself or anything. Oh, and I forgot to mention- the reason there were so many people on the trail is because the Cable Car that is usually running up and down was closed because of high winds. This is important to keep in mind seeing as you get higher and higher it is SO windy. The upper part of the trail wasn't as hard as the beginning because it was more windy so didn't go STRAIGHT up, though at parts it did- plus, this part takes hours to get up. Like I would ask people coming down occasionally about how much farther to the top and they'd be like "Oh, an hour and a half, maybe two depending on your pace." ????? Who would enjoy that?? Anyways, it was hard, but I really wanted to get to the top. And the views were AMAZING. When I was about an hour from the top, a couple coming down told me that I shouldn't even bother, that it was freezing cold and windy at the top and that the clouds were coming in (which means I wouldn't have been able to see anything off the mountain). That was all I needed to hear- I did want to get to the top for personal achievement but if it there was really no point then I wasn't about to do it. Unfortunately, going back down the mountain was just as hard if not more so than going up. Not tiring, and it was faster, but I was a bit nervous of rolling an ankle or something, not to mention falling off the mountain. And with the wind and a backpack on my back and etc I didn't think that at least the former was quite possible. In conclusion though, I made it down alive and I am glad I did as much as I did but Ida was like "Oh we will have to do it again one day" and there is just no way. The cable car is there for a reason.
That night we rented two movies and just hung out since the next day was Bap!!! ... which I will write about tomorrow for sure! Georgina, Ida and I are about to go to Camps Bay again.
*I will add pictures later!!!*
**I worked out my Kruger Safari, and will have to miss my last shift at Bap but let's face it it's worth it- I am so glad it will work out!!!**
3 comments:
It sounds like you were lucky to survive your Table Mountain experience!!! Yeah, you climbed it once, you've definitely earned the right to take the cable car next time. Can't wait to hear about Baps! What are your plans for the next three days off? It was great to talk to you on Christmas-- we missed you but you were clearly where you're supposed to be. :)
Great to hear from you, Lauren! You made a true effort on Table Mountain under unfavorable conditions. Next time ride up! You're already into NYE...have fun tonight and save some energy to tell us all about your days at Baps - and send pictures. Happy New Year's Eve! Miss you! xoxo Mom
LOL! Your Table Mountain story-- all that and you haven't even been to the top yet?! Well at least you still have the best part of it to look forward to. And maybe from now on you'll heed your big sister's advice, cause i TOLD you to hike down, not up! Although you're right, down is not easy either, and it's probably more dangerous... L.A. and I passed right by a huge mountain goat on our way down, and I noticed that even IT stumbled at one point! (made me feel a little better). But Lauren...I am soooo excited for you (still! it hasn't waned!), and I cannot WAIT to compare notes with you and hear about all of your experiences when you get home, which will be such a treat because you'll have such depth to your experiences that I wasn't there long enough to have. Reading your blog really makes me want to travel WITH you someday, like I did with Erin-- I think we'd make a great team together (and imagine the variety of shock we'd get from FOREIGNERS about the fact that yes, we're sisters, even though we look like different races during the summer!). One thing at a time though-- it sound like you're living every day to the fullest (which necessarily involves sleeping until 1 sometimes, so don't feel bad!), and I'm just sooo proud of you that you're already "in the groove" over there-- not that I'm at all surprised, but for a lot of people, adjustment is a loong process. Although, sunburned already, Laur?? I won't launch into my sun-safety speech right now, but maybe I'll send it in an email cause obviously you need a refresher! You know, as part of your Travel Essentials I almost gave you this great Japanese-brand SPF-50 fluid that's long-wear & mattifying, but I thought to myself, sun protection?...no, that's way too obvious. --Apparently not though!
Okay I've gone on way too long, better let you get back to those babies! (or whatever you're up to today). But OMG, one last comment-- your daily routine at Baps sounds absolutely crazy and gross and wonderful and fulfilling and I cannot even imagine! Can't wait to hear more. :)
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