April Vac!

It has been a little over a week since I got back from April Vac and I apologize for not updating sooner, but I had to hit the ground running when classes started again. The first week back I had a paper due Monday, a lot of tutorial work for History 101 due Thursday, and another and much more difficult paper due on Friday. Then I went on a trip this weekend. Sorry all, I’ve been busy.

Ok, so April Vac. We rented two cars and drove the Garden Route, staying in backpacker hostels all along the way, and making stops here and there to do fun stuff. We did so much that it would take me absolutely forever to go into detail about what we did so I’m going to list where we stayed and what we did and then go into detail about a few things. If you want more info about a particular activity or place feel free to comment or email me at g09e7489@campus.ru.ac.za!

• Jeffrey’s Bay: Island Vibe Backpackers, beach-ness
• Storms River: DiJembe Backpackers, Tsitsikamma National Forest, Zip lining!
• Knysna: Knysna Backpackers, walked around town, waterfront, watched the sunrise
• Mossel Bay: Little Brak Beach House, beach-ness, drove to Oudtshourn and went to the Cango Wildlife Ranch (lame) and then to the Cango Caves (awesome!)
• Cape Town: Inn Long Street, Hiked Lion’s Head, saw the sunset and moon rise, Climbed Table Mountain (it really was a climb and not a hike), Easter Service at the Anglican Church of St. Paul, Shopping at indoor African Women’s Market and at outdoor market, Visited US Consulate, Went on a Township Tour: District 6 Museum, Shebeen and tasted homemade beer, Traditional Healer, Nursery School, Robben Island, our guide for the prison was a former inmate!, Wine Tour: 4 wineries, including cheese and chocolate tasting and lunch, Cape Point: African Penguins! Cape of Good Hope
• Overnight bus back… not so fun…
  

We really had a great time and it felt like we were constantly on the go. Our group started out with 9 people and then when we got to Cape Town, we lost one and gained two. It was really great to have a large group because there was always someone to hang out with and talk to, but I personally began to feel really claustrophobic and smothered. I learned a lot about myself on this trip, I’m an introvert, there’s no avoiding it, and I need to always take time to be by myself.

I would say my favorite parts of the trip were zip lining, hiking, Robben Island, and the wine tour. It was so cool to go flying through the canopy of the Tsitsikamma National Forest! It’s known as the garden of the Garden Route and it is so beautiful! I love mountains and this place is full of tree-covered mountains. I wanted to hike Table Mountain before I left the states so I’m very glad that I was able to do that. It was a very tough climb, straight up the side of the mountain. They seriously had steps going up for more than half of the hike. The top was really cool. It is flat on top, hence the ‘table’. Katie and I had a lovely lunch on the top and had one of the best views in the world, gazing at Cape Town and the bay. We could see the whole city. Robben Island was also a really cool experience. The island is much bigger than I expected it to be after reading Nelson Mandela’s autobiography A Long Walk to Freedom, which all of you should read. I was also surprised to find out the interesting history of the island. It has been a leper colony, a prison many times, a military base during WWII, and now a museum and town where the people who run the museum live. Our tour started a the Waterfront where we took a ferry to the island, then a bus tour around to see all of the remnants of the island’s past, and then to the maximum security prison where the Apartheid government put political prisoners like Nelson Mandela. Our tour guide was a former political prisoner who had been jailed because he was working to build up a military force for the ANC, African National Congress. We got to see Nelson Mandela’s cell and got an in depth history of the prison and explanations on the workings. He also shared some of his personal experiences and stories; it was really fascinating. Our wine tour was a blast! We signed up for a tour that picked us up and dropped us off at our hostel and included lunch! I tried A LOT of wine and really enjoyed it! We also got to try cheese and chocolates that were delicious! So now, I have new plan for my coming home/ birthday party. Everyone should bring a bottle of his or her favorite wine! Sound good? Yeah I thought so. ;)