I Have a New Appreciation for Handrails

Today has to be one of the best days of my life! It began early with a city tour of Cape Town. My class and I hopped on a bus and drove around the city while our tour narrator, Audrey spoke about the history of Cape Town. Some of this part of the tour I had seen before on the way to the District 6 museum yesterday, but I will never be able to get over the beauty of this city. We arrived at Hout Bay Harbor for a boat tour to Seal colony. As soon as we arrived, we boarded the boat; it was a cooler day but still nice for a boat ride to watch seals in their natural habitat. However, we spent about ten minutes on the boat before it began to pour. And when it rains in Cape Town, it rains horizontally. So even though we were under some form of a roof, we were drenched. In addition, the waves in the Atlantic threw our bodies back and forth like a child’s see-saw. Keeping my balance was pretty difficult as we made the mad dash below deck. I’m sure you are thinking: “If it looked like it was going to rain, why didn’t you move below deck before embarking?” I ask myself that same question, and I’m not quite sure why. And even though I was almost whipped overboard, I can’t deny that it was a fun boat trip and a memorable experience.

Much of the bus tour involved scenic views, most of which I could not begin to describe because my words would not do them justice. We drove through a more affluent part of the city where homes were priced around 16 million Rand. Our second destination was Seaforth Beach where we were able to see penguins in their natural habitat. It was weird not viewing them in a zoo, especially because they meandered so close to the walking path. I made sure not to get too close though, as we were told that the penguins have sharp bites! After lunch, I touched the Indian Ocean for the first time… an unbelievable feeling. It was another “I can’t believe I am halfway around the world” moment.

Then it was on to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and Cape Point. When discovered, the cape was named the Cape of Storms. However, it was changed as a strategic marketing decision. On the way, we saw baboons crossing the road and stopped for them. Baboons are interesting creatures to see in the wild. Audrey warned us multiple times to make sure we do not feed them. In fact, we could be fined by the nature reserve people if we did. She told us a story about a man who was eating food in his car from McDonald’s with a crack in the window. All of a sudden he feels a striking jerk; a baboon had jumped on the car and quickly slipped his hand in the window and stole his sandwich! Crazy, right? When finally arriving at the Cape, we had some exploring time. Some of my friends and I proceeded down the Cape. This was not an easy task. The Cape is steep and rocky; each of my steps was made with extreme caution as to make sure that I didn’t go tumbling hundreds of feet. I would have held onto the handrail. (You’d think for a place that had such rocky terrain, even with steps, would have a handrail... however, there weren’t any). The views were stunning! At some points, we were able to see both the Indian and Atlantic Ocean. It felt incredible to be at the southernmost point on the African continent! The trail turned out to be a hike as we were trekking up and down steep slopes. The area is known to be windy and when you throw in rain, it made for an interesting experience. The final stretch to the top of the Cape was a little scary (especially without a handrail!), but when I made it to the top, I felt a rush of accomplishment. It has been four days into this trip, and I am already beginning to understand just how lucky I really am; I just did something that not many people will ever get the chance to experience.

For more adventures, stay tuned!