south africa

I'm going to add another place to my list of favorite cities: Cape Town. Since arriving here a few days ago, I've had a great time hiking, swimming in the ocean, sitting on a beach next to penguins, eating great food (including crocodile, warthog, kudu, springbok, incredible seafood, and the best lamb I've ever tasted), reading in cafes, and stocking up on supplies and new books at the city's many extremely large and nice malls. Cape Town really has it all. I could definitely live here, and I wish I could stay longer!

Cape Town was made even better when I met up with a South African friend from college, Andrew. Spending time with Andrew, reminiscing about college, and learning about Cape Town and South Africa through his eyes was invaluable. He took me to a beautiful beach, where we swam in the frigid but refreshing Antarctic current, showed me where to find the best lamb the city has to offer, introduced me to South Africa's drink of choice (brandy and Coke), and even cooked me a traditional South African dinner (he even inspired me to learn how to cook!).

Today I'm leaving Cape Town, or, more accurately, tearing myself away from Cape Town. In about an hour I'll be driving a couple hours to the wine country, then making my way to the coast. I'll be making the journey in a white 1.3 liter VW Citi Golf I rented a couple days ago. I'm doing well learning how to drive on the wrong side of the road (rotaries get confusing sometimes), but honestly the hardest part is trying to maneuver a car with no power steering. I'm going to be making the journey to the wine country and coast with three girls I met here in the city (from Germany, Belgium, and Spain), so it'll be great to have some company on the road. The path I'll be following along the coast is a popular one, so meeting people along the way and sharing a ride is a common thing. It's funny that even though I'm technically traveling solo, I don't think I've been alone on this trip yet--there's always someone to share a ride or conversation with, whether for a couple minutes or a week.

I'll be posting more on my trip along the coast as I make stops along the way. I hope you're all doing well!