So the past 2 ½ weeks have been absolutely insane. Not only was I able to spend a week with my family experiencing the very best of Cape Town (the Waterfront, Cape of Good Hope, Shark diving, winery tours, hiking, and eating!!), but I have also been fortunate enough to travel to Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe over my semester break. AND I TURNED 21! I have been going non-stop and my body and mind are starting to feel the consequences of having a ridiculously awesome life. How does Anthony Bourdaine keep this up? I am quite envious. Whereas he would have already rebounded from his trip and on the way to another exhilarating country, I have been wrapped in a fetal position comatose for the past two days. Hopefully by today (day 3 of recovery), I can get my act together and start living like a human again.
So where to begin? Having Lee and my mom here was incredible. I have been living, breathing Cape Town for the past 3 months and finally they were able to do the same. I think they were surprised to see how “un-African” Cape Town proved to be. Cape Town (to me) is sort of like a Mecca of international cultures. It is not unexpected to have an Indian (Cape Malay) restaurant next to a sushi next to an Irish pub. Granted Cape Town is the pivotal point on the globe that the West used to travel East; therefore, this fusion of culture would represent a much more international feeling than just that of an African one.
ANYWAYS, while they were here, we truly tried to get the most out of Cape Town. We managed to hit up the beach for a day, hike throughout Kirstenbosch (the original botanical gardens), go to Stellenbosch for a full day of biking from winery to winery. Life was great. I loved being reunited with Lee and sharing glasses of wine with my mom. And don't forget about Diane, she proved to be an incredible travel companion. Four women adventuring Cape Town like it was our job, it should be a t.v. show. By the time they dropped me back at my flat at 10pm I was pooped. That is until I realized I had to pack for a 10-day trip leaving at 4AM the next morning. Needless to say, I didn’t truly know what I had packed until the first day out.
Kirstenbosch a.k.a. Jurassic Park
Overall, I wouldn't trade the week my family was here for anything. Cape Town offers a truly surreal version of life that everyone should experience. Time is truly pretty much irrelevant and at the end of the day all that matters is that you are enjoying yourself. I will be the first to admit that I am a bit too up-tight (all the time), but here its like I am on Provac all the time, only better. And having my family here just made that high -on-life feeling I have been having exponentially better. I only wish my dad and brother also were able to experience South Africa.... But maybe there is a chance for a family return trip?
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