C Town

Cape Town, South Africa

Today is LBJ graduation in Austin. Bill Clinton is speaking. I'm sure it will be nice. Then again, I'm sure Cape Town is just as nice...

Despite some lousy weather, we have had a marvelous time here. I can understand why this is Adam's favorite city in the world. It's got it all: mountains, coast, culture, entertainment, good weather (except the past 3 days!), etc. We've spent a lot of time at the harbor area, where there are shops, etc. We also visited Robben Island a few days ago, where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years. That visit was very powerful -- I plan on writing up a more thoughtful post on apartheid when I have more time (right now I'm in a gay Internet cafe -- one of the best Internet cafes I've been too actually -- and we're going to dinner on Long St. in 9 minutes).

Today we had great weather on a drive down to the Cape of Good Hope, which is the most southwest point of Africa. It was a scenic drive, and the coastline is gorgeous down there. On the return we stopped at a beach and saw hundreds of penguins. I understand why Stilwell loves those guys -- their waddle is great. We then stopped in what Danielle described as South Africa's "Coney Island" -- a coastal community that once boomed. It's on the comeback though, and we enjoyed a nice coffee while watching some kite surfers, which is the sport that Adam and I plan on taking up next. Also in our plans: Newcomer's buying a house in Cape Town, Sarah in the mountains of Colorado, and Danielle a flat in Paris. My place will either be in Costa Rica or the DR. All are welcome of course. This was all decided over coffee in Muisenburg too.

Upon returning to Cape Town from the excursion, we were finally able to see Table Mountain, which sits in the background of this hip city. We drove up the mountain a bit, and are planning on hiking up early tomorrow morning. We enjoyed a sunset on Camps Bay and are now off to a Kurdish dinner. We leave right after the hike tomorrow -- Sarah and I are on a 23 hour trip back to the US tomorrow and Danielle and Adam go back to Jo'burg.

This will more than likely be my last post from over here, but I will definitely have a few followups upon return. I will say this though: the trip has been amazing and I highly recommend a visit to South Africa. It has been the perfect blend of adventure, culture, relaxtion, entertainment, history, and fellowship. I look forward to sharing stories and pictures with you in person.