Am I in Germany??

Germans every where!! Seriously. 40 out 45 people in this hostel are from Germany. Kind of weird. Nice sunny day in the Cape today.

Went to Tableview and Blouberg beach the other day with Nora (one of the germans that has been on holiday for 3 months). We walked along the coast and had breakfast by the sea. One of my favorite beaches for sure. On our way back into cape town a mini bus taxi pulled up beside us - the driver asked us if were models. I said yes we were. Then the the guy on the passenger side asked if we wanted to have a foursome. Mind you these guys had no teeth so I only considered there proposal for a few seconds. Good times in CT. That night went back to the hostel and had a traditional South Africa Potjie, which is stew slow cooked over coals, and then with pap and beans. Best meal I have had in CT for sure.

Got to sleep in my own bedroom with bath for a few nights last week. It was amazing. Loved having my own room for a bit.

Hung at the hostel quite a bit the last couple days. Watched a movie. Spent time relaxing. Today I went to the Old Biscuit Market again. Most delicious food ever. Yum! Now time to go and "work".

 view of table mountain from Blouberg

 Potjie

What to do on a cloudy, cold day in CT....

1) Wake up at 11 am.
2) Make breakfast and have 2 cups of tea instead of 1
3) enjoy some hubbly
4) don't leave the hostel until about 130 (wear sunglasses so people don't recognize me so they don't think I am working)
4) walk around green market square
5) read
6) write in my blog
7) go to happy hour soon :)
8) sport my new South African scarf
9) ride down a hill on the front of a long board - freaking lekka
10) take random photos

 didn't know he took this pic

 green market square

 fresh Biltong

 my new very colorful scarf

Veno and Cuba

Well, I am busy working today. By busy I mean I am sitting here eating popcorn, writing my blog after just taking a nap. I had a busy couple of days off like usual. Thurs I went to a couple vineyards at Stellenbosch with a few cool peeps (drunken Canadian guy from Lions Head awhile back, random German girl and Dillon). Views were stunning and the wine was good as usual.

Friday, went to Simonstown, Fish Hoek and Kalk bay again. One of my favorite areas. Went with a couple girls, one from London and the other the states, kind of felt like a tour guide, just a little. We took the train along the coast again and hung out, had some fish and chips at Kalk bay - very yummy! Then Dillon and hung out at Cape to Cuba my favorite local bar. I love that place. Dillon and I were talking about going to Lesotho, which would consist of flying and renting a car and he said the sweetest thing. He asked if I was old enough to rent a car...yep. lol. I was like Yeah I am 30 remember, pretty sure i can rent a car. Turns out that plan is a little too spendy anyways. I have to keep reminding myself that I am not independently wealthy. Then we took a drive and checked out the city lights from Signal Hill. Very cool!!

One that has been difficult is meeting people, hanging out and then them leaving to travel on. It's been an adjustment. Love meeting people from all over though. Well I better get back to work because I am sooooo busy!

 Peter (drunk Canadian guy) and Caroline

 

 Cape to Cuba - my favorite bar

 city lights from Signal Hill

Figuring out a title is too much work...so here it is.

I guess it's been awhile since I have blogged. Last Thurs on my day off, Maggi and I went to Tableview a town where you can see a good view of Table Mountain. We got there and saw Table Mountain then had lunch and within 30 mins it was so foggy we couldn't even see the ocean let alone Table Mountain. It cleared by the time we finished drinks though. We walked for like 4 hours on the beach. It was an amazing coastline, perfect for walking. I stepped on a jelly fish that washed up on the shore - it was like popping a bubble. Jelly fish were everywhere on the shore - kind of gross. A lot of kite surfing and wind surfers on this beach! Fun to watch.

Friday night, Dillon and I went to Cape to Cuba a very lekka bar very laid back, chill atmosphere, in Muzinberg. Nice to get out of CT for a night. Drank a few beers, around a fire, in the sand (I was not wearing shoes! I am such a rebel.) we people watched and chatted with some of the locals. And had some of the best pizza I have ever have, for sure! Definitely going back there a few times before I leave.

St Patty's Day went to a couple house parties with some locals. Good times! Missed St. Patty's Day in MN though!

Last evening Mags and I went on a sunset cruise on a Catamaran, very nice sail boat. One of the coolest experiences yet. We were sitting on a tarp with holes in it (can't think of the proper words to describe what it was like) so we could see the water underneath us. There were dolphins swimming right under me! It was so fecking cool!!! Can't even describe it. I love dolphins. One came out of the water right underneath me. We could see them swimming along in the water and they would jump out every once in awhile. They were so cute. Loved it!!! Pretty sure I missed the sunset or almost did because I was too busy watching the dolphins swim. The sunset was amazing as well and the view of the mountains from the sea was spectacular. Very beautiful. After we got some Thai food and some wine - yum!

So I do realize I talked about Maggi leaving already - she went on the garden route in SA and then came back for a couple nights this weekend, left today, and is off to visit some other country on her around the world trip. (Mom and Denise - if we go to Norway 2013, I plan to go to Germany as well - you two in??? If we go end of Sept/beginning of Oct we can catch Octoberfest).

On my list of things to do - Safari, Garden Route, and shark diving. When I am not busy site seeing, I have really enjoyed relaxing (doing absolutely nothing - love it!) One of my new favorite things to do is relax and not worry about what I should or should not be doing. I am either killing some brain cells with all the partying/drinking or just overly tired or both cause it took a lot of energy to write this ;) Early to bed tonight.

 Tableview (table mountain in the background)

 stepped on one of these!

 Kite surfer

Devils Peak on the right, Table Mnt, and Lions Head on the left. Signal Hill is in front of Lions Head.

 Lions Head - the views at sunset are spectacular - pics don't do them justice

Chilling....

Friday, I had lunch on the waterfront with Peter (drunk Canadian from Lions Head on Thurs night) and Dillon. Had some ostrich, pretty good, really tender...I think. Had a delicious drink for dessert. So started drinking at 11:30 for lunch and went out that night so drank for a long time. (It was a marathon not a sprint ;) we-fest girls you know what I am talking about. Canadians are a bad influence!! Very fun day though. Lunch on the waterfront, cannonballs at the Cape Royale  roof top hotel and a night out on the town on Long Street. Good times. In the end, Peter got strip searched...by the police. He came home at 5 in the morning, after I did, got stopped by the police and they asked him to take his shorts off? wtf? that is why I do not travel alone at night.

Loving cape town. Not loving rooming with a group of 18 year old french girls though! College days are long gone. Still loving it though.

It is so hot here today!! (Sunday). I think it is about 95 F. I'm sitting here doing nothing sweating. Like it though!

 Yummy!!

 pic from roof top at Cape Royale

 Hooka (Hubbly) Lounge Peter wanted to make the faces...not sure why??

Carrying on the tradition

Thursday on my day off, I went on a boat ride with a few people from the hostel, right outside of the town of Hout Bay. It was really windy, but cool to go for a quick ride on the boat. I was really glad I did not vomit due to the conditions. Prior to going on the boat, James (one of the owners of the hostel) was placing bets on who would puke first. None of us did. It was beautiful. The seals were so cute - watching them play in the harbor - was probably my favorite part.

After that I came back to the hostel to hike Lions Head with a few guys from the hostel. We were hiking to see the full moon - this is popular thing to do in CT. We carried on the tradition of drinking wine while on the mountain. Actually one of the guys, Dave from Canada, started drinking on his way up the mountain. I had a few sips maybe that's why I was sweating so much (see pic below of my sweat ring...hot). There was another Canadian as well - those two drank us Americans under the table. The two Canadians were pretty much hanging on the end of cliff drinking wine - wasted - good idea. We had three bottles of wine - that didn't last long. Yet another thing I love about South Africa - the wine! Very good and cheap. So it only makes sense to drink a lot of wine. Watching the sunset and checking out the full moon on Lions Head was pretty cool. Actually the coolest thing was the clouds hugging table mountain and the city lights.

 James and Charles owners of the hostel and the boat

 major boob sweat

 Dave and Peter the two Canadians

 this pic didn't turn out to well

Random update

So I've been trying not to be quite as anal retentive, so trying new things. I have been walking around barefoot - trying to toughen up my skin. I wore flip flops (aka - slops) the first few days in the shower - talk about anal retentive. Now I have been wandering around the hostel and outside with no shoes! this is kind of big deal for me ;) Dillon encouraged me to walk around barefoot - to fit in with some other South Africans and be less like a tourist. We were walking outside on the side walk the other day, I was wearing my flip flops, him no shoes. I look on the ground, I'm like, "dude you are walking on glass." He looks down, "oh I am." Didn't even notice. So maybe I can walk on glass by the end of the trip?? without cutting up my feet....

Maggi left last night to go on the Garden Route - along the east coast. She is done working here. Sad day. I'm all by my lonesome now. I miss her already. So next year I'll probably make a visit to Germany. Missing my fam and friends back home today as well. On a lighter note, I got my first "paycheck" little more than a 1000 Rand. I spent more than that in one day last week. Hopefully I can make this last a little more than a day...

Nothing else going on. Mellow day. Working now.

 my face was really red there must have been after the hike or too much wine - one of the two

Riding in style

A couple days ago (on Wed), Dillon and I went for a motorcycle ride around the Cape. We went to Camps Bay, Landudno, Hout Bay, Noordhoek, Fish Hoek (Vishoek), Kalk Bay and back to Cape Town. On our way back into town we passed by Kirstenbosch Gardens and Dillon said something and pointed. So I looked back and saw the tail end of something. I guess it was a Zebra running wild and I was totally pissed I missed it. It was hard to hear him it was quite windy on our way back. We drove a long the coast, into some small towns. It was very cool to ride around on a motorcycle instead of a car. I thought I would be scared, but I wasn't. It was very fun. Definitely would do it again. Kind of reminded me of Dumb and Dumber well minus the whole pee thing.

 Dillon and I stopped to sign a petition - to try stop blowing up the mountain and killing some trees. So I was hugging the tree to try save it in front of a bunch of business men. Well a little more than hugging apparently.

Talk about facing my fears...

Had one of the best days yesterday. I think I'm still living on the high from paragliding. So the Texan managed to convinced me not only to go surfing but to go Paragliding! We decided on Wed and went Thurs morning. We had to hike up a little ways on Lions Head, which is next to Table Mountain to get to our take off spot. Just a side note, the morning we planned to go, Texan mentioned that someone just broke their leg landing from paragliding one day prior. That only increased my nerves ten fold. So we go to the jumping off platform. This guy (by guy, I mean my pilot) is putting my gear on (I'm going first). I'm studying my pilot trying to figure if he knew what the feck he was doing or not. His name was Igor. Then I'm watching some guy take off right before and he pretty much lands in the bushes, his legs are scraping the ground. I'm like, "oh f***". So when you leave you have to run like you never ran before (not really) its just a short little space to run and then you have to keep moving your legs when you are in the air. The take off went very smoothly. I am so nervous up in the air! Just unreal. I can't even describe it really. I think my pilot could tell I was nervous because then he starts to talk about how he is one of the best pilots in the world. He is in the top 10 best pilots in the world. Talks about how many flights he has went on, what age he started, ect. He is like "so you are riding with one of the best." My first thought, well if I die today, you will no longer be one of the best in the world.

The ride was amazing! I was right at the same level as Lions Head, we went through the clouds, we hung out above the ocean looking for Dolphins. One of the best experiences ever. (Lions Head is the mountain that Maggi and hiked later in the afternoon/night.) So glad the Texan convinced me. It was very exciting, scary, thrilling ride! He was a great pilot, I could tell by how high we got and the pics. I also got to fly a bit as well. Scary!

After the thrill of a life time, Mags and hung out at the beach on Camps Bay for the day. Then headed back to the hostel to get ready to go and hike Lions Head. The hike was pretty cool. Less strenuous then Table Mountain. The views were spectacular. We watched the sunset, drank some wine (not a good idea when you have to hike down a mountain). Mags fell going down close to the end of the trail (we were walking in the dark with a mini flashlight) and ripped her pants and scraped her knee. Oops. It was a lot of fun. Amazing views. Everything is amazing here apparently because I can't stop using that word. I'll try come up with a new one :)

So if you have the money to come or not or the vacation time to come or not - you all need to try make a trip to South Africa!! Seriously...

Next extreme sport or adventure? Cage diving with the Great Whites maybe...

 Igor

 That is the top of Lions Head in the background.

 why not to drink wine while hiking