Waiting and more waiting...

Cape Town International Airport

Hello! I just got to my gate, now the real waiting begins! Keep your fingers crossed because there are a lot of flights cancelled tonight. Volcanic ash from Chile is clogging up the air or something. My bag was underweight still and I got through security fine. It's still over an hour before we board and we're like the only people at the airport.

Almost on my way!

I'm leaving in like 2 hours for the airport!!! I can't wait I'm so excited! But I really don't feel good : ( I have a really bad headache and my stomach is really crampy and my whole body is really achy. I have to buy some Benadryl at the airport because mine has disappeared some time in the last 5 weeks.

Dinner was good last night. I had lots of seafood. We ended up not going out because we didn't get back from dinner until almost 11. And I had to pack before I could go out because we had to have our bags ready by 10 am.
 

Robben Island wasn't really that interesting. The boat ride out there was an hour long and then we spent most of the time on a bus tour. When we were on the ground we only got to see Nelson Mandela's cell for like 20 seconds and it was locked. Maybe if it wasn't the last day I would have liked it more but I heard the story so many times and really just wanted to go to the airport all day, haha.  I can't wait it's so so so so so soooo soon! 

Nelson Mandela's Cell

Robben Island Ferry

Wine Tastings

Constantia Valley Vineyards, Cape Town, South Africa

Can you believe I'm coming home tomorrow!? Yayayayayayay!!!

We just finished the wine tastings, they were all gross. But I bought some goat cheese, havarti, and ciabatta bread for lunch. Now we're going to the market for some last minute souvenirs and we have a farewell dinner tonight. Then we're all going out for our last night on the town!

Greenmarket Square, Cape Town, South Africa

So excited to come home! Trying to pack is going to be a mess though. Luckily my professor changed the due date of our final exam to Wednesday. I was up so late trying to finish it and I didn't even get close. Our grad student said you could write a dissertation on the question, there's so much information we have to include. I'm going to try to work on it on the plane so hopefully I can just relax when I get home.

3 days!

It's rainy and yucky here, I don't think we're going to be able to go to Robben Island tomorrow because they don't run the ferry if it's raining. If not, we're going to try to go Saturday before our flight. Friday we're going to a vineyard and we are taste testing.

Robben Island

Today was boring again, but probably because I just want to come home, not much would be fun. We went to the District 6 Museum and then we went to an NGO and worked with kids. Working with kids would have been fun but we had to work on poetry and that's my least favorite topic, haha. Tonight is going to be another night of me just trying to write my final, it's really hard to focus. Right now I'm getting ready to go out to dinner with everyone.  3 more days!

District Six Museum

Inside District Six Museum

Great Gatsby!

Kirtenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa

Gatsby!

Today we went to the Botanical Garden, it was cool for maybe 10 minutes, then I was really bored at looking at plants. For lunch we went to this place that sells Gatsbys. They look like something from Man vs. Food. Its a sub with meat, fries, salad, and sauce all inside the sandwich. It was actually really good though. Me and Christina split a small and we couldn't even finish it.

In the late afternoon we went to Table Mountain and I bought more souvenirs for people.  One of these days I swear I'll get something for myself! Haha, but I really would rather buy things for everyone else, I don't need souvenirs to remember this trip.


Table Mountain

I won't get a warm shower tonight, it's not that we use up the hot water it's that there's literally no hot water in the house. So I'm guaranteed a cold shower for the next few days :-(

Cape Point (and baboons...)

Cape Point, South Africa

I can't believe I'm coming home in 5 days, I'm so excited! Today was fun, we went to Cape Point. It's the most southern tip of Africa and is supposedly where the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean mix. It was a pretty long hike to get up to the top where the lighthouse was. We also went shopping. When we were at Cape Point, a baboon climbed onto our car to get our lunch and broke off our side view mirror! Try explaining that to the insurance company haha! Then we went to a beach where there were a lot of penguins, it was fun for like 10 minutes. Then I was bored haha.

Penguins on Boulders Beach, Cape Point, South Africa



Cape Point Lighthouse 

The biggest downside to the house besides living in it with 12 girls is that there's NO HOT WATER. It sucks a lot, and tonight a girl told me it was rude that I said everyone should be able to take 15 minute showers since we have 12 girls and 2 bathrooms. I told her it was rude to take a 30 minute shower like she did today when other people still have to go. See why I can't wait to leave?  My flight lands at 3:50 on Sunday.  Practically counting down the hours!

City #8: Cape Town, South Africa (and tarantulas...)

Storms River Restcamp in Tsitsikamma

I woke up every 1/2 hour last night to make sure nothing was crawling on me because we found a tarantula in our cottage! The name on the place we stayed at was Stormriver National Park or something like that.

The 6 1/2 hour drive today turned into a 9 hour drive. People always need to pull over to pee. Then we got a flat tire and that took forever. But I'm finally in Cape Town. For this last week we are all staying in one house, which will be crazy. There are only 2 showers for all 13 of us. Luckily, me and Brooke are staying in the poolhouse so we get some privacy.


Cape Town, South Africa

I also got my final exam today and have the rest of the week to work on it. I couldn't take pictures during the zip line because my hands were full. But John bought a DVD of all our rides and pictures and will make copies for everyone else.
6 Days!!!