June 18-24, work and Allison's Birthday

So the week was usual and nothing exciting really happened throughout the week. I was feeling a bit under the weather for a few days but by the end of the week was ready as ever to celebrate Allison's birthday. Friday morning we woke up and of course I had to go greet Allison with a big "HAPPY BIRTHDAY". We decided to go back to Langa to pick up a few things that we wanted there the weekend before. On our way there our driver got lost. It was quite obvious he had been drinking a little so we think he may have just forgotten where it was. We ended up about 45 minutes away by the airport. All around us were the squatter camps, which had homes the size of a small bathroom. This was the moment for me. At this time I finally realized that this was all real, that people really lived this way here. The saddest part was that the camps went for MILES!!!!! I thought to myself, "this would never happen in America, ever." Although we have homeless people and people living on the streets, we don't have it to this extent. I've never felt so heartbroken, knowing that there were children raised in these camps that would never see the outside. I knew there was nothing I could do, so I just prayed. Maybe someday, someone would take these people out of their misery and give them the homes they deserved. (I was quite hopeful.) I knew that I just had to be grateful for what my family has provided for me, and after seeing all of that I definitely am grateful.

*I wasn't able to take a picture of the camps, but in all honesty I don't think it was something you would want to see. If you are really curious just go on Google and type in "squatter camps, cape town".

After our trip to Langa we headed home to take a nap before we went out for Allison's birthday dinner. We decided to go to this restaurant called TrenchTown Beer Garden for dinner, and boy was that a great decision. The restaurant was covered with a tent, somewhat like a circus, and it had a really fun atmosphere. Our waiter tried to convince us to get bubblegum tequila shots since it was Allison's birthday, but none of us seemed up to it. Instead we got some Miami Vices and ate chilli poppers (jalapeno peppers stuffed with feta and cream cheese than deep fried) and a mexican burgers, which were like tacos but on a burger. After dinner some of my roommates got milkshakes, and sure enough the waiter not only spiked Allison's milkshake, but made her a special blue drink for free. We then went home and spent the rest of the evening in quietly.

Saturday morning we woke up ready to explore. We first decided to go to Hout Bay, knowing there was a really cool market there that everyone had been telling us about. As we arrived to the Hout Bay Market we got a beautiful view of the mountains and the ocean. Of course we had to take plenty of pictures, but the wind was extremely cold so we didn't stay outside too long. The market was so cool, with little stands set up with many different items. I got this really beautiful wooden bowl, and a present for my sister since her birthday was coming up the next day. I also got a really cool necklace that had a pendant, which was carved out of stone. The pendant had a special meaning behind it: the sharing of knowledge and wisdom; that everyone is interconnected and in some way infinite. It was amazing to say the least. There were stands with all different types of foods, juices, and desserts. The tables were all family style and people were sitting next to people they didn't know. There was a band playing music in the corner for all of the people to listen to. I absolutely loved the feeling of this place, and although it was somewhat big, it felt homey and small. Allison and I got these delicious "paninis" for lunch. They used some type of oat or wheat and sprinkled it on top of cheese, chicken, and basil pesto. It tasted nothing like a panini but was a million times better. We also got samosas, of course I couldn't pass those up. After my delicious lunch I got some fresh juice, which had mango, pineapple, apple, carrot, and passionfruit in it. It was really really good and perfect instead of dessert. After hanging out at the market for a while we decided to walk down the street to the harbor. As we were walking over there we heard a loud siren go off, which I was told was the signal for a shark sighting. I sadly didn't get to see any sharks, but I did get to see some seals at the harbor. In fact, one very large, fat seal name Peterboy swam up to us while we were sitting on the edge by the water. One of the little boys at the harbor was feeding him fish, and compared to the little baby seal that swam up, Peterboy was HUGE!!!

Hout Bay

Harbor in Hout Bay

Peterboy

On our way back home our taxi driver decided to take us through Clifton to Camps Bay. Clifton is one of the richest places in South Africa, and is sadly somewhere I could only dream of living. All of the homes were huge and overlooking the Atlantic. The each had a lot of terraces and many windows (something my parents would have loved). We finally made it to Camps Bay and pulled up to this beautiful white sanded beach with massive rocks in the high tide. We walked out on the beach and took pictures of the beautiful mountains behind us known as the 12 Apostles. We climbed out on the rocks and watched as the waves crashed into the ones further out into the water. No matter how cold the weather is here, I can never get sick of the beautiful beaches. The all are so unique, each with their own character and beautiful views. We also drove past Sea Point, but it wasn't somewhere I think I would stop. The massives waves were perfect though for the drive past. Later on that evening there was a Springbok rugby match, so we went back to TrenchTown to watch it. We hung out for awhile and watched the game then headed back home for a girls night. As lame as we are, we had a super fun dance party in our kitchen with just the girls, and I tried to teach them how to bellydance (they tried to say the least, and were able to do some things haha).

12 Apostles

Camps Bay

Sunday morning we woke up to the boys making us french toast. I was getting pretty used to the idea of having breakfast made for me on the weekends. It was nice since Jenny and I made most of the dinners. Allison, Jenny, and I got ready for our big day at Waterfront and in the HELICOPTER!!! Allison's boyfriend was so sweet and bought her a helicopter ride was three people for her birthday. Lucky for me I was chosen to go with her. Matt and Boyd decided to come down to Waterfront with us and hang out while we went on our joy ride. We went to this super fancy restaurant for lunch and all got seafood. I got delicious yellowtail sushi and even tried my first mussel ever, which I have to say was absolutely delicious. Afterward, we rushed down to the helicopter pad so we wouldn't miss our flight. I had an absolute blast!!!! It was only a 30 minute flight but those thirty minutes were the best 30 minutes ever. The view from the air was beautiful and we got to see so many cool things, including our house. I got some really cool pictures too.

 

After the helicopter ride, we went back to Waterfront and got some gelato and walked over to The African Trading Post. When we got home we made mac and cheese and chocolate cake for Allison's birthday. We then watched Bridesmaids together which was a lot of fun. Monday was another day of class, and Jim had a man come in and speak to us about Cape Town Jazz. he told us some pretty interesting things and I learned more about Jazz than I ever knew. We stayed home for the rest of the evening so we could relax and we watched another movie, Water for Elephants (one of my favorites) to end the night.

xoxo,

Alexandra