7 Months and still truckin' and... Pics of Cape Town - Explore Archived World Race Alumni Blogs

What a phenomenal time we have had here in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Flying in on Monday we got picked up by Eric’s amazing friends who live here, Gwenyth and Stuart. It is definitely winter here, it feels exactly like home!! The rain has been pouring down on and off for the last few days but its oddly comforting, like a regular Vancouver week we’ve had here!

First day I ended up going to the National Art Gallery and walking through some gardens, then the rains came and Eric and I tried to get home, stopping along the way the see if the rains might let up… no go. Drenched, we arrived at the hostel and cleaned up for dinner. And thank God, He cleared the sky on the horizon and we got to see a beautiful sunset. After that we had a wonderful dinner on the ocean (I had Ostrich, Springbok and Kudu steak(all game animals) on a skewer, HEAVEN!)

The next day all of the team went to see the penguins, we hiked around the Cape of Good Hope and also Cape Point. This was the best day ever, I don’t think I have ever seen so much beauty in one day!! Eric’s friends have been so generous as to offer us their car for the week. I got to swim in the Atlantic ocean there was a White Whale sighting nearby but I was unafraid (an extremely rare and pasty white giant that is usually only seen by the light of the moon amongst groups of Western tourists). The weather was wonderful, praise Jesus. We then proceeded down one of the most breathtaking drives in the world, literally cut into the cliffs of the Atlantic Ocean, on our way to Hout Bay. And if the day wasn’t perfect enough, we saw a family of baboons that we stopped to stare at for a bit. We got to a look out just in time to climb down into a cool cave and watch the sunset, after taking approx. 100 pictures of ourselves (sorry Ginger) We capped the day off with authentic Mexican restaurant cuisine.

Today was rain again, actually that’s an understatement! It poured. Eric and I went out to some art galleries, then came back to the car, he had left the lights on, turning the key there was nothing. So we asked literally everyone we saw, no one had jumper cables (or maybe some did, we looked like hobos asking for money.) We finally decided just to have lunch at a fish and chips place, then we went back to the car with rain pelting us from all directions it seemed. It gets better. My sandal broke so I was running without one shoe. I opened the hood of the car and stood by it motioning to people to stop and help; no one did. We finally got a guy to jump us but it turns out it might be the starter that’s gone on the car! So Eric and I ran (now I have both shoes off and I am running totally barefoot) to the train station and take a train to his friend’s house. We get dropped off near their house but to cross the tracks we have to go through a gate, which stayed shut for 10 minutes, cause the train kept tripping it to close. Finally we get across and found that there was a tiny ocean in a parking lot, I just dove in feet first and waded to the other side, it didn’t make any difference, I was utterly drenched.

So here I sit, showered and semi-dry, thunder is occasionally cracking above me but I have a roof to keep me dry. The waves are crashing just across the street and the rain is still coming down. There is a smile on my face, thank you Jesus for giving me this little glimpse of home in Africa of all places.

July 26, 2007: Happy 7 month anniversary from leaving home Jonathan…

Just chillin’ with the penguinos near Cape Town, SA.