So this post is about 3 months too late but better late than never, right? During our time abroad we were given a month off at Christmas time to do as we pleased. I decided to go to South Africa to see my Granddad and I was lucky enough to go with three other girls in my program, Brigitte, Elise and Amy. Our month was filled with adventure after adventure including, riding an ostrich, doing a horseback safari, Table Mountain, a visit to Boulder’s Beach to see the penguins, an Elephant Sanctuary and some beach time. We drove from Cape Town along the Garden Route to Johannesburg where we spent Christmas with my Granddad and Aunty Bev and Uncle Thomas. I would not have wanted to spend my Christmas anywhere else. So let the journey begin….
The first few days in Cape Town were filled with numerous adventures but mostly it was just nice to chill for a while and take a break from school. It rained on the first day and seeing as we had just hopped off a plane from Ghana we were freezing! So instead of wasting our day in the hostel, our first mission was to find an umbrella for Brigitte. After a long search and a bit of culture shock (department stores are very overwhelming when you haven’t been in one for a few months) we managed to get our hands on one. Thank you Edgars. While it was still raining, we decided to go to the aquarium! It had been years since I’d been to an aquarium but I have to admit, it was a great way to spend a rainy day. (903, 906).
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| Standing in the rain, freezing! |
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| We were looking for Nemo |
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| According to Amy, I am a marine biologist.. |
Pitstop: Kirstenbosh Botannical Gardens
We decided to check out the Botannical Gardens so one afternoon we stopped at Pick N’ Pay and grabbed some lunch to take with us. Pita bread and dip. Pringles. A ham roll. Simple things but I will never take them for granted again. I’m not much of a ‘lets look at plants’ sort of person but it was a beautiful garden. The view was amazing too-right beneath the mountains. After lunch we walked around which consisted mostly of Elise and I sitting on bench’s while Amy and Brigitte went ahead. It was a great day though.
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| Amy and I at the botannical gardens |
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| Playing in the trees |
Pitstop: Table Mountain
So lesson learnt here. We decided that we would hike up Table Mountain on our last day in Cape Town which also coincided with our last night in Cape Town. Seeing as we would be leaving early in the morning the day after the hike we decided to go out the day before the hike. As great of a time as it was….let’s just say there was no hike up the mountain. Instead we took the cable car up (which happened to be quite scary actually) and walked out onto one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. It was incredible. Breathtaking. We spent about an hour up there before I met some very old friends of mine. I was lucky enough to be in the same town as my cousin, Kirsten and Aunt Sonja for the first time in at least ten years. I met them on top of the mountain and we had a really nice catch up. It was great to see them after all that time.
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| View of Camps Bay from Table Mountain |
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| For you, dad. |
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| Having a tea at the top |
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| Mountain ladies. Amy, Briggs, myself and Elise |
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| Beautiful |
We rented a car and decided to drive from Cape Town to Johannesburg for Christmas so that we could spend Christmas with my granddad and Aunt and Uncle.
Pitstop: Chapman's Peak
We decided to leave Cape Town by driving along Chapman’s Peak. What an incredible view…
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| Chapman's Peak |
Pitstop: Boulder’s Beach, Simons Town.
We decided to stop in Simons Town and make a visit to out furry little friends. The water was freezing, there were a few scary moments climbing over the rocks but it was worth it to see some seriously cute penguins.
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| King of the Rock |
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| They were camera shy... |
We made our way along the coast and decided to stop in Outshoorn to see what the big fuss with all the ostrich’s was about.
Pitstop: Ostrich Farm
So we decided to do an ostrich tour on an ostrich farm in ostrich country. What kind of a tour would it be though if we didn’t ride the ostrich?! Before you get on the ostrich they put a bag over its head to calm it down and surprisingly, the ostrich went from being very agitated to completely calm. You then have to climb onto the back of the ostrich and wrap your legs around the front of it so that its legs won’t hit yours. The wings are then wrapped around you, covering your thighs. You lean back and grab onto those wings for your life, the bag is taken off the ostrich’s head and off you go! It is quite a bumpy ride but it was really fun. Those birds are fast! Feeling quite happy after my turn, I got off the ostrich smiling. Elise burst out into laughter and then continued to take a picture of my face. I was unaware that as I had climbed off a feather had gotten stuck to my teeth and instead of Elise telling me and pulling it off right away, she proceeded to laugh and take a picture.
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| They put the bag on its head to calm it down. |
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| This nail is so sharp that apparently it can slice your body in open from head to toe. |
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| It was one hell of a ride! |
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| Completely terrifying but so much fun! |
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| The feather |
Pitstop: Plettenburg Bay
Our next stop was Plettenburg Bay, which was a great place to spend a few days. There is a really nice beach there and it was nice to chill for a little bit after we had been on the move for so long.We also went to an elephant sanctuary where we were able to get really close to some elephants! It was time, however, to make our way inland if we wanted to make it to Johannesburg for Christmas. It was also time for Briggs leave us and go to Burkina Faso to meet up with some friends.
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| Going for a walk |
Pitstop: Bloemfontein
We decided to break up the trip and stopped in Bloemfontein for a night before heading to Jo’burg the next day. I was lucky enough to be there at the same time as Kirsten and Aunt Sonja was so I managed to spend the night with them and catch up. It was really great and before we left we had a lovely breakfast. They were wonderful to us and it was really nice to see them after such a long time.
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| Reunion |
Pitstop: Springs
Now it was time to head over to Jo’burg for the main reason I was in South Africa in the first place, to see my Granddad and spend some time with the Theodoulou’s. We arrived on Christmas Eve, just in time for the celebrations and our first (Western Style) home-cooked meal in four months. Let’s just say there wasn’t very much left then or for the rest of the week! On Christmas, Kerry and Marco were kind enough to invite us over to theirs for Christmas Dinner and it was amazing. Eating Christmas Dinner in the heat was a little strange-to be honest, it didn’t really feel like Christmas despite the lights and trees everywhere. Elise also had to leave us on Christmas to head back to Ghana to spend the last 2 weeks with her dad and boyfriend. So from that point on, it was only Amy and I left. The rest of the time was spent just chilling, doing a few small daytrips (to a township, to the mall among others), eating great food and catching up. It was really nice to relax for a while as the whole trip previous to this point had felt quite rushed. It was really nice to see my Granddad and the Theodoulou’s. I had a great Christmas and New Years with everyone in Springs. It was as close to feeling at home as I could get that time of year without being at home. Sometimes the best family aren’t family. Thanks to the Theodoulou’s for looking after us and fattening us up!
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| Christmas Eve with granddad |
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| All dressed up for Christmas Day |
Pitstop: Jeffrey’s Bay
It was time to leave my family in Springs and make our way back to Cape Town before heading back to Ghana. We still had a week so we decided to stop in Jeffrey’s Bay-the surfing capital in South Africa. Amy is a big surfer and I had gotten into it a little bit in California but was really excited because I knew that I was going to be able to surf while I was in Ghana. We decided to stop and check it out for a few days, plus it was on the way back to Cape Town…well sort of. We stayed in a really nice hostel and chilled around town for a bit, checking out all the surfing shops for some post Christmas sales. Amy and I rented some boards one morning and decided to check out the waves. I should have known that they were going to be too big for me but I decided to try it anyway. When I finally managed to paddle out there I sat on my board and waited for a small wave. Then, about 100 yards away from us were a group of dolphins swimming! It was actually incredible. This sounds really cheesy but I felt part of the ocean; to be there while the dolphins were so close. It was an amazing moment. Plus, if dolphins were that close it meant that the sharks would be far away! I tried to catch a wave after the dolphins left and lost control of the board and almost hit my head on some rocks. That was enough for me. Although I didn’t catch a wave that day, I still had an incredible time in the water thanks to the dolphins.
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| So we didn't have our camera with us when we were in the water but this was as close as I could get on google. Just imagine them being a little further away and a lot more of them! Pretty incredible! |
It was time to head on and so Amy and I decided we wanted to do one last big thing; a safari. Not any kind of safari though, a safari by horseback instead. We drove back to Plettenburg Bay and did a 3 hour safari by horseback (avoiding the lions of course) but still managed to see a lot of wildlife. It was my first time on a horse and I was a little nervous. Luckily the horses were all pack horses so they didn’t need much direction, they just followed each other. It was a lot of fun and it was a great way to see the wildlife.
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| Giraffe |
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| My first time on a horse! |
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| Zebra |
Last Stop: Cape Town
We only had a few more days left in Cape Town and after too much time spent in the car, we decided to spend our last days relaxing. We needed to buy some boards though to take back to Ghana with us as we were going to be living on the beach and we knew that we would be able to surf. Luckily for us we met a guy who was staying in our hostel in Jeffrey’s Bay who knew where to buy some boards. He took us around Cape Town and eventually I found a board in Muizenburg. On the way back we stopped at Kalk Bay and had lunch at The Brass Bell due to my dad’s recommendation. You were right-the fish and chips were amazing. The next day we took our boards to Blouberg Beach and had our first surf on our new boards. It was a lot of fun and with Table Mountain in the background-the view couldn’t have been better. The water was freezing though and some wetsuits were required. Thankfully, the water in Ghana is warm so no wetsuits are needed! Our last few days in Cape Town were filled with some final shopping trips to get some things to take back to Ghana with us and just chilling. To be honest, I was trying not to think about going back. Our month in South Africa had been amazing, filled with numerous adventures and lots of laughs. I was nervous about going back to Ghana, starting a new placement in a new town, feeling somewhat overwhelmed with the idea of starting a new program from scratch. I didn’t really want our time to end in South Africa but all journeys come to an end at some point. It was time to head back to Ghana and I wouldn’t have changed anything about our time in South Africa. It really was a once in a lifetime sort of adventure.
Some Roadtrip Lessons from South Africa:
-You do not need to know how to drive standard when you can have someone shift the gears for you. And it is a lot harder than it looks.
-If you do keep practicing though you will eventually manage to go from standstill to gear 5 all by yourself. Go you!
-Stalling four times at a Stop sign will result in you being pulled over by a police officer who thinks that there is something wrong with the car. Embarrasing.
-Travelling from Cape Town to Jo’burg and back along the Garden Route can be done with only a road map. A GPS is not required.
-When you go to the supermarket for the first time in 4 months, you will probably be overwhelmed with choice and the rand to dollar conversion only adds to those feelings, resulting in a minor freakout.
-Go to Pick N’ Pay but be prepared to eat and drink more than you probably should.
-Riding a horse for the first time is amazing. Everyone should do it.
-SA is one of the most beautiful places on earth and filled with some of the most beautiful people (drool).
-If, while backpacking in Ghana you decide to go on vacation to South Africa, you will forever feel underdressed especially when you show up at a bar in birkenstocks and a Mr Price outfit while everyone is wearing heels and dresses you would definitely not buy at Mr. Price.
-Dorm rooms are not a good experience. For anyone. They will only result in a lack of sleep due to the snoring man and stench of stale beer and pizza.
-I should have been paid to translate. Apparently there is a difference between South African English and Canadian English.
-Biltong, boerewors and chakalaka are worth flying to South Africa.
-That almost crashing into rocks on my surfboard was worth it to only to be on a board when a pod of dolphins swam past.
-Cape Town is the most beautiful city I have ever been too.
-Going out and drinking the night before you are supposed to hike up a mountain will most likely result in not hiking up the mountain . hello cable car.
-Never go to cameraland, especially if you have a film camera. They will ruin your entire film of your friends 21st birthday.
-It was confirmed-subway is still amazing.
-Sometimes the best family aren’t family. Thanks Aunty A and Uncle T.
-Mr Price can be very dangerous. Be prepared to walk out with at least a bag or spend 2 hours in there while your friend is in the car waiting.
-Air Namibia is the airline to fly with, especially if you are carrying surfboards as you won’t have to pay to transport them. Plus they give you cheese!
-An ipod is essential for the car…no radio necessary.
-When you return your rental car because it is making noises, the car company will give you the exact same brand of car and there might be a chance that there was nothing wrong with the car in the first place…
-I was lucky enough to travel with 3 amazing girls.
Some other pictures from my time in South Africa.
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| Photo credit to Elise: Hermanus Beach |
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| Best Friends |
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| Elise and I (ignore the mess in the room please!) |
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| Night out |
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| Lying in the grass at Company Gardens, Cape Town |
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| Lying in the sun at Company Gardens, Table Mountain in the background. |
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| It was confirmed...there are squirrels in South Africa. |
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