On Friday, we climbed table mountain, South Africa's most well-known natural symbol. We picked a trail that had a sign at the bottom which basically read "you will die if you climb this." It was full of ladders and rocks which you had to pull yourself onto and was sososo much fun. It is something I plan on repeating multiple times. At night we had a delicious dinner in Observatory, which is an area pretty close to our flat, with cute restaurants bars that are a little more laid back from the ones on Long street.
Yesterday, we decided to explore Boulder Beach, known for its beautiful views and very cute penguins. We were told that the best way to get there was by train. This was an unforgettable experience. We were shuffled onto a train that was WAY too crowded to be legal. As we stood, holding tightly to the handles high above our head, we noticed that we were the only white people on the train. After 20 minutes, I snagged a seat and the women next to me noticed my ticket. she notified us that we were ripped off basically. We thought R17 for a round trip train ticket was an excellent price. Apparently, the ticket is only supposed cost R8 (equal to about $1) Not only that, but we had also apparently paid for "metro plus" which is the trains equivalent of a first class ticket. We found it mortifying that the patron saw a group of white-middle class 20somethings and just assumed we wouldn't be able to "hack" it in economy. When a drugged-up schizophrenic man got on the train and started wailing at us, we figured the woman had assumed correctly. Needless to say, we were sure to find the the "metro plus" car upon our return, which was a much more pleasant experience.
I never thought about how much more comfortable I feel around people that are like me. It's pathetic to think about how much better I felt surrounded by more people of my race and socio-economic background. I finally realized what it is like to be of the minority (well, technically being Jewish puts me in the minority, but I certainly never feel like this at home).
The beach itself was BEAUTIFUL...we first ventured to Boulder National Park to visit the African penguins. I was surprised at how small they were in person, and how still they could stay! Then we ate a yummmmyy seafood lunch overlooking the water and took a nice nap on the beach. Before, of course, the tide came and made my towel soaking wet. Good times. That was a sign that it was time to leave.
Today we did some much needed shopping in Victoria Warf, an upscale mall by the waterfront. I was surprised at the number of American brands and stores featured, and also by the number of South African brands that were comparable to the ones I know and love at home. We ended our day by taking a cable car up to the top of Table Mountain and eating dinner at the restaurant at the top. This view was still unreal despite the fact that we were literally in a cloud and were told that the sights were nothing compared to what they would be like on a clear day. I have a feeling I'll be back there.
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