Adventure Week

With class on the horizon, we made sure to keep this past week as jam-packed as our first ten days in Cape Town. 

Wednesday morning we got up early to meet a group of students to go on what we thought would be a leisurely bike tour of the Stellenbosch winelands.  By the end of the day we had a few cuts, sores and bruises to serve as reminders of our naivety.  The eight-hour, 21 km tour on mountain bikes led us to three vineyards and one brandy distillery.  Despite the ominous cloud that hung overhead all day, the rain held off and gave us the perfect conditions to peddle through some of Cape Town’s finest vineyards.  Even with our three different tastes for wine, we all agreed we would not be enjoying any more brandy in the near future.   After warming it to room temperature in the glass, taking the proper steps to waft the aroma from our chest and our chin and drinking over half the first glass of a 10 year vintage, the brandy never seemed to go down as smoothly as we were assured it would. The wine, on the other hand, impressed us enough that we traveled home with six bottles in our backpacks. If you aren’t awed by the scenery on the trip, without a doubt the tour guides will give you something to look at. 

Keeping up with our full schedule, the next morning we joined forces with several other American students to tour the V & A waterfront along with Robben Island.  We hopped on a ferry, which brought us to the island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.  With the end of Apartheid occurring within our lifetime, we had the opportunity of having a former Robben Island prisoner lead our tour.  It was enlightening to hear a first-hand account of a political prisoner.  Although the prison has been transformed into a museum and memorial of Apartheid, to our surprise the island still houses a small group of people.  There is a primary school, a post office and church that support the community. 

We continued the day as tourists and explored the waterfront.  This part of Cape Town, we quickly learned, is not a location where many locals spend their time but is full of out-of-town visitors.  To fulfill Alex and Kristine’s desire for seafood, we enjoyed a lunch at a restaurant along the harbor.  We were unable to get to the aquarium before it closed but that will give us a good excuse to return. 

This week we also signed up for UCT societies (aka clubs).  We must have been feeling ambitious that day because we only signed up for clubs that could be defined as “extreme sports.”  They include mountain hiking, underwater (SCUBA) and surfing club. To add to this list Kristine and Alex also signed up for a gym membership where they plan on rekindling their love for lap swimming.  For all of you who know us well, check back in with us soon and find out how long the motivation upholds.

 

Saturday = Mzoli’s.  Anthony Bourdain made sure to make this restaurant a stop on his TV show “No Reservations” when he visited Cape Town, and we had the chance to have our own Mzoli’s experience.  We say experience because it is more than a meal.  Mzoli’s is an open-air restaurant hidden in a township outside of the city. Our meal was pre-ordered for us and was a feast for the eyes.  Meat and salads arrived at our table piled high and piping hot.  Alongside 20 Americans, we ate with our hands and licked our fingers until our plates were empty and stomachs were full. Alex claims she hasn’t licked her fingers since she was eight; can anyone in the Huml family back up this statement?  The restaurant was more crowded than normal when we were there because it hosting a large block party put on by one of the local radio stations.  The emcee kept the music loud, freebees flowing and dance competitions rolling. That day we were reminded of the many languages of South Africa- the dialogue was constantly changing between English, Xhosa, Zulu and Afrikaans.  It was nice to experience another side of South African life and culture.  We recommend Mzoli’s to all meat lovers and future visitors of Cape Town. 

So far, today has been another lazy Sunday.  However it has been in preparation for tonight.  For everyone at home, it is Super Bowl Sunday.  For us, it is Super Bowl early Monday morning.  A local bar has agreed to keep its doors open until 6 AM so all of the American international students can watch our beloved football.  Don’t worry, we plan on taking a quick nap tonight so we can be up and ready at 2 when the game starts.

Friday was the official first day of class but as we soon found out, South Africans don’t show up until Monday.  So, tomorrow will be a day of rereading over syllabi and signing up for tutorials (for everyone in Wisconsin this is a dreaded discussion).

We set up a website of just pictures of our time here in Cape Town.  To visit it, go to www.apieceofcape.shutterfly.com.  We plan to update that site as frequently as our blog. 

Until next time,

Met liefde van Afrika!

Alex, Callie and Kristine