I think I speak for G as well when I say that I truly feel blessed to be living here in London - not only because of the traveling, having the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the European culture, etc., but because of the lifelong friendships we're making along the way. When we first arrived, we were lucky to befriend a couple from South Africa - here temporarily, just like us. After getting to know them, and learning about their beloved home country, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit them (and have our very own personal tour guides throughout the trip!). Andy and Jade - we're so thankful to have met you two, and will never forget our amazing adventure throughout Cape Town. Two other friends joined us as well - Vic (Brit) and Karol (Polish)...I think it's safe to say that the six of us experienced what felt like a once in a lifetime holiday together! Although, I do hope that we make it back there sometime in the near future :)
Before I dive right in, check out the beautiful views from the villa in Camps Bay that we called home for a week!
View of Camps Bay from our balcony
Looking out onto Lion's Head
G playing with Jack (short for Jackpot, which is what we named him)...he would come visit us every now and then from a neighboring villa :)
Our welcome to Cape Town:
Our "welcome" shot...the first of many caramel vodka shots throughout the trip
The boys in front of Table Mountain
Celebrating our arrival!
First up was a private tour throughout South Africa's popular wine country. Basically, 99.9% of the restaurants in Cape Town allow you to bring your own wine when you dine (so supportive of their wineries!), so the best part of this experience was picking out wines from each of the wineries, knowing that we would enjoy them together as the week went on. We visited Fairview, La Petite Ferme, and Graff Estates. All were lovely!
Fairview:
La Petite Ferme:
Tasting straight from the barrel!
Graff Estates:
Our view during lunch...absolutely incredible!
Sipping my cuppa while overlooking the beautiful scenery...
duunnn dunnn...duuuunnnn duun...duuuunnnnnnnn dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnn dunnnn (here comes Jaws!).
Yes, we went shark cage diving, and it was amazing!!!!!! Jade and I were a bit skeptical at first, but I am SO glad we ended up going through with it, and didn't chicken out in the end. To see such a powerful, feared creature up close and personal like that, in its natural habitat, was pretty incredible. All six of us were able to go into the cage at once, and our group witnessed the biggest shark of the day - over 13 feet long!
Lookin' gooooood in our wetsuits
No turning back now!
This one got a little too close for my comfort...
Shark week!
Shots from the underwater camera:
During our drive back from the shark cage diving, we made a pit stop in Hermanus - the spot for whale and seal watching from the coast. We spotted a number of Southern right whales and adorable seals just a few feet from the coast!
Since we all survived to tell the tale of our brush with death from a shark attack, we decided to test our fate once again, by spending the day out on a safari at Aquila Game Reserve. We saw, up close and personal, the Big 5 (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, and buffalo), and a number of other animals as well. I was most excited to see the giraffe (who doesn't love giraffes?!), but it just so happens that the giraffe was lost - missing for 3 days now. Um, did you just say you lost a giraffe?? How in the world do you lose a giraffe? They're pretty damn tall!
Oh, hey there Buffalo...don't mind us, we're just passing by...
Yea...he didn't like that too much. This is a glimpse of the Buffalo CHARGING our vehicle! It was exciting terrifying! A few inches closer, and his horns would have pierced the side of the vehicle (which is made out of canvas...not gonna do much against the horns of a buffalo!).
This guy was pretty close to charging us as well!
Heeeere kitty, kitty, kitty...
Blue Wildebeest
Champagne break!
Hippos! Apparently the #1 killer in Africa - who knew?
Eland
Springbok
Sleepy leopard
This guy sure knows how to capture your attention...
Next up, a day trip out to Boulder Beach to see the African Penguins, Cape Point, and the Cape of Good Hope.
Boulder Beach:
Boys being boys...jumping from boulder to boulder
Cuddling - so sweet!
A group of penguins sunbathing on the boulder...
Apparently some of the penguins are well-known for trying to hitch a ride :)
Cape Point:
On our way from Cape Point over to Cape Hope, we were told to keep an eye out for the Baboons! We spotted a troop of about 20...
Cape of Good Hope:
Cape Town from atop Table Mountain...
Life's a Beach...
Our afternoon at Clifton Beach:
Camps Bay:
Cape Town Nights...
Catching the sunset over the 12 Apostles of Table Mountain:
Karol teaching me how to salsa :)
Supporting Andy's Springboks (South African Rugby team)
Fantastic dinner at La Colombe - one of the top-rated restaurants in Cape Town
Long Street
G and me hiking up Lion's Head...
Scaaaary part - using chains to scale the side of the cliff...
We made it to the top!!
Robben Island
G and me at the V&A Waterfront...
At Willoughby & Co - the BEST sushi we've ever had! And yes, it's a restaurant inside a shopping mall! haha We liked it so much that we actually ate here on two separate occasions :)
Saying a tearful goodbye to Cape Town...
One last stop at our favorite bar - it's basically a pop-up bar on the side of a Cricket Field (they're playing a game in the background) - the field has Table Mountain as a backdrop, and overlooks the Camps Bay Beach...not too shabby!
