Three days, nineteen hours, twenty minutes

The time I have left in Cape Town.

Holy guacamole, this is unreal, this experience has flown by, and I have enjoyed every single minute of the ride.

Friday 28 June

Everyone, from around the world, comes to Cape Town.

Why?

Why not?

So many different nationalities, ways of life, opinions, cultures, perspectives, attitudes in one setting: Greenpop and Cape Town are meeting grounds in a way; all different people coming together, for a cause; to make a difference.

Today was a workday at the nursery, since mostly everyone has left for Zambia, so the office has been quiet, and it was a nice chance to get outside and get our hands dirty.

Solar cooker popcorn. A little burned but so good.

Hanging up posters to spruce up the nursery!

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases from being shared.”

— Buddha

Saturday 29 June

BEST Tour ever. I scheduled a tour with Cape Point Route during the week, and wasn’t sure if the money would transfer in time, or if they could only confirmed my booking if I paid on time. The payment went through on Friday, but I hadn’t heard from them, so I wasn’t sure if I was going (and I have no phone) so, I was just going to wing it, and wait outside at 8 in the morning and wait. I got up, had breakfast and did my normal morning routine, and headed down at about 10 past 8:00. The scheduled time for pickup was 8h15. I’m waiting, and waiting, and then all of a sudden a big ‘tour-looking’ bus comes down Commercial St. and I get excited, they found me! A man gets out of the front, and asks, “Are you Meryl?” Yes I am! He was a peppy middle aged guy who gave off really good energy, and as I was about to get onto the van, I thought, today is going to be a good day. He told me I could have shotgun, so, why not? Best views eh?

One of the most beautiful beaches in the world

When I got onto the van, there was already a couple inside, and four more people were going to join us, which we picked up down at the waterfront. After everyone was in the van, our driver/tour guide put in his headset (microphone for the van) and we were on our way!

Brahm, or Abe, our tour guide, as he says that’s what he’d be called in America (I’m guessing Abraham) was absolutely wonderful. The main destination for the day was Cape Point, and on the way we were going to stop at Simon’s Town, aka penguin central. The road down the coast was BEAUTIFUL, so far the sky was clear, and the sun was shining. Down the Atlantic Seaboard, the coastline is amazing, the water was a beautiful blue. Abe told us that ‘the prettier the water, the colder it is.’ Even in the summer, the water is freezing cold, from the currents coming up from Antarctica, so most diving happens in the winter time. We also drove down Chapman’s Peak Drive, which again, was just stunning. Words cannot describe, and picture’s cannot do it justice the natural beauty of the peninsula.

As the only American in the tour group, I obviously was the only one who could take the typical make fun of the American game. This time, Abe told me to get my camera ready because the American Embassy was coming up. He counted down, 5, 4, 3, .. I didn’t see anything. Then he said “There’s McDonalds! The American M-bassy.” Ohhhh how funny. Gotta give him some credit for that one.

Anyways, we arrived at our first stop: Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town. This is where the Penguin Colony is located, and it was AWESOME. Penguins everywhere, you walk along a boardwalk which is kind of ‘gated’ in a way so the penguins are separated. One was actually on the boardwalk next to us, but had to be retrieved to put back onto the beach. Although they are cute little guys, they do bite. The penguins were waddling all around, and the sun was shining, mountains in the background; the scenery was gorgeous.

After quality time with the penguins, we headed back to the car, and along the we found more penguins, just chillin on the side of the street, looking for something mischievous to do. We thought this was a problem, like being hit by a car or something, but in Simon’s Town, penguins roam everywhere. So it must be pretty clear who is and isn’t a local in this town. Another thing about Simon’s Town is that they have very strong winds here, we saw some trees that were at about a 45 degree angle because the wind blows as they grow and keeps them that way.

Now on route to Cape Point! The drive was gorgeous the entire way down, and we even ran into some baboons! A group of about five of them; a momma and her baby and probably the rest of the family. We stopped the car, but weren’t allowed to open the windows because baboons are known to crawl up and actually get into your car and bad things happen when you mess with baboons let’s just say...

We arrived at Cape Point, and it was about a 15 minute walk uphill to the lighthouse. Being on hikes and tours in Cape Town has taught me to not just focus on what is in front of you (and go as fast as you can). Rather take your time, stop and look behind you, because there is beauty everywhere. If I was so focused on the lighthouse I wouldn’t have stopped to turn around and notice the entire peninsula behind me. You literally need a 360 degree camera to capture everything because there is an amazing view in every direction. Once I got to the top, alongside the lighthouse, was a post with arrows of different cities in different directions. All along the post and a giant rock next to it were carvings and signings of people previously coming and recording their time here. If only I brought a pen! But anyways, the day was amazing (or should I say the morning was, as the tour only went until 1:00). We drove back and passed by UCT, which is just GORGEOUS if only I could have studied there.

Abe, along being an awesome tour guide and driver, gave us some good information about the education system in South Africa, government and the apartheid years. It is really good to get some understanding of how these systems work now and in the past, and opening your eyes to different ways of life. He mentioned how horrible the education system has become, which makes it hard for them to become successful in the workforce when they are older. It makes you take a second and realize how lucky you are for having a college education, when some people don’t even have proper primary education. I don’t feel in any way I am more entitled to an education than the next person, and it’s tough to grasp the system that clearly doesn’t work, but yet what is there that I can do about it? I really take these experiences and try to learn from them, and think what I can do to help, and I know feel really fortunate to have gone to plant days with local children. Even just spending the day with them, and hopefully reaching them in some way (both with and apart from the trees).

It reminds me of my time at Micah House, and how this was one of the highlights of my college career. The fact I was able to spend a couple hours a day with these kids, over a span of four years, I wouldn’t change for the world. In a way I was able to watch them grow up, or starting to, and they never stopped putting a smile on my face. Through all of the daily drama and stress of college life, whenever you arrive at Micah House, you leave it at the door. It’s like I’m in an entirely new place, even though it is just across the street. The energy and people are so inspirational, and you can really just forget all the problems going on and just spend time with the kids and other volunteers (yes doing elementary school math or vocabulary, which I gotta say, was awesome). So Ms. Dianna, if you’re reading this, I’m so grateful for everything you guys gave me at Micah House, and I miss you all! I’ll be visiting you again sometime soon :)

I guess I have found how amazing writing can be, and how you can go through your whole day and realize all the things that you have done, but yet there is still so much to be done. But appreciate and be proud of the things you do everyday (no matter how small). I like documenting my experiences, and when I think back on my day, it sometimes brings me on weird or unexpected tangents, but that’s the point. So I hope with this blog, you see all I am trying to accomplish, and maybe also enjoy the tangents of my mind..

Today was yet another amazing day, I truly do not want to leave Cape Town.

Today's beer: Triggerfish Sweet Stout, had to get something new, something dark. YUMM

“I wanna be
forever young.”

Sunday, 30 June

July starts tomorrow, holy crap time where have you gone?! I fly home in four days.

Today I woke up at 6 AM to catch a train to Observatory, only about a ten minute train ride. To catch up with Liz (another Greenpop-er!) and her big group of skydivers. We arrived, and the guy who was in contact with the skydiving company was calling to make sure everything was running smoothly. The sun was beginning to shine, as it had just risen half an hour before. He got off the phone, and reported there may be a chance we cannot go, as winds and clouds were an issue, but they would wait an hour and see if anything had changed. 9 o clock came around, then 10, and unfortunately, the weather was not permitting our adventure today. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day, but who knows how it is hundreds of feet in the air. It was a big disappointment, as this was my last weekend. I may still try to go on Wednesday, depending on cost and timing, so pray for the best!

So it wasn’t the optimal start to the day, but I wasn’t just going to take the train home and stay in Scalabrini, it’s my last weekend for goodness sakes, and I needed to do something to get my adrenalin pumping. Since it was still fairly early.. on a Sunday... Liz and I walked over to a local cafe, had some coffee and food, and hung out at her house for a bit while we waited for her roommates to wakeup. We eventually all decided to hike up Lion’s Head, which even though I had done before, I think it’s an awesome hike, and I definitely wanted to hike another mountain before I left this city. Since we were all the way in Observatory (or Obs), we weren’t really within walking distance like we are at Scalabrini, so we took a cab to the bottom of the mountain. (The first time I went, Chris and I hiked all the way up from Scalabrini, which you are already fairly tired just getting to this starting point.)

The hike was AMAZING as usual, today was very busy on the mountain, everyone was coming up and down as the weather was yet, another gorgeous day in Cape Town (but not good enough for skydiving.) I was the leader of the pack! I gotta say, even though there are times while hiking up you want to die, there is such an amazing and rewarding feeling when you reach the top. Lion’s Head is definitely easier than Table Mountain, and there is no cable car to help you out; you’re all on your own. But the best part is that you spiral around the mountain as you go up, so you are getting the 360 degree view of Cape Town (which is how it should be; in this city, you truly see beauty in every direction.)

Representing the treevolution wherever we go

Cheers to the journey of a lifetime, in a city I will never forget.

Although the day did not turn out as we planned, it was still amazing. As Cape Town is, always unexpected, sometimes a little hectic, but never short of an unforgettable experience. I am forever grateful of this city and its beauty which ceases to amaze me every single day. We cheers-ed on top of the mountain with some beers (of course) and an amazing end to an amazing hike.

We also met some friends of Liz's at the bottom of the mountain who gave us each a shot of rum... like icing on top of the cake. (sorta.. but definitely a good ending!)

This week is going to fly by, and I do not want it to. I can't believe this time next week I will be back home. Gotta take advantage of every last minute!

I am currently exhausted from the day, and need to go to bed soon. Yes it is 8:30, don't judge. Goodnight!

“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”

— Joshua J. Marine

Meryl TurnerJune 30, 2013Cape Town, Lion's Head, Hiking, Adventure, Beer, Natural, Beauty, Cape Point, Tour, Travel, CheersComment