Hello friends!
Over the past few days I have been relaxing! Saturday, I stayed in and watched movies with a few folks from Germany and Australia. Sunday, I went out to a few bars: Venue and Crew. They were alright--pretty quiet. Yesterday, I wandered around the other side of Green Point and found some great shops and scenic views of the Atlantic Ocean and World Cup Stadium! Later that night I sorted through my 72 emails and organized my inbox as I chatted with students from Southern New Hampshire University.
Today, I had quite the journey. I started my day with a delicious breakfast, then walked to the City Centre (downtown Cape Town). I toured the Company Gardens, which is a plot of land filled with beautiful gardens and historic homes and government buildings from the colonial era. I had been to the area before, but I wanted to go again and snap some shots since my camera was stolen two weeks ago. After strolling through the park, I went to the Holocaust Centre at the South African Jewish Museum again. It is difficult to describe my experience because it was deeply profound. The museum's exhibit featured many photos from the Holocaust as well as old uniforms and other items from the concentration camps. After, I left the exhibit, I found myself speechless, so I the receptionist instructed me to sit down and write some of my thoughts in their guestbook--as I did.
After I gained my composure, I headed toward Table Mountain, one of the biggest tourist attractions in Cape Town and hiked in my Sperry's (boat shoes)! My expedition started off very treacherous because I had to hike up the foothills to get to the mountain, but at least I got to see the marvelous mansions along the way. Four miles later, I made it to the bottom of Table Mountain. Unfortunately, I didn't have a map with me so I just chose a random trail that seemed short and sweet, but boy was I fooled! I assumed that all of the trails lead to the top of the mountain, but 2.5 hours in my trail, I realized that wasn't case. I knew something was wrong when I was climbing up the mountain, treading through wooded areas, clinging onto tree limbs and boulders. Eventually, I couldn't locate a trail anywhere and that's when I decided that I had taken the wrong trail and ended up in god know's where! Later I found out that I had gone on the most difficult trail in the state park and the unmarked path and rock climbing if for experienced hikers that want a challenge...(leave it to me)! Yikes! I finally headed back and boy was it painful. Hiking in Sperry's was a terrible idea and walking 4 miles from my hostel was an even worse idea because my legs were exhausted and I have blisters all over my feet! I sucked it up and made it down the mountain and made a painful walk home. Ahh, so I walked 8 miles today and hiked 6 miles! Even though I hiked the WRONG side of the mountain, I came home with beautiful pictures of Camps Bay and the Indian Ocean so I am content :)
Tomorrow, I have a meeting with Ouma, the coordinator of Interstudy at the University of Cape Town. Before our meeting, I am going to go to the last destinations on my to-do list: Distrtict 6 Museum and Slave Lodge. Thursday, Nombeko, Toni, and I will attend Jimmie's educational theatre dinner party at the University of Stellenbosch. Friday, I will meet with Loretta, a social worker at one of the maximum security prisons that I met through JL Zwane. This weekend, I'll probably go out and DEFINITELY hit up the beaches once or twice before I depart on Monday! Aye, time flys.
That's all for now. I hope all is well wherever you are :)
That's how I felt after I went to the Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam. Some things you just can't describe, it just has a profound effect on you. Like when I read the name of the street the jews walked on to their death was a street I walked on to get to the museum, it kind of freaked me out to know I walked where they have walked.
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