"There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it." -Charles Dudley Warner

This quote could not be more true.  These past few days have been incredible.  This country literally gets better by the day.  After spending a few days at the waterfront, Chris and I moved into a new hotel down the coast in Hermanus, an area known for its near shore whale watching.  Unfortunately it’s not currently whale season, but we did see some common dolphins off the coast.  We stayed at Arabella hotel, which is known for its golf course…I wouldn’t know after staying there- but I can tell you that the pool area is fantastic!   While in the area we went wine tasting through the valley and the views were incredible- the vast vineyards framed by the steep rock faces were fascinating. 

            

We also went to a game reserve, which was essentially a zoo without walls between you and the animals.  It was awesome to see the animals up close though, especially when the woman in the safari truck with us dropped her bag right in front of the lions and the ranger had to get out and get it, after parking the truck between the bag and the lions to ensure safety.  After the lions, we went to a separate enclosure to see the lion “cubs” which were not cubs at all but pretty large lions that had been raised at the reserve.  It was funny because our ranger had no problem jumping in the pen with them and scratching their stomachs and playing with them as if they were big dogs.

            

After that we drove back to Cape Town to explore more of the downtown area.  We did a lot of walking around, eating out, and sightseeing in the area.  Chris insisted that we walk through the Cape Town equivalent of Central Park so we could feed the pigeons and squirrels.  The pigeons flocked all around him the second he opened the bag of chips—it was crazy. 

            

We spent a lot of time in Camp’s Bay, the wealthy area of the city right on the beach.  It was reminiscent of La Jolla, California or something like that.  It was one of those places where you could easily have been in America based on the shops and people around.   We had a few really amazing meals in the area though, and the views of the white beach in front were amazing.  It was also really windy and the movement of the water over the big boulders was a spectacular dinner show. 

           

We also attempted to ride the cable car up Table Mountain but failed every time because it was too windy.  Summer is the windy season around here, so it’s going to be tough to get up there until the winds settle down.  We were able to take a drive up to Signal Hill to get a great view of the city and the soccer stadium. 

            

The day before Chris left he moved me into the Kimberley House where we met the landlord and I got to pick my room first because I was the awkward first person at the house, and the ONLY one not arriving on the group flight.  Anyway, this wholw post was written one week after moving into the house, so I’m no longer the awkward housemate.  And I’m a week behind.  More to come soon.  Stay tuned.

Winelands

Baby Zebra At The Game Reserve

Lion Where The Bag Was Dropped

Chris Feeding Pigeons In The Park

Clouds Keeping Us From Going Up Table Mountain

View Of The Stadium From Signal Hill