We Travel World

Camps bay
the classiest beach in cape townOh boy has it been quite a week. It seems this country has time moving twice as fast! I have already been here a month! Where did it go!? Since I last wrote quite a bit has happened!! I would honestly write more often but my internet disconnects approx every 45 seconds, making it virtually impossible to update or upload anything! Two weekends ago was a relatively relaxing one. I got a cold mid week and wanted to rest to fight it off. Sunday we did go to camps bay to lie out at the beach. It is definitely only warm enough to lounge with some clothes on, but it was such a beautiful day we couldn’t resist. Camps Bay is on the other side of Table Mountain and basically the posh area (david beckham among other celebs have vacation homes here). Like Santa Barbara the mountains and ocean together offer an absolutely breathtaking view and like Santa Barbara the ocean front is lined with over priced stores and restaurants. The week to follow was extremely hectic. All of the college interns here for the summer left throughout the week so it was full of meals out and sad goodbyes. It
Garden Route
just one of many beautiful scenic shotsis funny how fast you become close to people out of necessity when you are alone in a new place. Its like the dorms freshman year. That’s probably why the people i met freshman year are the ones that remain my best friends today (Christian, Robyn, Eileen, jasmine, Steph i am talking to you)! Anyway, Friday my two flat mates left and i moved out of my apartment to a different unit with new roommates. I am in the same building but this apartment is a penthouse compared to my previous one… among the improvements are a DVD player (though it doesn’t read American DVDs), a garbage can in the kitchen, and a much bigger kitchen that actually has pots and pans! Luckily i still have my view of the mountain!

This last weekend was epic. Following the departure of my flat mates, Me and six friends (all other interns) left on a road trip to the garden route. The garden route is a stretch of the N2 freeway that starts about 3 hours outside Cape Town and runs to port elizabeth in the eastern cape. It is known for its spectacular landscapes and views, as well as its
garden Route
friday night sunsetclose proximity to many attractions. We drove friday for about five and a half hours in our rental car (which was made by Tazz, a car company i certainly have never heard of). Like most car trips we made sure to get lost for a while, get a flat tire, etc. It was so beautiful though! As you move away from Cape Town and into the eastern cape you leave everything first world and travel back in time. It was so enriching to see how 99% of people in this country live. The Eastern Cape is almost entirely shack villages and Xhosa, is basically the only language spoken. We stopped to eat at a fabulous “farm stall”, and arrived at our destination of the night around 6. This first night we stayed at the Knysna Elephant Sanctuary. I can’t even explain how magical these accommodations were but i will try. The seven of us were set up in a lodge with 3 bed rooms. In the middle there was a sitting roon with couches and chairs facing a balcony. 10 feet below us on the other side of the balcony 15 elephants slept in a giant close in building. We
Breakfast
Elephants spend 16 hours a day eating…. we decided to help them out so that maybe they could get something else done!sat there watching them and then called it an early night. THe next morning we woke up at six thirty (elephants only sleep 3 hours!) and went with the keepers on an elephant walk. The Sanctuary is located on a huge stretch of savannah and forest and so they roamed free and we walked around interacting with them. We bottle fed the orphans and then fed the adults. They use their trunks like hands which is so weird to watch! I really enjoyed our morning. We then ate brunch at the lodge and continued east towards Bloukrans Bridge.

Bloukrans Bridge is the tallest bridge in Africa and runs over a gorgeous gorge that opens out to the sea. It is also home of the world’s highest bungee jump. Here is the best part. I actually did it! I WAS ALSO SHOCKED! It is a 216m drop (60 stories or 650 ft) and a five second free fall. It was so scenic and we had driven so far that when the boys said they were doing it, I decided to do it as well. It was easily the scariest thing I have ever done in my entire life! You walk
EEEEKKK!
across a “pedestrian” bridge approx 400m to the center of the bridge. This “pedestrian bridge” was in fact a series of metal chainlike cages attached to the bottom of the real bridge. That means they move slightly, creak loudly and you can see strait down. I am surprised i didn’t give up here! Once you got to the platform they had loud music playing to pump you up and a video to watch as each person jumped. When it was my turn i was so scared. Terrified. The first second when they let go and you fall strait forward you feel like you might have just committed suicide. After that instant though your adrenaline peaks and you just take in everything around you and the insanity of what you are experiencing. Following the jump i felt nothing short of invincible. To know that i could do that dissolved a lot of self doubt.

That night we stayed at a hostel in plettenberg bay and spent the next day driving home. WE ALMOST HIT A BABOON on the way. It was totally surreal. we came around a bend in the road and there it was just sitting there! This entire
Bloukrans Bridge
experience has just been so surreal and such a chance to grow. I am learning so much about who i am and what i am capable of. I am learning I’m not scared of a lot of thing i thought i was… in fact I’m actually kind of brave!? Needless to say it has been great for my self esteem.

Work is frustrating still but this week i have a meeting with some of the impt people to go over my completely outlined budget and hopefully (fingers crossed) be able to get started. The problem is that you can get money until the entire budget is designed but i can’t get people to the site to give me advice without financial commitment. Tomorrow i meet with the plumber and electrician (two things I OBVIOUSLY know so much about!) and hopefully get a price range nailed down. I am frustrated but do not feel i am not making progress, I just feel with no car and no money i am operating in a very tiny box.

I miss you all very much and hope things back home are going well. Thanks for all reading and feel free to email
Harry!
This is harry. he is 22. he isnt even full grown and will live to be 65!me whenever! i want to hear how you are instead of me for a change! and pen pals make home feel a little closer. XOXO and talk to you soon!