Don't worry about me, Mom and Dad!

After a safe arrival and “settling” in my temporary residence, the Royal Lodge, Arcadia was quick to pick us up and show the group around the Cape. Literally. On the first day we went to a place above town called Signal Hill. If I knew anything about the World Cup, I surely would have known how to appreciate the stadium that was used for it last year. But I don’t. For those of you who do follow “futbol,” I took some great pictures of it.

It was also a nice place to be introduced to Table Mountain and the rest of the Mother City as she began to light up the night. We drove a bus down around to the waterfront and saw homes that are worth all my future paychecks (if I ever get a job). After driving through neighborhoods where garage spaces are worth up to $500,000, we went to dinner. On the way we were told that much of Cape Town was reclaimed from the sea because as the ships kept getting bigger, they would have to anchor further out therefore, they needed to bring the land closer to the sea for the sailors. Just as my two Royal Lodge hotel mates and I are getting ready for bed Friday night, the electricity goes out, in just our room. We figured we had blown a fuse but when we told our program director, Alan, he told us we had to keep tabs on the meter by the fridge. So now, not only do I have to keep tabs on my internet and phone, my electricity too?! I don’t know how my parents did it when I was little running around the house leaving all the lights on. Shoot! I don’t know how people do it here every day but I better get used to it and FAST!

On Saturday, we took a trip to Cape Point (once believed to be the lowest point of Africa, soon to be proven as false)

and then to Monkey Valley. On the way, we stopped to see the warm weather penguins at False Bay where I took my first steps in the Indian Ocean! I’ve finally set foot in something other than the cloudy mid-Atlantic! Before we got to any of our destinations, we ran into (not literally) a baboon along the side of the road. Vermont has moose, Pennsylvania has deer, I guess Cape Town has baboons. To each his own. After a long day of traveling we ended at Monkey Valley Beach Nature Resort Cape Town. I would not think twice to go back to this place. To the right we had the south Atlantic ocean and to our left, Table Mountain. Having only been told to pack an overnight bag, I thought we would be roughing it. Oh no! Have no fear mom and dad! I am not roughing it at the resort in Monkey Valley. I took a nice walk down to watch the sunset by the beach and woke up to watch the full moon set over the Atlantic. Don’t you worry about your baby girl! She’s getting by just fine.

Come Sunday we were a bit tired but finished our lap around the Cape visiting Hout Bay where whales tend to come up and mate during the June through November months. We didn’t see any whales but we saw some FAT seals. I don’t know how the zoo manages to keep the seals so active and skinny but the ones found in the sea are certainly not the same. By the looks of it, they eat better than some locals do.

It’s Monday now and we had our first day of orientation at UCT. Although there’s nothing that I heard there that I haven’t heard before, the combination of everyone saying it and actually having witnessed some incidents has successfully scared me from walking around most places. Let’s just say, I am looking forward to getting out of the hotel by the bus station and into our house by campus because I don’t think anyone of royalty would stay here.

I realize I have spoken about all these places but I will post pictures when I don’t have to monitor how many megabytes I am uploading…. It’s tough work being abroad.