Abseil Africa: The Return of Jurassic Park

On Sunday we somehow managed to wake up insanely early and head to the car rental office. Wyatt, not being accustomed to how ridiculously far we have to walk to get anything done, found a way to complain the entire way there. Okay, I may be over exaggerating, but the point is the kid hates walking anywhere. We finally arrived at Hertz, dealt with a few dilemmas renting the car (has anyone ever rented a car problem free?) and were headed to Cape Town. Because I was the actual renter I had to be the person to drive away from the lot, but there are two major problems with this: 1. I haven't ever driven on the left side of the road, and 2. I can't drive a stick shift. Uh-oh! Sam hyperventilated in the backseat and Wyatt helped me make it the three blocks I needed to so that we could shift drivers. Once Wyatt took over we only had a few scares at the intersections (Sam is still hyperventilating at this point) until he got the hang of it. Actually, at one point Sam had her hand on the door handle to literally eject herself from the car. Overkill? Maybe. Necessary? Definitely.

We arrived at Table Mountain with plans to hike all the way up and abseil down. Now, I'm not sure if you've seen this thing, but the mountain is gigantic. The only way to go was up, so that's what we did!

About two steps into the hike I managed to find someone new to talk to (insert Wyatt's sigh here) and she was really interesting! (I'm going to call her Susan because I have an awful memory and can't remember her real name). Susan, a native Californian, was in Cape Town for a mere week for work with her biological research company. Hello! Right up my alley! 

Before we could even really hit the trail we ran into a homeless guy trying to give us "free maps", and unfortunately Susan, being an unknowing tourist, fell for it, dragging us along with her. After paying R5 for an unnecessary map of a place that has one way up and one way down, we hit the trails again. Silly Americans.

The view was gorgeous.

During another break we met a really friendly couple from none other than Texas A&M! It was so nice to talk to someone about College Station, football, and crazy times at Northgate, I actually felt like I was back in Texas! Here are a few more pictures from the hike up:

Wyatt and I by a cool tree

The hike we did was called Plettenberg Gorge. If it looks difficult, that's because it was.

We finally reached the top of the mountain, enjoyed the view for a while, and made our way to the abseil station. 

Clouds were rushing over the top of the mountain. (Note to self: in the future, this means conditions are not optimal to abseil). 

"No experience required, just a bit of insanity." HA. No joke.

Wyatt, Sam and I hung out with the abseil instructor for a few minutes while we waited for the group before us to finish, and in these few minutes two crucial things happened. First, the temperature dropped about 20 degrees. No joke, we were all freezing on top of this mountain. And second, the entire top of the mountain got covered in a cloud. If you've been keeping up with my blog, you probably remember me talking about Table Mountain and how sometimes a cloud, dubbed "the table cloth", covers the mountain at a moments notice. Well, this was that moment. So here we are, three innocent American kids trying to be extreme in South Africa, freezing, shaking, scared out of our minds to throw ourselves over the mountain's edge..it was probably quite a sight.

After getting strapped in and receiving a 30 second safety briefing and instructional, we were headed to the edge. Before we started Sam decided she didn't want to go through with it and I can't say I blame the girl. Wyatt and I are both a little too competitive, and I don't think either one of us wanted to admit that we didn't want to do it either, so down we went!

Male model extraordinaire getting mentally prepared.

The instructor kept telling me to scoot back and I was taking the smallest steps imaginable to do so.

And they're off!

This is my "what the heck was I thinking when I signed up for this" face.

After abseiling down all 112 meters (the tallest commercial abseil in the world!) I think both Wyatt and I came to an agreement that it was the most scary thing either one of us had ever done. I'm convinced that the conditions had a lot to do with it, because friends of mine went on a nice day and said it wasn't too bad, but let me tell you..it was bad. At one point the wind got so strong I got blown right onto the side of the mountain. Wyatt was next to me and we just looked at each other, made the "let's get the heck down this thing" face at each other, and kept on truckin'.

This is from the bottom of the abseil looking up. Wyatt went a bit faster than me and when he got to the bottom he kept yelling "Amanda! Look down! You won't even be able to see me!" REAL encouraging!

Once we both finished we had to hike back up the mountain to meet Sam. The hike back looked like a scene straight out of Jurassic Park.

At the top we had lunch, warmed up a bit, and made our way to the cable car to head down the mountain.

Our descent down the mountain via the cable car. The difference between the climate at the top and bottom of the mountain was insane.

Vine Hoppin'

On Saturday, the 12th, I got the best care package ever..Wyatt came to Africa! Sam is a trooper and woke up at 8:00 with me so we could head to the airport and wait for Wyatt. After a bit of confusion with the driver I hired to take us, we were headed to Cape Town International Airport! The entire drive there I kept grabbing Sam's hand and screaming because I was SO excited to see a familiar face for the first time in two whole months.

When we got to the airport we did a bit of shopping (I can't resist no matter where I am), found a Subway and freaked out about how great it was to see American food, and eventually made our way to the International Arrivals gate.

Waiting for Wyatt's plane to land.

At the gate Sam and I met this adorable older woman who was waiting for her sons who now live in London to arrive for a two week visit. She was so cute and talkative so we hung out with her for a while. But, when Wyatt finally came through the gate I completely forgot about our newfound friend, jumped over the barrier (woops!) and ran up to him as fast as I could! I was so excited I totally forgot about airport security. Thank goodness I didn't get in trouble!

I couldn't really contain my excitement. (Nothing new!)

As soon as our driver dropped us off in Stellenbosch we ran to my room, dropped all of Wyatt's bags off, and had to rush back downstairs to catch a ride on the Vine Hopper. The Vine Hopper may be the best idea I've ever heard: you pay R170, which is about $25, and they drive you and your friends around to six different vineyards to do wine tastings. YES PLEASE!

At one of the many vineyards we visited.

I was nervous that Wyatt wouldn't be very into it, but he was such a trooper and we ended up having maybe a bit too much fun.

Sam and Lo took quite a liking to the little guy :)

At one of the wineries we did a wine and chocolate tasting, but got a little confused and ended up having to do it twice. No complaints here!

At one of the last places the waitress pointed us out as an "obvious couple" and presented us with a challenge. It starts with the story of a very wealthy girl who fell in love with a metal worker that her father didn't approve of. Eventually, her dad made a deal with the boy that if he could create a cup that a couple could drink out of where the girl doesn't touch the cup at all and can drink as much or as little as she wants, he would allow the boy to marry his daughter. After telling us the story, the waitress presented us with this cup that looks like a woman holding a basket above her head with a big, full skirt on. The cup works because the boy holds it, drinks out of the skirt, and the girl drinks out of the basket that rotates 360 degrees. Never one to back down from a challenge, both of us decided we would give it a try. I'll give you all one guess as to who won. Yours truly, duh! (He'll debate that he did, but he's lying).

12 Rules, 30 Days, 0 Faith

Today I was getting a much needed haircut and browsing over some of the South African versions of magazines we have in the US when I came across an article in Elle that caught my eye. I called Sam over (of course she was at the hair appointment with me, I can't go to those things alone after all!) and we decided  it was interesting enough to share. Here's the scoop:

One of the writers for Elle had recently heard of the "12 Rules of Healthy People" and decided she wanted to try it for 30 days. Easy enough, right? Uh, no. I thought it would be, too, but after reading her story I can definitely relate and see how difficult it would be to actually stick to. That being said, South African food has clearly decided it wants to come home with me, but I fear I won't be able to fit in the teeny seats they provide on international flights, so I need to get my butt in shape! Starting now, Sami and I are going to try our very best to stick to the 12 rules for 30 days. Of course I'll keep you all updated as to how it's going, although I think I already have an idea.

Here are the rules:

1. Eat a low-fat, healthy, balanced diet. This is so much easier said than done, but Sami and I have both been vegetarians before so I feel like we can handle it.

2. Exercise every two days. I used to be quite literally addicted to exercising (key words: used to) so hopefully this will remind me why I ever ran 10 miles, because right now it just makes me want to die.

3, 4 and 5. Cut down on caffeine and alcohol -- no cigarettes. I don't really like any caffeinated drinks  and participating in the number one cause of preventable death seems downright stupid, so those two should be easy. I'm not sure I can justify not drinking ample amounts of red wine when I'm living in the middle of wine country, but we'll see. Rules are meant to be broken, after all.

6. Practice better dental hygiene. Boom, finally one I can do. I've wanted to be a dentist for as long as I can remember! I've got this one in the bag.

7. Wear sunscreen. I'm so bad at this and I know it's awful, especially because skin cancer is common in my family. I'll try I promise!

8. Sleep 7-9 hours a night. HA! I literally have not gone to bed before 2:00 am since I've been in this country. I'm such an insomniac it's awful.

9. Keep your mind active. Ah, another one I can handle. I just bought a ton of books I've been meaning to read and I'm really excited to start. I just finished A Tale of Two Cities and I'm already about halfway through Pride and Prejudice! I also nabbed The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because I think Mark Twain is a genius, and Great Expectations just for fun. I'm such a nerd it's almost embarrassing.

10. Be sociable. Finally someone tells me to do it more, I feel like I'm always getting in trouble for being over social. Told you guys it's healthy.

11. Meditate. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm sure it's really calming and what-not, but how on earth does anyone expect me to sit still for that long? Not to mention the fact that I can't pose my way through half of a yoga class without giggling.

12. Be more responsible. The actual #12 was quite risque so I decided to edit the list a bit, but I think my mom will be pretty psyched about this one. I'm not going to lie, I'm insanely irresponsible. The first step is admitting you have a problem!

So there you have it, folks, 12 steps to a healthier you. I'll make sure to keep you updated on how Sami and I do!

Oh, and I should probably tell her she's doing it, too...

GOLDFISH

Sunday our program hosted a trip to go see Goldfish, an awesome South African-based band, play at Kirstenbosch in Cape Town. Kirstenbosch is quite possibly the most beautiful place on the planet. When we showed up I half expected to be eaten by a T-Rex because it looks like scenes straight out of Jurassic Park (which is in no way in a bad thing, because if you know me at all you know I was sickly obsessed with dinosaurs until the age of about..yesterday).

No, the copyright symbol isn't imprinted on the mountain, I just really like this picture.

We started the day with the best brunch known to man-kind. We also taught a few South Africans the art of mimosas, because apparently they don't drink them here? And they led me to believe this country was perfect..pshhh..

Emily and I enjoying brunch!

Love you Sami-Sam-Sam

Sami and Lo at the cafe

After brunch we headed back to our dorm to hop on the bus to Kirstenbosch!

I was prepared to make an offer for all of these posters. I'm in LOVE!

Hanging out on the lawn before Goldfish went on

Precious girls

We ran into Charlie and Kyle outside the concert!

Somehow even though we were practically the last people in, there was the perfect sized plot of grass right by the stage with our name all over it! And the location proved to be more than awesome because Sami got into a really entertaining ugly face contest with the kid in the bottom of the picture. He was hilarious!

The crowd was massive

The MC came out before the show started and asked everyone to text a number to vote for Kirstenbosch to become a part of one of the new 7 Wonders lists. We all texted in and I really hope it wins, that would be awesome to have participated in.

Goldfish finally took the stage!

It was such a great show, I'm dying to see them again!

Oh, the Cheese is Included?

This Saturday Sami and I went to a wine tasting with some South African friends we've made, Natasha, Neeties, Fafa and Nian. Sami woke me up at my usual hour, noon, and like always I had about 15 minutes to get ready. I've gotten used to this by now and have really mastered the art of "sloppy-chic," so it wasn't a big deal. Nian was sweet enough to pick us up, and after we all piled in the car we were on our way to the first vineyard, Fairview. Here is their website if you want to check it out some more: http://www.fairview.co.za/.

Me, Fafa and Neeties inside doing the wine tasting. It was all so good! My personal favorite was the Pinotage, which is a type of wine signature to South Africa. It started in 1925 as a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut, but now it's 100% awesome. They were running a special for 2 for 1 bottles so I snagged a few. What kind of tourist would I be to not support the local economy?

Sami and I playing with the goldfish outside

Fafa and I waiting by the car. Look at that view! I'm so in love with this place!

Fairview also has a complementary cheese tasting when you participate in the wine tours, and I would love to show you pictures but unfortunately Neeties and I devoured all of the cheese before we could take any. Umm..woops!

At the next winery, who's name I can't remember at the moment, we planned on having lunch, but something went wrong so that didn't happen. Sami and I actually have no idea why, because everyone was speaking in Afrikaans at about a million words a minute, so we just smiled and went along with everything. We did, however, buy an awesome bottle of wine and have a great conversation on the patio!

Nian and Natasha

Everyone knows wine builds strong muscles, duh!

Neeties and Sami

After the wine tastings, Sami and I went with Natasha and her family to watch her play netball! I could try to explain it but I feel like I wouldn't do the sport justice at all, so if you're interested here's some more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netball

Natasha is so good, she plays on the team for the Western Province (it would be like playing for your entire state back in the US) so it was really fun to watch! I wish we had netball in the states because it looks like a ton of fun, and a killer workout!

How Could I?!

I forgot to add the most exciting news of all: Wyatt gets here next Saturday!

*insert girly freak out here*

I'm so pumped! I went all "Wedding Planner" (minus the wedding, obviously) and made an entire schedule for the week. Because I have nothing better to do besides go to work, do my laundry, study, ya know, responsible stuff, I'll let you know what it is! But I can't tell you too much because I'm counting on this week to give me a ton of posting material.

Saturday
Wyatt gets here! We're going to a winery called Spier (http://www.spier.co.za/) where they have awesome wine tastings and tours and, the best part is, you can do a cheetah encounter! Umm..cheetahs are only Wyatt's favorite animal (I'm making that up to sound like the perfect girlfriend, so sue me) so I think that gets me a gold star or a Tiffany's necklace or something. I think we all know which one I'd prefer.

Sunday
We're getting up super early and hiking all the way up Table Mountain in Cape Town. Table Mountain is probably one of the most famous landmarks when you think of South Africa, and with good reason:

Once we get to the top we're going to abseil down! SO PUMPED! If you don't already know, abseiling is basically the same thing as repelling. A couple of my guy friends did it last weekend and said there is a "life changing" event about half way down, so I'll have to let you know what it is!

Monday

We're waking up early again (I bet this doesn't happen once, just for the record) and driving 6 hours to the world's tallest bungee jump, Bloukrans River Bridge. This was Wyatt's number one thing he wanted to do here, so let's hope he doesn't wuss out.

Here's a pretty awesome collection of pictures I found online of the bridge itself and people doing the jump. Umm..yikes.

Tuesday

After a ridiculous day of bungee jumping, we're going to hang out on the beach and surf all day. By "surf" I mean "get thrashed around in the water by gigantic waves and completely give away the fact that we're American."

Wednesday

This is what I'm most excited for..shark cage diving!!! If you've been reading my posts from the beginning you know that cage diving was one of my "must do's" for this trip so I'm really far beyond excited! I'm going to make a point to get an underwater camera so I can take awesome pictures to show all of you guys!

Thursday

Another lazy beach bum day. You can't really ever have too many!

Friday

Wyatt's plane leaves, he misses the flight on "accident" and stays in South Africa!

Stay tuned!

Recent Activity

It's time to be honest with myself and all of you readers when I say that it's clear I won't update this every day. I'm sorry! Now that I got that over with, let's chat.

Sam and I have been filling the past week with work and let me tell ya, I didn't miss waiting tables. Yeah, yeah, I get it, you make money, but some days I think I'd rather be broke than work. (I know can only say that because I'm not broke..yet). But in all honesty, the job isn't that bad and the people that we work with are all super cool. I would actually recommend getting a job, at least for a while, when people study abroad because it's a great place to meet people and get to know the culture a lot better. The other night when we were working I met a man that used to be a professor at A&M! I was so excited! We chatted about College Station for a bit too long because, go figure, I got in trouble for talking too much. I've gotten used to that though, considering I've been yelled at for over-talking since I was in kindergarten. Oh well, what're ya gonna do?

OH! In other news, today I....drumroll......FINALLY UNPACKED! Yep, you read that right! I have actually been living out of a suitcase for almost two months. Really, none of you should be surprised, so wipe that look off your face.

AND I received confirmation that I'm going to Namibia for spring break! "Excited" doesn't do my feelings justice. We're driving to Namibia, the country just north of South Africa, and canoeing and camping along the Orange River for a full week. It's supposed to be an amazing time and I really can't wait to take a ton of pictures to show you guys! Some more vacation news: I might live in Nantucket with Sami this summer! It's a big, fat might..but hey, it's better than a no, right? I love Nantucket SO much and Sami lived there last summer and said it's a blast, so here's to hoping!

Other than the new job and the plans for Namibia, life has been pretty relaxing on this side of the equator. I've got to say I'm pretty glad I'm not in College Station going through the round of tests that all of my friends are right now. I realize that the Medical Science library probably misses the heck out of me, but the feeling is not mutual.

Speaking of tests, I actually had a really lucky break with one today. So I may or may not have forgotten about my film class last week (honest mistake) but apparently she told everyone that there would be a test this week. Well, I obviously missed out on this little tidbit of information so today when I showed up to class and everyone was reading over notes like crazy people I started to get a bit worried. After realizing that I was about to brutally fail an exam I decided to channel the man, the myth, the legend, Bob Marley and "not worry about a thing." Really though, what was I supposed to do about it? So I was sitting there coming to terms with my fate when two extremely weird things happened. First, a girl in my class puked. Yeah. I wanted to die. I actually considered throwing myself out of the window but quickly realized that there weren't any in the room (guess I should go to class more). After her little "situation" got dealt with the teacher came in and threw out the second weird event of the day. She asked if we wanted to take the test. HA! The 12th Man was probably rolling over in his grave. That would never, and I mean NEVER, happen at A&M. If anything, you would show up to a test that was supposed to be 20 questions and they'd throw in an extra 30 and two essays for good measure. I was obviously the first person to speak up (refer to previous paragraph about talking too much) and quite loudly proclaimed "HECK NO WE DON'T!" Just kidding, I would never say that, but I did say "no" and she actually listened.

I guess speaking up does do some good! (I'm lookin' at you, first grade teacher).