"We're going to need a bigger boat."

Every time I cross one thing off of my list, I find three more things to add. There is so much to see and do in Cape Town, and I am already dreading having to leave. Maybe work would send me my paycheck in exchange for witty dialog and promotional marketing in my blog? So much happens in such a short amount of time that it is hard to recall everything I mean to say.
I think one of the most important things you can do if you are traveling is make sure you explore on your own, if only for a short duration. Yesterday afternoon I went off for a few hours touring more shops and restaurants. The trinkets they sell are again very comparable to anything you would find docked on a cruise ship-wooden figurines, scrap books, plenty of beads, jewelry, sunglasses, purses, and other items likely made in bulk and distributed cheaply. The furniture, however, is unique and if my suitcase would just give a little, I would take back a couch and chair with me. It would be an excellent addition to my modern living room. For lunch I tried a place called 24/7 Inn. Africa has a lot of Indian, Italian, and German influence. Indian and Italian primarily in the food sector, and German in language, people, and vehicles. 24/7 Inn specializes in Eastern Cuisine and Italian (you can see how they go together?). Nevertheless, I asked the cashier what he suggested, and ended up with Chicken Tikki Masala. Rice, chicken curry, and a coleslaw type side. There is a place called Mama Africa that I am going to try next. They specialize in exotic meats-ostrich, crocodile, springbok, etc.
After lunch, I went to the Victoria and Alfred, V&A Waterfront. This is where the ships dock, and it is similar in nature to Navy Pier in Chicago. There are hundreds of restaurants lining the water, a ferris wheel that lends an aerial view of Cape Town, musicians, and numerous expensive shops for the tourists to lose their money in (fortunately my purse escaped without any serious damage). The view of the mountains and the water from the ferris wheel was well worth the $10 it cost to ride. I am planning a trip back later in the week to visit Two Oceans Aquarium where they have the ocean tide as part of their exhibit in one of their tanks and possibly a dinner cruise to see the night lights.
Following the waterfront Ina, Corne, and Shaun invited me to dinner in Observatory, Cape Town at a place called Trenchtown. They had never tried it before, and we all agreed that the food was mediocre. The atmosphere was similar to Cheeseburger in Paradise, and the service was terrible, but the conversation was great! Ina brought along her friend Susan who is currently studying for her CPA exam she has in November. Ina shares my love of pictures and has a wonderful camera that we all posed for throughout the evening. Following dinner, we went to a few different pubs along Long Street. Conversation varied from crooked cops, conspiracy theories on 9/11, and cultural stereotypes. Corne believes that the stereotypes South Africans associate Americans to are overweight, loud (who me?), boastful (in particularly of our own country), and not well traveled/cultured. Shaun and Susan elaborated on the crooked cops and safety of Cape Town. It all made for a very interesting debate and a great evening! (I have been informed that they are now reading my blog, so THANK YOU for making my experience here so wonderful!). Also, it turns out Brian is not a Brian after all. It turns out Brian’s name is Antoine, although he could not join us last night. We closed down the Irish pub down at about 3:45 AM.
Up at 9:30 AM for breakfast and off to great white shark diving in Gansbaii. (http://white-shark-diving.com/) To say that it was the trip of a lifetime would sound melodramatic and exaggerated, but I do not care, because it was. It was absolutely incredible. I was six inches nose to nose from multiple two ton great white sharks, and I cannot think of anything more exhilarating. The visibility was better than I thought (3-4 feet), and the swells were outrageous. Winds were blowing from every direction, and the water was like ice. But really what is a little ice water and mountain winds when you are experiencing something so few people will in their lifetime? The sharks varied in size, from 3-4.5 meters (about 9-14 feet). Tails thrashing and dorsal fin slicing through the waves, they were a sight to be seen. I had the opportunity to dive with them, and also to view them from the top of the boat as other divers climbed in the steel cage. A girl who was excited about sharks-needless to say I was an anomaly. The most unfortunate part was that I really only had the opportunity to take about eight pictures. The sharks were quick to surface and quick to disappear and the crashing waves made it next to impossible to stand on two feet, let alone ensure that my digital camera did not become shark chum. All of the sharks we saw were great white sharks (PS-did you read about the person in South Africa who was critically injured last week by a great white? He worked at the same dock as we left out of). We dove in ‘Shark Alley’ aptly titled due to the enormous great white population. The numbers are strong due to the population of seals on ‘Seal Island’ or Dyer Island/Geyser Rock proper. In the winter, the divers dive near the island with hopes of watching the sharks breech for seals of all shapes, sizes, and speed. While the seals are agile, the sharks are powerhouses and expert predators, and there is no better place to see it in action than Shark Alley.
It was a two hour drive back to Cape Town, which got me back to the hostel around 9 PM. A hot shower and something quick to eat did the trick. Back in my yoga pants and t-shirt; I have been battling with uploading some 200+ photos of my mere 48 hours in Cape Town. Tomorrow I am hoping to make it up Table Mountain and over to the tourism center. Two Oceans Aquarium, an all day wine tour, a slum tour, Camps Bay, Castle of Good Hope, hanging out with Ina/Corne/Shaun/Susan, and much more is still on my list before renting a car and heading for bungee jumping, safari, crocodile diving on Saturday. What I had hoped would be an early night has quickly turned into 2 AM. Here are a few photographs to enjoy. The majority of them can now be found on Facebook, and if I ever get Shutterfly to cooperate, they will be available there as well.
“Life is perpetually creative because it contains in itself that surplus which ever overflows the boundaries of the immediate time and space, restlessly pursuing its adventure of expression in the varied forms of self-realization.” Tagore






Cheers and Sweet Dreams,
Stacey

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