Cape Town - Day 3

 So to continue the windy city theme here, we unfortunately found out last night that our shark diving adventure was cancelled today due to high winds making it unsafe to dive. Sad news, but maybe this was someone out there trying to prevent me from getting eaten by great whites ;-)




Even though the sharks were a no-go, the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain reopened today. So we headed back up to the base station this morning and were able to get some even more amazing views of Cape Town. The cable car was interesting as it rotated as it was being hoisted up the mountain. It had a 7,000 liter water hold underneath it that acted as a ballast in the wind! There was a nice little restaurant at the top and a large walking area where you could see the plethora of mountain plant life. It was definitely worth the trip back!

On the way to the mountain we met a local white dude on the bus who was very interesting to talk to. He was traveling with a young African boy to pick up new shoes. He had lived in South Africa all his life, between Cape Town and Johannesburg. After explaining to him that our trip in Cape Town would be short because we actually came to Africa for medical rotations, he was keen on explaining his differing experiences between even South African cities. Cape Town, he explained, is the gem of sorts of the post-apartheid era. I am looking forward to seeing the difference in cultures when I arrive in Durban on Sunday.

To the right you can see some of the interesting plant life I found up on Table Mountain.

 Another great view looking down the back side of table mountain (to the South).

The man on the bus recommended Clifton Beach for afternoon relaxing, so we headed there next. It was actually four beaches separated by these beautiful black granite boulders that had almost pure white sand crystals within them. These four beaches all had a unique vibe, so we were glad that the man on the bus directed us towards the most fitting one, haha.




African men roamed the beaches selling drinks and umbrella rentals for extra income. There was a group of boys there playing rugby. Even though their ethnicity varied from white, African, Indian, and Hispanic, all had exactly the same skin tone! I guess that's what the African sun will do to you! Awesome!

 I buried Chris in the sand.



This is what is left of him... :)

To top off the day, a feast of half price sushi! 23 rand for a dragon roll!?!? (That's $2.30)... good thing I love to eat! YUM!