Please do not feed the baboons!

This morning we woke up for our day of touring Cape Point. Our instructions were to meet at the police station (Yes that's right! That is where the bus picks us up when we go on our excursions), and we were told to bring our cameras, raincoats, and walking shoes. All came in handy for very different reasons!

Cameras: Today was yet another day that provided some of the most beautiful scenery that I have EVER seen. Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe it. I have been trying to come up with other synonyms of beautiful because I feel like I keep using the same words like beautiful, gorgeous, breath-taking, spectacular, etc. Really those words don't even do it justice. Pictures that I post (and don't worry I will post some soon) don't capture the true beauty of Cape Town. You will all just have to come here and see for yourself!

We boarded our bus and took a driving tour of the city in the morning. Cape Town has an interesting mix of Dutch and British architecture. The city definitely has its own personality and uniqueness. I love going on guided tours because you learn the little nuances and stories of a country's history. This tour was no different. We learned about the history of South Africa and how it was ruled by the Dutch, the British, the Dutch again, the British again, and finally became its own country. We got to see slave quarters that had houses of the most beautiful colors- purples, pinks yellows, oranges, and blues and all really vibrant.

We did have a conflicting message during our tour that still has me doing some thinking. Yesterday we learned about displaced populations- District Six in particular. District Six was a very divers area, and during apartheid all of the colored people were relocated to shantytowns to make room for the white people to live there. Today on our bus tour our guide described District Six as a slum, and she said that the colored people didn't want to live there. It was a very different picture than what was painted the previous day. It is also interesting to note that our tour guide at the District Six Museum was a black man who was actually part of the displaced group, and today our tour guide was a white woman who glossed over the entire issue surrounding District Six. So who to believe? Which version of the truth is actually the truth?

After our tour of the city, we drive along the coast of South Africa for the rest of the day making stops at scenic coastal views that were to die for. I hear that it is similar to driving along Pacific Coast Highway (does that help you relate Irene?). Our second stop was in a harbor to get on a boat that would take us to Seal Island. This brings me to the raincoats...

Raincoats: So we get on this boat called Calypso, like from Pirates of the Caribbean 2. It's a pretty good sized boat, and it was a little windy but nothing to worry about. We weren't on a speed boat or anything like that. We are sitting outside taking in the beauty of the harbor, and we noticed that everyone else who got on the boat wasn't sitting outside. We figured that it was their loss. We soon found out why. Within fixe minutes of leaving the harbor the waves got huge! I felt like I was on an episode of "Deadliest Catch." It then started to rain a bit, so I stand up to put my raincoat on. At this point the waves pick up even more. I am standing along with Maryam and Cole while everyone else is sitting under a canopy. The boat starts rocking A LOT and Maryam, Cole and I can't seem to stand in one place. We are flying back and forth from one side of the boat to the other. The rain is coming down harder and haerder and the wind is picking up. The next thinkg I know, the rain is coming at us from a horizontal direction. We found out why no one was sitting outside with us. So we were officially drenched...all of us! We went under the boat and didn't even get out to see the seals because it was so miserable. We looked from the windows. Except for Nate, who decided to be the brave soul wand take pictures for us all!

The second we got back into the harbor and on to the bus, the rain cleared up. We were still soaking wet...but we were on to see the penguins.

Now back to the cameras: We stopped at a penguin place and took pictures, ate lunch, and ran around in the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean is a lot warmer than the Atlantic Ocean. Our clothes had finally dried, we had food in our stomachs, and we were jumping around in the ocean. It was a good time!

We boarded the bus again, which took us to Cape Point- the reason for the good walking shoes. We would also soon find out that the raincoats weren't ready to be put away yet.

Walking shoes: We got to Cape Point and its 300 meters to the top of this hill that got us to the lighthouse on the point. Aaron, Nate, one of our guides, and I ventured off to see the lighthouse while everyone else just headed straight for the point. The trek to the lighthouse felt like it went on forever, but again it was an indescribable view. We were literally standing above the point where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans collide. Absolutely amazing! We walked back down to where the bus was parked. The sky was looking a little cloudy, but we all REALLY wanted to see the view from the point. After all, it is the southernmost tip of Africa.

Now the raincoats make a comeback: It starts raining as we are just starting our voyage to the point. We forge on, however. Aaron, Nate, our guide, and I were determined to see it. Our guide had never even been there, and the rest of our group was in the direction. Onward we go! The rain starts picking up and it's a pretty steep climb to get to the point. Also, there was a mix of clay path, circular log steps, and boulders that we had to climb on which they considered a "path" for us to find our way. I could just picture myself slipping and falling on the wet path into the depths of the ocean from high above. Not to mention, at this point I was soaked again from head to toe. The raincoat was becoming useless because the rain was so hard.

We caught up with the rest of our group who were sitting at the top of the rock at Cape Point. I felt like I was on the tip of the world. I didn't even care that I was soaked and cold. We all just stayed at the top for awhile and looked at the amazing view. People started to slowly trickle down to the bus. Elisa,TJ, Jesse and I were the four who waited at the top of the longest. We started heading down.

The wind was So strong at this point that it was blowing me around. The rocks and logs were really slippery and my pants had gained a size or two because of all the water. If it weren't for the wind blowing toward the mountain, I'm certain that I would have slipped and fallen off at some point. We made it down safely and decided that it was TOTALLY worth it for the view that we saw. No regrets right?

We all rode the bus back to campus for the next hour or so in our wet clothing with our tired bodies, and when we got home we went straight for our sweatpants. Everyone from both houses came over to hour house, sat in our family room and ordered pizza. We started blogging and reflecting on what a wonderful day we all had. It is kind of cute how much of a family we are sometimes :)

So we started having some good discussions on our day and processing our entire time in South Africa so far. It's SO cool to hear everyone's opinions. On the surface it seems like we are all really similar, but today I noticed that we are more diverse than I thought. People were talking about their backgrounds and perspectives, and I really enjoy being challenged like that.

So of course no blog from me is complete without my random thoughts for the day. Even though for the majority of the day I was with people, climbing around on the cliffs allowed for a lot of personal reflection time. I was thinking about how lucky I am to be able to see all of this. I wonder how many people in the world get to see what I saw today? Then I got to thinking about the beautiful portions of the U.S. that I have taken for granted and haven't seen yet. I wonder how many people in South Africa never get to see the wonders of the beautiful nation?

I also started thinking about how interesting our last two days have been. I started thinking about everything that I have learned about District Six and all of the beauty that I saw today that was still surrounded by underlying sadness. Everything that we saw today was somehow connected to the fact that South Africa has a history that is filled with slavery and inequality. At the same time, I am looking at all of this beauty all around me. South Africa has a uniqueness to it in that the people here have the ability to turn the ugliest of things into something beautiful. They make beauty out of the ugly...out of the growth that happens because of their history. From my experience, South Africa doesn't seem to be hiding its past or trying to cover it up. The people here are learning, and while things aren't perfect they are trying to figure out a way for everything to work together.

The people that I have met and talked to seem to understand how they are all interconnected. They are all inhabiting the same land and rely on each other while still relying on their own cultures and customs to make them who they are.

At the same time I feel like I haven't really seen a lot of the issues facing the people here. Its it really all beautifully wrapped up in a nice package with a pretty little bow, or is there more to the story? How do people here balance their customs of the past with the possibilities of the future? And yet again, being a little ego-centric, where do I fit in to this picture? Ultimately, what can I learn from the people of South Africa?

Well this has certainly been a lengthy entry with many stories that I'm sure you had to be there to truly appreciate.

Shout-outs:

• Our guide for teaching me Xhosa. And for teaching Nate how to do the "break your back" dance.
• TJ, Elisa, Jesse: for helping me get down that cliff in one piece and for truly appreciating the quiet moments in the rain.
• Cole and Maryam: for bringing closeness to a while different level during our boating trip.
• Dad: who is now using posting on my blog to communicate with others. Take a look at his comment to the 4th and Penners!
• Everyone back home: I miss you all and I can't wait to see you and tell you the billions of stories that I don't have the time and energy to write down. Thanks for thinking of me and taking the time to check up on me!

Stay tuned, tomorrow afternoon we are going to Robben Island which is the former jail of Nelson Mandela. I think we even get to see his old jail cell. I can guarantee some interesting thoughts on that! So...for now, ciao!