Cape Town is absolutely beautiful. The whole time we were there I was captivated by God's beauty through the water, animals, landscape, people, everything. There is a much more relaxed way of life there compared to the Jo-burg area. Maybe because it's a coastal city. Perhaps that is universal. Every time we were around water the song "Somewhere Beyond the Sea" would pop into my head. It seemed fitting to put it as the title of this blog.
Day 1:
Beth drove us to the airport. I think that is first time that we have spent time with her alone. It was great. She has such joy and peace that radiates from her. She told us all about Cape Town, one of her favorite places in the world, and we got to hear how she ended up at Door of Hope. Hearing everyone's stories is great. It's amazing the way God works things out.
A taxi driver that was set up by the hostel met us at the airport in Cape Town. He was really nice and informative. He drove us to Zebra Crossing, the hostel where we stayed. The hostel was really cool. It was clean, especially compared to most hostels, and the girls running it were very nice and helpful. There were some neat people there from Germany, Chile, and the US.
After getting settled in Susan and I went exploring. We walked down Long Street, the main part of Cape Town, to the V&A Waterfront. We went into some shops and got some really neat things. I am officially done present shopping, which is good considering I don't have much money left! We ate at a cool place by the water for lunch and then an Italian place for dinner.
When we arrived back at Z-Crossing we were met by a group of about 30 US students working with Campus Crusades. They were GREAT! We got along with them really well and it was very encouraging to hear about what other students our age are doing to serve the Lord.
Day 2:
We were planning to hike Table Mountain, but it rained. We ended up walking down to the waterfront again- we know that place like the back of our hands now. We went into some more of the shops and talked to the owners. It was so neat to hear their stories and how long they had been there. They are so proud of their work and it's good for them to feel appreciated. Their work and their personalities are all part of what makes that city beautiful.
Day 3:
We hiked Table Mountain. Wow, big hike. It took about 3 hours. Of course, we stopped every 3 minutes to take pictures. Haha. It was so amazing and totally worth it. All the way up God's creation and beauty drew you in. I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to be there the whole way up. The last stretch was the hardest, and everyone coming down kept giving us different answers as to how much further we had to go. However, reaching the top was well worth it! They city below was gorgeous and you could see over the water for miles and miles (or kilometers and kilometers as they would say in SA). I opened my Bible once we reached the top and came upon Psalm 9. The first two verses were praising God for everything. It was perfect in the moment. God is amazing and He deserves the praise for all of His creation.
After Table Mountain, we drove to Boulder's Beach and saw penguins! That is what I was most excited about the whole trip. I didn't care if we did anything else as long as we saw penguins! It was great. They were all so cute and waddled around and made cute little penguin noises. Aw! Probably the favorite part of my trip.
We met people from literally all over the world while hiking and at Boulder's. There were people from Northern Ireland, Germany, France, Cameroon, North Carolina, Canada, Cape Town, Thailand, and probably more that I can't think of right now.
Upon returning to Z-crossing after penguins, we sat around and talked to the Campus Crusade students. It was awesome to talk to and get to know them. Fellowship with other believers is always needed!
Day three was definitely my favorite day.
Day 4:
We took a tour of Robben Island. It was a good educational experience. It was really interesting and definitely worth it. We took a ferry to the island and the whole time on the boat I kept thinking about how badly I wanted to fish, I know, not really the point of the trip....
We learned about the history of the Island, the way men were treated there, and how they were liberated.
The African prisoners had it worse than everyone else. They got less food, less of an education, and more labor. If anyone in the prison did not meet the wardens standards or got into trouble, they were sentenced to 7-14 days of isolation with only sugar water and bread twice a day.
In the old cells there were testimonies and things donated by the ex-prisoners that made it to the 1995 reunion. There was so much, I cannot really begin to explain it all. The views from Robben Island were fantastic: water, rocks, Cape Town, mountains, and more water.
After the tour we ate seafood on the waterfront. We had Blue Nose, no idea what kind of fish that is, and it was very good. Then we walked around the festival going on down Church Street in honor of Nelson Mandela Day. It was really neat.
After that, we returned to Z-crossing to get ready to go. We packed our stuff, chatted with the Campus Crusaders, said goodbye, and headed toward the airport.
We had a good flight and met a really nice lady from Cape Town who loves God and is excited to see His work in uniting Africa. Stephanie picked us up from the airport and we arrived safely back to our house around 11:00 last night.
The whole time we were there we were asked for money by beggars. Much like any city, but many of the ones there would follow you down the street badgering you. We did give money to a couple of them and bought muffins for one little boy when we felt led. It was sad, but you can't help everyone and you never know who is legit. Hopefully what we gave helped and it was to the right people.
Cape Town was a great experience. God revealed Himself, His plans, and His beauty to me more every day. I was constantly struck by His awesomeness, power, and creation. I love Cape Town. Maybe I'll go back one day? haha. Only God knows...
"I will praise you, Oh Lord, with all of my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, Oh Most High." Psalm 9:1-2