Cape Town

---

It was pretty sad saying goodbye to everyone. Having lived in each others pockets for so long, I made some really good mates. On the positive side, I now have loads of contacts and hopefully digs to stay at when in Oz and NZ! So having done all the goodbyes now (and shed a tear or two!), I'm the only one left - boo hoo! I've been keeping myself busy though...

Having only been here for a couple of days, I completely surprised myself by thinking, "I could live here", if only it wasn't a million miles from home! Cape Town has got to be one of the World's most beautiful cities. The 1073 high Table Mountain, along with its attending peaks - Devil's Peak and Lion's Head - are the city's main attraction. The view from the top was stunning and made me even more inclined to visit the surrounding crystal-white beaches.

While wandering the streets, South Africa's motto of being a "rainbow nation" rang true. I was surrounded by so many different faces, of every culture and ethnicity, which also serves as a reminder of the country's turbulent apartheid history.

I found time to visit the townships, probably better known as 'shanty towns'. The living conditions of some were appalling - a 3x3 metre room could be home to three families, with one single bed for each group. The stench of urine was so nauseating at times. However, things were clearly improving as the government funds more housing projects and despite what these people were faced with, it was enlightening to witness a strong sense of optimism and pride. They loved us visiting which was clearly shown by the way we were mauled by the children in the creche and invited to join the men for a sample of their pretty tasty home-brewed ale, straight out of the tin jug!

There seems to be an endless amount of things to do, and I seemed to just touch the iceberg by doing these activities as well as taking the usual sightseeing tour, embarking on a trip round the Cape Peninsula, visiting Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned) and on top of all that, I also found far too much time for shopping (yes, ok, I admit it, things don't change that much!) I've now done all my Xmas shopping though!

It really is an absolutely wonderful city with so much to offer. It's absolutely beautiful with magical beaches, stunning skyscrapers and it seems to give off both busy and relaxed vibes.

And now onto the next venture...Swaziland. I'll be heading there via J'burg on Monday 23rd where I'm sure I'll face lots more challenges, like trying to teach classes of 90 children who don't speak English! What's life without challenges though?!

I hope you've all enjoyed my updates and I'm sure I'll continue to bore the pants off all of you as I continue my travels!

---