I woke up in the shadow of Table Mountain this morning. The weather in Cape Town is beautiful today. I'm told it is warmer than usual for August. It is quite sunny and the temperature has climbed from around 60 this morning to probably closer to 70 now. Sadly, it is supposed to rain for the rest of the week after today, but I like rain.
My flights were relatively uneventful. I was delayed out of Richmond, but Delta decided that half an hour was PLENTY of time to make an international connection in Detroit, so they didn't rebook me. Let me just say that it is a good thing I am a runner, because the only way I made my flight to Amsterdam was by running through multiple terminals of the Detroit airport. I showed up sweaty and out of breath, and the man sitting next to me did not look too happy about his seat assignment. On the flight over to Amsterdam, I watched a fabulous selection of movies, including Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Bridesmaids, and Crazy Stupid Love. I was laughing out loud during Bridesmaids, (it's so funny, I couldn't help it!) and the man next to me was looking even LESS happy about sharing a row with me. Once in Amsterdam, I had a few hours to kill before my flight down to Cape Town. I walked around the airport and read a bit of my book. I had to make sure I didn't fall asleep, since I landed at midnight East Coast time and took off again 4 hours later. It was cool to walk around and not hear any English. One man started talking to me in what I assume was Dutch, and I very eloquently answered, "What?" He says ,"Oh. Only English? I'm sorry, I didn't know" so I guess he thought I might be European or something, which I took as a compliment. I do have a giant complaint about the Amsterdam airport: they make you go through security at every gate! That meant you had to start the boarding process 2 hours before your flight left by going through the gate security, where I had to dump out the water from my Nalgenes. I was not at all happy about this, but it turned out to be a good thing since the place you waited in at the gate didn't have bathrooms. I was actually happy to board the plane for once. That system is really cruel to a woman with a small bladder. On the 11.5 hour flight down to Cape Town, I slept for about 5 hours (but I woke up for all the meals of course) and watched another movie.
I was met at the airport by Jenny and Donna from HOPE Africa, as well as Holly, a YASCer from last year, and all of her housemates. She was getting on the plane I just got off for her flight home! It was so crazy for the HOPE staff to be saying goodbye to her and hello to me at exactly the same time. Holly has been super helpful to me preparing for my time over here, and I am sure she will be missed around the office.
I am spending this first week in Cape Town to get to know some of the people in the HOPE office, which is the organization that helps fund and oversee the clinic where I will be working in Hawston. I am staying in Holly's old room at Anhouse, the Anglican student house on the University of Cape Town's campus. It is literally on the lower slopes of Table Mountain, so hence the view this morning. Some of my new house mates told me last night that a zebra named Stripes often wanders into the back yard, but sadly my colleagues at HOPE said they were pulling my leg. I'm hoping to be able to climb the mountain before I leave town this weekend, but if not, I will plan to return and climb it soon.
One thing I am super excited about: there is lots of yogurt available in South Africa! Yogurt is the one food I really can't live without, and they have it in abundance here, and in awesome flavors like guava! It's going to be a good year.
So I am settling in well. I can't wait to post my pictures of the last 2 days, but sadly it will have to wait until I figure out the internet connection on my own devices. I am using a borrowed laptop for this afternoon. Hopefully I'll have it all together by the end of the week, because believe me, when you see what it is like here you will be super jealous of me!
Love from the bottom of Africa, the end of the Earth!
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