Capetown, cont.

We have done SO much the last few days, I am really not even sure how long we have been here! haha. But, oh, it has all been so good. Our activities in Capetown have mostly been touristy in nature, but we have been meeting people and taking class, too, so we don't feel like total American bums.
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The day after Robben Island, we drove out around the 12 Apostles (I think they are called?)- basically, a road around the mountain. It was a beautiful day, unusually warm (so we hear) for winter, and a fun, if a tad bumpy & long, drive. And then we went to. . .wait for it. . .the TIP OF AFRICA! What. the. heck.
We arrived at the Cape of Good Hope's national park, and got to go out on the trail to the top of the cliff area overlooking the lighthouse on the peninsula. Even though it's a very manicured area, with cobblestone paths and stairs in some places, it wasn't terribly crowded and the park didn't feel in the way of the scenery. If you are from Juneau, think of the trails around Mount Roberts.
We could not have asked for a more perfect day to be there. We stopped along at the first outlook, which wrapped around some huge white rocks and overlooked the bay. The blue was that deep, really oceany feeling blue. The cliffs reminded us almost of Dover, but with grey and black striations. The cliffs really do just drop fairly straight down, and even though it was a beautiful day, the waters were far from calm and inviting looking. Serene, yes, but with white lines tracing in them from their impact against the base of the cliffs. We could see for miles out, the day was so clear, and on every side we looked at, there was another jutting and rounded cliff.
The trail out to the peninsula actually reminded us a bit of the Great Wall, the way it twisted around the different levels of rock, all the way out to the end of the tip overlooking the lighthouse on the very end of the land. You could see every side of the point, and I felt like I could have stared out at any of them for the rest of the day. I wanted nothing more than to sit on a rock and gaze out at the ocean until the sun went down.
After tearing ourselves away from the view at the top, we walked what we deemed the Slatted Stairway of Doom, followed by the Sands of Despair, to a beach well worth taking your life in your hands. (To any worrying mothers reading this, consider it hyperbole). The trek down to the beach was a good piece longer than we expected, with a boardwalk, followed by aforementioned stairs and sands. I'll admit to getting a little dizzy on the stairs, and I know I am not alone. I felt, at least a little, I began to understand the proverbial African Sun- it is truly a different kind of heat, not the hottest I've ever been, but I felt the white intensity of sun as never before. The light wood did not help, nor the steep angle. Once we passed those, we were faced with, quite literally, a near-vertical drop of sand. It was wet enough that if you stepped back on your heel and kind of slid, like in snow, you were fine, but I do not think I would have believed that if I didn't see all of the happy and alive looking people below me.
Once we got down to the beach, we went up to some big flat rocks just above the cliffs where the water crashes, sending huge sprays of sea into the air like a fountain. Two of the girls and I were laughing, because we dared each other out there in the first place, but despite the fact that where we were standing was wet, we witnessed about 20 huge waves without getting any water on us. Finally, we linked arms and stepped forward, making a pact to withstand whatever came next. Which turned out to be the largest wave we had seen. The water shot up in the air before dumping on us in drops the size of apples.
We all played around in the water and sand like you always do at a beach, and got the second requisite soak from unpredictable waters.
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Yesterday was a day I will hold in my soul for the rest of my life. After waiting around in the hostel to check on the storm warnings, we got the all-clear to hike Table Mountain.
We were dropped off a little ways up, at the trailhead, by a taxi. I think they build that trailhead just to weed out any potential last-minute backouts, because it was a good ten minutes or so of straight up on rocks. But, I'm glad we were intrepid enough to power through and see what the rest held. It was a nicely maintained trail, mostly all rocks placed in a path for you to hike. But, it was indeed nearly straight up for a lot of it.
How can I even begin to describe the beauty of that place? I felt like I had been plucked and dropped straight into a National Geographic shot of some enchanted land. (Or like the falls in Up!) The day was perfect for hiking, as the mist still clung on to the side of the mountain. When it swirled around us, we could see the cliffs and trees on the side. It was about a 2 hour hike, maybe a little less if you take out photo op time. Mercifully, the trail we took included many switchbacks. Just before we reached the top, though, there was a ravine to be scaled. Fairly much all four limbs involved to get up that last little piece. I loved the nature of the hike, for I felt like I could feel the weight of each step, and really appreciate the beauty of the scenery while climbing to the top.
The top was simply amazing. It is flat, so if you walk around, you can overlook all sides. They have a little cable car station (for cheaters to get up) and, of course, a restaurant and some gift shops. The perfect ending to the hike of my life? The perfect latte, made of coffee rivaling Heritage or Stumptown and oh, so welcomed in the cold. We took the cable car down, because the hike down is a little more precarious when it is wet outside.
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That night, we went to an Anglican church- St. George's cathedral, and got to attend the Induction of Choristers. Group staff- they sang so many of our potentially monotonal incantation songs!
Oh, well, my internet time is about to run out, which is probably good since I have half of a paper left to write before tomorrow at 8 am. I am not sure about the internet situation in Stellenbosch, where we are headed next, but hopefully I'll get to write soon!