Well, my travel insurance is due to expire in only nine days, and it's just a reminder to me that my trip is ending soon.
There are a lot of things I could write about. I've seen a lot and experienced a lot that makes me think. I hope to share these stories with you when I return.
When I arrived here at the volunteer house earlier this month, it was full- 16 people living here. Slowly, our numbers are dwindling. Each day, it gets a little quieter. Even in my own room- there are three of us sharing a suite. As rooms and beds have opened up, we've spread out to vacant rooms and beds for different reasons.
Anyway, today I thought I'd write about some of the things I've been doing in my free time. Living Hope is really great about giving of time off. Volunteers get off Friday afternoon, and of course, the whole weekend. Since my time is winding down, I've been cramming every moment with...something.
The first weekend I was here was full of activities surrounding the World Cup. The next weekend was a visit to the Aquarium. (Stupid rain forced us to be inside). Last weekend was a visit to Robben Island. This was the #1 thing I wanted to do in Africa. It was really cool seeing Nelson Mandela's prison cell and hear the stories of other political prisoners. The ferry ride was...not the greatest. Ugh- I DO NOT want to relive that.
This, my last weekend, was by far the busiest weekend I've experienced here. I had a lot to see and do, and I had a bad cold, to boot. But anyhow, I HAD to conquer Table Mountain. So, that's exactly what I did with my friend Stuart's parents. Nothing like spending the day with your friends parents- who are British. It was fun! The climb up took about 2 1/2 hours. We stayed up there 3 or 4 hours, then Mrs Rimmer and I took the cable car home (which took about 10 minutes). Mr Rimmer climbed down. It's really great being with them because 1) they're fun people and 2) they have afternoon tea! I love tea! It's a great arrangement.
So, you know, after hiking up a mountain with a cold, I probably should've taken it easy- which I did Sunday! I went to church in Capricorn (a different one that was almost entirely English-speaking!!) So refreshing!! Then dinner out with the gang.
If you know me, you know that was enough break and Monday morning, I got up before dawn and hiked Lion Head Mountain with my friends Amy and Ronnie. This was supposed to be a hike up to see the sunrise, but we got lost. What was supposed to be a hour hike up ended up being 2 1/2 hrs. We saw the sunrise over Cape Town, but not from the mountaintop. After this, we ended up at the District Six museum. This is a really great museum about the relocation of the District Six community of Cape Town. Just another side of apartheid than Robben Island and political prison. Very well worth the R30 admission (about $5 American).
Other than that, I've enjoyed a little time with a new friend- Alicia. Alicia is our host, which means she drives us to work and any place we need to go during the day. She was the first person I met here in Cape Town. She greeted me with a hug and a smile at the airport. She's about my age and I enjoy bouncing my thoughts off her. Since she has lived in Cape Town her entire life, she has really great insight into the people and history of the area. Alicia has been a great encouragement to me since I've been here. I truly enjoy speaking with her. She always shares great encouragement and wisdom from the Lord.
With all that being said, 9:00 is rapidly approaching and my bedtime. Goodnight!
