"I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then."

- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

This quote perfectly captures how I’m feeling right now. Plus, I’ve definitely felt like I’ve been in a wonderland these past three months. I can’t believe my time has come to an end. I don’t like the fact that this is my last blog post, but for all of you who took the time to check up on me and read some of my entries, I thank you so much for your attention! I hope it has spurred some interest in taking your own trip to South Africa some day, if you haven’t already. I’m obviously in love with this country and I’ll hold a special fondness for it forever.

Our plan to hike Table Mountain today was a no-go as it was raining when we woke up before sunrise and the forecast didn’t look like it was going to clear up for the rest of the day. We lay in bed for a while more and changed our plans to include a morning trip to Charly’s, a bakery famous in Cape Town for its amazing pastries and sweets. I was pretty much the only person left who hadn’t visited it yet and still needed to check it off my Cape Town to-do list. Of course by the time 8am rolled around the sun was coming out (Cape Town weather for ya – it ended up raining on and off all day), but it had passed our window of opportunity and we were more than happy to settle for a relaxing day just spending time with each other. There were a couple things I had yet to do – Charly’s was a successful excursion; we grabbed muffins to eat for breakfast while curling up on the couch and watched a movie. We also each got a savory dessert for later – just the look of my thick chocolate brownie smothered in hot fudge made my mouth water. We then headed out to Signal Hill in the early afternoon, a mountain included in the Cape Town triad with Table Mountain and Lion’s Head. I had yet to grace this peak, so we packed a lunch and picnicked at the top. It may not have been Table, but it sure was a wonderful farewell to Cape Town. What made it even better were the gifts of my favorite South African protein bar and a National Geographic all about dogs from Christie and Sarah for the plane.

So here I am, on March 30^th. Three months ago this date seemed like an eternity away, and now I’m staring at the calendar with my bags packed. It’s certainly the end of an era. A year ago, I couldn’t have dreamed that I would be in this position and I feel accomplished by the fact that I held to a vision to come here and more than followed through with it.

A great deal of credit is due to my mother. Not only am I her youngest daughter, but we’re incredibly close friends and I can’t imagine the courage she built up in order to give me the reins to pursue this decision of mine. She has been absolutely supportive of me since day one, and I can’t put into words how appreciative I am of that. I spent Valentine’s Day and her birthday away from her and wasn’t there to comfort her when her aunt passed away, but she still made me feel like talking to me online was her favorite part of her day. It’s been hard being away from my best friend, but my decision to partake in this journey just illustrates the type of person she raised me to be – passionate, independent, driven, curious of the world around me, carrying a love for other people and possessing the motivation to take off running where my heart leads me. Of course I can’t even begin to describe my thanks for my father as well; I tried my best to emphasize that while he was here. But my mother was the one fervently holding the fort up back home while her family adventured across the world and it must have been hard to miss out on the chance to visit me – I know I was jealous of my dad and Jess for returning back to her! The two of us have never been apart for this long and I’m beyond excited to see her. Almost home, Mom!

I’ve climbed mountains, kissed an elephant, assisted in surgeries, seen open brains, stalked wild cats on the hunt, explored caves, dived with great whites and jumped out of a plane. I’ve made lifelong friends and memories. I’ve faced fears. I’ve loved, lived, lost and learned. I’ve had the experience of a lifetime.

My apartment is being rented out to locals, so Christie and Sarah are moving out of our room at the same time as I am. Sarah had the excellent idea of me choosing the last quote to put on the chalkboard the day I depart, leaving it behind with the apartment. After some thought, I believe I chose the perfect one:

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”

- Nelson Mandela

xo Em

Perspectives

Well, here I am snuggled on the couch with a glass of Amarula getting ready to watch a movie with the roomies. My last night in Cape Town is here and it’s slowly starting to hit me that I’m leaving. It’s been raining all day, which is suitable for my mood and the occasion. Christie cleverly deduced that “Cape Town is crying.” My last evening was a relaxing one; a small group of my closest friends and I just went to Perseverance Tavern up the street for some drinks and malva pudding. We just returned back to Perspectives, what we’ve all gotten used to calling “home.” Funny how the name of my building is now just ingrained in my head – providing the name “Perspectives” when calling taxis or answering an inquiry on where I live – and I’m realizing how appropriate this name is in light of my experience. If I’ve gained anything from my travels, it’s perspective.

Tuesday night a large group of us went out to dinner at a restaurant called Cubana downtown. Jenny (my friend from London)’s sister was visiting this week so she wanted to get everyone together to meet. The menu was like a novel, half of it filled with drinks, so I knew from the start it was going to be an impressive meal. I was not disappointed! A relaxing night at a charming restaurant with delicious food and great friends? Yes please.

Wednesday evening I had the privilege of meeting up with John again. He sweetly welcomed me to his gorgeous home, situated right next door to Kirstenbosch Gardens, where I got the opportunity to meet his partner, Peter and their two huskies (of course I joked with John, telling him, “50% of the reason why I came over here was to meet your dogs!”) As expected, I had such a lovely time with the two of them. John cooked a scrumptious meal, complete with a yummy traditional South African dessert called milk tart. I was so lucky to have met John and Peter while I was in Cape Town and I’ll surely contact them if I ever find myself back in the country. John taught me a phrase common in South Africa, saying, “You come here as a visitor and you leave as a friend.” I couldn’t have put it better myself!

It’s been a bit rainy and dreary the past couple of days and the rain may continue tomorrow. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the weather picks up because I’m supposed to hike Table Mountain with the roomies tomorrow morning for my last “hurrah.” It’d be great to have the tough hike tucker me out so that I can sleep on my 11 ½ hour flight tomorrow night. We’ll see!

Christie’s choice of quote for the week was a great one: “If ever there is a tomorrow when we’re not together, there is something you must always remember: you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think, but the most important thing is, even if we’re apart, I will always be with you.” – Winnie the Pooh

xo Em

Sarah and Christie at Cubana

 Jenny (on the right) with her sister Kathy

 John and Peter's dogs, Luca and Mika

 Kate, Audra and Becca at Perseverance Tavern

 Sarah, me and Christie - roomies!

Garden Route Day Five: Diving with Great Whites!

A huge dream came true for me today!! I finally found myself face to face underwater with a great white shark!

The last destination of our Garden Route tour was in the heart of Gansbaai, a small town on the coast that is known as the “great white shark capital of the world.” As many of you are probably aware, before I left for my trip, shark cage diving was the main event that I was raving about. I had been looking forward to this moment for three months and my opportunity had finally arrived! Christie braved it up with me and the two of us left the other girls on shore as we boarded the boat, called “The Nemo,” for our big adventure.

My heart started pounding with nerves and excitement when I saw the cage on board and even harder once we started speeding out to sea. Once we reached our destination and the anchor was settled down, we changed into our wetsuits and started to get ready. It was extremely chilly that day, especially out on the ocean, and the water was incredibly cold; I began to get a little nervous just for submerging in the icy water! The operating men lowered the cage in the water (big enough to fit five to six people) and frankly, things got real. I of course volunteered Christie and myself to be in the first group to dive. We donned goggles and slipped on some weights over our shoulders to keep us in the cage (an equipment piece I was not aware was part of the getup and my jaw dropped to the floor when it was presented to me). Christie was leaning over the cage ready to go when the guy told her to simply slip herself inside the cage, to which she loudly replied, “Are you KIDDING me!?” Getting myself in that cage was one of the hardest things I’ve ever made myself do, and believe me, with all the adrenaline coursing through my veins, the iciness of the water was far from my mind.

The cage’s floor was low so that we would be completely submerged underwater, but the top of the cage provided enough room so that our heads could be just above water. I grabbed onto the top bars with my hands, but panicked a bit in the beginning because with the weights attached to me and simply the logistics of my body floating in the water, my legs were involuntarily drawn forward through the bars. That was NOT okay with me. I ultimately found the “safe” bar located knee-level inside the cage where I could rest my feet. The guys started throwing chum in the water to attract the sharks, along with a buoyed rope that had a huge fish head attached to its end. When the sharks started smelling the bait and approaching the cage, to say it was thrilling would be a massive understatement (a phrase I feel I’ve used a lot here). They would call out the direction of where the shark was coming from and we would dive under. The visibility in the water wasn’t too great, but most of the times they were so close that they were definitely within our sight. Most of the sharks surrounding the boat the whole morning were longer than the cage! When my head was above water, to see the typical image of a shark fin breaking the surface and gliding towards me while being underwater was one of the most adrenaline-pumping moments of my life.

Since we were the first group, the shark sightings were only a warm-up. As more and more began catching the scent of the fish in the water, their numbers and closeness to the cage started multiplying. We watched the other groups from the boat, which afforded an even better (albeit slightly less “personal”) view of the great whites, since the visibility was much better and we could see the darkness of the their forms elegantly swimming from above water. By now, the sharks were actively attacking the bait, grabbing the fish head with their massive jaws. Some would thrash in the water and their massive tails would smack against the side of the cage – one of the guys jokingly called out, “Don’t leave any surprises in the wetsuits!”

Christie and I got another chance to reenter the cage (a total of 40 minutes inside!) By this time, I was itching with excitement to get back in since the action had picked up considerably. I had also grown more comfortable with being in the cage and was certainly convinced of its safety. I told the guys from above to put the bait right in front of me and sure enough, the fish head landed right before my eyes. Seemingly out of a nowhere, a huge great white thrusts forward and grabs the bait in its teeth, almost staring me right in the eyes – I was literally a foot away from the wide open jaws of a great white!! I could have reached out and touched his pointy teeth. He finally let go and swam off to the side, gliding in front of the cage for me to get a full look at the size of him. The whole commotion had caused waves of water to splash all around us and everyone was screaming at the tops of their lungs with excitement.

Back on the boat, after I had caught my breath, the last group was waiting for one more sighting before it was time to head back to shore. I was standing in the perfect position right on the edge of the boat when the final great white bid us an incredibly exciting good-bye. The largest shark seen yet lunged for the bait, held on tightly to the fish head and would not let go. He started violently thrashing his head from side to side, kicking his tail against the cage, trying with all his might to rip the bait off the rope. Everyone was screaming and laughing, amazed by the display. After a good ten seconds of fighting, he finally lost interest and majestically swam back out in the ocean. All the passengers on the boat were chattering nonstop about the incident on the entire way back to shore!

My trip feels complete now that I’ve tackled my most awaited-for adventure. The whole experience was even greater than I was expecting and I’m so lucky I was able to have this opportunity. The van was quiet with exhaustion on our ride back to Cape Town and as fun as our Garden Route tour was, we were happy to return to “home sweet home.”

Here’s to my last week in South Africa – I plan to make the best of every single minute.

xo Em

The cage...dun dun dunn!

 Lowering into the water...

 Thrashing shark

 What a beauty!!

Garden Route Day Four: Playing Tarzan and Africa's Southernmost Tip

There’s nothing like a two-and-a-half hour zip-line adventure to kick off the day! The four of us did a “canopy tour” in Tsitsikamma National Park, which consisted of ten zip-lines from tree to tree throughout the canopy of the forest. To say we had fun is an understatement. I was expecting it to be more of a thrilling experience, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it is actually quite relaxing. There were a small number of us within the tour group, about eight in all, and the quiet nature of the forest was incredibly peaceful. On the longest and fastest zip-line, peaking at 91 meters long, we each took turns belting out our best Tarzan call!

Our next stop on the route was a solid five-hour car ride away, but we didn’t complain, as it started to sprinkle once our canopy tour was finished. It actually felt nice to stretch out in the van and rest amid the rain.

By the time we reached our destination at Cape Agulhas, the sun was starting to come out. I’ve discovered over the past couple of months that Cape Point is in fact not the southernmost part of Africa; it is a hotspot for tourists so it is falsely advertised everywhere that it is the point at which the two oceans meet. However, in actuality, Cape Agulhas is the genuine southernmost tip of Africa, with signs to prove it! We each took turns posing (on land) with the sign designating the divide of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. We climbed to the top of the Cape Agulhas lighthouse to soak in the fantastic view. I can now genuinely say that I have seen two oceans at the same time!

We spent the night at Cape Agulhas Backpackers, a very quirky and brightly colorful hostel. We passed the evening hanging out in the main lounge area, playing cards by the fire and sipping delicious drinks from the bar. We couldn’t believe our mini-vacation was nearing its end, but were all incredibly satisfied with everything we’d gotten to experience on the Garden Route. One more day to go!

xo Em

I don’t have pictures from zip-lining as Sarah was the one who brought along her camera, but I’ll try to upload a couple of hers as soon as possible! Here are some samples of the rest of the day:

The girls at the top of the lighthouse

 Long way down! Many ladders to climb to the top

Cape Agulhas lighthouse

 Sarah and me straddling the two oceans

 Kate in front of the beautiful scenery

 Abandoned shipwreck!

 Christie and Sarah at the Backpackers

 Playing cards by candlelight

Garden Route Day Three: Canoeing, National Parks and Suspension Bridges

Today started off with a departure heading towards the coast. The morning brought some rain and mist, so when we drove along the supposedly stunning Outiniqua pass, we didn’t get to fully seize the view. However, it was pretty exciting to drive along the cliffs of the mountain and feel like we were right in the middle of a cloud. We still got out of the van to stretch our legs and grab some photo opportunities.

The morning continued with a visit to the Wilderness National Park where we paired up in canoes (which were more part-kayaks) to paddle along the Wilderness lagoon. The ride and scenery were incredibly serene and we came upon an intimate inlet with a small waterfall that just completed the tranquil experience. Our canoeing built us up an appetite so we grabbed some pizza for lunch in a nearby town called Knysna.

Our journey continued to Bloukrantz, where Kate and Christie conquered the world’s highest bungee jump! Sarah and I donned cameras prepared to snap photos and take videos of the two incredibly brave souls who slipped on harnesses and flew off a bridge. I wasn’t interested in attempting this thrill-seeking feat and didn’t care much to try to fit it into my budget on top of my higher priorities of adventures (jumping out of a plane and diving with great whites were on the top of my list). However, after hearing about Kate and Christie’s experience, I may just add bungee jumping to my life’s bucket list.

Our final excursion of the day was a trip to Tsitsikamma National Park, which was absolutely beautiful. It was still a bit overcast from the morning’s rain, but if anything, the mist just added to the park’s charm. We took a nature walk through the area, walking under trees and over boardwalks, which again made me feel as if I was in the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse. The small hike included a crossing of a swinging suspension bridge over Storms River Mouth and since the group of us all have the minds of a five-year-old child, we certainly had fun with that!

The day was obviously fairly packed so by the time we reached Tsitsikamma Backpackers, our hostel in Stormsriver Village, we were ready to wolf down some dinner and hit the sack early. We had some morning zip-lining to look forward to!

xo Em

Some pics from the first three days:

Getting ready for safari!

 First cheetah sighting

 Feeding the ostriches!

 Cango Caves

 Canoeing on Wilderness Lagoon

 Suspension bridge in Tsitsikamma National Park