Bravery

​Being brave can look very different for different people and for different situations. Sometimes it is jumping out of a plane, stepping up to protect someone in danger, speaking in front of a large crowd, running into a burning building, but sometimes it is just taking a chance on something that makes you feel uncomfortable. We did that tonight, and I think it will be one of my most memorable evenings.

Because we were coming to Japan, our algorithms on social media had been giving Jessica and I plenty of ideas of things to do and try in Japan. We took note of some, hoping they were accurate and yet skeptical. Tonight is our first night in Kyoto, and our first night figuring out Japan on our own. We decided to take a recommendation off of Instagram for our dinner.

It led us down a tiny alley just off a major road that’s bright lights and pricey storefronts was reminiscent of New York City, and yet, you could easily walk past this unremarkable alleyway and not even notice it.

Do you see all the different hanging signs? Those are all for different restaurants. Each wooden panel is a sliding door that opens up where there is just enough room (I truly mean just enough) for 4-6 stools before a bar behind which is the chef. I’ve seen walk-in closets that were larger than these restaurants. Instagram users had recommended one of these, but it appeared to be full. The one next door was empty. We hemmed and hawed. How do we order? What kind of food is it? Is it a true restaurant? It’s empty, is that bad? But we were brave and slid back that wooden panel.

An older man greeted us with a smile and pointed toward the open stools. While his English was infinitely better than my Japanese, we communicated through broken English, Google Translate, big gestures, and kind smiles.

He started with something we understood. He pointed to a beer bottle, a wine bottle, and a sake bottle. We chose sake and were able to communicate that we wanted the small glasses. It was delicious! Simple, light, and no burn whatsoever.

At this point, I don’t honestly remember if we asked for food, or if it just appeared, or if we just nodded yes to words that he spoke. (I promise the confusion is just due to the true lack of understanding of what was going on rather than the sake. 😉) But, in front of each of us appeared tofu. Did we order it? Not that I know of. But then again, my favorite meals are always the ones where the person who knows more about the meal just orders for me! Tofu is not something I ever order at home, but this was light, airy, and full of flavor!

I struggled a bit with my chopsticks and this consistency, but I was thankful I powered through! When we finished the small portion, about half a stick of butter, we didn’t know what to do next. Was there more food? There were pots and a tiny stove. Was this more of a bar? But what are all the plates for? Is it rude to ask for more? We had so many questions!

But instead, we enjoyed chatting with our host however possible. He asked about our trip: how long were we traveling, where were we going, where we were from, and what we had done in Kyoto. He told us of his favorite spots in Kyoto. He helped us perfect some of our incredibly few Japanese words. In the corner, he had a small television with the news on. We were able to talk about the recent bear attacks in Japan, and Jess even shared a photo from her brother’s house in the mountains with a young bear in the backyard. World Cup news was shared, and he cheered at the USA win, smiling at us.

After mustering up the courage, hoping that he now knew we certainly weren’t meaning to be rude after our conversation, we used Google Translate to ask if there was more food we could order. He smiled and shook his head yes. Soon, beef wagyu stew appeared in front of us. It was so flavorful! Once again, just a delightfully small portion of a food I didn’t pick out. 

It was when we finished this that we decided we’d like more time with our gentle host, so we ordered another sake. At this point, a woman walked in with her shopping bag and sat down at the bar. The man immediately poured her a glass of wine and put the beef stew in front her. Obviously, she was a regular, and I loved seeing their “Everybody Knows Your Name” relationship.

He looked back at us and questioningly said, “sashimi”? To which we just nodded our heads. It is raw fish, and we knew that. When in Rome, right? He put a stunning plate in front of that we devoured! 

We asked about the fish after we ate (I’ve learned this is ALWAYS a better option). The white fish is called tai and while it was good, I mostly tasted soy sauce. The octopus (on the far right) didn’t have much flavor and the texture was not my favorite, but it was far from terrible. It was the bright red in the middle that was divine! He called it “maguro,” but after Googling it, I’ve learned that’s just the Japanese word for tuna! 

As you can only imagine, beautiful chopsticks are a popular souvenir here. But it is the chopstick rests that are even cuter! It is going to be very hard to choose the perfect one(s) to take home! Some are funny like flattened cats, asparagus, or a pan with a fried egg. Others are simple, but elegantly designed with every color of the rainbow. Some are beautiful flowers or even the majestic Mt. Fuji. But, looking over at the other woman sharing this bar stool with us, we noticed she had folded the paper the chopsticks came in into her own little rest for her chopsticks. I’ve gotten good at “excuse me” in Japanese, and I was able to get her attention. Our expressions of delight and wonder showed our true curiosity and she eagerly showed us how to do it! (Fold it in thirds, half, and then fold in the ends just a bit.) 

We made such a big deal about it that our host then pulled out two lovely chopstick rests and said, “Gift for you!” 

I hope I’ve been able to convey the joy this evening brought me! We took a chance, and it paid off tenfold! And just because I’m sure some of you are wanting to know, just how much did this three course private dinner with two sakes each cost? $25 for the two of us. Total. While things in Japan have not been cheap, delicious food has been!

Let this be a lesson to us all: be brave, even on the little things. You may miss out on something remarkable behind a sliding door!

Life Seeing

My first week in Japan was more about life-seeing rather than sight-seeing. I have been catching up with my friends who have lived here for close to two years. I wanted to see their life here. I wanted to see their home, their neighborhood, their school, and their favorite things to do in the area. 

They live in a lovely area south of Tokyo near the beach, in fact their home is just a short stroll from a beach where on a clear day, you can see Mt. Fuji! While this area is popular for Japanese, particularly in the summer, and particularly for the retirees, Zushi is not otherwise known as a popular travel destination, so the quiet highlights of this area are not to be found on popular travel blogs. And to me, that’s what has made them perfect!

Much of our time together was just me getting to do life alongside my friends, and getting to see their favorite places nearby. I went to Eleanor’s swim practice, listened to Max’s saxophone practice, ate dinner alongside my friends, visited Sam and Eleanor’s school on their last days of the year, played spoons, went on base, baked cookies together, learned the trains they use easily, saw Rob’s office, and repeatedly walked to the magical 7/11. It was perfectly ordinary and exactly what I wanted it to be. When I talk to them, and hear about what they’ve been up to or where they have been, I can picture it now! 

While with them, they took me to several of their favorite spots, the first one being: Sea Paradise. It’s an aquarium with a bit of a theme park. They have annual passes, so the kids feel comfortable roaming about on their own. We watched a performance where dolphins rocketed out of the air, penguins waddled across the stage, beluga whales lifted their trainers out of the water, and an enormous walrus performed tricks. Watching the giant blob roll down the ramp and then do “sit-ups” was a highlight. The aquarium had an outdoor area with otters, red panda, and even some capybaras. Sam and I got to go behind the scenes and feed the capybara some lettuce. His large snout and buck teeth up close were really only the face a mother could love, and yet, his confidence brimmed over!

They also took me to the mall next to base for an outing. When they had first arrived, and it was just right next door, it was a reprieve for them. I could see why! Max and I went to the cat cafe and had a delightful time. The cats were all fancy breeds and incredibly well cared for. They accepted pets and toys, and eagerly pounced on treats. I don’t allow myself to visit the cat cafe at home because I don’t want to walk out with another cat, but here, this is their permanent home (and, you know, an ocean of difficult travel away). 

The food court at the mall and even at Sea Paradise put ours to shame! Not that this surprises me at all, as the food was one of the things I was most excited to experience here. But, for under $10, I got delicious, quality meals in a food court. There was the curry with fried pork, gyuza (Japanese dumplings), and butter chicken with cheesy na’an bread.

Speaking of food, we also enjoyed several divine meals out. The whole family went to a restaurant where I enjoyed a beef curry. Before I arrived, I didn’t realize the Japanese had their own curry. It’s thicker and more of a roux. While it isn’t as spicy as Indian curry, it has plenty of flavor! 

One night, Rob, Samantha, and I went out to eat lasagna. As Rob says, the Japanese do everything better. He has suggested to make sure not just to eat Japanese food here, but all sorts of food since they do everything well. While the lasagna was the best I believe I’ve ever eaten, what fascinated me more was the restaurant itself. It was a bar with seven stools. That was it. The chef behind the counter did everything. While his menu wasn’t extensive, it was a full page. He had multiple types of lasagna prepared in individual baking dishes, then, once your order was placed, he added the unique sauce/topping that you requested. We were not rushed out, in fact, our three stools were probably half of his business for the night. It was remarkable. 

I also got to experience a tsunami while I was with them. Don’t worry, this is not an “I Survived” story. Soon after the kids had left one morning and the three of us were getting ready to go out for the day, a siren went off, similar to our tornado sirens. It was loud and an announcement was made at the end, but of course, we couldn’t understand it. Samantha quickly checked her weather app. Yes, a huge earthquake in the Philippines had triggered tsunami warnings. However, the 1 meter high wave wasn’t schedule to hit for several hours, and fortunately the 1 meter surge just looked like a large wave. Samantha had only experienced one other tsunami warning since living in Japan. With that one, she said the siren didn’t stop going off, and they did all pack up and go to base. While there was some flooding, it was not too severe.

While obviously catching up with my friends was at the top of my list, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that getting to see their pets was also high on my list! I loved getting to meet Violet, the energetic little puff ball who joined their family last fall. Gnocchi, the gentle giant “potato” of a golden retriever who joined their family while in Sicily is always a joy. And then there’s my love affair with Fitzwilliam Darcy, the cat who showed up at my parents’ door and was eagerly welcomed into the Echols’ home, where he then traveled to Virginia, on to Sicily, and now enjoys the heated floors on chilly Japanese days. He seems to always remember our connection and is thankful that I helped him find such a loving home. I’m thankful that he seemed to remember me, or if nothing else, allowed me to feel that way. If I was sitting, he was in my lap. He even gave me the honor of sleeping with me a couple of nights! 

Jessica arrived in time to get to know the Echols before we go off on our own. I’m so glad to have the opportunity to introduce dear friends from different parts of the country!

One day, when they had important appointments, Jessica and I took the train to Kamakura. It is definitely more of a touristy town, giving us our first real experience with crowds. It was such a fun city to visit, though! We went to see the giant Buddha, 24 meters tall, and nearing his 800th birthday. While I always marvel at the engineering skills of builders from centuries ago, a highlight for me was watching the multitude of school children parading around him in their matching hats to ensure they don’t get separated from the group.

After visiting Buddha, we wandered down the famous shopping street with gorgeous chopsticks, unique and tasty bites, and all sorts of tiny treasures, many of which had cats on them! My favorite treat was the candied frozen strawberries (after we figured out how to eat them!). I was also thankful for this opportunity to try the trains on my own without being too far from Samantha’s incredibly helpful guidance!

On Friday, the four girls took a day trip to  Enoshima. It was a magical little island, and our weather for this outing was perfect! We took the famous train line about 25 minutes away that hugs the coast line and gives lovely views of the Pacific.

The island is full of folklore of an evil dragon that was tamed by a heavenly maiden. He fell in love with her, but she vowed only to return his love if he instead used his strength and power to help the people of the area rather than terrorize them. With this folklore, there are shrines all over the island, a bell where lovers can pledge their everlasting love, and old sea caves you can explore. Inside the sea caves, you’ll even find a mystical dragon that roars when you clap. On top of the island, there was a beautiful garden with grand views, and all of the narrow streets were tucked in with stairs on many of them. 

Remember how my goal is try all the food? Well, for breakfast, we ate a curry ball, which was curried beef and cheese in a fried dough ball. We ate tiny pizzas made in a wood-fired oven before us. There was the blue denim ice cream we tried that reminded us suspiciously of bubble gum ice cream. (Anybody been licking their jeans lately? Is this what I’m missing out on?) Of our food journey for the day, I think I would say my favorite was the sweet potato ice cream which was almost like a tiny taste of my favorite Thanksgiving side dish!

Our time with the Echols was such a joy! I am so thankful that they would host us, show us around, and welcome us into their lives! Our Japanese journey is just beginning, but Zushi, with my dear friends was a beautiful way to start this trip!

A Girl on the Run

If you know me at all, you know that summer means another travel adventure. As a teacher, I take full advantage of my summers, trying to take in and explore new parts of the world, learning about cultures and seeing breathtaking landscapes. So where to this year? Well, please bear with me as I backtrack for a moment.

For the past twelve years, my travel buddy, Jessica, has put up with my Type A quirks and annoying habits as we’ve globe-trotted together. It’s rare to find a friend who can put up with you 24/7 for up to six weeks each summer, so I know how incredibly lucky I am! As she lives in Denver, it is rare that we see each other aside from the summers. 

We met thirteen years ago through the Fulbright Teacher Exchange where we were both fortunate to be placed in beautiful villages in England. That year only enhanced our desire to see more of the world. We have been spurred on by the goal of our dear friend Niki to visit 50 states and 50 countries by the time we are 50. Jessica has reached her goal for states, and I have reached mine for countries. Last year, we enjoyed a road trip through Canada and Montana National Parks. Although we didn’t add any new states or countries to our lists, we marveled at incredible beauty closer to home. So we knew that this year would be a big international trip.

Fourteen years ago, I began volunteering for an inspiring organization called Girls on the Run. It’s a nation-wide program that encourages elementary and middle school girls to grow in their self confidence, develop positive ways to interact with others, and create life long healthy habits, all while feeling good about exactly who they are. It culminates with the girls completing a 5K which is absolutely one of the most inspiring moments to see these young girls, who didn’t think they could, cross that finish line. Anyway, I digress…

The program is run by volunteers, most of which are fellow teachers. About ten years ago, Rebecca, the Girls on the Run director at the time, called me and said she was adding a community volunteer to our coaching crew. “She’s a runner, she has two young kids, and she’s looking to find a way to give back.” I had no idea how big of an impact that simple placement would have on my life!

Samantha joined our coaching crew full force and having her with us was a joy! We got to talking and realized we were both enjoying Game of Thrones. She invited me to join she, her husband, and another friend, JR, on Sunday nights to watch Game of Thrones. Thus began a Sunday night tradition that still continues (for JR and I) to this day, although we’ve watched a lot of other shows since the tales of Westeros.

During this time, an adorable kitten wandered up to the farm, where my parents live, and I was raised. He purred upon touch, wandered gently, quickly jumped into laps, and thoroughly peeved the cat of the house, Miss Kitty. My own “only child,” Elizabeth Bennett, also wanted nothing to do with another furry being. Thus, I began to try to find him a home. Samantha and Rob jumped at the opportunity, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. This meant I still got to see the kitten, thoughtfully and aptly named Mr. Darcy, and know that he was loved. 

After several years of this delightful routine, Rob accepted a job with NCIS (the real one, not the TV show😉). The family moved to Virginia. JR and I visited one New Years, then I went up one summer to visit as well. 

Then, they got the call of a lifetime and moved to Sicily! I got the chance to visit them where I got to enjoy the beautiful area, eat the divine foods, and hike on a volcano. What I loved most though was getting to see them, and their life there. I went to a meeting at school, visited the library with them, went for a run with Samantha, shopped in the commissary, and of course got to snuggle with Mr. Darcy.

Then, a year and a half ago, the family of five, plus two pets, moved to Japan! They have loved life there so far, and I cannot wait to experience their life!

I’m typing this while on the fourteen hour direct flight to Tokyo. I’ll get to spend about a week with some of my very best friends, and then Jessica will join us as well. After that, Jessica and I will continue our travels throughout Japan, into South Korea, and Taiwan.

So, thanks for following along with me, this Girl on the Run, once again as I explore, catch up with dear friends, and cuddle that jet-setting cat from New London, Alabama. Volunteer for good organizations, y’all, you never know who you might meet or where the adventure may take you! 

African Travel

I've been home from the great continent now for almost a week.  It will take a while for me to truly process all that I saw, and I have no doubt for years to come, that I'll continue to relish in this amazing adventure.  But, while it is still fresh, I want to share a few tips and tidbits from traveling in Africa.

First off, if traveling to see the animals in Africa is even remotely on your list, make it happen.  There are several African countries that offer unique and memorable experiences where you can choose to safari.  Do your research, but I believe most offer similar opportunities and similar sitings of animals.  Tanzania was absolutely perfect for us!  (We do hope to go back to more places, though!)

I know that people may be cautious and/or anxious about traveling because of the expectations we westerners have when we travel.  The safari companies know how we are, they know our expectations, and things are catered to us.  (Un?)fortunately, we come with a bit of a reputation for high standards, but this meant that comfort, ease and culinary items all met those high expectations.  So, don't let that worry you! 

That being said, before we joined the Tanzanian safari, we experienced, to the tiniest of degrees, some of the inconveniences that people struggle with daily there when we were staying in much cheaper places.  Electricity, water (especially hot) and WiFi are not a given, nor are they constant even when they do work.  A restaurant we went to was out of power, so the menu was limited to what could be cooked on the gas stove.  A hotel we stayed at had power outages throughout the night, so our devices didn't charge.  The campsite we stayed at in Rwanda, that had showers and flushing toilets had no water one day.  But, they boiled hot water from their reserve for us to each take a bucket shower.  When I apologized to the man carrying my bucket for me, he simply responded with a smile and, "It's Africa.  This happens."

However, if you are paying for a safari tour (and I don't mean one that breaks the bank!), I believe these incidents would be incredibly rare.  Truly, the way we were cared for, was incredible.  I believe anyone, of any age could enjoy a safari.  Sure, the schedule is quite trying as you are usually gone by eight each morning and not returning until five or six in the evening, but you rarely have to walk far at all.  Remember, you're where all the animals are, so you are supposed to stay in the car!  The car rides were long and bumpy, but worth any minor discomfort for the reward of seeing the animals.  Most of the highways we were on were fine, but some of the dirt roads leading up to our accommodations were rough.  I mean, it is important for women to wear supportive undergarments kind of rough.  But again, utterly and completely worth it.  In fact, we learned that the sketchier the driveway, the nicer the accommodation! 

We expected things to be inexpensive.  They were not.  This is not to say that trinkets or restaurants were expensive, they just were not inexpensive.  This was due to many reasons.  First off, we stuck out like a sore thumb.  There was no blending in, even if we wanted, so I have no doubt that the price we were quoted was meant for us and would not have been the same for locals purchasing the exact same item.  Also, prices in Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania were in American dollar.  Yes, we paid for most things using American dollars.  They did not use American coins, so things were rounded up and were often a similar to price to what we pay at home (Alabama prices, not New York City prices).  When you go, make sure you take new, crisp bills.  Rwanda and Uganda were very strict, only accepting bills younger than ten years old and with absolutely no tears or marks on them.  Tanzania was not nearly as strict.  Many places did not take credit card, or it wasn't consistent because of the internet and electricity, so cash was essential.

Cape Town was much more inexpensive than I anticipated, partly because they are not on the American dollar.  We enjoyed spending money here!  We went to a fancy restaurant where we each got three tapas and a large glass of wine.  After tip, it was $50 total for the two of us.   In Cape Town, we used our credit cards much more frequently and were able to use ATMs when need be.  (If you're headed that way soon, let me know as I accidentally ended up with about $35 worth of South African rands!)

One of the things that was difficult and hard to get used to was driving through poverty to end up at our luxurious accommodations.  This was hard.  It was icky.  It made me feel uncomfortable.  But, in the same breath, I would not have been comfortable pulling up to the concrete enclosure and sharing a small space with a leaky roof, a door that doesn't close completely, without a flushing toilet nearby with a large number of people.  My hope as we drove past these homes was that the money we were paying was going into the community and supporting people.  I'm not sure how to make it better, but this is just something to be aware of.  The children on the streets eagerly waved to us, and we smiled and waved in return.  Lou told us the kids would run home and shout, "The white people gave me greetings!"  I had taken stickers as an easy thing to pass out, but the opportunity to hand them out was very rare, so it was an unnecessary thing to carry.

Just as "island time" exists, there were certainly things that fell on "Africa time."  It just meant that I needed to be patient, knowing that there was no reason to rush.  Even when you are at the airport and your flight has been delayed by three days (no, that is not a typo), just be patient, it will all work out as it is supposed to.  "Hakuna Matata!"

There were certainly times that there were some misunderstandings or some miscommunications, but generally speaking, this was never a real problem.  Everyone we encountered spoke English, and I mean everyone.  I am always so humbled going to other countries when I cannot speak more than greetings in a few other languages, and they can sprout out conversations in a multitude of languages.  Many of the people we encountered could speak a handful of languages.

Who knew that Africa would be a great place to escape Alabama heat?  Was it hot?  Sure.  Was it as miserable as June in Alabama?  Far from it!  Most of our days were in the low eighties with incredibly low humidity which meant cool nights where we wanted to cuddle up with a sweatshirt.  We experienced one rain shower in Tanzania, and a few in Zanzibar, but otherwise, our time in central Africa was practically perfect weather.  These are not places that experience hurricanes nor earthquakes, so their weather is relatively moderate.  Lou said he could remember one tornado in his entire life.  Cape Town was a bit of a different story.  While the weather was not horrific nor brutal, several of the days were not at all pleasant.  If possible, I would make sure to go in a time not in the heart of their winter.

Always consult a physician before you travel.  I've had several vaccinations throughout the years, so most of those were up-to-date, but I did have to take the dream-inducing malaria pills as a precaution while traveling.  Although, I've gotten more bites in the week I've been home than in the month I was traveling.  I'm afraid that Imodium has become a regular companion for me in my travels.  I don't need it all the time, but with all of the different foods I encountered along the way, it can be very helpful.  And while I hate, absolutely hate, buying bottled water, it is necessary as the water isn't clean for anyone to drink.  I gobbled up cold tap water as soon as we got to Cape Town where it was safe to drink!

My friends and family are always anxious when I travel to a country that is a little off the beaten path, and I understand that.  I never once felt unsafe, though.  Yes, it is impossible to blend in, so you do stand out, but that did not mean I was any less safe.  As in anywhere, be aware of your surroundings, and make good decisions.  The people that we encountered along the way were incredible.  We had gracious, welcoming hosts at each of our stays and helpful people at every step in between.  The people we came across were proud of their country and honored that we had chosen to visit it.

So, should you travel to Africa? YES!  Go ahead, book it now.  Then, please tell me all about it so that I know where to go next time!  I am in no way an expert on this topic, but I took good notes and would love to chat if you ever want to talk.

Thank you for reading, and thanks for following along!

Cape Town

Cape Town, the Mother City, is beautifully situated on the south western tip of this great continent. As the Mother City, not only is she steeped in history as the oldest city in the country, but she’s warm and welcoming. Cape Town has struggled with equality for generations, but she seems to be overcoming that by embracing everyone.

Cape Town was aptly named because it is on the coast surrounded by so many welcoming capes. The Dutch first created a settlement here in the mid-seventeenth century as a stopping point from Europe to their trading points in the East. When they first landed, they were thrilled to see natives with cattle and goats that they could trade with for fresh meat. The Dutch, as they began to settle the area brought with them enslaved peoples from Madagascar and the east coast of Africa as well as skilled laborers from Asia, most specifically Indonesia. In the early nineteenth century, the British took over. 

We had about a week in Cape Town. Our time was lovely, but we did not count on difficult weather that impeded some of our plans. After a month of traveling, we were in an apartment where we were free to curl up on the couch with a fuzzy blanket and watch romantic comedies, most of which we could already quote. It is winter here, which I knew coming in, but the temperatures I had read about did not match what we encountered. Mid-60s and sunshine is very different from upper-50s with clouds and strong winds. But this just lead to shopping opportunities for us both! As in the winter, when days are short, and I’m prone to want to hibernate, I believe we both felt that, and embraced short days when the sun didn’t shine until around eight and it got dark by six. I do believe, however, that had we been here in different circumstances, we may have checked more things off our list. 

We had several “big days” that included things like our delicious food tour of Cape Town and another day driving south to see the penguins. On the Fourth of July, we booked a wine tram through wine country. It was so well done, so well organized, and so much fun! The countryside was beautiful, even though the grape vines were in a period of rest. A few notes to anyone else who may choose to do this: research the wineries on your trail ahead of time as we did, so we knew which ones we wanted to get to. Another lesson I learned (the hard way), is that it is not the best idea to squeeze in the maximum number of visits in the day, despite the desire to see them all. Visiting and sampling at five wineries meant the ones toward the end were well, um, not as “memorable.”

Another day, we went on a free walking tour around the Bo-Kaap neighborhood. It was great, and oh so informative. Those early Asian skilled laborers that were brought here first developed this area as their own, which is why there are so many mosques in the area. The mosques were welcoming places for all to learn, including many of the enslaved peoples, whom after receiving such generosity as a free education, often converted to Islam. It is why still today, Cape Town has the highest population of Muslims in the country.

In 1934, due to the crowds that were living in this neighborhood of the city, the area was deemed an undesirable slum. Slowly but surely, people realized the value of this land, so central to downtown. The families who owned these homes are now struggling to hold on to them due to gentrification. It has also become so popular because of how beautifully bright colored all the buildings are painted. There are lots of stories as to why they are so brightly colored, such as different colors represent different skills of the laborers, or because the uniforms they had to wear were so drab, they wanted to express themselves in other ways. But, the bright colors didn’t come about until the late 1990s. It seems, instead, to simply be a form of expression, celebrating freedom and the rainbow of the city.

On a rainy day, we ventured into Zeitz Museum, a contemporary African Art Museum. It was lovely, but neither of us is cultured enough to truly appreciate modern art. 

Twice we had tickets to Robben Island, the prison island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for nearly three decades. A former prisoner was going to show us around and tell us more about this political prison. However, weather meant that the ferry to the island didn’t run. After seeing the waves along the coast, we were disappointed but very thankful that the call was made for our safety.

As for the weather, most of what we encountered wasn’t much more than a torrential downpour or a light thunderstorm that we may encounter (we did have sunny days and hours mixed in, too!). At home, these would have canceled soccer games, and perhaps dinner plans with those friends you see all the time. But here, this weather was extreme. Many things were cancelled or closed due to the weather, even an indoor market we tried to venture out to. It was the winds that made this weather ever the more ferocious. There were several nights that the loud howling gusts of winds woke us both throughout the night. I must admit that at multiple points through the night, I wondered if we’d wake up in Oz, carried away like Dorothy. One morning, we even woke up to a pile of ice pellets in the corner of our vast porch, left from the hail through the night.

We found that shopping in Cape Town was really fun. This was for a few reasons. First off, there were some great items, some of which we had seen along the way through our travels on the continent, and some were new. Second, for just about the first time, things were fairly inexpensive because prices were not in dollar. Third, possibly most importantly was that this was our last stop, so we didn’t have to carry it on anywhere else! On days when the weather wasn’t great, shops welcomed us with open arms. We enjoyed shopping in stores along the waterfront, a fun area reminiscent of piers along California’s Bay Area. A huge, bustling mall even sat on the waterfront, very different from our own desolate, crumbling malls at home. The Watershed was a huge warehouse with little stalls throughout where artists sold their creations.  On the worst weather day, we ventured out to the Old Biscuit Mill where we had read the indoor weekend markets were always fun and filled with foods and crafts. The storms had closed most of the market, but thankfully a few small stores were open to look through.

The inexpensive prices also meant we treated ourselves to some delicious meals at some swanky places for reasonable prices. My favorite was Bouchon Wine Bistro where we each got two tapas that were creative and the perfect serving size along with a sweet dessert. As this country is still part of the British Commonwealth, we partook in one of our favorite British traditions of English Tea, twice! Once was on a sunny afternoon in the gardens, and once was at a fancy resort outside of town that overlooked the churning ocean waves.

On a sunny afternoon, we ventured to the outskirts of town to the Botanical Gardens. They were vast, expansive green areas in the shadow of Table Mountain. Even on a winter day, the grasses were lush and green and a few spots of color could be seen. Guineas wandered about, no doubt safe from most predators, although there were large dinosaurs present in the part that included ancient plant life. There was even a walk through the woods designed for people with poor vision, complete with a large rope to hold on to a guide you as well as explanatory signs in Braille.

We had a walking tour through District Six scheduled, but (un?)fortunately, that fell through. So, we went into the District Six Museum and paid the extra $1 to have someone who grew up in the area tell us her stories as she showed us around. Frances was the most adorable, fascinating person, and I’m only sorry that our time with her was limited. District Six is an area of town that was once deemed a slum, and the thousands of people squeezed into this area were neglected on all different fronts. Then, in the 1950s and 1960s, this area became prime real estate due to the location between the mountain and the beach, so the wealthy whites wanted it for their own.

As Frances tells it, her childhood here was happy. She said it was crowded and there wasn’t good sanitation, but people of all sorts were squeezed into the tiny area, supporting one another and learning from one another. Jews, Muslims, Catholics and Protestants all lived happily here. Whites, blacks and colored (I’ll get to that in a minute) lived side-by-side. Frances even remembered the gay men in the neighborhood who taught them all to dance. When this area became desirable, with very little notice, everyone was forced to move out of town into segregated housing before the buildings were all bulldozed. She spoke of a favorite doll she had had to leave behind and how decades later, it was found in some of the rubble.

Where the word “colored” is no longer acceptable in the United States, it is a term that has been and continues to be used today as an a description for a race of people. Black was deemed as the dark skin color, more associated with African descent. Colored is used to describe anyone in between. It often describes people with a mix of Asian and African descent. Names in South Africa are also very telling of lineage. For example, one of our guides described herself as colored, but because of her last name, she was quite certain that her descendants had been enslaved peoples brought in. Her last name was January, most likely because her descendants were forced off the boat in Cape Town in January. Her sister just married an October.

There were so many features of Cape Town that made it unique and special. Not only is on the southern coast of a great continent, but its geography is fascinating. Within the city boundaries, there is ground at sea level and ground at well over 3,000 feet. Table Mountain, so named by the Portuguese over five hundred years ago, is just as one would expect, tall and flat. There are several beautiful peaks in the area, available for climbing, but Table Mountain is the most well-known. If you’ve followed us for long, you know Jessica and I love to hike and have climbed our fair share of mountains. We probably should have climbed it, but with questionable weather, colder than anticipated temperatures and some trail reviews that included ladders, we cheated. Table Mountain has a cable car that goes to the top. On a beautiful afternoon with little wind (it was closed during some of our stay due to wind), we raced up to catch the view. At the top, since it is flat, there was a very nice and accessible trail to wander around, and a cafe where we got hot chocolate with a view!

Many people we encountered, including some of the locals made us cautious about our safety while being in Cape Town. We never felt unsafe, although, just as in any big city, especially one with stark differences in wealth, there were lots of reports of pick-pockets. So, just as any good traveler would do, we were cautious and aware of our surroundings.

There were many things left undone in Cape Town, like visiting Robben Island and a bustling Old Biscuit Mill weekend market. Paragliding off Table Mountain sounded like a fun adventure (that I’ve enjoyed in other places), but, you remember how I thought I’d wake up in Oz, right? I would love to be out on the water there, especially to see a sunset. We had even looked at going cage diving to see sharks, but in reviews it seems that many of the great whites have been scared away from these waters from orcas controlling the waters. (And also, did I mention how chilly it was?) 

I’ve left Cape Town behind, but not as a checked item on my list, but rather a city that intrigued me that I hope will welcome me back again sometime.