I took five days vacation after Mozambique in Cape Town, South Africa. I’ve never traveled this way before; my traveling companions arranged a set tour and a stay at a five star hotel. It left my head spinning after working in such contrasting poverty the week prior.
Regardless, I enjoyed many a spectacular experience in South Africa. My favorites include a wine tour of Stellenbosch and the penguins near the Cape of Good Hope.
Waterford Winery, Stellenbosch. The next time I’m in love, I am going to vacation here. It was incredibly romantic. I fell in love with the beauty and simplicity of these homes, tucked among vineyards and hidden from the coastline by the towering mountains.
Wine and chocolate tasting.
Masks resting in the mid-morning light on one of the tables at the winery.
Table Mountain, Cape Town. We took a tram to the top of the mountain. It is as flat as it looks and the views are as spectacular as you can imagine. From that vantage point can see Robben Island — where Nelson Mandela was jailed during the Apartheid.
Fishing boats in the morning light, taken from our hotel balcony on the waterfront in Cape Town.
The drive to the Cape of Good Hope — one of the most southern points in Africa — was windy, rainy and fantastic.
Baboons hang around the entrance to the park.
The Cape of Good Hope. South Pole one direction, New Delhi the other.
The view from the Cape. Imagine a picnic on that beach!
I felt a kinship with these little ones. The penguin colonies lined one beach and made me realize how close we were to Antarctica. I half expected them to start dancing. Happy heart!
I enjoyed my travels, in part because they gave me so much to think about. I’m reinvigorated to dive deeper into my work to do good in Mozambique and to be better at everything I do. Something about seeing a new part of the world that makes one want to clean up the house, sit a little straighter, consume less and save more. The next trip needs to be planned, after all.
~K