Cape Town!

Today we did a whirlwind introductory tour of Cape Town. Our first stop was the soccer stadium for the 2010 World Cup which is taking place here this summer. Everywhere we go there are signs and much excitement about the upcoming event.

We drove along the Atlantic coast - the west coast - and saw the dramatic cliffs and spectacular landscape. We stopped at the beach for a while and watched the students who are the Jr. Guards equivalent swimming in the cold water. We drove into Simontown and had lunch overlooking the harbor. Some of the kids were adventurous - Alison B ate crocodile and Wyatt had warthog - the rest were happy with burgers and fries. We bargained a bit at the outdoor market everyone is getting the hang of it. Alexandra bout a little painting and was able to get the price down below what she was willing to pay but later felt bad that she might have hurt the sellers feelings :). After lunch we drove to Boulders beach and Nickie talked to us about the African penguins, their unique characteristics and their plight. It was amazing and kind-of surreal to see these creatures we associate with the cold on the warm South African sand sunning themselves.

In the late afternoon we took a cable car up to the top of table mountain and saw a panoramic view of the whole city and the coast - it was amazing! We found St. Cyprian's school from above - with tennis courts and a large pool nestled along the wooded edge of Table Mountain. After all those amazing adventures there was still more - we headed to the waterfront and chose to have dinner at a Portuguese restaurant. The food was great - "picky" Micki was adventurous and tried a wonderful Portuguese chicken dish. The kids laughed the adults tried South African wines - it was a fun and relaxing end to a fabulous day.