StellenPOSH to Wild Capers
Trip Start
Mar 2008
1
Trip End
Dec 2009
Where I stayed
Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
If I am going to write about Namibia I must pay tribute to my first adventure outside Lesotho. Into the great, big South Africa we roamed. Stopped in Bloemfontein for the night. Enjoyed the company of Li (pronounced Dee) and Lexi at Lexi's clothing store, which also holds many artful treasures, LPs, local artist's pieces of work, a foosball table. It goes without saying- we had a relaxing and wonderful night.
Next morning the drivers, Racing Rebecca and Stick shift Sam, went to get the car and by 11 we were off to the beautiful West Cape. Oh, yeah, with a couple of hitches. We had not been in the car for longer than 20 minutes, actually 5 but I gotta give my girl some credit, when the car hit the left-hand curb and we lost a hubcap! In defense of Rebecca, it must be said that driving on the other side of the road for the first time can be quite difficult- 'Am I far enough over, Will I run into the cars on the other side, Is that a billboard of a skinny 50 Cent?' I believe that our drivers did a fantastic job. Especially since they were only two splitting a 10-hour drive and they had to endure the chaos of three newly released volunteers in the back seat. Another hiccup along the way was a ridiculous charge of speeding. At which the officer's first words to us were "Speed Kills!" Immediately I jumped to the defensive- we do not have any drugs in the car.... No, crack baby Lindsey, he meant the rate of the car at kilometers per hour. Oh, well that makes more sense.
Anyway, arrived in StellenPosh unharmed and only slightly exhausted. Of course, Rebecca and I needed to support the local economy without delay so we found the closest bar. A swank little place playing funky jazz and serving our poison, whiskey on the rocks, in sturdy glass tumblers. Barely able to get through the first round with our heavy, road-trip lids closing we went back to the backpackers and ad sweet, sweet dreams. Now it must be said, Stumble Inn Backpackers Lodge in Stellenbosch is an incredibly warm, accommodating and clean place to stay. It also has a great staff and a very lively atmosphere conducive to pre-night and post-night chilling. If possible I would give it the highest of ranking and can honestly claim that StellenPosh was my favorite part of the trip with much credit to our amazing accommodations.
In addition to the wonderful lodge, we all went on a wine tour. Stellenbosch is well known for its wineries. We are all very proud. Through the Stumble Inn we booked ourselves on the Easy Rider Wine Tours. The name alone was a selling point. Along with many other tourists we jumped into two vans with our guides, Titi (I couldn't make up a name like that so you know it's true) and a good-looking bloke whose name I have totally forgotten but whose flirting and smile I will always recall;-) So, there we are on a gorgeous sunny day being driven around to visit five wineries. The first stop, and the only one where I took notes, was at Zevenwacht. Interestingly, or perhaps well-planned in teaching the tour all about the distillation process and proper etiquette before the 20th taste of wine, this winery was the only place that actually led us through a true (or at least as far as I know) tasting of the wines. No matter. The sun was shining, the wine was tasty and the company was superb- even the lunch was delicious! It was, in fact, at lunch when we all decided that we would stay an extra night in Stellenbosch. I've come to the conclusion that it is quite difficult to stay in one place for only a night, particularly if you are having fun. That night we started at a Cuban themed bar, smoked a hookah, was politely escorted off the dance floor and then made it to a real dance club, Mystic's, only the music was awful. Even though I was in what all my friends have termed 'Robot Lindsey' mode and I had had plenty to drink, trying to dance was disastrous. Also, Titi- the guide from the tour (not cute one) was at the club and failed miserably to pick up Madeline. Still a memorable experience and a night full of many jokes. Unfortunately I am bound by honor not to disclose any more facts and actions from this night. Consider it a violation of trading insider information and we'll just leave it at that.
Okay, now on to Cape Town. If Stellenbosch were Westwood with vineyards, Cape Town is Santa Monica. Malls, boutiques, restaurants, cafes, movie theaters and all the shopping, drinking and eating one can consume in two nights. To be honest it felt great. Being deprived of all the familiar amenities for five months left me in a bit of shock and gluttony was long over due. We ate sushi, Mexican, Italian and Thai. Saw "Juno" (which is amazing and if you have not partaken in this wonder- go rent the movie NOW!) And danced our asses off at Jo'burg. The name alone is quite confusing, as many people imagine that you are saying you went to the city Johannesburg, nicknamed Joburg, to dance when clearly you are standing in Cape Town on the other side of the country. But, really, they can figure it out if they try.
Excessive capitalism and gluttony were balanced by a trip to Robben Island. The boat ride out was a bit cold but we were able to see a nice view of the city and Table Mountain. This is one picture that I am very sorry to have missed but I will try to explain as best as I can. Table Mountain is huge, 1073 meters tall, but the beauty of the mountain was seeing the thick mists floating over the top from the ocean. The clouds spilled over the peak like dry ice billowing out of a caldron on Halloween. Unforgettable.
Anyway, on to the Robben Island tour. Touring the island on a dilapidated bus we heard a well-practiced oration on the history, the geography, and the geology. It was at the lime mines that Nelson Mandela and the other political prisoners worked day after day, sweating under the blinding African sun. Consequently many prisoners would develop eye problems, have you noticed the sensitivity and lightness of their eyes. Interestingly it was during these hard days mining lime that the prisoners would meet and discuss varying issues. Like a university, small groups of men, guards and prisoners alike gathered around Mandela, could be found discussing such great minds of non-violent revolutions; Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi. Or at least that's what I remember from the tour, along with the annoying habit of the guide to point out each group of visitors' origin. We cleverly claimed Lesotho, therefore avoiding all the obvious jabs at America's previous and present administration. After the bus tour we were able to walk around the prison and saw Mandela's cell. A pleasant man in his late 50s who had been incarcerated with Mandela, though not in the same building, led us through the prison, describing the daily schedule and groupings of the political prisoners. His first hand knowledge was depressing but informative, the gravity of the location compounded by his anecdotes.
On a lighter note, a little southern girl said it best when walking past Mandela's cell, "Man, I'd get so bored in here." Yes, ladies and gentlemen the future of America is looking brighter and brighter. We finished our vacation on a beach in Cape Town with Thai food for dinner. Pretty anticlimactic ending but we did have to return to Lesotho for further Peace Corps training. So, as you can imagine, the mood on the drive home was a bit subdued. Thanks again to our amazing drivers making it back to Bloemfontein overnight in one piece!
