Day One

On top of Signal Hill with Table Mountain 

Today was the first day of the program. Our day started with an orientation of the program and then a tour of the city. We started at 8am with breakfast in our "classroom" which really isn't a classroom. This year they wanted to make the program more comfortable so our classroom is actually the owner of the apartment's real house. We are calling it the lagoon house because it has a beautiful view of the lagoon right outside the apartments. Every morning we get to walk along the beach/lagoon to class listening to the waves crash while enjoying the views of Table Mountain. 

After our orientation we split up into our Community Group, which is a group of about 7 or 8 people. These groups are a way to help us get to know each other and participate in little activities. Today we made a bucket list of what we wanted to accomplish during our 5 weeks here. This was my bucket list.... 

Bungee Jump!

Swim with great white sharks

Tastes lots of wine 

Get close to a penguin

Hike Table Mountain and Lions Head

Try the different types of food

Ride an elephant

Go to The Old Biscuit Mill

Sky Dive!

See a whale

Of course there is way more that I will be doing but these and the things I want to do the most!

District 6 Museum

Building where Nelson Mandela spoke 

In the afternoon we went on a city tour. We rode on charter busses that were nicer than any charter bus I have ever been on in America. First we went to the slave trade museum where Liza, Briley, and I got a little carried  away wandering upstairs looking at the old school guns. We then learned about the different languages spoken in South Africa from this really nice man that worked at the museum. After our time at the museum we walked around the city a little bit. Our group came up to this gorgeous building and without asking the significance behind the building we all stop to take pictures of it. The tour guide found this amusing and managed to trick us into thinking that it was a meaningless building but it was actually the building where Nelson Mandela made his freedom speech after being released from prison. Our final museum of the day was the District 6 Museum. (yes I did think about the Hunger Games when I saw the name) This museum was all about the destruction of District 6 during the apartheid. It was a memorial to the district, which was really neat to see. There was a display of all of the street signs from the district and a map of the district that all the families signed where their houses used to be.

I climbed this!

Me, Briley, and Liza on top of Signal Hill with World Cup Stadium 

Our next stop was up the mountain to Signal Hill. This was a little scary because it felt like were going to fall off the cliff. The view from the top of the mountain was absolutely beautiful! We could see the city, suburbs, and beyond from one side and nothing but ocean on the other. It was also a great view of Cape Town Stadium, aka The Toilet Bowl to the locals and The 2010 World Cup Stadium. After our scary descend down the mountain we ventured to Cliffton Beach to climb some rocks and take more pictures. As we were driving back to the apartments we all started screaming because we thought we saw a whale. Well the bus driver let us think it for a few seconds and then goes "umm that's a rock." Got to love our stupidity! 

Cliffton Beach

Roomates
Briley, Liza, me, Connie

                                      

                                               View of city from Signal Hill

Tonight we went to a traditional African dinner. I was a little scared at first but the food was actually really good. I even tried a bite of lamb (shocking I know). We had people paint our faces and play music for us! I really enjoyed dinner and experiencing the real African culture. 

                                                  

                                                                  Getting my face painted

Briley and Me at African Dinner