RTW Day 13: Devil's Peak

Feeling refreshed, it was time for more hiking. I ate breakfast with Jessie and Yoann, and we made loose plans to hike and then stuff ourselves with cheap, delicious food at the Eastern Bazaar, a place downtown we had all been waiting to try.

 

Jessie wanted to hike Lion's Head, and Yoann and I Devil's Peak, so we parted ways and I headed for the last of the three big mountains in Cape Town with Yoann.

 

 

The hike was supposed to take four hours (2.5 up, 1.5 down), but after all the hiking we've been doing we made it up in less than an hour. Felt good. On the way up we met two women who did not look like hikers, but they were quite a ways up the mountain. They were looking for proteans, those plants that only grow here:

 

At the top we ate a fast lunch of bananas and granola bars, then took in the great views of the city, ocean, and mountains:

 

The way back was steeper than we thought coming up, but we got a break halfway down. The ladies from before we're drinking tea on their way down. Brits! Soon enough we were in the car looking for Jessie, who Yoann conveniently found walking toward the hostel. We picked her up in the middle of the street (my driving by this point had significantly improved) and we were off to lunch.

 

 

We had some trouble finding the Eastern Bazaar, but it was worth it. We bought enough food for four people to get stuffed, paid only $30 for it all, and enjoyed some delicious Indian, Halaal and local-ish cuisine. My favorite was something called Bunny Chow, which is curried chicken in a hollowed out half-loaf of bread. No bunnies, just chicken.

 

We went back to the hostel awaiting more food, in the form of a Braais, which is essentially a South African BBQ. Yoann and I played some pool and drank some beer, then played chess over some beers, then ate the Braais with some more beers.

 

After the dinner everyone wanted to go out for - what else? - more drinks so I decided it was about time for me to go out to Long Street and experience the night life first hand. I'm not a big bars and party scene kind of guy but I had a great time. At some point in the early morning I stumbled into bed and laughed at the prospect of getting up at 8AM for the wine tour I had booked the morning prior. Fat chance.

RTW Day 12: Cape of Good Hope

After all the wine, I assigned for Tuesday a nice drive and only light hiking. Jessie and I had arranged to drive down to the Cape of Good Hope, but she had a tour until 1 in the afternoon. Fine by me - it was an excuse to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

 

In the afternoon we set off on our tour of the cape. The first stop was St. James, a town with some iconic, brightly colored beach houses:

 

 

Shortly after we saw a nice looking beach and stopped to see if there was a trail. There wasn't, but we made our way down anyway. Worth it:

 

 

Further down the road was Simon's Town, a small town near the cape. There was a harbor and some shops but not too much else. There's a place you can stop and pay to see penguin and apparently they come right up to you. We didn't stop. I know, blasphemy, right? Time was not on our side and there was much more to see.

 

 

Finally we arrived at the cape and it was definitely worth the drive. The sun was not quite setting, but was low enough to give a nice orange glow to the landscape.

From the Cape of Good Hope you can see both the Indian Ocean:

 

 

And the Atlantic Ocean:

 

 

At the same time. Impressive.

 

 

At one point we were trying to get to a place where we could take a good photo, but there was a group of 5 or 6 people with cameras, tripods, and equipment that had the same idea. We won and asked them to take our picture just to add insult to injury. Take that, (fellow) tourists!

 

 

On the drive back we wanted to stop and grab something to drink. Jessie had been working in small villages in East South Africa, so with her direction I drove into a township and got to see the barest glimpse of a real side of South Africa.

 

With the sun reaching the horizon we started looking for a good place to watch it set. On the way we saw some cool scenery by a place called Chapman's Peak:

 

 

We decided to watch the sunset at Chapman's Point just around the bend. It was very nice. South Africa can be absolutely beautiful:

 

 

 

The drive back gave us more beautiful views of Hout's Bay:

 

 

Finally we were back in Camp's Bay and Clifton, just on the other side of Table Mountain from Cape Town. We looked unsuccessfully for a place with fish and chips but considering the swanky feel and super-nice houses in Clifton we decided it would be better to go back to the city center.

 

We picked up Yoann at the hostel and went to Long Street, then ate at a place with gourmet burgers that were todiefer. I had originally planned to eat out less and buy groceries fairly often on this trip, but the quality and cost-effectiveness of the food in these places is just... Great. I'll pay for it when I get back, I'm sure, but for now I'm content.

RTW Day 11: Table Mountain

Monday started bright and sunny with no sign of bad weather, so it was time for Table Mountain.

Rick met me for breakfast and confirmed our hiking plans. A guy named Yoann from France, who ended up being a pretty good friend in South Africa, also wanted to go. So now we were three.

To fully appreciate the mountain we wanted to climb up one side, traverse across the top, and descend on the far side. I drove to the end point and we took a taxi to Kirstenbosch where we had been the day before. After looking through the gardens one more time and talking to a friend of Yoann's from Malta we started up the path ominously called Skeleton Gorge.

What a path. Beside climbing with ropes, chains and ladders, for part of the way we actually hiked up rocks in the middle of a river. Very beautiful. Eventually we broke out of the trees and after a short series of switchbacks and flat traverses we were standing at MacClear's Beacon, the highest point on Table Mountain.

We met a German named Yan who hiked with us across the mountain and down the other side. Very interesting group - America, France, Germany and The Netherlands all in South Africa hiking and having a blast.

Our descent was a steep path called Platteklip Gorge, and the immediate sight was breathtaking:

We saw some interesting critters on the way down, human and otherwise, including this rodent who was anything but happy to see us:

At the bottom we climbed back into the car victoriously and went back to the hostel for some well deserved showers and some rest.

Later in the evening I met Yoann and two girls, Alyssia from Quebec and Angie from New Caledonia, for drinks and food at a close by fancy (but cheap!) burger shop called Hudson's. We stayed for awhile and after several drinks decided we needed - what else? - more drinks.

The venue of choice was a wine bar called Publik. We invited another girl Jessie from British Columbia to join and had a few bottles of wine. Yoann is a wine expert, living deep in wine country in Southern France, so it was pretty entertaining watching him banter with the guys behind the bar. Meanwhile I absorbed the knowledge more directly from my glass and enjoyed a local delicacy not unlike beef jerky but much better - small pieces of dried beef called Biltong.

When we were thoroughly filled up with wine and beef we meandered our way through the streets back to the hostel. We stopped at a KFC on the way - because why not? - and it was pretty damn good.

All in all a great day.

RTW Day 10: Lion's Head

Most hostels offer a free breakfast, but honestly they are never very good. Corn Flakes, white toast with peanut butter and jam, and maybe an apple or orange. Atlantic Point also gives crépes which is a pleasant but underwhelming addition. However, breakfast at 7:30 AM is a great place to meet adventurous people.

Sunday's weather was still crummy, so I decided to ask around and find some company to join me for another rainy day of exploring Cape Town. I met a guy Rick from The Netherlands who had a good itinerary but no car, so I invited him to come with and we took off.

First stop was church - Rick had heard of a big African church and wanted to check it out, so I said what the Hell let's go. Other than the fact the church is in Cape Town there wasn't much African about it. It was, however, huge. Hillsong is in a rich part of town, next to a mega-gym, a shopping complex and an amusement park. It had three levels of balconies, a coffee shop and a rock band, not to mention celebrity speakers from around the world. Quite the place. Not my style, but I'm glad I went for the experience.

After Hillsong the sun started to peek out, and Rick told me about a place called Table View with excellent views of the mountain. We went to a beach on Dolphin Bay instead, which was much closer, less crowded and on the ocean. Very nice views:

For lunch we ran into Steer's, the Capetonian McDonald's but with real meat. Good, but still fast food. So cheap!

The sun was fully out by now so we made plans to hike Lion's Head at sunset, a smaller mountain with 360° views of the city, beaches, and mountains. First we went to Kirstenbosch Gardens, a huge area with lots of trees and plants native to Cape Town, including the Protean plants not found anywhere else on Earth.

An hour out from sunset we got to Lion's Head and hiked up very fast.

The views from the top were awesome:

After sunset we waited an hour or so for it to get very dark, then hiked back down with a flashlight. The views of the city all lit up were equally great, but much harder to capture on camera.

At one point I turned around and saw the path leading up to the mountain, and from the top of the hill the Milky Way rose up and mirrored the path back behind us in the sky. Alpha and Beta Centauri were on the left, the Southern Cross was on the right, and further up you could see Scorpio with his tail pointing to the black hole in the center of the galaxy (thanks, timely Planetarium show!). Beautiful.

Back at the hostel we were supposed to meet up with some girls to go down to the Waterfront for dinner, but we were verrry late. Rick and I went down anyway, had some burgers, and looked at the harbor and docks. It was boring and empty, so we went back, ran into the girls who had just got back, and stayed up talking for a couple more hours before finally crashing to sleep.

Two of the girls we talked with, Erin and Trista, are elementary school teachers who work while traveling. Erin lived in Korea for a year and Trista lives in Tokyo, so I was very interested in listening to their experiences. Teaching has definitely been in my radar, but how, what and where are questions I'll need to answer. In the meantime it's nice to have another option available. Who knows?

RTW Day 9: City Center

My first real day in Cape Town started with a drive to the Old Biscuit Mill market. My plan had been to climb, but the visibility was low so I headed into the city instead. I didn't stay long at the market as it was incredibly crowded and shopping doesn't do me much good. I enjoyed driving around that part of the city, though - they call it Woodstock and it was much less fancy than downtown.

Next up was a show at an independent theater, or so I had planned. I wasn't interested in the shows, but the theater (called The Labia... it's a last name, I promise!) was nice. I decided to go to the big museum and finally found a place to spend some time.

The museum was huge and of good quality. I read about the history of the area and about some of the different types of people who still live beyond the reaches of metropolitan Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban. I also watched a Planetarium show about stars in the Southern sky and it was really good. By the time I finished with all of the animals (so many in South Africa) the museum was closing and it was time for dinner.

My original hostel was booked, so I went to a new one on the north side of town called Atlantic Point. It was a great place to stay and I ended up booking the rest of my nights here. Great staff, tons of interesting and friendly people, a good bar and just in general an inviting feel. I was there only 10 minutes before meeting some girls who invited me out for African food - score!

Before dinner we went to The Beerhouse with a huge selection of imported craft beers. Overpriced and not local, but great beer and a nice way to initiate good conversation. Dinner was at a place called Mama Africa, and it was great:

My choice was a veritable zoo of animals, including alligator, ostrich, springbok, kudu and "venison" which I'm guessing is impala. Sorry, animal lovers, I had to.

We had wine and brandy and listened to a band play really good jazz, and talked for a couple hours. Afterward we walked to a super posh bar to meet another group. I wasn't a big fan of this bar, and it had no local flavor whatsoever, but we only stayed for a few minutes. Then it was back to the hostel and to sleep. A great introduction to the traveler's culture in Cape Town.

RTW Day 8: Cape Town

My journey to South Africa involved flying 6 hours from JFK to Heathrow in London, followed by 11 hours to Cape Town. Two long flights in a row sounds painful, but it was actually ok. London was a flash - I was only there for a couple hours - but the food was nice on both flights. One way or another I made it to South Africa without incident.

I had talked to a really cool girl on the plane who lives in South Africa, and on her word and the collective opinion of the internets I decided to rent a car. I have put off learning to drive on the left for too long - it was time. I asked the lady for a small, zippy car that was good on gas and with very little work I found myself behind the wheel of a Fiat 500:

Driving was fine. I'm not used to driving a manual, but it came back quickly. It's weird to be on the left of the road, but weirder to be on the right side of the car. Other than that it was pretty easy. A friend I met later told me he calls my car a Cougar car but hey, it got the job done. Mission accomplished!

My hostel was a bit hard to find, but worth the effort. I stayed in a six bed dorm with really interesting people and a good social area, all for $13. Hostels are most definitely the way to travel.

The weather was cold and rainy, and after the flights and vehicle initiation I was pretty zoned, so I took a nap before heading out for some grub. I stopped at a place called The Mexican and had incredible calamari and a (very strong) beer called an I.T.A. After dinner I used my buzz to walk up and down Long Street, the main tourist street, to get a feel for the urban environment by foot.

There was not too much to speak of other than some bars and restaurants, but the night life looked decent. I was very disappointed by the number of beggars and it was very difficult to make them leave you alone. They have a way of making you feel spoiled, but I have been around enough to know not to give to beggars. One thing became excruciatingly clear to me though, even in those first few hours - South Africa has a long way to go before they know real equality.

Back at the hostel I talked to my dormmates for a bit and worked up a plan to climb Table Mountain the next day. Easy first day.

RTW Day 7: New York City

After a relatively painless 8 hour flight, I arrived in NYC. Customs was also easy and I found myself back on good old American soil. I love traveling, but setting foot in your own county is always nice, even if NYC is closer to London than Anchorage!

I took the subway to my hostel and felt good about having mass transport. But stepping back into the sunlight and being smothered with an oppressive, muggy heat I remembered it's the middle of the summer for some people.

The hostel was surprisingly nice, even though way overpriced for just a bed to sleep on.

I wasn't allowed to check in yet, but took a shower and stowed my luggage in a locked room with cameras. Then I took a subway to Manhattan and started my meandering journey up the city. First stop was the High Line, a park that cuts up the lower west side and is built up on an elevated train track that was never put into service.

After walking through the park I was starving, so I decided to get some pizza. On recommendation from the internets I selected Angelo's as it has history and looked good. I walked all the way across the city and had a blast people-watching, then I was rewarded with this beautiful mushroom pizza:

Next up was a walk through Central Park. Not only is it as huge as it seemed, there were hundreds of people on a Thursday afternoon and more ballparks, playgrounds and amusement parks than I could count. I walked past the Met and also through lots of arches and fountains. There was a girl singing in one plaza and her voice was as beautiful as any I've heard, and likewise a guy playing violin very well in an archway. Cool place.

After the walk I thought it would be cool to watch a show on Broadway. Instead of trying to find and choose a theater show I just went to the AMC Lincoln Square 13 and watched a cinema show. Huge theater with mezzanine levels and very nice looking. I was surprised by the quality and artistic effort put into the commercials, wow. There was also a commercial for a $9,000,000 house, go figure. After the movie everyone clapped, I don't understand that, but if it makes them feel good go for it!

Instead of taking the subway all the way back I walked down Broadway from 67th to 14th. Very fun. I forgot Times Square is on Broadway so I walked right through the middle. Packed on a Thursday night. In several places people were shooting spinning toys with bright lights way up in the air, it looked cool.

Eventually I got back to the hostel, fell asleep around midnight, and woke back up at 4 AM. The subway is eerie at 5 in the morning. Lots of strange people and rats in the tunnels, but not necessarily unsafe. Otherwise the morning was uneventful, and soon I was boarding for London. Cheers!

RTW Day 6: ¡Adiós, Peru!

My last (free) breakfast in Peru was fried eggs, flat bread with jelly and butter, a huge bowl of fresh fruit, coffee, and O.J. Not too shabby.

I didn't waste time getting back to Cusco. A big part of me wanted to climb up to the ruins near Ollantaytambo, but I was still feeling ill. Not sure if maybe I got food poisoning or drank bad water, but it's definitely not the pills. Luckily the feeling quickly subsided during the day, other than a slight malaise I'll blame on overexertion at high altitude. Gotta work for the good stuff!

The bus back was full of French people who couldn't care less about me so I chose to read instead. Back in Cusco I had some time to kill. I went to the ChocoMuseo and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the place. Also, chemistry!

They had a workshop where you can make your own, but I did not have time. I bought a little bit for the road, stopped at a nearby pizzeria for lunch, and walked back to the airport.

Next stop: New York City.

RTW Day 5: Machu Picchu

I woke up at 5 AM feeling pretty sick, and blamed it on the malaria pills I'm taking. I picked up a "breakfast to-go" from Henri and got on the train to Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu. On the way I talked to an ex-Navy vet named Kent from Las Angeles. He had some interesting travel stories and was very supportive of my own travels.

The train had excellent views, and I got to watch the dry, desert-like hills near Cusco slowly evolve into a lush, green forest at the bottom of gigantic mountains with absolutely vertical walls.

At Aguas Calientes I again wandered aimlessly until I swallowed my pride and asked a policewoman where the Hell Machu Picchu is. Most people were taking the bus but in my infinite wisdom I decided to walk. I was feeling arrogant and prideful until I saw exactly what I would be hiking up:

Honestly it wasn't so bad but the hike the day before and the lingering nausea made it a tough climb. At the top I entered Machu Picchu, but I didn't have time to look around because the real hike up Wayna Picchu was supposed to start immediately. Begrudgingly I started up the incredibly steep stairs and dizzying dropoffs toward the summit. Eventually I got to the ruins, but the stairs didn't end there:

Though exhausted and feeling quite sick, I made it up to the very peak and the views were incredible and absolutely worth it:

The way down was painless except most people were (rightfully) terrified of the heights and steep, horribly unsafe stairs. I was just happy to be going down and took time to appreciate the views.

At the bottom I wandered Machu Picchu for another hour or so before finally succumbing to my body and calling it a day. There was another peak to summit, and some alternate, also spectacular views I missed, but I'm happy with what I saw.

I stopped at the gate for some expensive water (8 Soles compared to 1.50 normally...). Even though I was feeling pretty rough and surely looked grumpy and uninviting, I did talk to a girl from Switzerland for a bit. Cheered me up quite a bit, and I got to know a little about that part of Europe.

After parting ways I took a bus down the big hill, hopped on the train back to Ollantaytambo, and hit my pillow the second I got back. Whew.