I went to see my dear friend who lives in SA to have a well deserved break from everyday life in Copenhagen.
I met so many friendly people during my stay and was positively surprised by the great atmosphere and hospitality of the South African people. To be honest I had heard a lot of bad stuff about the country (mostly from people who has never been there before of course) but I must say, I got my own very good impression of the place.
I will try and share some of my experiences with you.
After a lot of thought I finally found the courage to book my flight to Cape Town. It's been 8 years since my last trip alone and the thought of going to a new country alone really scared me...I think that is why I did it!
03.03.2011
I arrived in Cape Town yesterday after a long flight and went straight through customs and right into the arms of my dear girlfriend M whom I met in Copenhagen one and a half years ago. She was married to a Danish guy, but divorced and moved back to her home country that she loves so dearly. I can see why...
We drove along the coast around 2 hours to Hermanus, where she now lives. The scenery was absolutely amazing, big mountains in the background covered in fog and merchants selling lots of strange stuff at the road side.
We went for a nice sushi dinner that night, we sat on a bench looking over the ocean. The sun is lightly blocked by the thick fog and makes the temperature around 22 degrees. For me it is perfect, still have to get used to the big climate change, leaving snow behind in Copenhagen airport.
04.03.2011
Woke up this morning with the sound of waves clashing into the rocks and crickets singing along with M's 6 month old parrot. She rescued him 1 month ago from a family who abused him.
I make some yogurt with mango for breakfast and sit on the terasse reading my book 'Eat, pray love'. I notice a quote in the book: "It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly, than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection" and it hits me...that is exactly what I'm gonna do. And I'm gonna enjoy the process :o)
05.03.2011
M and I went on a roadtrip. We stocked the car with pink vitamin water and drove for a very long time until we reached this small French looking wine town called Franschoek. We had a lovely lunch, fish of the day with a chilled glass of white wine from the area. M suggested we go see a friend of hers in a local winery, so we did. We arrived to this little oasis of a winery called 'Maison' and were greated by the huge dog who guarded the place. The temperature outside was getting close to 35 degrees and we desperately needed something to chill us down, so in we went to the tasting room, where we tasted a very nice Chenin blanc from 2009.
After a long chat and a little snooze on the grass we drove to a nearby lion sanctuary where we walked around to see the rescued lions close up. They all just had a whole chicken, so most of them was eating their dinner and relaxing in the sun.
On our way back we decided to stop by the winery to buy a six pack of white wine.
Before bed I got my cage diving booked. 4 days from now I will go and see one of the worlds most feared animals...I feel excited and scared at the same time. This is my time to proof that I can do whatever I want, just jump right in...
06.03.2011
I'm sitting here writing in a deck chair at the guesthouse where M works. It's surrounded by beige walls hiding a beautiful sanctuary. In the middle of the courtyard there's a long pool with a little fountain of water running down making a nice relaxing sound. There's a lounge area with big comfy sofas with sea view and a library with pool table, even an open fireplace for the colder nights. Our room is amazing! Everything is kept in whites and beige and just have that beach house feeling over it. Can't wait to sleep in the big bed later.
As for now I'm enjoying the last bit of afternoon sun with my beloved book and the relaxing sound of the water. This is the most relaxed I've felt since I came to South Africa. I finally think my body is getting used to the idea of being on holiday.
M made us the loveliest dinner ever: oestridge steak with mash and vegetables with a glass of chilled sauvignon blanc from 'Gabrïelskloof'. I've never tasted meat so good! It's my new favorite meal. All I need now is a long bath with salt before bed. Bliss :o)
07.03.2011
Drove 3 hours to M's boyfriend's house in Stilbai. I have my own room in the ground floor overlooking the sea. The house itself is in 2 floors and the walls are made of glass. It's like stepping into an episode of MTV Cribs! Outside there's a heated jacuzzi that I'm sure will be used later. The decor is blue, beige and white, sea shells, lighthouses and beach pictures everywhere. Outside there's a big barbecue and a stone oven. How wonderful to be able to spend some time here in this paradise.
08.03.2011
We enjoyed a full day of sun yesterday and the jacuzzi was used a lot...I have a vague recollection about the biggest bubble bath ever and a bottle of Jägermeister...one of the funniest nights I've had ever...! Woke up to find a big bruise on my leg, have no idea how it got there, but at least it wasn't as big as M's. Apparently she had fallen sideways into the jacuzzi! Just lucky she didn't drown. All I know is all I felt like all day was real Coca Cola. Don't remember last time I had one of those.
09.03.2011
Woke up early. Today was the day for testing my courage...it was time to go cage diving! And I was really excited to go. We drove to a nearby town called Gainsbaii where the diving center was. We got a quick briefing and signed the usual 'if you get killed it's on YOU!' The waves were huge, it was like a ride in Tivoli. Luckily me and M had taken some sea sick tablets before going out on the boat, so we didn't get sick. The other couple on the boat weren't so lucky!
When we were outside Dyer Island we set anchor and pushed the cage in the big waves. The bait was thrown in and I got ready in my wetsuit. Before I knew it, there was a shark spottet and I jumped right in as the first person in the cage. M stayed on the boat taking pictures. The water was very unclear and the visibility poor which meant, that out of no where a great white suddenly appeared right in front of me! I felt my heart beat a little faster than usual and took a deep breath. I stayed under as long as I could to watch this amazing animal. I tried not to get my hands and feet outside the cage, but it was very difficult cause of the waves. But after a while my natural fear changed into a deep respect and wonder of this animal who has been around since the dinosaurs. It just patrolled past the cage and looked at me like it was the most natural thing on earth. Next thing it jumped for the bate when I least expected it. I felt a strange calmness and presence that is hard to describe. Absolutely AMAZING !!! After 20 minutes I was shaking so much because of the cold water that they had to help me up from the cage. 20 minutes had felt like 2 minutes! I saw 4 great whites where 2 of them where over 3,5 m. They seemed much bigger than on Discovery Channel! I'm sure this first encounter with the great white will stay in my mind forever.
