Not in China Anymore

During my 24.5 hr transit from Beijing I felt this ominous unknown waiting for me in South Africa. An unknown that I had reckoned only to be of something bad in nature. Following numerous warnings from others and the guide book concerning crime, I had my defenses on high alert by the time I landed in Cape Town. Now, I just feel silly.

It of course would be foolhardy to think that you can walk anywhere, anytime with a giant yellow flag that says, 'rob me.' However, all in all my preconceived notions of security in South Africa, atleast around the Cape area, were completely wrong. I have had a blast since I have been here, well signified by this belated post.
If you are young, beautiful and affluent this is the place to be. Alternatively, Cape Town could equally serve as the perfect respite for retirees, sports enthusiasts or even dredlocked, Che-supporting anarchists. From the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans the beaches run right up to the base of the craggy mountain tops all within a few kiometers. There is parasailing, skydiving, surfing, climbing, sandboarding, hiking, abseiling, kaloofing (sp?), kayaking and fishing. It's Fall now and maybe I have just been lucky, but the weather has been spectacular every day making for fantastic views and fresh air.
Arriving last Tuesday evening, I decided to kick off my Africa leg by jumping into a shark cage for some face to face visits with some Great Whites. It was not exactly a National Geographic experience, but intense regardless. One guy chums, another 'fishes' with a giant chunk of tuna on a float, another toys with a seal dummy and the captain yells at you to get in your wet suit and get in the cage. Once a shark is spotted, you plunge down into the cage as it eagerly goes after the bait. I saw three different Great Whites, the largest of which was about 14-15 ft long. As I was underwater, a shark would appear out of nowhere, knock the cage around a bit and I quickly develop an appreciation for iron bars that I never thought I could have. The prime spot for this viewing is in 'Shark Alley', a narrow strip of water running between two islands, one inhabitated primarily by birds and the other by seals - It's a feeding frenzy. It can be rached by a 45 minute boat ride outside Gansbaai. The ride itself is nice, crashing through choppy seas while watching the waves roll in along the lighthoused coast.Back in Cape Town the next day (Thursday), I had to make a visit to the US Consulate down the pennisula - my passport needed a little TLC. I got a taste of South African public transport (slow, infrequent, and generally shabby) which I should of interpreted as a little foreshadowing - more on this later. Fortunately, a nice American guy taking care of the same passport issues as I offered my a ride back to Cape Town. This not only saved me time but allowed me enough daylight to squeeze in a hike up the Indian Vestor (vestor = window in Afrikaans) trail on Table mountain. Table Mountain towers over Cape Town offering stunning views of the surrounding environs from mountians to coast. The trail is quiet trecherous and takes several lives a year forcing me to employ a few rock climbing crimps here and there on the way up. I made it to the top before sunset to take in the incredible vistas and in time enough to meet some rock climbers topping out. One of them, Anthony, was a guide who, for a really good price, offered me a full day of climbing on Table mountain Saturday - I couldn't resist.
I spent Friday, exploring the ritzy Gardens district of Cape Town, then spent about 8 hours hiking along the Table mountain range and finished the day off on the beach for a sunset. As for my accomadations in Cape Town, I stayed in one of the many backpacker hostels along Long street. It's basically, backpacker's part alley and attracts all the beggars and soliciters of everything under the sun. Hence, it is no surprise it is the place I felt least safe. Other than the occassional shove of the persistant dope dealer, I never had any issues though. Long street is not quite my scene but I did meet several nice people who I shared beers with and what not. Patrick for instance, an Irish guy who currently holds the record for the longest continuous traveler I have ever met - going on 2 years this May. He is an Irish guy about my age who gave up his Risk Management job, sold the Porsche and since has visited nearly everywhere under the sun - including Antartica.Come Saturday I was primed for climbing. Anthony and I got up to the first pitch by 9 am. Unbeknownest to me, he was feeling me out on a 20 meter 5.7 to gauge my ability. Apparently, many clients talk up their skill level and it creates for a bad day of climbing. Having passed the test, I then climbed a 5.6 and worked on two traverses. This climbing was a whole new experience for me as it was all in the Traditional style requiring the use of various nuts, hexes and cams, as opposed to sport climbing which relies on prelaid bolts. I was very excited to learn about the equipment use, because up until now this method of rock climbing has been quite foreign to me. After a light lunch, I was able to approach a significantly more challenging climb - 'Jacob's Ladder', an 80 meter 5.9 climb. We did it in 2 pitches, using 2 half ropes with Anthony leading and me belaying and then cleaning the equipment as I climbed. It was all incredibly thrilling and gave me a whole new respect four traditional style climbing in which you really have to know your eqiupment!
On the hike down I was mulling over in my head various options to fill my next few days in Cape Town. It had become apparent to me that I would be stuck in Cape Town for awhile as all of Southern Africa pretty much shuts down around the long Easter holiday. While I was enjoying Cape Town, I wanted to get moving as my time here was limited. Feeling a little perturbed by this conundrum, Anthony offered me a ride to Montagu to spend the weekend with his climbing friends for a holiday climbing excurison. I asked when he was leaving and he said "Now." I said "O.K." Next stop, Montagu.