Last week, Trey and Whit took the long journey from Philadelphia to Cape Town to be our very first houseguests. It was fantastic to see them coming down the ramp at Cape Town International and I couldn’t wait to wrap my arms around both of them!
Knowing how long and exhausting that trip is, I didn’t have much planned for the first day thinking they might want to nap. NOPE! They are travel rockstars and powered through the day without any shuteye. It helped that The Mother City welcomed them with her finest weather, giving us 80 degrees and pure sunshine. We enjoyed fresh seafood at the waterfront for lunch and then hit the markets to pick up groceries for dinner at home. It was a perfect first day.
Day One was followed by a not-so-perfect Day Two. I woke up to dense fog and chilly weather so I thought I’d let the travelers sleep in… until noon. We were on our way to an afternoon yoga class when Trey realized his wallet was still enjoying an Uber ride without him. Thankfully, after some stress and diligence, the wallet was returned to us with all of it’s contents. Shout out to Uber Cape Town! We decided we needed to turn our day around ASAP so we headed to our favorite steak place, Nelson’s Eye for dinner. As always, it did the trick and we’ll remember the day (for the most part) fondly.
From Day Three on, we had a seamless trip and enjoyed all that the Western Cape has to offer. We took a day trip to the Cape of Good Hope to see ostriches, baboons, and some truly stunning scenery. While there, we/I learned THIS IS NOT the most southern tip of Africa; it is the most Southwestern tip of Africa. I guess that’s worth a photo op?
After our hike at the Cape of Good Hope, we decided to see if we could hit one of the beautiful beaches below. We took a right on an unmarked street which led us to a private beach. It was so nice to have the sand beneath our feet until we realized what was actually below our feet… a million tiny maggots. As soon as we realized what was happening we sprinted to the water’s edge where it was maggot-free. Unfortunately, this meant we’d eventually have to sprint back through the bug infested sand to get to our car. We did and we all survived but thinking about it now makes me a little squirmy. TIA!
Kip worked all week and wasn’t able to join the fun until Saturday. The weather wasn’t great in Cape Town so we went to Hout Bay to check out the weekend market. I kept hearing great things about Hout Bay’s market and while the food was delicious, the shopping wasn’t anything to write home about. Am I writing home about it?
We ended Trey and Whit’s visit with a Sunday trip to Stellenbosch. Kip and I hadn’t made the trip yet because we knew we’d go with visitors. As promised, it was beautiful. We had lunch at Spier and then checked out De Morgenzon for a little afternoon tasting. Both places are worth visiting and offered completely different experiences. Spier felt a little corporate but had a great restaurant and expansive grounds. De Morgenzon was much smaller and intimate and the grounds were breathtaking. I know “winter is coming,” but the flowers are still in full bloom.
We loved having Trey and Whit here and are so thankful they made the trip! Next up are Kip’s friend from high school and his fiance. They get here Thursday and we’ll have them off and on for a few nights before Mom and Dad arrive in early June. Looking forward to a new round of guests and adventures!
ElephantsAbroad 