BootsnAll Travel Network



July 3rd- Cape Town, South Africa

At the airport it was all hustle and bustle.  People were running around, trying to checkin and in the midst of it all i managed to lose my second item, my walking stick!  I think I lost it from the initial security check in point to when I was standing in line waiting forever to check in.  While standing online I met this really friendly couple originally for South Africa who were now expats in Abu Dhabi.  Mohamed worked as a school psychologist at Abu Dhabi University and Faheema worked as a teacher in another school.  While we were waiting on this line to check in which was not moving at all, the three of us decided to use the family check in line.  I said that Mohamed was my uncle (he is black and from south africa).  After I checked in, got my tickets and checked my backpack I went downstairs to their very nice cigar shop. I bought some nice cuban cigars and mini nargile’s, one for me, one for my friend setton.  I didn’t want to get a proper one as they seemed expensive and these were cool and the lady who sold it to me claimed that they would work.  After I was done with all of that I happen to find Faheema and Mohammed talking at the coffee shop waiting to leave as well.  We chatted about about working in abu dhabi and I got their cards.

255am rolled around before I knew it and it was time to board the plane.  I obviously had a window seat as I arranged for those in January when I booked my ticket online.  I sat next to a girl from Swaziland, who lived in DC, Canada and now lives in London as a nursery nurse, but goes back to Swaziland every summer for 2 months. The flight wasn’t too bad, I couldn’t sleep which was typical for me on buses, trains, and planes. The food on the plane was not that great and gave me an upset stomach.  Instead of sleeping I watched several movies and ate my sharwama on the plane that I picked up in Abu Dhabi the night before.

I got off the plane in Joburg, South Africa, went through immigration and customs which were much easier than in Abu Dhabi.  I waited a little while to get luggage my, I said goodbye to faheema and mohammed and went on my way to the domestic airport.  I had to catch a flight on British Airways to Cape town, South Africa.  I would be spending a few nights there.  So I walked pretty far to the domestic terminal, checked in with British Airways which was a breeze and then headed off to the gate.  Right in front of the gate was an Irish pub so I grabbed a beer at this irish pub even though it was 1030am, my saying is that it is 5pm somewhere in the world, therefore it’s never too early to start.  While I was sitting at the bar, I took out my palm pilot to try and get internet, it really didn’t work but the workers took a liking to it so I showed it off to them.

I had to wait until 1215pm to board the plane, and passed the time by reading my book and listening to music.  When I got on the smaller plane, I sat in the aisle and for some stupid reason did not have the aisle.  I didn’t even bother to look at my ticket and just assumed I had one since I always get one.  But since I was half asleep at check in for British Airways I think I asked for a window, go figure.  I met this guy Aidan from Cape town, whose brother-in-law is Trevor Immelman, who won the very famous golf tournament this year called The Masters.  He invited me to Stollenbosch if I found my way out there.  Stollenbosch is the wine country and there are hundreds of wineries out there.  Overall I had a nice chat with him.  I got off the plane in the tiny domestic airport in cape town, got my luggage, and said to myself “where is my free shuttle to the hostel I arranged for months ago?” I called up Big Blue Hostel and they told me that the guy was coming to get me.  I ended up waiting 2.5 hours in this fucking tiny airport and was not happy when he arrived.  I should have just gotten a taxi but it was based on principle that part of the deal for getting a dorm room for 3 nights or more was a free shuttle pick up from the airport!  While I was waiting I got a new local sim card for my cell phone which ended up being a huge ripoff!  Never get anything from the airport.  Anyway the reason why I waited so long was this guy who works with the hostel picking people up didn’t want to drive back and forth to and from the airport so he waited for the other couple to arrive two hours after me and then came and got us.  I was really pissed off.

So I finally get to the hostel, and its really nice.  I met dana, rusty, Jaime and some of the people here.  The hostel is NOT crowded at all.  I guess since it’s the winter, and the weather in Cape Town in the winter is terrible that people don’t really come here as much as in the summer when apparently the hostel is full every night.  So it’s raining and cold and I really was not prepared for cold and rain so I had to break out my really warm tibetan handmade wool, fleece lined jacket. Later in the evening Dana, Jamie and I went to long street the famous street in cape town with clubs, bars and good food. We went to a place called Mama Africa’s where I ordered crocodile to share as an appetizer and ostrich fillet for my main meal, which was really good. I also get a robben island ice tea, which was cheap and strong.  I haven’t had a proper drink in days.

We ended up taking a taxi back. I played some pool with Rusty and this kid Gile from Durban, who was working in a clothing factory living in the hostel.  I ended up falling asleep quite early as it was a real long day.



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