DAY 1.

29 hours later and I landed in Cape Town last night (day, afternoon?), my perception of time is still not quite right. I flew over the Atlantic and flew over places I have been dreaming of being on the same continent as my entire life. 29 hours in airports and on planes is all it took for a 22-year dream to become a reality. I flew over the French Alps, and I saw my reflection in the window of the plane and gave myself a lovingly smile. I did it.

Lights glamorously lit the scene as we dropped altitude and circled into Cape Town. Adrenaline dominated the jet lag, and positivity overruled the fear. Nine personalities in one apartment, and there is an underlying notion of disbelief in us all that we are actually on this great adventure. 

We could not have been more lucky to have graced with beautiful weather on our first real outing in Cape Town. We first head to the market up the street to gather foods that either 1. we had never heard of or 2. were the same brands but compiled completely different. Example, candy in flavors like "champagne" "chardonnay" and "pinot". Packaged "pies" in curry and the infamous Marmite. 

We were all starving so we decided to go into Cape Town. Conveniently, we live right by a train. Literally, right by a train. So we got a first class ticket to Cape Town and 10 minutes later found ourselves in a city where people were bustling in a pavilion and a mountain was dominating the sky. 

For R140 (about $20 or) we got a ticket on a tour bus (double decker) and head up Table Top. It was breathtaking. The sky is bigger and the pace is slower. I almost forgot that there was also another beautiful attraction to this wonderful city, the ocean. 

We made it to the coast and ate an fine italian restaurant where we sipped wine, and daquiris. I ordered the gnochi and gorgonzola and it was arguably the best meal I have ever ate. I was a few hundred yards from the breaking waves with 8 friends. A street performer with an old acoustic and wonderful expressions entertained us while strumming Bob Marley. We took beautiful pictures on the beach and then went to a super posh mall. There is posh and poverty in Cape Town. Lamborghinis and footless feet.
The gang had to get phones, converters and all that other stuff, which is stressful but it didn't jade the day. 

However, the city feels safe to me. It needs open minded students and tourists in order for it to thrive and talk about just how beautiful it is. Tonight, I will sleep well and tomorrow I will venture even more. Until tomorrow, Goodnight from Cape Town!

Love from CT,

Brooke