Cape Town

So I arrived in Johannesburg after 2 lengthy flights and went to the American International School in Joburg (AISJ) to meet up with my friend Lauren. We went to a dinner for all the student teachers she is with from New Jersey. Saturday, we woke up early and got on a plane to Cape Town. We arrived at the airport, got in a cab and went to our hotel called The Hyde in Sea Point. It is very new and very nice and in a good location. We put down our bags and put on our swimsuits and headed to the Clifton Beaches. We chose Beach 2 which was really nice a relaxing. That night, we went to a restaurant called La Perla where Lauren had a sole filet and i had ostrich. Sunday, we hiked up Table Mountain which took about an hour and 45 mintues. It was very hot and a lot of fun. Sunday night we went to Camps Bay and had dinner overlooking the ocean, then went for a walk on the beach as the sun went down. Monday was kind of a rainy day so we went for a run on the pier and then went to the Waterfront to the aquarium. After that, we had lunch at a place where I had more African game (Eland, Springbock, Wildebeast, and Gemsbock). Springbock was by far the best. Monday night, we went into the city to Long Street to see a friend named Russ and his band perform. He's a tall lanky white guy who plays the sax but he also raps now. His music is a mix of Jazz and Hip Hop so it was very unique and cool to listen to. Tuesday, we went to Robben Island, which was very interesting. We saw Nelson Mandela's cell and learned a lot about the island like how it used to be a leper colony before it became a prison. Our tour guide was probably the best part as he had one of the most ridiculous voices. We had a good laugh about him for the rest of the trip. After the island, we went to Camps Bay and just lay on the beach for a few hours before having dinner with one of my cousin Richard's friends. Wednesday, we rented a car and I took Lauren to the wine country. We had a really nice lunch outside on a patio with a beautiful garden and a little view of the countryside. Then we went for a cellar tour/wine tasting. Wednesday night, we went back to Camps Bay and lay on the beach while the sun went down. We then had a nice dinner in a restaurant overlooking the sea. And that was my trip to Cape Town. I must be honest, if I was not doing the whole medicine thing, I would seriously consider doing something international where I could be in Cape Town for a while. I am now in London with the family and am about to go for a short 4 mile run to watch my cousin Robert play rugby. I'll try and post more often seeing as I will have more regular access to computers from now until the end of my trip. Overall, an amazing start to the trip...