October 25

So, despite my stupid computer charging problems, I am determined to continue my blog.  Today we got up at 6:30 and had breakfast.  We finally met our tour guide Lindy and our group who are a mixture of Americans and Canadians.  Wisconsin, New York, Kentucky, Iowa, Arizona, & Winnipeg, etc.  We win for being the furthest away from South Africa.  Lindy is from South Africa.  She's awesome, funny, & nice.  I think I may be the youngest in the group.  There is a blind woman around my age travelling with her mother. What an amazing person she is.

We got on our bus and headed downtown Cape Town and saw the sights.  We went to Table Mountain on a cable car.  It's a bit chilly today and overcast.  Very different temperature than yesterday which was more tropical.  I saw my first wildlife today...a rodent called a Rock Dassie, a squirrel and some type of bird.  On the way down from the cable car, I came across another group of school kids who let me take their pictures and they really hammed it up.  Love it.  South African people are very friendly, always smiling.

We went to a lovely park right in the center of the city.  Learned a lot about the history and people here.  After we got back from the tour at 1:30 mom decided to have a nap and I went back to the watefront marketplace for some 'me' time.  I bought a big bag purse (forgot to bring one) a table runner with matching placemats and pillow covers from this wonderful lady named Zodwa.  She had a little booth at the craft fair and the fabric is handpainted.  She was THRILLED I bought those things from her.  She jumped up and down and hugged me.

It rained on the way back to the hotel.  Oh yeah, had a Big Mac....tastes the same.  Sorry, didn't notice the price.  We got ready for our dinner out with the group to try African delicacies.  It was a fun night with an African drumming lesson and great food.  Getting to know the people in our group was fun.  Seems like we have a great group.  There was lots of African chanting and fun.  Mom got surprised by a statue-like character at the entrance when it suddenly put it's arm around her and startled her.  It was hilarious.  Here are the pics.  Tomorrow we head out for a full day of sight-seeing.  My computer is still acting stupid too.  Feel sorry for me, feel very sorry for me.  haha

Our motley crew

On the way to Table Mountain

You can hike if you want

On top of Table Mountain

It's very cloudy up here

A family of Rock Dassies

The 7 Apostles

Lindy, our awesome tour guide doing the Titanic thing.  haha

School kids on a field trip

Muslim district of Cape Town

You can really see the Dutch influence with all the colours

Downtown Cape Town

This is where the slaves lived who tended the gardens

First Dutch Reformed Church

This is bread fruit and has been around as far back as the dinosaurs apparently

This is a garden park in the town center

Can you see the bumble bee?

t

That's Table Mountain in the background

Our wonderful bellmen

Mom has no idea there's someone in that statue

She knows NOW!

We got African drumming lessons

It was VERY noisy

Lindy, our tour guide and one of us.