Matt Damon Stood Here!

I apologize in advance for the upcoming lack of detail. Our days are just so overwhelming and amazing that it’s tough to remember exactly what went on. I mean, when you’re stuck on a plane for 8-12 hours it’s pretty easy to recall specific details. Walking through a breath-taking city like Cape Town (and through the even more breath-taking natural views at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (more on that later)), it’s hard to remember everything interesting that you see. Even right now, I’m trying to write this two days after it happened, as the clouds roll over Table Mountain out my window. So yea. With that being said…

Even though my room went to bed around 2am that previous night/earlier that morning, I got up around six and just couldn’t get back to a solid sleep. Anyone that knows me knows I love to sleep, so actually getting up and going to get breakfast just wasn’t happening. Shitty sleep > no sleep. Once everyone was ready we started our walk to the waterfront area. It was kind of a pain in the ass to cross all those streets, since not only am I not in State College anymore (where students/pedestrians clearly own the roads), but I had to look the opposite direction, something I forgot like 95% of the time. Cape Town needs signs on the street like in London made specifically for tourists that say “Look Left.” The waterfront area is so so pretty, it has such a European feel to it, yet there are a lot of distinctly African themes going on so it’s a good mix.

 We then boarded the ferry to Robben Island. It was funny because there’s a pretty legit security checkpoint with metal detectors and stuff in the little ferry terminal thingy, and one of the guys I’m here with unknowingly brought his knife through. So I think it’s officially safe to say South African security is pretty relaxed.

The tour was split into two parts: first a tour guide on a bus took us around the island, then we were led by an actual political prisoner who was held on Robben Island as we went through all of the prisons.

I was kinda pissed with my seat location on the bused part of the tour, since I was an aisle seat in the 2 side of the 3-2 seat formation (pretty odd setup), and everything seemed to be happening on the other side. So to get good pictures (of which I’m lacking (from the bus, at least)) I had to shoot through three other people trying to take pictures and a window that wasn’t fully open. Thankfully we took a little pit stop near the ocean so I hoofed it back to the bus to get a better seat.

The prison tour was really amazing, as was our tour guide. To think that he could stay there for eight years (can’t remember the exact number, still though) under crappy conditions, forced labor, and torture, and then be able to come back and be willing to educate people about his experience is pretty remarkable.

Towards the end, we were able to see the cell Nelson Mandela stayed in for eighteen of twenty-seven (ish, again) years imprisoned. I just felt bad because for whatever reason the first thought that came to my mind was “Hey they shot Invictus here. Holy crap, Matt Damon once stood here!” Thankfully I didn’t verbalize that because I’m sure I woulda gotten some crazy looks. It was surreal though, especially after seeing how small his cell was and how…buckety his toilet was, how someone could believe that strongly in something that they’d be willing to go through all that just in hope that they get what they want. And all of this is during apartheid too? Wild.

On the ferry back we were able to get to the top deck, which was open air and provided us with some literally awesome panoramas of Cape Town from the water. I wish I took a picture of this, but I found it pretty funny that underneath the number of lifejackets that were available up there, there was a higher maximum occupancy number. Luckily our captain didn’t run us aground.

Once we got back on land we walked to this authentically African restaurant on Long Street, the street were all the (fun) action is. Having never been to New Orleans, I imagine it’s somewhat like Bourbon Street but a bit wider with less female frontal nudity. So I decide to order this chicken salad thing, and I ask to get the dressing on the side. I contemplated getting the ostrich but the kid next to me was getting it so I figured I’d get a taste from him if I wanted it. My “salad” finally got there, and I kind of wanted to puke at it. There was like five thin strips of chicken all aligned in a circle, and in between was stuff like cheese, tomatoes, onions…all stuff I hate. And underneath all of this is a gross dressing that is essentially touching/tainting everything in it. I notsoquickly overcame my disgust and realized I was in Africa and should definitely try to taste new things (Beth that was for you and your Mom). I eventually made it through like 20% of it before I just couldn’t take it anymore, so I started offering untouched pieces to those around me. I was so happily overwhelmed by all the people willing to share their food with me after seeing that I didn’t like what I ordered, it really was such a nice thing to do. After that I could say I tried ostrich, crocodile, and some animal that looks like an antelope whose actual name I can’t remember. Pretty cool.