Some people need to be on leashes...

            Yesterday morning those of us interested in doing our service work at Mannenburg Primary School went back to ask more questions.  We were introduced to several of the classrooms.  All of the kids were welcoming and begged us to come work in their classrooms.  They all think we are personal friends with people like Justin Beiber and Beyonce.  Their teacher told them that one of us was Justin Beiber’s sister and they bounced out of their seats with excitement.  I really enjoyed seeing the school again and I am currently thinking of choosing it as my service site.

            Then we packed up for the afternoon and headed to Camps Bay Beach.  It was gorgeous!  It was a very different scene than the townships that we have toured the past few days.  The beach felt very glamorous with fancy boutiques, hotels and restaurants lining the main street.  We didn’t spend too much time on the beach since the wind was rather strong, whipping sand around.  However, we all agreed it was a great exfoliate!  We walked around for a bit and several people bought bracelets, scarves, and artwork from vendors on the street.  I was having difficulty deciding on which scarf to buy, so I left it up to Darin (an 11 year old local who decided to hang out with us for a bit).  I am very pleased with his selection. 

            This morning (meaning around noon) five of us headed down to start our first adventure on the train!  It was extremely hot today, so we felt it was appropriate to check out 3 or so different beaches!  Since we were starting a few hours earlier than some other house members, we decided to make a few stops before going to our final destination of Simon’s Town.  We bought our train tickets for $8 ZAR (so around $1.20 US) and were off!  Our first stop was Muizenberg.  It was a beautiful beach with lots of surfers!  We spent around an hour exploring the beach before heading back to the train and continuing on our journey.  Next we stopped at Kalk Bay.  It was absolutely beautiful!  We started exploring the town, stopping in a few local shops to check them out—definitely heading back there to shop sometime soon!  There were such cute places, including a beach bar called ‘Cape To Cuba.’  We decided to have lunch at ‘Luck Fish & Chip’ that was the BEST calamari, fish and chips I have ever had.  Our orders came out wrapped in giant paper and four of us could have easily split one.  This town offered me fish the way I enjoy it—straight from the ocean onto the pier where it was filleted, cooked, and put on my plate!  After lunch we spend some time watching the waves crash into rocks in the water and seeing the seals swim around.  The later members from our house met up with us and then we all hopped back onto the train and were off to Simon’s Town.  When we arrived we were faced with a longer walk than expected to Boulders Beach (where the penguins are).  We got there, saw a few penguins, and quickly headed back so we didn’t miss the last train back to Rosebank. 

            The day was definitely filled with lots of adventures—some of which are going to have to remain secrets, but I think we all enjoyed ourselves and had a great day!  I thought of everyone back home in the cold snowy temperatures while enjoying the sun and beaches.

Off to sleep!

Love,

Catie

Camps Bay Beach

Muizenberg Beach

Kalk Bay

Group at Kalk Bay

Best Calamari, Fish and Chips!

Boulders Beach

Lost penguin!

Penguin with overcast sky