Weekend Wrap Up

It's a small bar at the top of a backpacker's hostel on Long Street. You go in an unmarked door and you take the elevator to the sixth floor, and then you walk through some double doors, past the front desk and on through the winding halls (through a kitchen, too) that smell faintly of cat urine and finally up some stairs. The top of the hostel is open to the air, a rooftop oasis from the wild night. It's comfortable, couches everywhere, blankets for when you get cold. 

The bartenders let me go back behind the small bar, covered sort of by flags of all nations (not the US or Ireland, though). They let me open Black Labels and pour shots. I take the money, hand it over and continue with my work. 

One of the bartenders knows I like the Deftones, so every night he plays me a song I love. It's nice. 

That was Friday. There was an international phone call that came in while I was up there, not necessarily paying attention to a game of pool. And then there may have been street food and dancing and a late night spaghetti adventure that involved me clamoring around the kitchen at five in the morning. 

But then there was sleep. Saturday was a beautiful day for sleep. 

And a nap. 

And some delicious little pasta delight. 

And then some more sleep. 

Sunday was by far the most wonderful day I've had in Cape Town yet. I cannot believe how much I love water. We went to Muizenberg Beach. I took Margaret (my new Dutch roommate) to Muizenberg Market where we bought sunglasses. I am now the proud owner of a pair of knock-off Ray Bans. The vendor tried to take our money and then not give us two pairs because he was convinced that Margartet had stolen a pair. It took a good few minutes of tense conversation to get it all worked out, and in the end, he found the pair he thought she'd stolen and we went on our merry way. 

We walked down the beach, found a nice spot, and set up camp. I laid out my stolen South African Airways blanket (hey, I paid for the flight ticket and I didn't drink any of the complimentary wine) and stretched out in the sun. We were joined by Mike and Philpp and their new roommate Utah as well as Ellie and Ryanne. 

I got to swim in the ocean! It was so cold, but the day was hot and after awhile, all I felt was the sea around me. I swam and jumped in the waves. I let them lift me up and surround me and cover my head. 

Afterward, I went and laid on my blanket and drank wine and soaked up sun and wind. 

I was overjoyed. 

Overjoyed, yet sunburned. 

And so today, I have a red back that bears hand prints and other odd markings from where I attempted to put on sunscreen. Oh, but I'm so happy. I can't wait to get back in. I want the weather to be warm enough that I can go and lay out or go and swim without a wetsuit. 

The train home was horrible. We missed the first train and had to wait nearly an hour for the second one, so we went to a local pub and had a beer. It was nearly empty, seated at the bar were people who looked as though they'd lived their entire life at the beach - leathery skin and graying hair, yet still slender. 

We drank quickly, ignoring the drunken man who kept trying to engage us all in conversation - he thanked Mike profusely for bringing lovely women into the bar - and then went back to catch the train. 

However, it seems that everyone within a ten mile radius wanted to catch the train at that particular time. It was a literal stampede of people rushing for the doors of the already quite full train. And so we jammed ourselves on. Well, some of us jammed ourselves on. Mike and Margaret were left standing on the platform and by the time I saw them and figured out their situation, I was sandwiched in between a stroller with some really sharp wheels, a woman and a baby, Philipp and a man. 

As the train started moving, I felt the man put his head against my back. (He was probably a good five inches shorter than me.) His friends laughed. I shifted. He put his head back again. I turned entirely. My backpack was hanging off one shoulder, held against my stomach with my hand. As soon as I shifted he began a gross humping motion. At this, I turned and looked him square in the eye. "Don't even try it," I snapped. 

"But you have such beautiful eyes."

I rolled them. 

"NO." I said. "Get away from me." 

I said it loud enough that the people around me could hear and then I gave the death glares I'm known for. He stopped, thankfully. And when we arrived at our station, I was grateful to be moved along in the crush of people exiting for safety.

Here's hoping that I don't find myself on a packed train anytime in the near future, as I'm apt to just wait for the next one.  

I arrived home sunburned, exhausted and so happy to have spent the day in the sun. 

And this week brings adventure as well. Robben Island on Wednesday with the Journalism people, hopefully the completion of my first story (I've been ADD-ing out on this one, in case you were wondering why it's taken me so long. I am going to do a work-from-home sort of thing tonight and try to get it all sorted.) Some more interviews and the beginning of two different stories. 

And then what?

Next weekend, Biscuit Mill on Saturday and then hopefully a wine-biking tour sort of thing on Sunday. 

I love this place. 

I really do. 

It's strange and it's wonderful and it's everything I never expected but could ever want. 

Except I miss fiber bars and healthy food and real spinach.