From Cape Town to Monkton

I still love Cape Town. That city is definitely on my somewhat short list of places I need to revisit some day in the future. Sunday morning, I met up with Caroline and Denise again to check out the local markets in town. I must say, I am awesome at bartering! It's like a challenge and so much fun. I just hope I haven't fallen into a habit - I don't think the cashiers at Target would appreciate it too much if I just started suggesting alternate prices!

Jen had to move on to her next project (working with penguins) so she was unable to join us. Denise showed Caroline and I the scenic waterfront of Capt Town. We had a really nice lunch at a cute place near the water. After lunch it was time for us to part ways again. I decided to then book a flight directly from Cape Town to Jo'burg. I had plans to get up at 5 am to get a bus to take me to George and catch a flight there... but that was just too much. Once I got that all sorted out I decided to just chill out at the hostel for the rest of the night and have some time to myself. Well, that plan completely went down the drain very quickly! I was eating dinner on the balcony with a few people and somehow (I really don't know how) I got convinced to go out salsa dancing! Oh. My. Little did I know, the guy that originally invited me was a salsa instructor! I'd like to think that I typically enjoy myself pretty easily on the dance floor, but this was a challenge! Everyone there obviously went salsa dancing at least on a weekly basis, but I didn't care, if I made a fool out of myself, I was leaving the country in less than 24 hours! When we all arrived back at the hostel, we ended up staying up til 4 am discussing everything from politics to the pets we had growing up. I really realized that last night that I LOVE travelling. I know I've said that before, but I love it even more now. I'm starting to realize that no matter what country you come from, you've got something to offer, something you want to experience, and something you want to acheive. I can't get enough of meeting people from all over the world, comparing each other's lifestyles, learning new things, and recognizing how much everyone in this world has in common.

I was a bit upset to be leaving. I've met amazing people, met some (hopefully) life-long friends, and done some amazing things. Before I left, I was worried that 2 countries wasn't enough for almost 7 weeks of travelling, but wow, I was so wrong. I could have EASILY spent more time in both Egypt AND South Africa. SO many highlights - camels, the Nile, hot air balloons, clubbing in Egyptian bars, snorkelling, diving, bungy jumping, fishing, surfing, safaris, salsa dancing, new friends, new food, new music, new wine... the list goes on! I know I said this at the end of my NZ blog, but I am NOT done travelling! I've built so much confidence and this world has so much to offer - whether it's on my doorstep or 12,000 miles away - let's just say I have a new addiction to experiencing and learning about the world.