Penguins and Mountain Climbing

I've been hoarding posts on my computer because the wifi at the hostel in Cape Town was a touch temperamental. But I am now in Joburg and prepared with both internet and tales of adventure:

Wednesday:

Wednesday I met up with Kristin at a coffee shop at greenmarket square and we caught the train out to Simon's Town. It was a gorgeous ride along the coast - lots of colourful surfing shacks and pretty sea-side towns. There, we went to see the penguins at Boulder Park, they were funny to watch waddle in and out of the waves but mostly they just sunbathed with their babies (the brown ones). We stopped at Klemps Bay on the way back for some antique/art shopping, and then made our way back into town.

Thursday

Thursday I climbed Table Mountain with 3 Canadian guys I met at the hostel (2 working the oil rigs in Alberta, and 1 Torontonian making his way home after 2 years teaching english in Korea). It took about 1 hour and 45 minutes straight up, and corrected any notions I may have had about being in shape. But after 10 minutes of sitting collapsed and panting at the top, the creeping sense of accomplishment definitely began to feel worth it. Initially we were above and inside the clouds so I was really irritated that I'd busted myself to be swaddled in white, but they moved past and the view was absolutely stunning. I however ran out of batteries precisely 45 minutes into the climb so this is the best I can share with you

Friday/Saturday

Friday I met with a good friend of mine from University who is studying in Stellenbosch (about 45 minutes from Cape Town) he came and picked me up, we drove to his place. I went with him to Basketball practice (he runs a program for highschool kids in the township nearby) which was an unbelievable amount of fun! After we toured the campus and then met up with his friends for dinner and some drinks and pool at a bar near by. Saturday he had to study so I (back in Cape Town) went to the Neighbour Market at the Old Biscuit Mill which is kind of a local/organic/artisan outdoor market where there are enough free samples of delicious food that you could do a lap and consider it lunch! I went back to the company gardens and toured around a bit, then went back to the hostel for dinner and turned in for an early night because Sunday was the big flight to Joburg!

Sunday/Monday

Yesterday I arrived in Johannesburg! The flight was a little less than 2 hours and rather uneventful. The man I'm staying with (a friend of my Profs) came and picked me up at the airport, then I spent the day chatting with him, touring the house and unpacking my bag. 

Today was my first day at the hospital! It's absolutely massive but conspicuously empty of patients because of the Taxi strike that happened today. Here "Taxi" refers to a mini-bus that runs in the place of public transit but has a chaotic and rather unreliable schedule known only to the locals. According to the news the strike will end tomorrow, so (fingers crossed) people should be able to come in for their appointments. Not particularly eventful as a first day of work but intriguing and as good a day as any to start feeling out my place in all of this.