Today was one of those perfect days; the kind where you feel
happiness down to your bones. Today felt like childhood is supposed to feel-
freedom, smiles, and laughter.
Last night Mr. Ives and I were trying to plan a fun day for
the students as today was still a traveling day for the rest of the
delegations. We weren’t certain about how we would spend our time, where we
would eat, or what we would see. It always happens like this- things just come
together, they feel right, and often bring so much happiness that they day ends
with exhaustion from pure overjoy. Yes, today was just perfect.
We started our day having a delicious breakfast in the
hotel. Cereal, fresh fruit, fresh omelets, bacon, croissants, cheese, meats,
and any type of fresh juice you could imagine were among the many things
offered. They even have an actual honeycomb that you can scrape to get fresh
honey. Yes, really, we spooned fresh honey from a real honeycomb for breakfast.
As we sat there enjoying delicious food we were serenaded by a live pianist. He
played a mixture of modern tunes and we all hummed along and chatted. At the end of breakfast the pianist came to
the table and gave us a copy of his CD. Yes, this was all before 9am. (Have I
mentioned today was a perfect day?)
After breakfast we headed to our rooms to get our things and
decided to head to the beach. The hotel called us a taxi and we waited
patiently in the beautiful chandelier-filled lobby. Once in the cab we quickly
realized that we likely had the funniest, most entertaining driver. Not only
was he a Cape Town native but his historically accurate blurbs and perpetually
funny wit had us all laughing the entire way to the ocean.
We were dropped off in a parking lot just above Clifton
Beach. As we descended the steep stairway towards the ocean, the girls were
literally jolted from the beautiful scenery that appeared before us. The rocks
surrounding the beach almost look like something from of Disney World. Clifton
is small and quiet filled with children playing, people sunning, and of course,
the peaceful sound of ocean waves crashing. Surrounded by mountains and the
ocean, we stood with our toes in the warm sands of the southern tip of Africa.
This, we all knew, would be a day matched only by the beauty of our
surroundings.
After Aiti and Diana nearly jumped into the ocean in full
clothing we played in the sand, looked for shells, and without a doubt, took
many ‘selfies.’ The next beach was just a short walk away and the views on the
pathway there were absolutely breathtaking.
Camps Bay is gorgeous- deep blue waters, giant waves, and a
cove shaped beach completely surrounded by mountains. Camps Bay has a lot more
bustle than Clifton- shops line the streets and the smell of endless
restaurants lured us into the culture and beauty all around us. On our way into
town, our tummies were growling. We stopped to ask a surfer where we could grab
a great bite to eat. He recommended a place called KUAI. It’s a chain
restaurant that serves only healthy food! We sat outside and looked over our
menus as we watched a variety of people walk by. As we waited for our food, the
sounds of the street drummers, passing cars, and sizzling food enveloped the
air. The students remarked that they could ‘live here forever.’ We talked
through lunch about what American culture is so different. Why, for example,
are South Africans so genuinely friendly and full of life while Americans tend
be rather unwelcoming and grumpy? Why do we choose to live in a place that
doesn’t seem to value happiness? Students grappled with these questions throughout
lunch.
After lunch we strolled along the brick walkway where there
were locals selling intricate souvenirs. We all bought matching bracelets and
the girls purchased some gifts for friends and family back home.
We closed out the day with a final walk on the beach. We
made innumerable attempts at a cliché jumping photo- the best product is below.
As we walked to our meeting point to catch the taxi, the happiness of our group
was nearly tangible. Our now sun kissed faces glowing with bright smiles and
our souls filled nearly to the brim with delight.
We came back to the hotel only to change our clothes and
wait for Friday night traffic to subside before heading to dinner with some
UCONN Nursing students. The students stay at a study-abroad house just outside
of the city where they graciously invited us for dinner. As the 24 or so of us
gathered in the living room we looked like a true family at a holiday
get-together. The UCONN students shared stories of their travels and encouraged
students to make future plans to study abroad in college. Conversation was
flowing and Mr. Ives and I were especially proud of our students’ confidence in
speaking openly with our new friends. We ate pizza and sundaes and all was
right in the world. We are so very thankful that they welcomed us into their
home and look forward to a continued friendship.
As the taxi rounded the highway curves on our ride home the
city lights opened into our view like a stage curtain, gently exposing the
beauty of the city beneath. As Rebecca said, ‘many cities are beautiful because
they have mountains, or an ocean, or beautiful lights but Cape Town has all of
that and more.’
I think I may have mentioned this before, but just incase
you forgot; today was a perfect day.
No comments:
Post a Comment