Simonstown

What an awesome week spent in Simonstown, a little town right on the ocean about a half hour out of Cape Town. This week was set aside as an adventure week. On Monday morning at 5:45 AM we left for Paragliding to kick off our week, it was beautiful up on the top of Lion’s Peak. After running off the side of the mountain we glided down with a view of Cape Town, Table Mountain, Robben Island and the beautiful beach. It was a nice relaxing ride.

On Tuesday we left in the morning for Cape Point, which is the South-West tip of Africa, it was beautiful there. We climbed to the top to the lighthouse and after that a small group of us: Steve, Shaun, Charles, Heather and I went for a hike to the Cape of Good Hope, it was a fun adventure.

Wednesday we headed into town and went to see a movie, it was fun to do something that we are so familiar with. We left the mall and went to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, it was a neat experience. Our tour guide had also been imprisoned there in the 1980s which made his stories more interesting.

Thursday was shark diving. After an hour or so on the boat I started feeling pretty sick. We got there and after an hour or so a shark came. The first 18 people got into the cage in groups of six, the water was murky so they could only really see the shadow of the shark. When it was my turn to go into the cage I thought the shark was gone. Within one minute of being in the cage the diving expert yelled to get down, as I went down I looked out and into the shark’s mouth, it was so scary. Clearly I hadn’t gotten the technique down beaus the people watching thought I lost my fingers because they were too close to the outside of the cage. After I got out, two sharks came and attacked each other in front of the cage, it was awesome!

Friday part of the group went rock climbing and the others spent the day in town. Saturday we headed back to Cape Town to climb Table Mountain, most people climbed up and the others, including myself, ventured up on the gondola, as much as it was the lazy way out, there was no way I was going to make it up climbing, so congratulations to those who did! We concluded our week in Simonstown by going to another movie and relaxing in the afternoon. Between the adventurous and the opportunities to hang out together I would have to say that this week was among my favorites.

Natalie Kay