Tuesday 4 October

I am currently sitting on a train waiting to go back to Gordon’s Bay. Yesterday I enjoyed a half day spa treatment. It was amazing. I had to get up early around 7am in order to get pick up at 7:30 and taken to Zevenwacht. My appointment was for 8:30. I decided to leave extra early so I could make sure that I got there on time. It was a good thing to because I got there just in time. There really was no rush though because the day started with breakfast and it was my favourite: museli (granola). It was served with plain yogurt and there was lots of fruit and some pastries included. It was delicious. I savoured every single bite. My first treatment was a foot massage and it was heavenly. It included a leg massage and I was surprised by how much my shins hurt. I think they’re sore from running very much. The actual foot massage was wonderful and it lasted 55 minutes in fact all the sessions lasted that long. The view was stunning even though the weather was crap, gray and rainy. The spa place was seated on top a hill overlooking Cape Town and it was a wonderful view to behold. Once the session was over, we were served fresh juice and then I had a head and shoulders massage. I’ve never had a head massage so I was very interested to see how it was. The shoulders part was very good especially since they have been sore lately. The head massage was nice too. They put oil in your hair which is supposed to be good for dry scalps. It was very nice but my favourite was the full body massage especially the back massage and the hot stones. They massaged your feet, legs, back and arms. It was absolute heaven and a great way to end the spa day. It definitely went by too fast. Ali wants to go back before she goes home so I’m definitely looking forward to an entire day of spa treatments.

My original plan after the spa day was to get a taxi to the nearest train station and go to Cape Town to visit my friend, Maggie who ran track with me in high school. She is studying abroad here for a semester. She actually lives in the same house I lived in two years ago oddly enough. Anyways, Mangwanai (the spa place) was kind enough to provide free transport. The driver took me to Maitland an area that I’m not familiar with. However he dropped me off at the train station so I was able after much to do find my way to Cape Town. It was only after I was in the minibus headed to Mowbray where Maggie lives that she texted me telling me that she was sick and couldn’t hang out (of course). I had just gotten to Cape Town so I wasn’t about to leave so I called up Esther, my friend from the school I used to volunteer at two years ago when I was here before. She was available so I visited her instead. The original plan was to leave at 4 so I could make sure I got back to Gordon’s Bay before dark. But Esther invited me to spend the night and even though I wasn’t prepared at all to spend the night, I decided to stay. She first introduced me to all her co-workers. She works and lives on the premises of a seventh day Adventist church. After introductions, we went to Pick n Pay to shop for dinner. Esther made pap, sauce with beef and cabbage while I sat on her bed watching TV. South African TV is very confusing and hilarious. I was very amused by their various soaps and TV programs. Lots of them are in different languages mainly Afrikaans and Xhosa. But they do have subtitles some of the time. While dinner was cooking, Esther took me on a walk to Newlands Forest. She walks every day and always the same route. The route was almost all uphill on the way there and then downhill on the way back. It was beautiful though. That’s one thing I love about Cape Town and Gordon’s Bay doesn’t really have it: hiking trails. Or maybe I just haven’t found them yet. After the walk we bathed and then enjoyed a well-deserved meal. It was very salty and very good. I loved it. I even tried to eat in the way you’re supposed to eat it: by hand. It was difficult especially since the pap was boiling hot. Pap by the way is ground up maize (or corn) sorta like mashed potatoes but thicker. It was really good. After that we watched more TV until we finally fell asleep.

In the morning I slept in while Esther went to work. I could have honestly spent the entire day in bed but after breakfast I decided to walk up to the Newlands Forest again just because it was such a nice walk. I walked a different way then I did with Esther but I made sure to keep note of where I was going. I finally stopped at a bench that looked like it had been put there just for me. It overlooked Cape Town and the view was beautiful. I could have sat there for hours taking it all but alas I had to meet to Esther so I enjoyed the view for a while before finding my way back. It was lunch time by the time I got back so Esther and I enjoyed leftovers and some more TV. It was really lovely. After that it was time to go because getting anywhere in this country takes a while. I had to take a minibus from Claremont to Cape Town and then take the train from Cape Town to Strand and then finally take a taxi from Strand to Gordon’s Bay. In total, it took about three hours which is double the amount of time it would take if you took a taxi but it was cheaper and I enjoy travelling this way especially when you’re not in a rush so I can’t complain.