Introduction to Cape Town

We've gotten settled in Cape Town and are quite comfortable in Alan's boss's apartment that he's so generously loaned us here. We've gotten familiar with the neighborhood including the nearby mall, cafes, shops, and grocery stores. Being in an apartment is great because we can buy breakfast food and snacks and are even planning on doing a few dinners in. Alan is getting more comfortable with our manual car on the left side of the road and I'm getting used to navigating from the left side of the car. It's all very bizarre and feels so backwards and disorienting but Alan is doing very well so far. And thanks to our Tom Tom (GPS), we haven't gotten lost yet. Although I must say that Tom Tom brought me to tears of frustration yesterday, as I couldn't figure out to use the damn thing. I'm blaming it on pregnancy hormones.

Yesterday we explored the V&A Waterfront on a very overcast and foggy day. It basically was a lot of tourists, shopping, and restaurants. We made our way through the hordes of people and took in a few views of the bay and ships and then made a stop of a beer...well Alan made a stop for a beer and I tasted.



Last night we went to an amazing restaurant called Aubergine that was recommended to us by our friends in Ghana who've spent a lot of time in Cape Town. It was a french/asian/South African fusion restaurant with delicious flavor combinations, an impressive wine list, and little pretense - all things we like! I had
duck and Alan had wildebeest which was really amazing actually despite having just watched the creatures run around on our safari.

Today we ventured into the mall nearby trying to find a camera battery charger since I forgot ours in Ghana. I also got a desparately needed hair cut and it was wonderful to get a little pampering. Then we spent the rest of the day at Table Top Mountain which is an amazing mountain right in the middle of Cape Town and provides beautiful views of the ocean, the city, and the surrounding countryside, which we'll explore in a few days. We took a cable car to the top, ate lunch at the cafe up there and then meandered around the flat mountain top and took in breathtaking views.












The growing belly shot...I stupidly asked Alan while climbing around at the top of the mountain whether it was harder to breathe at that height and he laughed and noted that we were only 1076 meters above sea level (which then made sense given I could see the sea from there!) and I realized maybe I couldn't breathe because this baby is taking up so much room in my belly...or I'm just really out of shape which could also be the case.