Week 21: Positive Impact, Wine Tour & Botanical Gardens

I began the week with loads of work, and took only a few breaks for fun things. Our Kruger safari was cancelled due to inclement weather (15-year floods), so we had more time during the week to experience more of Cape Town.

On Tuesday, I participated in one of Remote Year's "Positive Impact" experiences, which are experiences that they arrange for Remotes to volunteer and contribute something positive to the community we're staying in. We spent the day experiencing the African philosophy of Ubuntu or what we call B Somebody with Love. Our host, Bukho, created an experience for us to plant seeds on Sis Alakhe’s farm and prepare for harvest. We paused for a delicious traditional South African lunch prepared by Bukho herself with fresh produce from the farmers. It was seriously delicious - the best meal I had in South Africa. Then, we traveled to Ladles of Love, a local food distribution center. We packed food parcels that are distributed weekly to soup kitchens and homeless shelters around Cape Town. It was really great to see how the farmers interact with the food distribution centers and see that full circle.

The following day, Alex and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary (!!) on a wine tour around Stellenbosch. The Stellenbosch wine route serves up incredible scenery, a host of unforgettable vineyards, and historical cellars. We had the chance to taste award-winning wines, stunning farms, and diverse winemakers.

Our first stop was at Mitres Edge Vineyards, where winemaker Lola Nicholls was one of the very first female winemakers in South Africa. Wines were paired with a selection of local and delicious cheeses to start our day. Our second stop was at Klein Goederust, the first and only 100% black-owned winery in the Franschhoek region. We stopped for lunch at one of the oldest estates in the region, Boschendal, where we also enjoyed more wine. Then, our final stop was at Oldenburg Mountain Vineyards. The wine-tasting backdrop was a breathtaking view.

Along the way, we learned that South Africa does not have an open container law for passengers in the car. This led to the purchase of "car wine", and, needless to say, it was an incredibly fun day that ended with a solid night's sleep and a painful morning the next day.

The following day, I headed to the top of Table Mountain, since the last time I was there, I could not see anything. We waited in line for a little bit, walked around, enjoyed an awful lunch at the top, and headed back down. The view was definitely worth it. That afternoon, Alex and I headed to the aquarium where we enjoyed the detailed shark exhibit.

Over the weekend, since our safari was canceled, we decided to visit Galileo Open Air Cinemas at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. I spent about $10 a ticket to see Dune. Alex and I had seen Dune in the theatre and we were excited to see it again. The ticket included an entrance, a blanket, and a chair. We got there right when the doors opened so that we would explore the gardens a bit. The gardens are huge, so with just about a half hour, we targeted The Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway, a new curved steel and timber bridge that winds and dips its way through and over the trees of the Arboretum. Inspired by a snake skeleton, and informally called ‘The Boomslang’ (meaning tree snake), the walkway moves from the forest floor into and through the trees and bursts out above the canopy with spectacular panoramic vistas of the surrounding mountains, Garden and Cape Flats.

We headed back to the cinema to get food, snacks and drinks for the movie. All was going great, I got pizza, popcorn and wine, and we were about two-thirds through the movie when there was a sudden commotion. Apparently, there was some sort of electric fire that had started. They stopped the movie, turned the lights on, and everyone evacuated the area. From what I could see, it was small, but I imagine it could spread sort of fast, considering how dry it is in the area. We left the cinema and headed home. I used my VPN to stream the rest of Dune at home!

The following day, we relaxed and worked a little before heading out to Athletic Club for the evening. I had a great time, and stayed up way to late, but really enjoyed the chance to check out the bar because it was pretty popular with our group.