Booking Flights, Hostels, and Tours (oh my?)

            In the few weeks since my last blog post, I’ve done a lot more planning and booking of my trip to South Africa, which is coming up in less than a month now! I’m so happy to finally have my flights booked and paid for! That was the main thing that was still hanging over my head ever since I finished paying my costs of White Shark Projects, which was back in October. A couple of weeks ago I used the assistance of a travel agent for the time in my life and got my round trip flights to Africa booked and paid off. Thankfully, I was able to use the same route with the same airline that I used in 2015. The 24 hours of travel time between here and Cape Town is always rough (especially the 16 hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg), but I’ve survived it twice already, so I think I can handle it again. Thankfully at this point I’ve had enough experience maneuvering airports by myself that I don’t feel nervous about missing connections, nor do I feel the need to give myself four-hour layovers. I also like flying with Delta- the super long flight is never pleasant of course, but I feel like Delta, in my experience, has done a pretty good job of making it at least bearable. South African Airways, with which I’ve booked the flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town, I’ve also never had trouble with- not to mention the porters in the Johannesburg airport are super helpful!

            I decided that on this trip, I wanted to go a few days early so I could have some more time to spend in Cape Town, my favorite city in the world. I feel like there’s a lot of that city that I didn’t get to see on my last trip. So I will be arriving in Cape Town on the night of February 23^rd, and starting at White Shark Projects on February 28^th, giving me four whole days to spend exploring Cape Town. I’m so excited to also be returning to Atlantic Point, the beautiful little hostel that I stayed at in May and June of 2015- my deposit for my stay is already in! I spent my first night in Africa at Atlantic Point, and it’s a great place to stay! Not only is it very clean and friendly, but it’s also a ten minute walk from the V&A Waterfront, which is one of the best areas of Cape Town to hang out. I remember walking around that area in 2015, and whether I was by myself or with other travelers, I never felt unsafe. I also just booked a tour of Robben Island, a very important area in terms of South Africa’s history, on February 24^th, and the ferry takes off right from the waterfront- no need to schedule a taxi!

            Now that all the big stuff is taken care of (project costs, flights, hostel, etc.), I’m basically just playing the waiting game the next few weeks. It’s 26 days until I leave (yes, I’m counting down), and I have a feeling those days are going to drag. Thankfully I’m still working up until just a few days before I leave so I can have as much extra money as possible, which also makes the time pass a little faster. Anticipation is a fun part of traveling, but it can get annoying, since I’m already so ready to check out of reality and jump on that flight to Cape Town.

            South Africa, I love you so much, I’ve missed you like crazy, and I can’t wait to be back swimming with those gorgeous great white sharks, walking around the V&A Waterfront, and drinking Castle beer. See you in a few weeks. This post’s food for thought: “She is free in her wildness, she is a wanderess, a drop of free water. She knows nothing of borders and cares nothing for rules or customs. ‘Time’ for her isn’t something to fight against. Her life flows clean, with passion, like fresh water.”- Roman Payne