Africa - Cape Town to Cairo - August 17th to ………

August 16th-Departure day-Montreal to Washington to Jo'burg to Cape Town

I arrived back in Montreal from Kuujjuaq with a swollen eye, the voice of an eighty year old woman with emphysema, and an uncontrollable amount of sneezing. Who wouldn’t want to spend the next couple days helping me with errands and saying my farewells to Montreal? Anyways, it all got done thanks to Emily’s tolerance of the bomb of luggage I exploded inher house, which her dog pigeon enjoyed as a bed, and Courtney’s expert oversee of my packing.
Off to the Montreal airport express, Goodbye Montreal, Goodbye Emily and pidge

Everything was going all too smoothly, I was caffeinated, I said farewells (even to the nice portugese lady at Salon Nella), I managed to fit everything in my bag, and I was running on time…Airport problem number 1. My flight was going from Mtl to Washington and then Washington to Jo’burg and finally Jo’burg to Capetown and I had only brought my British passport to travel on…BIG MISTAKE.
Did you know that the US makes the British get a visa to even fly through their country? I was informed this upon trying to check in with United with their agent “in training”. I offered any form of Canadian ID to prove I was in fact also a Canadian but no dice. Luckily this visa is sold online and with my laptop in tow, YUL free wifi, a survey stating I had not committed any serious offences, and a credit card payment of $14 I was set.
Crisis number 1 averted and after being fingerprinted by customs I was allowed to board.
All in all my flights went pretty smoothly although the entertainment systems failed with 10 hours to go (I did manage to squeeze in 2 movies before) and the flight attendants were perhaps the most miserable people I have ever met. South African airlines did however provide me with a delightful comfort package including socks, eyemask, a toothbrush, and toothpaste.
This nice touch quickly wore off as THEY LOST MY BAG!!!
Crisis number 2 –a blessing in disguise
I left the airport empty handed and headed to my hostel (the Ashanti Lodge) to sleep off my hatred of South African Airlines in the clothes I had been wearing and sleeping in for the last 48hours.

Now the original plan had been to leave Cape Town in the morning and begin camping my way up through South Africa but due to a lack of clothing and essentials such as my sleeping bag this was not an option. In the end it all worked out and I got to spend an extra three days exploring Cape Town.
To start the official day one of the trip (still in my same clothes) I ate my airline anger away and treated myself to perhaps the most amazing breakfast ever, espresso french toast with bananas greek yogurt and maple syrup from Shelly's cafe.
Tourist maps can of course only be read with espresso.
Fully caffeinated, I decided to make the trek up to the table mountain cable car, about an hour walk from the hostel. Good morning Africa.

Cable car up complete with a rotating floor for viewing equality surrounded by Japanese tourists.

First animal sighting of the trip, the dassie otherwise known as a hyrax.

Amazing views of Cape Town from the top.

Proof that I was really there.

Path along the top

Living on the edge

Chilling on Table Mountain, in the wind.
After a delightful morning on the Table, I re-caffeinated and wandered the streets of Cape Town. The city is full of boutiques all of which involve ringing a doorbell to be let inside to browse. I wandered further to the waterfront to pick up some necessities which I will be charging to South African Airlines and to also check out the seals playing in the water.

On the walk home, in the clothes I had been wearinr for who knows how long, the skys decided to open up and drench me. I need my bag of clothes ASAP