Follow Me Everywhere

Hello all. This new post finds me on a different continent then before. I left Australia on June 9th and have been in South Africa since. To say it has been a good time would be an understatement. Luckily for me, all eyes have been focused on South Africa since I have arrived due to the World Cup, which means I’ve met people from all over the world and been able to enjoy the electric atmosphere of World Cup finals.

I am fortunate to know locals in the Johannesburg so I’ve had excellent and comfortable accomodation the entire time I have been in the country. It has been a bit of a change from the backpacking lifestyle I have been used to for the previous 5 months. I’ve been to 4 soccer games live with 19 goals scored while in South Africa and I’ve never seen anything like it. At the Brazil match, we had a band sitting behind us that played the entire game. Super cool! We were 5 rows up from the pitch at the USA vs. Slovenia game, and saw Portugal torch North Korea 7-0 in Cape Town. In our last game, I had the privilege to see one of the best in the world, Lionel Messi, show off his stuff and lead Argentina into the quarterfinals. I wish I could see more games, but tickets are starting now to get out of my price range. They are asking over a thousand dollars per ticket for the finals match on July 11th. I’ll happily watch it in a bar, thank you very much.

While in Joburg, I’ve been able to see the local side of things. This means no more McDonalds and some truly authentic South Africa food. We went bungee jumping off cooling towers for a friends birthday and it was the highest jump I have done to date, 100 meters. We also did a couple safaris just outside Joburg where I was able to see rhinos, wildebeast, zebra, giraffe, kudu, impala, and lions all in their natural environment. One of the safaris was within the region of the cradle of mankind. It was remarkeable to think that I was in a place where mankind began thousands and thousands of years ago.

Like I mentioned, we also traveled to Cape Town for a week for a soccer match and a change of scenery. Cape Town is truly an amazing city. It ranks up there with Rio de Janiero as one of the best naturally set cities in the world. In Cape Town, I went a bit wild and spent money like a millionaire, but did pretty much all the activities the city has to offer. We hiked table mountain for spectacular views of Cape Town, the Cape of Good Hope, and had some much needed exercise. I dove in a cage with Great White sharks and saw about 6 that came right up to the cage after the bate floating in the water. Let me tell you, if you think Jaws is scary, wait until you see one a few feet from your face! The next day we went on a wine tour which was so much fun. The drinking started at 9 AM and didnt end until the early morning hours of the next day. We were lucky to have a great tour group and tour guide and some fantastic local wine. On our final day in Cape Town, we did a tour to see penguins and the Cape of Good Hope. The road was literally carved right out of the side of a mountain and the sea cliff views were stunning. It reminded me a bit of the Almalfi Coast in Italy, if anyone reading this has been there.

This now brings me back to Joburg where I am based at the moment. We are planning on making a trip to Kruger National Park to see some more game and I’ll stay in South Africa until the 13th of July. Then the plan is to fly to Botswana, see some more of the bush, and work my way up the east coast of Africa all the way to Egypt. It’s a pretty vague plan, but that’s all I have for now. Hope this update finds everyone well and enjoying the summer.