Spend A Week With Me! Taking you through a week in my life in Cape Town

Though we’re officially transitioning into autumn, the weather has shown no signs of cooling down. The forecast for the week showed hot and sunny days, which fortunately for me is my favorite weather! Cape Town really comes to life when the weather is nice, you’ll see everyone outside appreciating the natural beauty that the Cape has to offer. 

I begin every Monday by heading to campus for my 10 am lecture. On this particular day I had an exam in my second class, so I got to campus a bit early to review content. I finished classes and headed home at 3 pm. I then met up with some friends to go for a run. Running is a great way to explore the town and make connections with new people! There are lots of run-clubs in Cape Town that cater to runners of every experience level– I highly recommend! I have met so many great people that I wouldn’t have otherwise met without run-clubs! In the evening I headed back to campus to watch the UCT Ikey Tigers rugby match against Stellenbosch University. The rivalry between these schools is very heated, which made the energy on the field that night especially high! Tons of students came to support the team, and even though UCT did not win it was still fun to spectate. 

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were not super eventful. I spent my days on campus going to class and working on assignments. There are plenty of study spots on campus to choose from, one of my favorites is the Student Y coffee shop. Despite the school heavy days, my friends and I managed to go to an Irish pub Tuesday night to celebrate St. Paddy’s day! The holiday isn’t as widely recognized in South Africa as it is in the States, but keeping your traditions alive is great for maintaining your connection to home. 

I don’t take classes on Fridays, so every week I have a three day weekend! This day my friends and I ventured out to Table Mountain for a hike. We took Skeleton Gorge up to Maclear’s Beacon. In total this hike was just under 9 km and had almost 1000 meters of elevation gain. This is a pretty steep climb, so if you’re new to hiking I suggest trying an easier trail to start. Table Mountain National Park is huge and there are dozens of different routes to choose from that vary in difficulty. All Trails is a great app to check out! After the hike we had a much deserved lunch at The Conscious Kitchen on Kloof. This is an entirely vegan restaurant with delicious and healthy meals! I’ve been vegan for almost four years now and I can confidently say they have some of the best food I’ve ever had! 

I took advantage of the great weather on Saturday and spent the day at Clifton Beach, soaking up the final days of summer. Clifton has incredible views of the mountains which is a beautiful contrast of the Atlantic. The beach has always been my favorite place to be, and South Africa has some of the best beaches in the world. I’m sure to be disappointed when I get back to Long Island. 

Sunday morning had a very early start and I was out the door at 5 am to run in the Zac Boyes Drive 15 km race! While running I got to see an incredible, bright sunrise over False Bay. There were hundreds of runners in the race and lots of spectators cheering everyone on. The route was pretty challenging due to the steep hills. The race has roughly 350 meters of elevation gain, though when you’re running the hills feel much greater. This race was difficult, but so rewarding! If the opportunity ever presents itself again, I wouldn’t hesitate to sign up. After a much needed nap I went to the Cape Town Stadium, also known as the DHL stadium, to watch a pro rugby match. The DHL Stormers of Cape Town defeated the Dragons RFC of Wales in the United Rugby Championship. Prior to this week I had never watched a rugby match or paid any attention to the sport, but I enjoyed seeing how passionate South Africans were about it! Similar to a classic NFL game, the stadiums are buzzing with excitement from lively fans. I ended my Sunday night at a potluck with the other IES Abroad students! We organized a potluck at our residence for all the members of our program. With everyone’s busy schedule it's rare to have everyone together, so it was wonderful to reconnect with the people I haven’t seen! 

I hope that giving you a peek into my week in Cape Town can give you an idea of all the fun activities this city has to offer. I can’t wait to share more of my experiences in South Africa with you all!