a: "There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires." -Nelson Mandela

This post is long overdue! Since we have come home from “vac” things have been in full swing. I have settled into a routine and attend class most days! One thing that I have become obsessed with recently is Bikram Yoga. A couple of us are training for a half marathon that we are running May 1 and I decided to do this as my “cross training” on Thursdays. But instead of running I went to Yoga everyday last week. It is addicting and so good for you. Bikram is made up of 26 postures and can be done in 90 or 60 minute sessions in a room that is approximately 104 degrees. ...to bad I’m actually going to have to run the 13.1 miles of the half, not just stretch and sweat!

This past week Haley’s dad, Doug, was in town! It was great to meet him and have him spoil me for a few meals and outings. I am so thankful Haley included me, it was great to spend time with them and hear a parent’s perspective on our life here/life in Cape Town. They had some crazy adventures without me, but I got to join them for the Brass Bell (a restaurant on the water), The Taste of Cape Town (food and wine festival!) and then to top off the fabulous week we went to “Azure” which is the restaurant at the Twelve Apostles Hotel (the nicest in Cape Town.) Big fat and happy was the theme of the week... hence to my yoga craze this past week!

Yesterday, (Saturday) we went to Robben Island. We took a ferry from the Water Front then went on a bus tour of the entire island and then were guided through the maximum security prison where the political prisoners were kept during the Apartheid years. It was nuts. An ex-prisoner was our tour guide and he had been arrested in Port Elizabeth for protesting on what is now “Human Rights Day.” He was held in a group cell with 30 other men. Political “Leaders” such as Nelson Mandela were kept in solitary confinement. I already love the man, but gained a whole new level of respect after seeing the “cage” that was his home for 18, I repeat 18 years. The stories and the hard evidence made everything so much more real. In light of all the trauma that his hit the US this past week, the people of South Africa have been extremely sensitive and caring. One of my cab drivers this week said though “Man I lived through the Apartheid era and remember it so vividly. You could not pay me to go back to those dark days.” The horrendous activity that has gone on in Boston over the past week has only been a small glimpse of what it was like to live through the years of the Apartheid. I can’t even imagine and it makes me appreciate so much more the freedom and land of opportunity I was able to grow up in.

Thoughts/Reflections:

As time ticks on it is crazy to think that I have only 8 Saturdays left in this beautiful city. I am falling more in love with it everyday. Cape Town has sooo much to offer and when people said that before I came I would just grin and nod and be like oh yeah it’s going to be great. But, I truly had no concept of just how awesome it would actually be. The weather has started to change and the past 2 weeks have been pretty dreary, cold and wet. This week the forecast is sunshine and low to mid 70s! YIPPEE bring on the beach!

Cheers!