Into Africa

We have updated the picture slideshow with all photos from Aqaba, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea. The Jauntlet travel map itinerary has also be updated with our tentative future plans. Take a look at both! Over the past week since our last post we have:

-Spent a couple days relaxing in the Aqaba sun (although we never went in the Red Sea)
-Survived 2 days in a torrential rain/hail storm in Amman, including a long, cold and wet walk in the rain to taste our first Jordanian draft beer. We were seated in front of a fire by the staff to dry ourselves. A poster of The Doors to our left and Nirvana to our right, good company!
-Enjoyed 2 days eating tapas, drinking sangria and hiking all over Barcelona
-Endured 25 hours of straight travel from Barcelona to Cape Town including 2 flights with a layover in Heathrow.

We arrived safely in Cape Town on the 4th and absolutely love it! The atmosphere and vibe is really laid back, it reminds of Santa Cruz CA and the surf towns of Australia and although we are staying at a party hostel and feeling a bit old as the average age here is 20, it has been a great time. Yesterday we took some time to explore a couple of museums relating to Cape Town’s past: the Slave Lodge and the District 6th Museum. Both were extremely moving and gave us greater knowledge of the history here. In the afternoon we decided to hike to Table Mountain, take the cable car up and hike back down. Did I mention that Cape Town is in the middle of a massive heat wave? It was long and very hot and we were relieved to complete the hike back into town and sit down to 75 cent happy hour beers!

We have decided to rent a car and camp the next 30 days in Southern Africa. We caught a lucky break at the car rental place and got upgraded from a Ford to a Volvo and they threw in camping gear for free. We pick up the car in about an hour so we will see if the deal is too good to be true. We have reservations for our first two nights camping in South African wine country and from there we will head along the southern shore dubbed the ‘Garden Route’ for a week until we head north to Lesotho. We have no real set plan or itinerary, and are really looking forward to the freedom of the car. So for now it is bye to Cape Town, we will definitely be back again!