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Journal Entry written by Sophie
Wednesday March 7th
This morning, as we had a day off from major tourist activities we decided to attempt to climb Lion's Head. This is, crazily, a mountain shaped like a lion's head! It also has a lion's body coming off it but we wanted to do the huge scary hill bit so we ignored that. Eddie, our good old friend from Ashanti and the Cape Point Tour was persuaded to come with us (took a bit of arm twisting but we thought we needed male security) and we hailed our taxi to get underway. Unfortunately we clearly chose the wrong taxi driver because he actually had no idea where Lion's Head was, despite it being the second highest mountain to dominate Cape Town...When we eventually arrived, after he asked us where to go (?!) we set off at a brisk pace up the mountain side. We had to tackle a rather steep incline but we all kept at a good rate despite the heat of the morning sun. About three quarters of the way up we discovered that we had the choice of two routes, either the nice and easy way for tourists wearing flip flops or the apparently slightly more challenging way involving ladders and chains. Stupidly we decided to do the army adventure course up, which involved using chains to climb a vertical cliff face with no foot holds and 60ft high ladders. Believe me, it was no walk in the park. Poor Eddie had a little bit of vertigo half way up (dad, you would have hated it with a passion) but I think felt persuaded to continue with mine and Tami’s expert monkey skills, which we used to scramble up the cliff face. Not in a very lady like way I must say but it couldn’t be helped. The view was definitely worth it. To be honest I think it was better than even Table Mountain but probably only because it had been cloudy on the day we had climbed that. You could see for absolute miles and it was out of this world. We spent a few moments snapping pictures and talking to this old American couple (one who had climbed it with a fake knee and wanted to do the bungee jump that we had attempted!). The descent took a much shorter time as can be expected (we didn’t negotiate the chains on the way down as we are not masochists but then we were faced with the slight problem that there were no taxis to take us back to the hostel and no way of getting one. We didn’t fancy walking and when we tried to grab a lift with some young Dutch guys they refused us. I really need to get Tami to work on her appearance because they clearly thought that she has a problem…
Anyway we started to walk down and about 15 minutes later saw a taxi parked outside someone’s house, obviously waiting to give them a lift. We were just asking if the driver if he could arrange one for us when the occupant of the house walked out and said that we could just hop in with her. Man I love South Africans! We took the lift and then went to see if my glasses were ready. Excitingly they were so now I can see again woo! I tell you it is a real disability having to wear glasses. I hate having to wear contact lenses late at night or early in the morning because they just don’t feel comfortable. I am so having laser eye surgery as soon as I can because being blind is a hassle!
Anyway we went on the internet to fill in the journal and then went back to the lodge to cook some food. However this was not necessary because we scabbed loads of free stuff from random people. One group of girls were giving away enough rice to feed an army so of course Tami and I being the cheap skates that we are, jumped on them, like seagulls, before they threw it away. There was so much even I couldn’t finish it and that is obviously the unthinkable. I always find that free food tastes so much better than food you have bought but I have no idea why. I think there must be some psychological reason behind it. Therefore for those of you who have studied psychology this is your challenge, if you choose to accept it, to investigate and write a 3,000 word essay on it… OK 3,000 is probably pushing it…I’ll make it 2,999.
We went very early to bed (I think, to be honest I have no idea because I haven’t even written up my own diary properly on this one…really getting far too lazy) after I had sat in the bar reading a random magazine and discovering that Britney Spears had shaved off her hair?! Why?! Why?! Oh yeah and I forgot to mention that yesterday I got proposed to, which was quite exciting and also a very long story. Sorry Jon, I didn’t have the heart to say no…I love you lots anyway !
Hope that everyone is well and not working too hard. Don’t be too jealous, it’s not like the weather here is amazingly hot and that I am just having the greatest time ever.
Love you all!
xxx
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