Since Tanya and I arrived in Cape Town late at night, I woke up the next morning with no idea of how beautiful the city is. I didn’t even know that Table Mountain, its most famous landmark, existed! During the day, it’s impossible to overlook – a massive rocky ridge, including one long stretch of plateau after which the mountain was named. We were lucky that the sun was shining and the wind was resting, for the cable car to the top is often out of service. It reminded me of Victoria’s Peak in Hong Kong, the way it offers an elevated view of the entire harbor and city. I prefer Table Mountain, however, because the summit feels more untouched, less touristy. It’s a World Heritage Site, so there are only a few shops and restaurants that were allowed to quietly operate. Not to mention the world’s highest commercial abseil…which Tanya and I did, of course. The souvenir shirts sum it up quite well: “Abseil Africa – for the slightly insane.” And on the back: “Dope on a rope.” You need to have a few screws loose to look at the 112m sheer rock face and want to step off of it backwards, then walk down holding a rope in one hand. After a brief safety and instructions talk, Tanya and I strapped on helmets, slid on gloves, and became the dopes. I had some trouble stopping, and found myself at the bottom within a minute. Not as smooth of a landing as Tanya’s moments later. We took off the gear and walked back up the mountain, with minor scratches and major satisfaction. Although we aren’t exactly sure of the dates, Tanya and I want to shout out a huge, African HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Chris and Jessemin!!! (You guys are gettin’ old!)

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