allyson and bryan

Sneakers. Jeans. Film developing. High-speed internet access. Post office. Nachos. A room decorated entirely with Mentos.

Our list of wants and needs leading up to arrival in Cape Town grew by the minute, as we blindly hoped against hope that we'd find a cosmopolitan city to perfectly marry our US-style commerce requirements with continued African personality and charm. I'm happy to report that we've not been disappointed. Sarah, Jen, Bryan and I arrived late Thursday night, taking a taxi downtown to our cute little boutique hotel. As we drove down Long Street, we grew more and more animated by the minute, gleefully pointing out the SF-style coffee shops, gourmet burger joints, African live music venues and trendy fashion shops. We awoke the next morning ready to make the most of our first full day. And we did! Crossed off the list were many errands, one historical museum, and the chance to start the day with non-instant-coffee and brie-and-avocado omlettes. Happiness.

We spent our second day driving down the coast of South Africa in a rented white Fiat, stopping to gape at the the roiling sea and the baboons dotting the side of the road. At the Cape of Good Hope, the "most south-western point on the African continent," I turned behind me to ask another tourist to take our photo. "Sure thing!" the American with the smooth voice boomed, as the four of us scurried into place behind the sign. Walking back to retrieve my camera, I asked the kind stranger if he'd like me to return the favor, and to my surprise he said yes and started readying his ginormous SLR. It was then that I noticed Bryan walking over, a familiar look in his eye.

"Are you Jim Gray?" Bryan asked, extending a hand to shake that of the successful American sports journalist. "I am!" replied Jim Gray, who proceeded to ask Bryan his name and chat with him about our trip and recent experiences in Africa. I know, I know -- it's no Russell Crowe or Ashlee Simpson, but I must say it was a pretty weird feeling to spot (and talk with) someone from the fringes of pop culture at the most south-western point on the African continent.

Today we part ways with Sarah, who's staying in Cape Town for a little while longer, and head to the orphanage. There, Jen, Bryan and I will learn what the next five weeks holds in store for us. We'll see our dorms for the first time, learn about our schedules and duties, and of course -- meet the kids. What we know so far is that we stay for four days a week at the orphanage itself, Baphamelele, in a "township" outside the city, and for the rest of the week, we stay at the Aviva house in Cape Town. (Aviva is the larger organization that volunteers for Baphamelele and other projects work through.) We'll work with kids aged infant through teen, helping out with meals, homework, and the occasional game of Simon Says. You can read more about it here.

We can't wait for this next part of our journey to begin!

Blogger's Note: As aforementioned, I've added three posts from safari and Kili below. Kili photos are still forthcoming -- but I'm catching up!

stars, they're just like allyson @ 5:31 AM