Reunited in Cape Town

After coming back from Ponta, I stayed a few days at Waterford to help out some more and pack my bag to definitely leave off to South Africa.
(Saying goodbye to my Swazi mama Pernille was painful...)
But I still had my visa troubles... Lots of people were trying to help me, finding out what was best for me to do. After a while I had so many options (crossing the border before the expiry date, the day of the expiry date, after the expiry date, flying from Matsapha airport etc.) that I got fed up with the whole issue and just decided to go when it suited me.
I could get a lift to Joburg with the Wells’ family and I was happy to go with them. We drove the 4th of December, the day of the expiry date of my SA visa and at the border I got very nervous. I felt so lucky to be with the Wells’ because Bruce did his talk with the border official and arranged 30 days (as a sort of visa renewal) for me instead of the initial 7 days they give you at the border. This gave me some time to sort it all out at Home Affairs either in Johannesburg or in Cape Town.
I had so much fun though with Patrick in the car chatting and laughing, in Joburg blowing bubbles, buying buttons, going to plasticland and eventually having to say goodbye...

The day Nelson Mandela passed away, I was staying with Sahm who works for the Nelson Mandela Foundation. It was very special to be around her when it all happened. It was also such a special feeling to be in Johannesburg at this exact moment. I watched the memorial at the Ward’s place; the day it never stopped raining. We mourned for him, but we obviously also had lots of fun together :) The day I would fly to Cape Town, I went to Mandela’s house with Sahm, which was close to the Nelson Mandela Foundation office. The amount of flowers lying in front of his house was absolutely amazing!
At the airport I had some delicious sushi with Sahm before taking off to Cape Town. The flight was under two hours but I passed my time sleeping anyway. When we started our descent I could see Cape Town from the sky, it was so beautiful... My uncle Felipe came to fetch me from the airport and I met with my three cousins Sebastian, Mateo and Talia for the first time!!

The next day I got so excited and was in a happy spirit the whole day, at eleven at night my parents and sisters would arrive! At the airport, seconds seemed minutes, minutes seemed hours... The waiting area for flights from Amsterdam was so crowded that I had to look very carefully. Then finally, I saw Luna’s maroon Pumas through the crowd and I ran towards them like a crazy Dutch girl. To be reunited with my whole family after three months was just such a great feeling!!! I felt so happy, grateful, lucky, joyous and complete.

Since my family arrived we’ve been so busy: meeting old friends of my parents, celebrating their 25th anniversary of marriage, visiting their old houses in different parts of town, walking on the campus of the University of Cape Town (which is absolutely amazing!)
Going for long peaceful drives along mountains and seashores, being amazed at how the sunbeams shine through the clouds onto the side of the mountain and make it seem like a perfect picture for a postcard.
We went to stay one night at two different nature reserves near Cape Town, one night in Orangekloof and the other in Olifantsbos.
Both nights were fantastic, being surrounded with friends and family, having lovely braais, having the peaceful nature around us and of course the clear starry nights.
The drive to and from Olifantsbos was through the nature reserve Cape of Good Hope which has prehistoric flowers (because the Ice-age didn’t affect those plants, so freaking interesting!) It was like driving through a land of your dreams. When the funny little tortoises were crossing the road, I had to step out of the car to quickly pick them up and make sure they were safe from the big monstrous cars driving past them.

Table Mountain deserves its own paragraph. This enormous flat mountain is just so so beautiful. Before seeing it in real life, I obviously saw it on pictures and what not, but it’s just not the same.
It’s impressive and makes you feel so tiny. Every morning you wake up to a different table mountain: Table mountain with a clear blue sky as background, Table mountain with a ‘table cloth’ (mist covering the flat part of the mountain, making it seem like a table cloth) or a misty mysterious Table mountain. I wish Holland had mountains, they’re just so cool...

I’m such a lucky girl to be able to spend Christmas with my mama, papa, Luna and Natalie, to be in such a lovely country in such a beautiful city and to be surrounded with family and friends. (Oh and the lovely warm weather is also very very welcome hihi)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

Lots of Love,

Laura