3,809 miles to the South Pole

Saturday, November 4

Only 6,131 kilometers to the South Pole. Who would have thought that I would have ever travelled this far south? Cape Town, South Africa. The meeting of the Association of National Anti-Doping Organizations, in which the IPC is a member of, had its annual meeting and General Assembly in Cape Town. Last year Barbados….this year South Africa….what are the chances?

It was a long flight from Europe to South Africa, luckily I was able to sleep. It wasn’t until I got in line for Passport Control that I realized how glad I was that I slept. I had to wait in line for 1 hour and 45 minutes just to have someone look at my passport.

For the duration of my visit to Cape Town, I was staying at a bed and breakfast called the RiverSong Guest House. It was wonderful. I think someone called it a little oasis in a big oasis and it really was. The owners, Jim and Inri McManus, were wonderful and so inviting. The guest and hotel services were top-notch. I was staying in the Ethnic Room. There was also the Leopard room, Floral Room, Honey Moon Suite, and the Colonial room. Each room had it’s own character as you can tell.

Another girl, Anne, who was also in Cape Town for the meeting, was staying at the RiverSong Guest House as well. We met each other at breakfast and ended up spending the rest of the day sightseeing in Cape Town. We first headed to the GreenStreet Market and the city of Cape Town. One area of the city is called Bo-Kaap. This area really showed the true flavour of Cape Town. Through some of the streets, you could walk and see the residents sitting on their stoops watching the people go by. The area is best known for its colourful houses that line the streets. Most of today’s residents are the descendants of skilled craftsmen, silversmiths, shoemakers, tailors, fishermen and cooks.

After our wander through the streets of Bo-Kaap, Anne and I walked down to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront where locals and tourists alike will spend hours and hours walking around, eating, drinking and shopping. Lots of Shopping. We ate a late lunch at Harry’s Pancakes and then walked out to the end of the Water Breaker for a great view of the Cape Bay and the harbour.

At the end of our evening, we ate dinner at an Italian restaurant called Mama Rosas and then called it a day. So far, my impression of Cape Town has been good…and I can’t wait to explore more of the area.