On Friday I headed to Boyes Drive just above the Kalk Bay train station for a 3 hour hike through Echo Valley. The Echo Valley trail leads up to Boomslang Cave, a cave that cuts right through the mountain. The hike to the cave was very steep and rocky, often requiring us to climb over…
Author: MacKenzie
Cape Town Cuisine
Obesity is a well known problem in the U.S. and Americans are often criticized for our processed foods and overeating. Because of that, I had assumed that any other country I visited would serve tiny portions and locals would walk to the local market each morning to pick up fresh, unprocessed food for the day….
Cape Malay Cooking in Bo Kaap
I had been looking forward to visiting Bo Kaap to see the iconic colorful houses since arriving in Cape Town. Bo Kaap, which translates to “Upper Cape” in Afrikaans, is situated on the slopes of Signal Hill just above the city center. Settled in the 1700s by Dutch colonists, the area is made up of brightly…
Kalk Bay
On Sunday, my friends and I took a train to Kalk Bay, a fishing village on the False Bay coastline. The scenic 45 minute train ride along the coast costed R13, the equivalent of about $1 USD. Sitting between the mountains and the ocean, Kalk Bay is known for its rich character and and colorful…
Rock Climbing at Silvermine
On Friday morning I headed to my job for what I expected to be another normal workday. At about 9AM my boss informed me that he would be leaving to go rock climbing with a visiting supplier at around 10:30, and asked if I would like to join. Determined to be open to lots of…
My Birthday Weekend in Cape Town
Last weekend I decided to celebrate my 22nd birthday South African style! I started by attending a rugby match at Newlands Stadium with my housemates. Surrounded by cheering fans, the Cape Town Stormers defeated the Japanese Sunwolves (probably because they knew it was my birthday). I wasn’t really sure what was going on for most…
V&A Waterfront
On Friday I visited the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a popular tourist destination on the Atlantic Shore at Table Bay Harbour. The waterfront is lined with bustling shops and restaurants just steps away from the ocean. Boat captains advertise hour long cruises around the bay to the sound of brass bands and African drum performers….
Wine Tasting in Stellenbosch
A trip to the beautiful wine lands that surround the city is at the top of every well thought out Cape Town to-do list. On Thursday, I was finally able to visit wineries in Stellenbosch and I can confirm that the famous wine lands truly live up to their reputation. The mountain backdrop behind the…
Limpopo
Last week I had the exciting opportunity to travel outside of the Western Cape to work on a collaboration beer with a brewery in Limpopo, a province in northern South Africa. My coworkers and I took a two hour flight to Johannesburg, followed by a five hour drive to Haenertsburg, a small mountain town of…
Surfing in Muizenberg
Muizenberg is a beach-side suburb of Cape Town located about 30 minutes from the city bowl. St. James beach in Muizenberg is a popular surf and swim spot situated on the False Bay coastline and, because the Indian Ocean stays a few degrees warmer than the Atlantic, the water is slightly more pleasant in the…