Life of a Gal Named Liv

5 months delay on this post but wow, life has been busy!

So- When Phin was asked to present at a conference in Cape Town, we knew we couldn’t pass up the opportunity! While South Africa wasn’t on either of our “To-Travel-To” lists, it would be essentially a trip at 50% discount (the University covered his plane ticket & a week in an Airbnb). We quickly said “heck yes”, booked a super bougie Airbnb, and put it on the calendar.

We knew we were in for it with the 24+ hour flights (yes, actual hours in the air) both ways & being too cheap to request seats next to one another… it was even worse than we imagined. We both swore to never fly that many hours in a row again, as it took a huge toll on us mentally and physically.

Our layover was in London, which we were both quite excited for. It was only 4.5 hours, so we took the speed train to Paddington Station (what the bear is named after) and walked around until we found a nice outdoor pub to eat at. At this point, I was a bit too nauseas to eat… but Phin enjoyed his food & beer! I had dreams of a cute afternoon tea (with those cute little sandwiches), but 1) we were too exhausted to find such locale and 2) I had no appetite to enjoy such things.

Afterwards, we walked in circles (certifiably delirious due to exhaustion) around the neighborhood trying to find a restroom. Turns out they aren’t plentiful in that area, and we were doomed for the bushes (I withheld, Phin had no choice). Then, we found our way back to the airport… to continue our long trip South!

Not sure how, but the next plane ride was even worse, with children spilling food (a literal tray of sushi) in the aisles/ screaming and seemingly no parental units around to keep them in check (yes, while I was still extremely nauseas). So that was a rough go… Thankfully there were 2-3 meals on each long flight, so I just continuously nibbled on the mini bread rolls and butter while listening to podcasts.

We arrived in South Africa mid-afternoon and were presented with a 2 hour line at customs. While it took a while, the process was easy and we found our luggage rather easily as well. With a large tube (phin’s conference poster), and 3 big heavy bags (we brought our rock climbing gear with hopes to climb) we headed to where we were to meet our Uber driver. Turns out we were in the completely wrong spot and (once we found the Uber driver) got chewed out before a super awkward ride into the city.

The drive was eye- opening, with beautiful mountains, a turquoise ocean, large buildings, fast reckless drivers, and lean-to shacks stacked together for miles on end. The wealth gap is horrifically wide, causing the Cape Town area to be a highly volatile area.

Check in to our Airbnb was smooth, and we spent the next 18 hours or so adjusting to the new time zone and lounging pool-side (it was only in the 50s, and the pool wasn’t heated so going IN wasn’t an option unfortunately!)

Once we felt we had our bearings, we wandered outside to check out the city for our anniversary night! Turns out it wasn’t very walkable, but we ended up making a big 6 mile loop around- hitting up the art museum, a seafood restaurant, loading up on locally made chocolate, watching a Red Bull dance competition, and checking out the ocean-front shops.

Poor Phin started to feel a bit under the weather on the walk home, and I thought it was just too much fried fish… turns out we both had absolutely gnarly cases of Covid.

Unfortunately, we both spent nearly the whole week puking, fighting fevers, hacking up lungs, and in utter misery. At one point I read the reviews of the local hospital (literal 1 star rating) because I was so desperate… but was quickly made aware I’d rather die in the airbnb. The Uber Eats is prime over there, with nearly 24/7 service so we thankfully had access to fresh fruit, the best fresh peach juice EVER, medicines, amazing local meat, and lots of chicken broth. We didn’t expect to be making all of our meals in the Airbnb, but it did help us save a lot of money and appreciate the country’s fresh and (way less processed) foods. Plus, with that ocean view… the pool… and a luxury airbnb it was an ideal environment to be sick! Sick with a view? Honestly not the worst.

One day, when Phin was feeling better (I was still in the Covid fog & quite feverish) we ventured out to explore the base of Table Mountain. The hike was gorgeous, with so many plants we had never seen before. We were bummed we couldn’t climb, but we appreciated the fresh air and that we were alive (& together!)

We did go out one night after Phin’s presentation (yes, the poor guy still had to speak at an international conference while feeling like garbage) with his colleague, Dave. While I couldn’t eat much we did partake in some delicious sushi, more fresh fish, and tasty bread.

The next morning we had to check out of the airbnb that we had been hunkering down in all week (trying to get better, both of us remote working , and attempting to eat/ cook food after puking it up every hour). We felt so bad for the cleaner, since we had soaked the sheets in sweat (from fever dreams) & used all the firewood (only source of heat for the house) since we were there all day each day. We did check out on-time (but barely, and with the much struggle) and headed to our next destination. I distinctly remember the look on the ladies face as I hobbled down the steps with about 75 lbs of gear/ groceries on my body, in the pouring rain, red & sweating, in shorts, saying “I’m doing great, thanks for a wonderful stay!”, as she waved goodbye clearly concerned for our well-being (and dressed in full winter garb).

With so much violence and destruction surrounding, it was quite terrifying driving through the crowded towns and just hoping nobody was going to smash our windows in (yes, it happens all the time and we read way too many horror stories) and then we would be in like $60,000 of debt and have a trashed rental car. For example- While we were there, some people were throwing bricks off bridges and others were digging trenches to rob people…I’m not sure if it was my persistent fever, reading too much local news, or a valid reaction but I was the most anxious I have ever been in my life (or a mixture of all?!). My heart rate was above 100 all day every day (it’s normally around 60 resting)… and I could barely sleep. We had post it notes on the dash to avoid specific roads, and both phones on at once to make sure we didn’t re-route and get killed. I absolutely hate to say that (or even to admit it) but it’s the truth. I have always loved traveling to other countries, but this one was a little much for me to handle (am I just getting soft with age?) No, it was truly terrifying. You should read about it at some point.

Okay enough of the scary stuff- sorry for the brutal honestly & secondhand stress 😉

The latter half of our trip was much better, since we were both starting to feel like humans again and Phin didn’t have a presentation to prepare for!

We had a sick ride, and we were moving and grooving on the windy coastal road! Headed south, we took in the magical views in utter “awe” of the blue waters. We visited the famous penguins- one of the main highlight of the trip- and scurried off to the Airbnb (since Phin had a scheduled zoom meeting)!

For the first night, we booked a cheap ($28) room on an inlet of the ocean south of Cape Town proper. We spent the whole evening kayaking (yes, they loaned you kayaks for free!) & eating microwaved chicken nuggets (that I had bought way too many of) and samosas. We slept well and took off early the next morning.

We drove along a beautiful section of the coast, and ended up in a cute little town called Gordon’s Bay. Our airbnb was the honeymoon suite at a cute little hotel. There was a jacuzzi tub overlooking the ocean and massive windows throughout. We cleaned up, took a stroll on the beach, and went for dinner at Cafe Zest (my favorite meal of the entire trip).

Here was my Google review:

From start to finish, this was the best meal I have ever had in my life. Also, the service was fantastic. We had the mussels in creamy garlic sauce & the pork belly (oh so tender). The desserts ( one chocolate cake with hot chocolate fondue in center & the other was baklava rolls) were delightful. We had a bottle of wine as well. Oh, and it was extremely affordable. If you have any self respect, do yourself a favor and go here. You deserve it. I’d eat here over and over again. 10/10

We wandered back to our airbnb, a little tipsy, ready to jump in that jacuzzi! We got our money’s worth & had a super relaxing night/ morning before heading to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden for the day.

We then saw some more penguins (a different colony), explored some tide pools, and drove north & inland through South African wine country to our airbnb in Klapmuts.

It was a rainy, cold evening but we enjoyed some tasty cuisine (a big ole platter of Oxtail for me) and some fantastic local wine. We hot tubbed that night, and cozied up for a cold, stormy night!

The Airbnb host’s workers brought us breakfast before we departed- a nice treat! We then made our way further north to Citrusdal. The drive was gorgeous, part of the Wildflower tour, and it was so nice to get out of the hustle and bustle. We went to a rooibos tea manufacturer for a cafe-style lunch and to grab some tea to take home! Did y’all know this is the only place in the world that grows rooibos? Crazy!

We then followed some video instructions (sent over WhatsApp) to drive 30 minutes into the hills, on loose sandy roads. It truly felt like we were in South Africa for this drive!

Our airbnb was a 2- night stay at a citrus farm- something I had been excited for since we started planning the trip! We spent the next 1.5 days picking fresh oranges & their local variation of the tangerine, soaking in the wood-fired hot tub, and cozied up by the fire drinking endless tea. Even though they were having “the biggest storm of the season”, we stayed warm thanks to the small square footage and the roaring woodstove. We probably drank around 4-5 gallons of freshly squeezed juice (yes, they even provided a juicer!) and turned to prunes soaking in the hot tub for hours on end. The views were outstanding and it was all just what the doctor ordered.

The last night was impressively windy- making the tiny home sway side to side! I was so worried the sandy road would be fully washed out and we would not be able to make it to the airport on-time. I texted Callie (who was house sitting), truly thinking we would be delayed a day or two- but thankfully I was wrong. While we did struggle getting out of the sandy sections, the main roads were (mostly) okay, with only one section where the road was 50% gone (like very washed away…. Active flow of a creek visible!).

We got to the airport early, had no issues returning the rental car, and buckled up for a long way home. In our layover in London, we didn’t dare leave the airport again, but stayed put in the “resting area” that had reclining seats and rules against noise. 10/10 recommend that section! I took a “sink bath” in a handicap restroom, changed my clothes, and chugged a large espresso.

It was a long trek, but much better than the way over. A kidney infection also popped up for me (such a joy on an international flight), but overall we were just grateful to have one another safe&sound (& nearby!)We splurged the extra $70+ each to sit by one another- which was well worth it. We could finally relax & nap without worrying we were going to bump somebody or drool on the wrong shoulder 😉

Once we got to Seattle, we realized that the entire airport was “off-line” due to getting hacked. (What are the odds, like seriously?!)

We slowly went through customs, had to retrieve our luggage (with no active signage), and then only had a few minutes to catch our flight. Truly the grand finale after a long chaotic trip.

Phin was so delirious that he went on the wrong train (and I had to chase after him) since he was “just following the crowd”… causing us to nearly miss our last flight home. Thankfully, I still had my airport navigation skills with me & we made it (somehow?!). The last flight was 45 minutes to Spokane-on a tiny plane compared to the 10 seat wide planes we had been on the rest of the trip!

We grounded in Spokane, luggage no where to be seen- but by goly! We were (basically) home)! We hopped in our car, told the customer service rep to send our luggage to the Pullman airport, and drove the 1.5 hours home to Moscow.

I don’t quite remember much about the next few days (super jet lagged) but I do know I had my last 2 days of work, hosted a party, had to go to the doctor (for the kidney infection), and slept very very well at home with all of our pets.

I had a lot of gratitude coming home from this trip. I had never seen such disparity at that concentration before. I felt terrible being a “tourist” in a country with such a war on resources. It felt very wrong, even though many of the touristy areas were exceptionally welcoming. The scar of the apartheid, was fresh. It was as old as I am, leaving Cape Town as one of the most unequal and segregated cities in the world. We should have read more beforehand, but with the school covering over half our costs, it seemed worth it and we ignorantly didn’t do our research.

I don’t regret going, it taught me a lot and really made me appreciate my life on a whole new level. I learned of new cultures, ate some incredible food, saw some outstanding views, and tried my best to help out the locals (we tipped at high American rates- sometimes over half the bill, donated some fresh food, and were very kind to everyone we met). Plus Phin and I trauma-bonded even more 😉

It’s hard seeing wounds like this, but it is so beneficial to truly realize people all over the world (really) need help. I’m not going to go on a rant about helping those who have less than you, and 1st world problems, but truly we are so lucky (to have shelter, food, clean water, and reliable electricity) and someday I hope to be able to help out those in need on a much grander level than I am able to at this point in my life. I always wanted to do the Peace Corps, maybe someday that dream will come true…

Sending love to South Africa! It can be a tough place to visit, but it was quite the experience!