2 MONTH WARNING

"Mazurka" [vehicle] atop Signal Hill

Greetings. It’s Thursday morning here on the 22^nd of April. Oh, it’s Earth Day. Happy Earth Day. I’m just finishing up an African lit paper, so I can head out of town this afternoon. I thought I’d catch in before taking off along the Garden Route for the weekend.

Cape Town weather has steadily been getting cooler. It’s nice to be able to sleep with blankets again—much more comfortable. We’ve been getting an increasing amount of rain, as well. As much as I like this cooling-off of Cape Town, I am missing Wisconsin’s spring. It’s one of the best times to be in Wisconsin.

Anyways , I had a change-of-pace weekend last weekend that centred around the sky. Five of us took off after school to a city named Sutherland—“the Gateway to the Universe”. Sutherland is a small city surrounded by the barren Karoo—four hours northeast of Cape Town. It’s thought to offer some of the nicest southern sky stargazing. Wikipedia also claims it to offer the best lamb in South Africa.

Upon arrival, we grabbed some lamb curry and headed to the campsite where the owner—an old, spunky, Dutch man—taught us about the stars in the southern sky and we got to look through his telescopes. After this, we threw our blankets underneath the stars, laid facing the night sky, and eventually drifted off to sleep.

Warning: I might come home an astronomy/astrology freak.

"S.A.L.T."

The next day we toured Sutherland's pride and joy, S.A.L.T., which is the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere, to which international astronomers from all over the world come to study. This about sums up the trip to Southerland. It was a beautiful and relaxing change of pace from Cape Town’s bustle… A good 24 hour getaway.

"Ben, Gabby, Eli, & Alex at Sunset"[pictured left to right]

The following night, we took some Chicken Lickin' up to Signal Hill and caught a nice sunset.

That’s about all…we’re leaving on the garden route this afternoon and returning Monday night, I believe. Upon my return, I’ll be greeted with one speech and two essays needing to be written. Don’t feel bad for me, though; I’ve had it pretty easy in school thus far.

I wish luck to those studying in Madison as exam week begins to nearer. I’ll be home in exactly two short months. Time goes by.