SP came to town! Day 1

On September 11, 2015, my dear friend from college, SP, came to visit! Both to hang and to attend a conference related to her public health Ph.D. on gender-based sexual violence in Stellenbosch. Great work, amazing timing. 

Her conference ran from the 14th to the 16th, so we hung out in two legs before and after. First order of business: Robben Island, a boat ride away from the city and where Nelson Mandela and other activists who fought against apartheid were imprisoned.  

Riding away from the city:

In one of the larger cells:

And one of the smaller ones:

Took a break at the touristy Waterfront, rode the Ferris Wheel, then decided... to climb Lion's Head! My landlady said she thought it had even better views than Table Mountain because of its vantage point in the city, closer to the ocean. May have looked intimidating in the beginning:

But so, so worth the two hour hike:

Interesting rock formations:

The view of nearby neighbor Table Mountain:

That horizon though:

Perfect for quiet reflection:

We later had dinner at a local, upscale burger joint with a friend I had made only recently (ostrich burgers!) and then were pretty puckered out, concluding the first day. There was so much sightseeing during this visit that I've just now decided to break this down day by day, so more later!