Cape Town, Braai and more Hikes

Wow, time flies here. I've been here for over 2 weeks now!! Most days, I'm so exhausted in the evenings that I just fall into bed. I can't find the energy to write. So, here's a little summary of the past few days.

Today's sauna day!! 37°C!! It's almost unbearable... I really need to find friends with a pool :D It actually rained a few days ago and I even wore a jacket in the evening! But today, South African summer is showing its full force. Luckily, it's "Human Rights Day" here and I don't have to work...

Yesterday, I cooled off at the ocean. Well, not IN it, because the water is incredibly cold. I was in Cape Town the last two days with some other international students. It was my first time in a big city. And we all agreed that we definitely have to come back. There's just so much to see. We mainly saw the city from above. On Sunday evening, we went up Signal Hill for the sunset and on Monday, we hiked up Lion's Head. Of course, we did some sightseeing too. Green Point, Waterfront, Greenmarket Square, Company's Garden, Camps Bay Beach, and Bo-Kaap. But I especially loved the hikes. The view is just breathtaking and when you reach the top, you really feel accomplished!

The Saturday before, I went on a real hike up Helderberg. It was really challenging. But at least this time, I felt like I've become a bit fitter. If I keep up with these hikes, I might actually become sporty :D Helderberg was really beautiful. We had a view over almost the entire False Bay. The landscapes here are incredible. And the great thing is, there are so many other mountains to climb and landscapes to see. I could actually spend the entire 6 months just hiking.

But I'm actually here for my internship semester. The last two weeks, I've mainly been reading. Slowly, I'm getting an idea of what the professor wants from me. But the level here is very high and you're completely on your own. I still need to get used to that. Suddenly, you have to know yourself what the next steps are to make progress. Or what exactly to ask to get the necessary answers. But it's definitely exciting and I'm already learning a lot from this new working environment. However, my confidence in successfully completing the work fluctuates every day. But there's still plenty of time. And I have really great people in the lab who would answer any questions. They're working on their own master's theses, but strangely enough, they're grateful for any interruption. :D

Another big and important thing here is the food. And especially in the form of grilling. It's called Braai here. There are barbecue areas all over the student dorm and they're used every day. It's a super relaxed affair. Everyone just brings something, takes turns at the grill, and in the end, we all eat together. And usually, only meat is on the grill, either huge, but cheap steaks, or Boerewors. A specialty here. It's really delicious in the end.

Now, I think I'll find a nice cool spot or sneak into the training pool.