THE AMAZING RACE BEGINS

October 15^th – October 21^st

God created the universe in 6 days. 

God has nothin' on Alan, Chelsea and me!

Day #1:

*Picked Alan up at Johannesburg International Airport – brimming with excitement as we waited. The instant he walked through the doors I couldn’t stop the smile spreading across my face – HOME had arrived in JoBurg! The reunion couldn’t last long – we had to gather up Alan and his bags and scramble off to Lanseria International Airport (about 30 minutes away) to catch our 12:45pm flight to Cape Town.

*Checked into Lanseria. With our footwear still on and not so much as a second glance from any guard, we crossed through security. We sat for 45 minutes before exiting the airport terminal, crossing the tarmac and boarding the bright orange plane destined to transport us two hours south to Cape Town.

*After Alan’s third plane ride in 24 hours, we stuffed our suitcases into the tiny trunk of our rented Hyundai and set the GPS for Boulders Beach. Alan’s confusion with the left side of the road continued as he stifled his warnings to “get back on the right side of the road!” The scenery, completely opposite of the landscape of Johannesburg, triggered many Oos and Ahs as we traveled along the coast. One stop to see a whale playing in the harbor, and we were finally at Boulders Beach and the African Penguin Colony. The little tuxedo wearing birds were scattered along a boardwalk. They were hidden among the bushes, squeaking like Teq’s dog toys, and laying in the sand oblivious to the tourists’ eyes. With our toes in the sand, we gazed out across False Bay and admired the beauty of the mountains, boulders, and Atlantic Ocean.

*The sun began to lower in the sky. It was time to find our B&B (The House on the Hill) and we did so by way of a scenic drive called Chapman’s Peak Drive. It’s reputation for being a gorgeous span of road along the coast was completely accurate. Shades of pink, red, and orange brushed the sky, stopping at the horizon where the deep, sparkling blue water continued to color the image in our eyes. The setting sun illuminated the mountains and ledges that we drove along causing them to almost glow. It was one of those moments in time you never want to end - visually stimulating on every level.