A day about the cape

More driving practice from the right side of the car on the left side of the road.

Penguin peeping, or screaming in Ivan's case

Sea and mountains

That's Table Mountain and Lion's Head in the background (the two mountains)

Day at the park

That white apartment building all the way on the right is where we live 

That little blip waaaay in the back, to the left of the last building, to the right of the other swing, is Green Point Lighthouse.

Sawubona from Cape Town!

After 22 hours, more of less, of travel, we arrived at our apartment in the Seapoint neighborhood of Cape Town. It's crazy to finally be here, after so many months of preparation. The apartment's nice, though a little small. It's right on the ocean beach, with great views of Table Mountain and Lions Head. It's really weirdly set up, to an American. Light switches are in odd places. The bathroom in our room has a sink and shower, but no toilet. Weird! We're required to pay for weekly maid service, which doesn't cost much. That'll be tough to get used to, hardy har har. Shopping at the grocery store was different from in the states, but not too exotic. Mostly the same stuff. Groceries are cheaper. I don't have my binoculars yet, but I've ID-ed a half-dozen birds. Our neighborhood is supposed to be nice and really safe. Judging from the crowd at the grocery store, it seems to be middle class and pretty evenly mixed, racially. We haven't really made it out into the city yet due to nap schedules, lack of car, and trying to get stuff done at the apartment, like getting internet set up, etc. Also due to losing the only key to the apartment. Whoops. I did take Nora on a stroller walk across the street to the beach. There are a couple playgrounds really close by but I haven't seen any kids there and I'm not sure if they're sketchy or not so we haven't partaken yet. Nora has been sick this morning, some kind of stomach bug, so hopefully that clears up soon.

It's nice to be able to unpack after 9 weeks of living out of suitcases, but we're excited to find our permanent place and for our stuff to arrive (due in mid-July) so we can REALLY settle in and feel like we live here. We need a long-term, unfurnished rental, which apparently can be hard to find, oddly, but we'll figure it out I'm sure. 

We're sitting here listening to KEXP online at the moment. Holla! Anyway, that's all the news I've got for now. Drop a line if you get a chance!

Cape Town!

We made it! The view is good, the weather blustery and the kids are great! We were impressed with the kids resilience to lack of sleep and adapting to our new schedule. We did get a talking to on the plane asking us 'what's the deal' and telling us to 'invest in a pacifier' by one particularly up tight man who was tired of Ivan's shrieks. Other than that, it was quite smooth.

Go time

Our final week in the U.S. is being spent on Bolton lake, a great way to wrap up our travels. We left flag 9 weeks ago and we fly to Cape Town on Monday. We got to see a lot of wonderful friends and family over the last two months, some moreso than if we had stayed in the U.S. versus our upcoming two year stint in SA, bonus! Cape Town pics coming soon!

10-month Ivan

The latest: Our visas have been approved!! Not to jinx ourselves, but we may be in Africa very soon, like within a week.

More Maine

A foggy evening walk

Little Maine girl

Sampling the local wares

Dad tries a beer while Ivan investigates a Maine straw

We got to go for a ride in Uncle Dana's restored Model A!

Ivan's namesake's lobster buoy

In the little museum at Marshall Point lighthouse, they have miniatures of all the local lobstermen's buoys, showing their color schemes. On the "In Memoriam" board, there is Luke's grandpa Ivan's buoy, the same Ivan who our little Ivan is named after! Pretty cool family history.

Marshall Point lighthouse

Where Forest Gump turned around on his cross-country run in the movie.

Maine cabin kitchen bath