The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi

I almost wasn't going to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque because I was feeling super comfortable in my hotel room, but after reading some reviews online, I knew I would kick myself for missing it. So I caught a cab to the mosque (taxis are metered in the UAE yessss) for about $7 and went in. It's the third largest mosque in the world, because being the UAE means you have to be the best, or nearly the best, at basically everything.

Two Days in Dubai

After two very busy and full on days in Dubai, I'm ready to retreat to the quiet life of being with my dogs all day. While I really don't think I have seen all that Dubai has had to offer, I'm pretty sure I'll be returning to this city at some point in the future, and when I do there will be a million new things to see and visit.

From Johannesburg to Dubai

After a long wait at the Johannesburg airport, I was finally able to board my flight to Abu Dhabi. I quickly realised once I got on the plane that I had the middle seat in my row which is definitely the worst seat  on a plane - you don't get the window view/head rest and you don't get the aisle to stretch your legs. Instead you're squished between two strangers. It wasn't the worst flight however, I was flying with Etihad and their seats are pretty comfortable and have this cool head rest thing so I was able to get a few hours of sleep. After watching Suicide Squad I dozed off for the next few hours until we finally landed at Abu Dhabi at around 5:30am local time, or 3:30am Johannesburg time. I was very, very tired. 

Home Bound (But Still Stuck at the Joburg Airport)

My last full day in South Africa for the year was spent in Port Elizabeth. (Although technically my last 10 hours will be spent at the O. R. Tambo Airport while I wait for my connecting flight), the "windy city", which is a very apt name. 

Cape to Addo 5 day Garden Route Tour: A Review of Sorts

While the Cape to Addo tour had its perks, it has made me more certain than ever that I really don’t like organised tours, particularly ones that go longer than two days. Although it is convenient and easy, I would much rather have done the Garden Route on my own, stopping where I wanted to stop and doing exactly what I want to do. However due to time constraints the tour seemed like the best option at the time. So, Saturday morning I was picked up by our guide, an Afrikaans Capetonian, and we headed off. We had a group of 7, three Australians, two Brazilians, one German and one Swiss, all of us under the age of 25 (which was a change from my Namibia tour group which had people well over the age of 50). This would be my 'family' for the next few days as we travel through the Eastern and Western Cape of South Africa. 

Taking A Boat Out To Robben Island

So as per usual, my plans have slightly altered. While I'm still doing what I've always been intending on doing - the Garden Route - I have decided to do it via an organised tour. Originally I was going to do the hop on hop off Baz Bus which takes you to all the stops and drops you off at your accomodation, but I was told it was overpriced and not worth it. I would also still need to find my way to all the points on the Garden Route that I would want to visit. The other option was to hire a car and do it, but being by myself I wasn't particularly keen as it would be a lot of driving on my own and probably more expensive.

A Trip on Cape Town's Metrorail to Kalk Bay

After a much needed good nights rest it was time to have a big day in Cape Town! First order of the day was of course breakfast at my favourite vegan restaurant in Cape Town - Plant. I had been dreaming of good food on the train the day before and was more than satisfied with this "eggs" benedict that I was served.

The Big Hole & The Shosholoza Meyl Train to Cape Town

After a very good night sleep at the guest house I had been staying at (and a free breakfast ... they did their best at making a vegan version!), I was provided with a free lift to The Big Hole. Considering it was 11am and already about 35 degrees Celcius I couldn't refuse. After staying on the coast, being this far inland is somewhat unbearable due to the heat at this time of year (or is it year round? I don't know.)

Anyways, The Big Hole is exactly as it sounds, its a big hole. However its significance is closely tied to the mining industry in South Africa, with Kimberley being one of the main sites in South Africa were diamonds were found. The hole is currently full of water, the water being green at the moment because of the salt content (or something like that). To see The Big Hole you have to pay 80 rand (student discount), which also provides you with a tour. Apparently a dog accidentally fell into the hole once and for 7 days was paddling around until he was finally rescued!! The man who rescued him named him Kimberley and kept him. Poor doggy. (That's the only thing I remember from the tour guide to be honest).

Namibia to South Africa on the Intercape Bus

Finally back in South Africa, after nearly two weeks away, it's nice to be back. After spending yesterday filling in time at Keetmanshoop (using up a cafes free wifi and then finishing off the book I'm reading), I managed to get a cab organised to take me out of town to the Intercape bus station. The people who worked at Rachel's Backpackers were finding it difficult to get me a cab however, it was after 9pm at night and most drivers had gone home. They somehow got me one, and for N$30 I was on my way. The bus wasn't set to depart until 11:05pm so I had time to fill at the service station until it came.

Luderitz to Keepmanshoop in the Back of a Bakkie

Originally I had planned on taking a minibus from Luderitz to Keepmanshoop for N$170 ($15aud), where I would stay the night and then the next day catch a bus over the border to South Africa. The owner of Luderitz Backpackers somehow organised me a ride with some other guests that were staying at the backpackers. They were engineers from Zimbabwe and had been working in Luderitz for the day and were headed back to Mariental that day, passing through Keepmanshoop. The owner was adamant that I would travel with them instead of take a minibus, as he knew them and believed I would have a much more enjoyable trip. So it was organised, I would go with them at 7am the next morning to Keepmanshoop.