Jaaaaaaaaa Deutschland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The last night we were in Vic Falls, we stayed up with these two British guys and waited for the sunrise. We had heard that watching the sunrise from the posh Victoria Falls hotel was spectacular. The sun peaks out from the mist of the falls, and goes over the bridge. It really takes your breath away. Even though we were completely exhausted, it was worth it. We would have gone to bed if only we had an alarm. No one in the hostel was going to do a wake up call, so staying up was the only option! We had to be up early for a flight from Zambia -Jo'Burg-Cape Town anyway, so we slept on the plane!

It was so good to see Carmen and Mark again! They are both South African, and I met them in Berlin. Mark's family is Afrikaans, and Carmen is originally from a place called East London. They moved to Cape Town just under a year ago, and their place is amazing. Carmen kept on telling me about how small it was, but it's not. It's a bachelor apartment, but I'm pretty sure it's the size of my two bedroom in Ottawa. You can see table mountain from the window, there's a mall across the street, and Long Street (the big party street) is only a few blocks away!!! The location couldn't be better. I was certain that we would spend Friday night resting, but after a few glasses of wine, and catching up with Mark and Carmen, we decided to go out. We went to this place across the street from their apartment. It was eighties night, and we ended up talking and dancing with these two American brothers staying at the hotel that Carmen works at. Apparently they go to all the World Cups. They were in Germany and South Korea, and will be in Brazil in four years! I love the passion involved in soccer. It's unparallelled in any other sport. 3000 fans from England weren't allowed into South Africa during world cup, due to charges of hooliganism. Hockey fans get rowdy, but 3000 people banned from a sporting event! Now that is passion.

Anyway, yesterday we spent lounging and relaxing. We went for tea, had delicious Ethiopian takeout for dinner, and watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

This morning we did a tour of one of the townships. It was called Langa, and is one of the oldest townships in Cape Town. I have always had a fascination with poverty, so the township tour was a must for me. I was honestly really surprised as to how positive the overall experience was. One would expect a tour of a shanty town to be very depressing, but it left the reverse impression. It was probably one of the most uplifting things I have ever experienced. The first thing we did was go to a baptist church service, which felt more like a party than anything. The church was in a building that looked like a tin can. There wasn't a single crucifix, stained glass window or virgin mary statue, but the service was full of life. The music was amazing. People were dancing, and everyone was smiling at each other and very friendly and welcoming. After the service we visited with some families, and interacted with the locals. We were in this one home, where three families shared one bedroom. There were only three single beds in the small room, and each family had a bed. 15 people total shared this tiny room. There was a small market set up in the township, where I spent way too much money on a piece of artwork for Uncle Mike and Mel. I thought it would be better to buy something from there, than from downtown. The people there could really use the money. Our guide said that the locals in the township are really open to tourism, because it gives them hope. Everyone said hi to us, and all the children wanted their picture taken. It was definitely a highlight of this trip, and I think it's a must for anyone who ever comes to South Africa. I want to go to another township in Durban once I'm back there next week.

After the township tour, we went to an Irish pub to watch the Germany vs. England game. We got to the fan center by the water front two and a half hours before the game started, and tickets were already sold out. So next time, we'll have to go even earlier. Either way, I'm very happy that Germany won. Those 3000 English hooligans that weren't allowed in the country must be losing it right now. There's a few hours until the Mexico vs. Argentina game. We're going to a Mexican restaurant to watch it. It will probably be crazy. I can still hear German fans honking their horns and blowing into those vuvuzelas!