Wrapping up the trip

I'm trying to relax a little after the hardest week of paddling I've had in quite a while.  I paddled twice a day for most of last week, and much of it was high-intensity effort.  I'm pretty sure I'm coming away a better downwind paddler than I was when I first got here, but even if I'm not, at least I got in a solid block of training for the mostly-flatwater races coming up this spring.

I spent my last full day in South Africa doing the tourist thing in Cape Town.  This morning I took a stroll around the waterfront district.  It's largely a tourist trap but it was nice being by the water.

This afternoon I got a bit more ambitious and took a hike to the top of Table Mountain.  Looking up at it from Cape Town, I could tell it was going to be a bear of a hike, and it didn't disappoint.  It took me close to two hours to get to the top on a rough trail with lots of loose gravel and angular rocks and poor footing.  If I hadn't spent the month of January working my legs hard, I'd probably be in a world of pain right now.

Tomorrow I begin the long journey back to the U.S. of A.  I'm going to miss this nice summer weather, but in most respects I'm eager to be back home.


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