It’s been 2 years since my last post and 6 years since the round-the-world trip, but I’m back! I’m currently in a quarantined South Africa, and I’ve got to say, traveling during Covid is a weird experience. Empty airports, closed restaurants, and a generally slow world. Not to mention everything we had to do to prepare! We had to update our immunizations, like typhoid, not to mention get the Pfizer Covid vaccine, which sent me into the hospital with myocarditis. We had to get tested, and show proof of a negative Covid test, as well as provide immunization records to enter the country. Also, South Africa’s lockdown completely interrupted our normal city-exploration pattern of walking around, looking at the amazing scenery, and then going to a restaurant to wind down. We instead rode the Ferris wheel we found, which, while not the same, did give us a great view of the Cape Town harbor.

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Despite the quarantine, our trip to Cape Town began with a fun, active period. Two days after arrival, we went out to the coast to see penguins. And boy did we see penguins. They were everywhere in the bushes along the path toward the beach, and they were also plentiful in a cluster on the beach itself. They were even baby penguins, molting penguins, and penguins with an interesting bluish hue! It was a wonderful experience!

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We also went to a mountain for a short hike. The hike itself wasn’t notable, but what happened after was. I was just leaving the bathroom when Dad, carrying the food bag, was being approached by a baboon. Even as he backed up, it kept coming closer. Dad threw the bag, and the baboon soon ripped it over and went after our snack mix. A park ranger helped us retrieve the bag, but there was no repairing it. Our day bag from six years ago was gone.

You know what’s not gone, though? Me! I’ll be keeping up with you throughout this month-long vacation in Cape Town, so stay prepared for more posts from Round the World Kid!