Cape town, South Africa!

Yep, it's at the other end of the world! Man, it took a long time to get there, and an even longer time to get home (29 hours in transit via Atlanta) but Cape Town and its environs are a world class destination, and I loved my time there.

M and I had been in Cape Town back in 2019, but only for three days. This time I had a full week, and while I was busy on some of those days giving lectures or workshops, I also had more time to poke around, more time visiting with locals, and more places to visit and get a sense of what it's all about. And I have to say it was really, really fun.

My main focus was Stellenbosch, a wine-oriented city about an hour outside Cape Town. I loved it, ate great food there, met wonderful people, and even managed to go on a hike in Boschendal reserve. My guide there was fully equipped with both hiking poles and some serious looking gaiters. "No worries," he explained. "We only have two kinds of poisonous snakes here, the cobra and the puff adder. The cobras generally run away from us, and the puff adder will only strike if you step right on it."

Good to know.

The scenery here is stunning--table Mountain is more than 4,000 feet hight, and while it's not as steep as El Capital in Yosemite, it still has an awe-inspiring presence. And it's not alone, other similarly towering peaks run the coast of South Africa. And combine that with beautiful beaches and wonderful people...it makes for quite an amazing experience.

The atmosphere of South Africa is high energy. It was election day while I was there, and the lines to vote were impressive. And with its location at the very end of the continent, there is more than a hint of the Wild West in the national personality. All the while the level of personal service and courtesy is beyond compare. Quite fun.

And then there is the food--I ate springbok and kudu, and tasted a few other things you won't find in France or Napa, and I drank wines every bit as good as the ones you'll find in France and Napa--albeit these were less expensive. In fact, everything was about half or less than what you'd pay anywhere else. That stack of bills is what $200 looks like in Rand when you get it from the ATM.

And yes, the food really was sensational. This plate was part of a larger wine and food pairing lunch at Creation winery. Would I go back?

In a heart beat.