One Lonely Night

I've been ambling around Cape Town for the past two days, and I have to say, I dig it. It's pretty chill, with lots of cafes and sunshine. I'm here for one more day, and then on Sunday I leave for a camping trip in Namibia. I still can't get over the fact that I'm going camping -- even if it is supposed to be fancy camping. Considering how on edge I was staying at the budgety hotels in Asia, it should be highly amusing to see how I react to camping out in the middle of the desert.

No matter, though -- it should be worth it. Apparently there are dunes the size of small mountains. Should be just like the English Patient.

Otherwise, I'm having kind of a lonely evening. It's Friday night in Cape Town, and I am seeing lots of people heading out on the town. (Or gearing up to have people over to watch the opening night of the World Cup of Rugby...I don't know that for sure, but it just seems like that's what people are doing. Rugby is huge here.) It makes me wish that I had my friends around to head out to dinner, or to come over and watch some rugby. Of course, none of us actually care about rugby. But, then again, I don't care about other sports either, so it wouldn't be any different than having a super bowl party. Everyone would hang out and gossip and eat cheese dip.

I've been traveling alone for about two weeks now, which is just about the longest I've ever traveled on my own. For the most part, it's gone smashingly well. I met oodles of people at the various game camps, so there wasn't too much time to feel lonely. Even here in Cape Town, it didn't bother me until tonight. I think it's because it's Friday night. I suppose that I could go out to an Irish bar and watch the opening night of rugby -- you are bound to meet a kooky Australian who will hang out with you. But, that's not really my thing, even if I do enjoy a kooky Australian.

Apparently I'm not the only one feeling lonely tonight in Cape Town. I grabbed a cab back to the hotel tonight, and the cab driver repeatedly offered to give me a full body massage. "No sexual activity," he said. Just a massage. Which would have been a creepy enough offer until he started telling me how much he was looking forward to giving me said massage. Needless to say, I had him drop me off a few blocks early.

I'm meeting some of the strangest characters on this trip.