My trip is almost over! With about 10 days left and $120 to my name (thanks again Standard Bank) there isn't a whole lot more to do than catch up on cable and do some planning for my imminent arrival back in the most beautiful city in the world, Cape Town.
On Sunday both cousin Jana and her hubby were off and we went running round the city doing the tourist thang. Staten Iland ferry, a walk over the Brooklyn bridge, some pumpkin beer in honor of the Halloween past. I'm a tourist now traveling with family, no longer an adventurer with unlimited opportunity, and the realisation saddens me only the tiniest bit. I'm going to miss this place.
What an amazing country. There is no way that you can speak of it all in the same breath, all the States differ hugely in culture and environment. California was by far the closest to SA which clarifies why the largest collection of South Africans can also be found there. The east coast is more alien, maybe European, with its forests, deer, bunnies, fireflies. Texas is a country on its own and the deep South... oh, the deep South!
There is so much I still wanted to see and do and if I knew then what I know now, I would've done things a little differently. So here's some tips:
Travel tip #86
On arrival in America, buy a car or find out about longterm rentals. Make sure that you're with someone else who will help to remind you that in terms of turning a "righty is a tighty and a lefty is a widey". The driving on the wrong side of the road deal completely did my head in.
If you decide to do what I did, which is to travel by train across America, know that it will restrict your movements severely. On the upside, taking the train is mostly pretty relaxing, their seats are huge, there's a food cart, you can walk around and meet interesting (or scary) people and you can do a lot of sightseeing from the comfort of your chair. All and all, not a bad deal either.
Travel tip #94
Of all the travel guides I encountered on my travels "Lonely Planet" seems to be by far the best in my estimation. If I had one from the beginning of my trip, I might have planned things slightly better. A worthwhile buy that will help you to get to the best parts of whichever city you find yourself in in an instant.
Travel tip #38
If you are planning on doing what I did, meaning that you're just going to throw yourself out there and take it as it comes making as little plans as possible, know that it's going to work out more expensive in the end. Also, it's all good and fine to wing it, but it does help to know what the top 5 places or sites are that you definitely want to see whilst you're there. An outline won't restrict you, but it might give you a bit more direction than I had and after awhile you kind of crave it.
If you've been thinking about coming to America, just do it. It's soooo huge, there's soooo much to see that you can't go wrong and if you find yourself in a place that you're not very fond of, you can always get back on the train/back in your car and head on over to the next city or town. Easy as cheese.
I feel truly blessed to have been here.
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