2/21/08
First day: Up at 4:30 in the morning to catch the sunrise over Cape Town, South Africa. About half of the ship was already out on the deck watching as well. I knew this port was going to be wonderful when I saw a shooting star flash by as I looked off the deck at the lights of the city. It was amazing watching the sunrise over Table Mountain. We docked in a toursity area called the V & A Waterfront. It has tons of cute shops and restaurants and was a really nice place to dock because we all felt comfortable walking around there at any time of day.
I went to Robben Island, an island off the coast of the city where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were held from the 70’s through the early 90’s. Many were tortured, held there without trial, and detained indefinitely, often leading to many “suicides” (that is how they are documented, but it is much more likely that they were beaten to death). The island was absolutely beautiful and had spectacular views of Table Mountain and Lion’s Head, which starkly contrasted the terrible things that had happened at the prison. There were adorable penguins resting, antelopes prancing, and birds everywhere. The prison cells were tiny, the prisoners were forced to do hard, backbreaking labor in hot conditions, and we saw Nelson Mandela’s tiny prison cell. Our tour guide was a former prisoner, himself, and had served an eleven-year term. It was a very informative visit, though slightly depressing. After returning on a bumpy ferry ride (aboard the Sea Princess), I backed out of my second FDP. I was supposed to see a show at The Baxter Theatre Centre, however, after the depression of Robben Island and knowing the show would be equally depressing, I opted to go out to dinner with a few friends and hit up a few bars. I haven’t gotten to go out in any of the ports, so I figured I could check out the bar scene in Cape Town. Guess what? It’s exactly like every bar scene anywhere you go, just different setting and different accents. It was still fun, and it was a nice way to relax and enjoy the evening: to end it on a high note instead of a sad one. We had excellent pizzas at a place on the Waterfront called St. Elmo’s. We went to a few bars, which of course were crawling with SAS kids who were completely wasted. It was quite embarrassing, actually; we made sure to avoid them. We did not want to be associated with them, and as a result met a few really nice locals.
Second Day: I was supposed to hike Table Mountain in the morning; I was going to meet Christine and Tea, who had spent the night at a local hostel, and the three of us were going to backpack it. When they came back to the ship to pick me up, they said they had talked to some of the other guys who were at the hostel who had advised them to NO WAY, EVER hike that mountain with only three girls because the pick-pocketing and mugging was really bad. I was disappointed, but we spent the rest of the day walking around Long Street. It’s a trendy street with lots of great markets and shops, so I was able to pick up TONS of cute souvenirs for all of you! I met up with Amanda later in the day to have dinner on the Waterfront. The meat situation on the ship is pathetic, so I thought I deserved a nice steak. We went to a delicious grill that was SO cheap. We went all out: shrimp appetizer, steak dinner, and brownie dessert all for about 20 American dollars. Everything is so cheap here; it just seems like it’s really expensive because the exchange rate is 7.6 rands per dollar. I must admit that I’m getting quite good at my basic math skills, though. After dinner, we were both exhausted. We walked around the nearby mall and then went right to bed.
Day Three: Amanda and I had a full day! We got up in the morning to try and find a shuttle to take us to Table Mountain. We weren’t going to hike it, but they have cable cars that go up to the top and there are tons of walking trails on top to look around. We went to the Tourist Information Centre and were told about a really great deal. For 100 rand, there was a red, double-decker Cape Town Sight-Seeing Bus that stopped at about 12 different spots throughout the city. It was an all-day ticket; buses frequented each of the stops around every 20 minutes, so you could just hop on and off as you pleased. It worked out perfectly; instead of having to pay for a bunch of different taxis for the places we wanted to go, we got to sit on top of a bus! We stopped back at Long Street to do a little more shopping (we have to get all of our shopping done by today because we leave for our safari tomorrow at 4:45 am! We don’t return till late Sunday, which is the day we leave Cape Town. There would be no more time for shopping!), and then we went up to Table Mountain. It was gorgeous! The views were amazing, and I couldn’t stop taking picture after picture. We got back to the ship around four, and after having a break and time to pack we headed out to one last dinner on the Waterfront. Our field guide book says that all of our meals should be covered on the trip, so we figured we might as well enjoy real food while we can. No need to save money eating on the ship, when my meals for the next three days were prepaid! I can’t wait till I leave for my safari! It is going to be so freaking amazing!
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