Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town was a sight for soar eyes. Other than Singapore, it is most similar in look and feel to the US than any other port we have been to. However, we were hit with an laundry list of warnings about our host city. We received warnings in email form, by lecture from SAS and the US diplomat and in printed handed-outs. In no other port were we so thoroughly informed about the potential of crime. But as we walked off the ship, it really didn't feel that much different than downtown Atlanta. I think it's just a matter of being smart and following your instincts. Anyway, we couldn't wait to get off the ship, so there really was no stopping us!

We headed straight to the V&A Waterfront for some much needed cash! We have had some troubles with our credit cards not understanding the extent of our travels. Chris found a popular ATM (long line) at the top of the mall so the boys and I did some window shopping. The first store to catch our eye was the Biltong Shack. Biltong is the local beef jerky. And if I tell you it's fresh, I mean that it is tender and moist! It looks as though it is a dried medium-rare piece of meat. And when I say "meat" that means all types of game and in all assorted flavors. It was a clear preview of our safari to come.

We ran short on time and only had a few minutes of wifi before we had to grab our lunch and head back to the ship for our city cycle tour. It was great tour because we hit all the highlights of the city in only a few hours and we were able to get the lay of the land for future outings. We all suited up with 21 speed tour bikes, helmets and the ever necessary, water bottle for hydration. It is the start of the fall season here so, the weather is sunny and in the mid 70's. Not an ounce of complaint from the Smiths!

No matter where we went in the city, we felt the tangible omnipresence of the formidable Table Mountain. It was a clear day and there was no mistaking the grandeur of this 600 million year old natural wonder. And various points during our tour I would just stop in awe of its magnitude and was fortunate, at times, to see the "tablecloth" of clouds that often drapes this flat-topped mountain.

Highlights of the tour included:
- Bo-Kaap: Where free slaves first settled in the 1830's.
- Company's Garden : Once the vegetable gardens of the first Dutch settlers, it's now a public park and the oldest in Cape Town.
- Green Market - for local arts and crafts
- St. George's Cathedral where Archbishop Tutu presided and the only church welcoming all people during the times of Apartheid.

Later that night, we met up with Jeremy & Ben's 3rd grade teacher's sister! (Did you follow that?) Janice is living in Cape Town with her daughter, her husband and their 2 boys. Charlie, the eldest at 5 years old, and Janice attended the MVExplorer's open ship event that night. After a quick tour of the ship, we all headed out to the Waterfront for dinner. On the recommendation of the US Diplomat, we went to Belthasar's for the "Game Kabob". I decided that it might be best for me to try these new meats BEFORE seeing them on safari because I already have a hard time stomaching fish if I've seen it alive. I much prefer a piece of meat that has no recognizable features of the animal it is. On my entree skewer were large chunks of meat including, Springbok, Gemsbok, one other kind of "bok" and Wildebeest. Can't say that I could really distinguish one from the other or even preferred one over the other but, admittedly, they were all pretty darned good ; )

We had a fantastic time talking with Janice and Charlie about their lives in South Africa and how it compares to home. And although it was our first meeting, it was nice to have a connection to home.

The following day we boarded a bus for the Garden Route Safari. Thus far, SAS trips have consistently scored high on our "Wow Factor Scale" and this was no exception. We drove about 4 hours through the western cape via the Garden Route, aptly named because of the area's proficiency at growing crops throughout the year. The scenery and views of the mountains were spectacular. It was about 3:00 when we arrived at the Garden Route Game Lodge. It was a lodge beyond the imagination. Situated in a valley surrounded by the Outeniqua Mountains, the rustic lodge was fittingly nestled in the savannas of the safari grounds. Blacks, golds, oranges, browns, greens and yellows are the colors most prevalent in the natural beauty of this part of the world. This is Africa.

As we walked through the grounds to our cabanas, I felt that I might actually have an encounter with the elusive J. Peterman, himself, recuperating here, in front of the grand fireplace. Commanding the well-worn leather high-backed armchair, boots still dusty from his travels and whiskey in hand after a long and treacherous expedition through the wilds of Africa, recounting his adventures to eager tourist listeners and high on adrenaline over the treasures he had secured to include in the next printing of his catalogue - The Game Drive Edition.

It was 5:00 and time for our first game drive. The sun was considering going down and the air was just cool enough for a light jacket. We boarded our tried and true 4x4 and were introduced to our guide, Ashley. A graduate of an animal conservatory in South Africa, he described his position at the game lodge as a "dream job". You'd be hard-pressed to argue with him. Although, the job entails hard labor at times, the trade off of living in such beautiful surroundings and among the mightiest of creatures seemed to play to his advantage.

Of "The Big Five", we saw four. The title is given to the 5 most dangerous animals hunted by man. They include the buffalo, the rhinoceros, the elephant, the lion and the leopard. It was the leopard that made us come up short. Apparently, the leopard is so difficult to maintain and keep track of that true sightings are far and few between.

Having never been on safari before we were in awe of the size of these animals and the sometimes-too-close proximity which we were allowed to have of them. We found the lioness in a valley as the lion, himself, sat above her keeping a close watch as she enjoyed her dinner. This lioness was obviously the favorite of the lion. We learned that he quickly disposed of the second one upon their introduction. We were approximately 30 yards close to the lioness but Ashley assured us that since she was happily gnawing away at a horse's head, we were at a safe watching distance. Although, mesmerized by her large size and adeptness in shredding every ounce of flesh off the skull, I kept wary of just how close we were to her. I don't think my heart has ever pounded that rapidly just sitting still.

The elephants, are massive and awesome in their own right but somehow a much more sedate experience. We were actually allowed to feed these guys and, if allowed, I would have stayed with them all day. They see you coming, cupped hands full of grain and they extend their trunk then turn it over allowing you to easily drop the the food right in. Interestingly, if you don't put enough food in, they will stay in that position until their trunk is filled. At one point, the female elephant got slightly perturbed at the little amount she was getting and expressed her frustration by blowing whatever food and other trunk muck she had collected straight at Chris! Awesome ; )

Other animal sightings included, Giraffes (you couldn't miss them!), Ostriches, Springboks, Wildebeests, Zebras, Rhinos and Cheetahs to name a few. Out of all the other people on safari, it was only our 4x4 that encountered the rarest sighting of all...

A lost Shetland Sheep Dog ; ) This poor thing had no idea what danger it was in. With all sorts of wild animals and especially the cheetah always at prey this little girl couldn't have been more vulnerable. We collected her into our jeep and called the lodge to retrieve her. She belonged to the neighbor next door and was clearly a house dog...clean coat and eager to play. Word got back to us that as soon as they reached the lodge, she jumped out and escaped again! Later that night, sitting on our porch, Chris and I spotted her again. I hope she didn't end up as something's midnight snack!

So, upon returning from each game drive, we were directed to the restaurant of the lodge where there was always a fantastic spread of food laid out for us. Stews and breads, vegetables and meats, fruits and cheeses, wines and local brews...it was always a feast. But it was a feast on the animals we'd just encountered on safari! I tried the Springbok and Wildebeest at the first meal but became strictly vegetarian at all subsequent meals. I just couldn't do it...images of the lioness as she mauled the toothy-grinned horse head made me consider my food choices altogether.

After our 3 day safari, we returned to Cape Town ready to see the sights of this port city. We hopped on the city tour bus that takes you all around with narrated description of each area. We had purchased tickets for the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. It has just recently been named one of the "new" natural wonders of the world. Requirements for this prestigious title must be very strict considering Table Mountain is over 600 years old!

As the bus climbed the increasingly steep slope to the cable station we caught glimpses of the city and ocean below. "Breathtaking" would be the only description. We couldn't wait to see the 360 degree view from the top of the mountain which was sure to be spectacular! But as luck would have it, the winds that day were too strong and the cable cars were not running...darn. A reason to return to Cape Town.

We lunched in an area called Camps Bay. It is a beach community on the other side of Table Mountain. It's THE place to see and be seen ; ) Very Miami-esque...outdoor restaurants filled with beautiful people and overlooking the white sand beach.

We quickly contrasted our experience by taking a cab to the area known a Bo-Kaap. Established by freed slaves in the 1830's, this area is thick with history. We stopped in the small museum where we were given a brief lesson in the people and culture that started the Bo-Kaap area. In summary, it is largely Muslim and the culture is that of the Cape Malay people. The old slave homes are still intact and in use today. Small rectangular buildings situated on steep cobblestones streets makes for a very quaint feel. What's best is that in keeping with tradition, these homes are painted in a wide variety of bright colors. As slaves, the first residents were only allowed to wear gray drab clothes. In celebration of their freedom, they painted their homes an array of vibrant colors which still continues today. Ironically, the Bo-Kaap area has become a popular backdrop for worldwide, high-end, fashion photography. If you've ever glanced through a summer issue of Vogue or designer catalogues, you've probably seen your favorite model photographed here. Even more ironic...Bo-Kaap is somewhat safe during the daylight hours but a visit after sunset is strongly discouraged because of its high crime rate.

That night we were picked up by our new friend, Janice, who brought us back to her house for dinner. I think it was Jeremy who commented that we'd not stepped foot in a home or had a home-cooked meal in 3 months! This made the wait so worthwhile. We met Peter, her 4 year old grandson and his parents, Kate and George who are both lawyers. George's parents just happened to arrive for a visit the day before making it quite a party. We soaked in the hospitality and ate every bite of food on the table. It was a fantastic evening learning of their first year here as professionals, parents and residents. Great food, wine, atmosphere and company...all helped to round out our South African experience ; )

The last day in Cape Town produced an unimaginable wind storm. We never got the official speed reading of the high winds but it was certainly fast enough to pick us up off our feet from time to time!

We hired a cab driver to drive us around the southern peninsula. Our first stop was Boulders Beach. A beautiful white sand beach dotted with enormous, smooth, gray boulders. But it's most interesting feature is that it is the home of thousands of African Penguins! I had never seen so many tuxedo-clad birds in my life. They were so cute that I couldn't stop laughing the whole time we were there! If a penguin can't put a smile on your face, you probably have some soul searching to do ! ; )
Probably my favorite stop of the day was at Cape Point, the most south western point of Africa where you can see both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. A truly jaw-dropping experience! Cape Point is one of those places in the world that makes you sit back and ask, "How the heck was all this created?!" And because of how wondrous it is, it's also one of those places that is extremely hard to leave...

We drove the scenic route to Hout Bay up Chapman's Peak where our driver told us that just 5 months ago, 2 tourist standing at the edge overlooking the bay were windswept and plunged down the steep jagged cliff. That being said, although it is one of the most beautiful views I'd ever seen, I'd recommend waiting for better weather. It was scary up there!

Lastly, we took a drive through a township outside of Hout Bay. Townships are a direct result of Apartheid. The exclusion of all non-white people in Cape Town and forcibly removing them from the city limits, these people were left to their own resourcefulness in creating shelter and a life for themselves. Housing material consists of anything they could get their hands on that would protect them from the elements. Sadly, the practice still continues today. Most 13 year old boys are expected to move out of their parents' homes and begin their own lives and start their own families. With limited knowledge and skill set it is understandable that they don't venture too far from home. So the townships grow more cluttered each year as more and more homes get built. However, we learned from our driver that there is a group of men from Ireland who dedicate their time and effort to building substantial housing for the poverty stricken township residents. Each October, the Irishmen descend upon Cape Town and for one week, build 200 new dwelling places.

Our stay in South Africa was magnificent. But we know we have not even begun to understand this part if the world. There are so many great experiences still left to be had. One professor told Chris that he stopped feeling bad about missing out on things. Instead, he looks at the unturned stones as reasons to come back. So, farewell for now, South Africa. We will see you again!