Arrival in Cape Town, 3/2/07

It was more important that ever that I wake up for the sunrise in South Africa. The build up excitement to this port has felt like waiting for every Christmas and birthday’s I’ve ever had! When I stepped outside on the seventh deck on the side of the teachers lounge, I was hit by a freezing punch of strong wind. But then a chill came over me for another reason. I saw the dark outline of an unbelievable mountain range lit up by only a sliver of dark orange. It is so hard for me to describe the feeling of pure beauty and awe as I actually saw Table Mountain for the first time! This one landform has given me so much inspiration for the last six months, and now it was actually in my line of sight!

I can’t even imagine a more picturesque city! Cradled between this massive flat mountain and the ocean, I decided was moving here for grad school, before even setting foot off the ship! It was great because I also called my mom when we arrived, when it was midnight her time, and nine in the morning my time. It is still crazy that we are half the world apart.
So, we actually didn’t have to meet with a customs agent face to face this time, so after we had our two diplomatic briefings, the ship was cleared. Katie and I got off for about an hour to get some coffee and try and phone Vicky’s B&B to confirm reservations before leaving for our city orientation at 1pm. Where the Explorer is docked is called the waterfront. It is a five-star tourist heaven, with a huge mall (all the name brand stores including Guess!), outdoor shops, a craft market, internet cafes, basically anything you could ever want. People say that it is a lot like San Francisco.

The City Orientation was fun! We went to the Castle of Good Hope, and the Parliament building, two focal points of downtown Cape Town. Then we went to the national gardens which were gorgeous, and we had tea and biscuits there so that was great. Finally there was a museum visit, and then back to the ship. That night we had a great dinner at ‘Mama Africa’ a restaurant known for great game food that one of our friends from USD had recommended. I ate crocodile, and it was excellent! We stayed out after that on Long Street, which is the place to be in Cape Town for good night life! A wonderful first day in the city, it is still a little surreal that I am here!