February 17, 2013 – February 23, 2013
The ship looked so good coming into port, and
we all did too. We were dressed up in our red polos, and the ship was dressed
up with her flags. We stood, lined up on the deck, waving to the families and
friends that lined the dock as we pulled up alongside. After the usual arrival
day formalities, it was time so set foot ashore for the first time in a month.
My dad came to visit me in Cape Town, and
after many hugs and smiles, we ventured out along the V&A Waterfront. The
ship is docked on the V&A Waterfront, which is the best location we’ve had!
The Waterfront is packed with stores and restaurants that are all just a few
minutes’ walk from the ship.
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V&A Waterfront
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| Arrival day |
February 18th was the birthday of one
of my friends from the ship. Her parents came to Cape Town as well, and they and
my dad are sharing a condo, so we spent her birthday together, exploring the
area just outside of Cape Town. We drove out of the city and along the eastern
coast, stopping at a few points to look at the fantastic view; the Cape Town
area is beautiful! We made our way along the coast to a cove called Boulders.
Boulders Beach is home to a colony of African Penguins, and we could walk right
up next to them sunning and grooming themselves on the rocks. We watched the
little penguins splashing around in the water, and then we swam across the
small bay and climbed around on the rocks. When we left Boulders we continued
our drive along the Cape Peninsula all the way to Cape Point, the very tip of
the peninsula. We looked out to the point where you could see the last bit of
land north of Antarctica! We finished with a beautiful drive back to the
Waterfront. A few more friends from the ship came over and we ended the day
with a birthday dinner!
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| African penguins |
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The next two days were busy with port
programs, including a trip to Robben Island. Robben Island used to serve as a
prison, and many political prisoners were held there during the apartheid era,
including Nelson Mandela. The neat part was that most of the guides on the
Island used to be prisoners there themselves, so they told us stories from
their own experiences. The rain and the waves crashing against the rocky shore
of the island added to the dreary feel.
The next morning we got up at 4:30 for a hike
up Table Mountain. I was so exhausted since I had gangway watch from 12am-2am
during the night! We all had to basically drag ourselves out of bed, but it was
worth it. The hike was good, and really pretty with the sun rising behind us as
we walked to the top. The hike took us a couple of hours up a steep, rocky
slope until we reached the massive, flat expanse on top of the mountain (they
don’t call it Table Mountain for nothing!), looking out onto the ocean below.
We took the cable car back down the mountain, where we boarded buses that took
us to the township of Langa. Langa was one of many small townships outside of
the city, and we walked around the little neighbourhood, visiting a
government-provided home and a community arts centre.
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| Hike up to Table Mountain |
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| Hike up Table Mountain |
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| Hike up Table Mountain - very big steps! |
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| Top of Table Mountain |
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| Langa community art centre |
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| Langa Township tour |
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| Langa Township tour |
Well rested and well
fed, it was time to leave Cape Town behind us. We departed on the 23rd,
waving goodbye to our families that grew smaller and smaller in the distance.
It was a hard goodbye, knowing that we won’t see them for another 3 months, but
it was so nice to get to spend the week with my dad!
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| Provisioning |
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| Departure day |
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| Colors - always at 8:00 |
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| Leaving Cape Town |
Wow,beautiful, majestic scenery!!! The pic of the hike up Table Mountain is totally stunning. And, the penguins are very cute! :)
ReplyDeletehugs and love,
tante karen