Cape Town, South Africa

Well, well, well. Here we are. Get ready for story time folks; cause there is a lot to go through.

First things first, location update:
Latitude: 35 degrees, 9.4 minutes S
Longitude: 20 degrees, 21.4 minutes E
Average Speed: 15.71 knots
Distance to Mauritius: 2161 NM
Sea Depth: a shallow, 396 feet
Sea Temp: 22 C, 71.6 F
Air Temp: 21 C, 68 F
Moderate Seas with a long swell. Winds coming from the SE at 10 knots.
Swell Height: 2.5 m, 8-10 feet

My o My o My o My. I don’t even know where to begin. My brain is mush with thought as I begin to reflect and think back on the experience I so sadly walked away from. Cape Town is an amazing city. South Africa is a stunning country, filled with opportunity, adventure, poverty, and an eclectic blend of residents that call themselves South African. From the Kariega Reserve to the Stellenbosch Wine lands, and the Cape Town Waterfront to the Green Point Flee Market, there is just so much to do and 6 days was no nearly enough time. However, I got a great appetizer of what this country has to offer. Now, let’s start from the top.

Upon arrival on the great St. Valentine’s Day (which is celebrated in South Africa), we were delayed about 4 hours pulling into port because of fog. I woke up for sunrise at 0620, not knowing what to expect considering visibility was just AWFUL. However, when the sun crept its way over the mountains that line the coast of South Africa, it was a sight that will never leave your eyes. As the sun rose, the fog took on the colors of the sun with a blinding reflection off the ocean. From a roaring red to a outrageous orange, when the sun rose over the mountains, your breath was pulled right out of your body and you found yourself in a speechless awe and wonder. Truly stunning. We found out around 0700 that the Cape Town port was officially closed until later notice, so we had no idea when we were going to be getting into port. The ship ended up farting around for a while before anchoring. When the fog did clear and the sky turned cerulean blue, looking out in the water I was stunned to see so many boats and barges and tankers just patiently floating and waiting to get entrance into the fogged harbor. We ended up docking just before noon having supposed to done so by 0800. The ship was cleared and we were off into the city for about 1330.

Three of us (thankfully) ended up perusing the waterfront, poking our head into some shops, exchanging currency, and sipping on some amazing South African wine at a little café. The waterfront in just nearly three years old and everything there is really brand new. There is a MASSIVE mall, and tons and tons of restaurants. Not to mention the countless boat tours, shark cage diving boats, parasailing, deep-sea fishing and sun set catamaran cruises. It was a bustling waterway and the land right away there was just as busy. After some amazing wine and cheese, it was off to the theater for me.

At 1830 our bus took off for the ARTSCAPE Theater. It is an amazing facility, of which we received a backstage tour and then some. They have four theaters in this venue, a small blackbox (300 seats), a typical theater (about 800 seats) in which touring shows preformed, a studio and rehearsal theater, and an amazing 1200 seat Opera House. The production I went to see was called Umoja. It was the story of South Africa put on by amazing performers. There were always 40-60 people on stage at all times and there voices could have filled a theater triple the size. Music, dance, and constant costume changes made this show a site for the eyes. And, more so, it was the history of the country, so there was an educational aspect as well. But one sec, jump back before the show. After our tour, we were treated to some delicious wine and cheese. Cheeses I’ve never had, seen, or heard of before that filled the mouth with flavors undescribable to the mind. I was in constant aw of the flavors of the wines mixed with the amazing texture and taste cow and goat cheeses. Ok, so I digress…back to the show. From tribal rituals to government portrays, and church services to schoolyards, every facet of life was touched upon. At the end of the show, a typical two-act performance, the audience had no hesitation to show their appreciation and flew to their feet. It was a glorious and uplifting performance. As far as the rest of the audience, it seemed there were people of every ethnic background and all seemed to be regular theatergoers. All and all it was a pleasurable and pleasing experience that shined the light of African Theater on me.

After the show, we headed back to the boat and rounded up a crew to find a place to go on the town. We all ended up at this place called Cool Runnings, which was on Long Street. Long Street is THE place to be when it comes to night life. In a way I regret going to Cool Runnings, as great as it was, it was basically only SAS people there. Funny story: after being there for a bit, there was a food vendor across the street that was cooking up some amazing food. From the smell and line I could tell it had to be something for the taste buds. I made my way over there and got to the front of the line and said to the lady who was covered in grease, with sweat pouring down her face, “I’ll take anything, as long as there is no meat.” She gave me a confused look and said, “No meat?!” I said, “Yes, anything, just no meat.” She failed to understand me and went on to the next customer…I was a bit bothered because I was quite hungry, but at the same time thought it was quite comical because of her lack of understanding for “No meat.” And it’s not that there was not stuff without meat, I saw it there’ I just had no idea what anything was, so I just thought I’d leave it up to her. O well.

The next morning we headed back into town to further explore that great city of Cape Town. We found our was to Green Market Square where Monday – Friday, vendors from SA set up shop and sell all sorts of goods from all over Africa. Artwork, Jewelry, Home Décor, Clothes and Shoes, and food and music, there was something to suit everyone. Like most places other than America in the world, bargaining was key, and made the experience all the more better and worthwhile. After a quick stop at an internet café, we headed back to the ship for dinner. The friends that I had been with all day said they were exuasted and wanted to nap. Well, for those of you that know me well, I HATE NAPPING, and rarely do so. I told them I would wake them up in a few hours when it was time to head out for another night on the town. Well, they failed to wake up so I decided that was going out alone and would hope to run into someone on my way off the ship or in town. Well, just my luck, as I was heading down the gang way there was a group of folks that I knew and I tagged along. We ended up going to this place called Momma Africa. It was a Bar/Restaurant with an amazing live band playing some authentic African Jazz.

The music was unimaginable. Three huge xylophones, all with different key widths to make different sound, along with three drummers, a sax on occasion and a jaw-dropping, ear pleasing singer that blew the doors off for hours on end. There is authenticity and originality to their sound; something about it that made it like nothing you or I had ever heard before. It brought joy to your body and forced you to smile and enjoy. Unfortunately, I could not stay for too long, just a few hours, because I had a 0330 wake up call for my Safari!

Now, run and get your safari gear, and bring on the game life. Be prepared to be shocked and I recommend wearing a diaper or two…I didn’t and learned the hard way. Let’s see. Where to begin. Well, I had to be in the cafeteria on board the ship for breakfast by 0400 because my bus to the Cape Town airport was leaving at 0430. Our flight was at 0600, and our group of 21 got to the airport only 45 minutes before our flight…I know what you thinking…O GOD, YOUR NEVER GOING TO MAKE IT!!! HA! So, we check in and by the time we do so it’s about 5 of 6. We are then rushed onto a shuttle bus and taxied to the tarmac where the plane awaits our arrival. They were holding the plane just for us. Once on board the South African Express Airways jet enroute to Port Elizabeth, it was time to fly. We literally sat down and the planes started moving.

Let me just mention that Africa, and South Africa for that matter was completely unexpected. I went not knowing what to expect at all, but even so, everything that happened and what I saw was nothing that I could have ever fathomed Regardless. As our plane took off and headed east, we soared over some stunning mountains and made our way above the clouds. About 15 minutes into the flight, the colours of the sun began to penetrate their way through the clouds and give a morning glow to dull sky. Her rays were blinding as they climbed higher and higher over the mountains. The sun burned off the fog and the skies cleared and that stunning blue was back filling the air. It was a breathtaking and stunning expirence vividly imprinted on my mind.

When I first took my seat on the plane, I was seated in a double with an older gentleman. I said, “Hello,” and he did the same. That was it really, he went to sleep and I started reading the magazine on the plane. Something very impressive about South African Express Airways is that the CEO is a woman, and a black woman at that. This came as a great shock considering that it was only 12 years ago that blacks were able to get every day, real jobs. Let alone become a CEO of one of the biggest and most successful corporations in South Africa. Anywho, I was stunned when the flight attendants began coming around giving out boxed breakfasts! They were fantastic! In this little box was a croissant, ham, and cheese (of which I gave away), a delicious yogurt, a fresh fruit cup, and a tasty snack bar – which I saved for later. We were also given juice, I chose the Peach, which was delicious. Once we were finished with the meal, the attendants came around again with tea and coffee!!! I was absolutely floored by this. Christ, on American flights you’ve gotta pay for some damn peanuts, let alone a full breakfast!

OK, so now, what you’ve all been waiting for. We land in Port Elizabeth, which is on the coast about 900km east of Cape Town. A bit less than 600 miles. From there we boarded a bus and were off on our hour and a half drive north to the Kariega Game Reserve. In heading there, we ended up stopping by this quaint little town, not really a village, but for literary sakes, we’ll call it that for fun. This village consisted of a row of shops on either side of the street. Say about 10 total. Of the 10 shops, 4 of them were real estate offices because just before this village is a river with some beautiful river front properties. Other shops included a local crafts place, clothing boutique, video rentals (most recent rentals from about 6 months ago in the states), a decent grocery store, and a lovely little café. It was funny; most of us bombarded this café for the bathroom and a light snack. The owners of the café, so it seemed, were the ones doing all the work. He was behind the counter doing the cooking and she was out front doing the waiting and serving. An older couple, in their fifties perhaps. She got quite frazzled when her relaxing morning was abruptly interrupted by a bunch of hungry tourists. I sat down and had a “lovely” pot of tea with a delicious scone (Kim, I am sorry to tell you, but I think I might have met your scone-match-maker). The plain scone was served with shredded cheddar cheese, butter, and jam. A perfect mid-morning snack, really. After leaving there, we headed down the road a bit further where we stopped at this picturesque beach to snap a few photos and get our first official glimpse of the Indian Ocean. I stuck my feet in and grabbed a few shots of it. It was pretty damn cold for it being the warmest ocean in the world.

Alright, alright, enough with the fluff and bullshit…on with what you want…SAFARI!!!! After driving through valleys and looking out over fields, we arrived at the Kariega Game Reserve. Again, it was a place like nothing I could have imagined or expected. As our motor coach made it’s way down and around and through the dirt road, there was a boiling energy running through our veins. The great thing about the Safari I choose was that there were only a total of 22 of us, including our tour guide. Before we even arrived at reception we were all stunned and amazed when we saw three giraffes off in the distance. Little did we know there would be multiple daily encounters with these giant, soaring creatures. When we arrived at reception, we were greeted by our two Rangers, Leonard and Terrance and were given a delicious cup of iced tea that was like no iced tea I’d ever tried before! It was a naturally sweet, exotic tasting tea that was soothing and thirst quenching. Anywho, once we checked, we boarded our game drive, all-terrain vehicles and were shuttled off to our Chalets for a quick minute. From there we went back to the main lodge where we were served our first lunch…words cannot even begin to justify and describe the taste of this delicious food, and to think we would have three more days of it! After that we had an hour to ourselves before our first 1600 game drive.

One thing, the weather of course, some might have said, was not in our favor. It was a bit cool and misting the entire time. I think it made the experience much more authentic and only added to life in the Bush. So, we boarded our fully exposed, all-terrain vehicles and were headed off into the reserve in search of game life. The vehicles were amazing. They were everything I’d expect in a Safari vehicle, and then some. Of course they were a version of a Toyota Land Cruiser. There was four rows, a front row where a driver and passenger sat. Then up a level was the second row, the third and fourth. There was no top, no windshield, just semi-soft cushioned seats with a metal bar in front of you which you will learn to hold on to…tightly, A LOT! As we begin to make our way further and further into the Bush, we were again confronted by a group of giraffes. To our amazement, our Ranger, Leonard, swerved off the road and onto the grassy terf to get a closer look. Little did we know, this would only be the beginning of what turned out to be an amazing, adventurous, and awesome expedition. After enjoying the giraffes for a bit, it was off to the Big 5 side of the reserve. Africa is know for it’s Big 5 - the Buffalo, the Elephant, the Leopard, the Lion, and the Rhino. These Big 5 are categorized together because they are Africa’s biggest and most dangerous animals to hunt. The Big 5 are kept in a different region from the giraffe’s and other animals, simply because they can maintain a health population by doing so. However, once the population of a particular species gets to high on the side with out the bulk of predatory animals, they simply move some over to where the hunters reside and bang! Nature runs its amazing course.

We first went in search of some elephants. There were only a few rules that we were told of – no yelling when we see an animal, to stay seated when you see an animal that would charge (i.e. lion, rhino, elephant, etc.), and to try to keep your flash off on your camera. Well, it just so happens that when we found the herd of elephants, about 12 females with two brand new born babies, and one adolescent male waiting for the day he can join the big boy elephants, Jeffrey got VERY excited and was just so stunned that he screamed! I really couldn’t help it, my mother would of done the exact same thing. Thankfully, my scream did not come off as a threat to these stunning and powerful creatures and they kept on doing what they were doing. They began to walk in a line, mostly single file, two-by-two when it was a younger one walking with mom. But the little babies, that were born just a few weeks before we got there, stayed very close to their moms and to the matriarch of the herd. They walked between their legs and stayed in close link with their powerful and protective mom’s and aunts. We followed them for about a half and hour, and decided to change our direction in search of something a bit more dangerous.

We traversed our way up mountainsides and through the depths of the valleys. Once we had crossed the main valley, we were in search of the Lady Lions, lionesses to be precise. There are two of them. Our trusty Ranger was truly a genius and made the trip one hundred million times better. We stopped so he could stand up and look through his binoculars to the other side of the mountain across the valley in search of the two ladies. He knew they would be resting for two reasons – 1. Lion’s sleep about 20 hours a day, and 2. They had just killed a wildebeest the day before. His well-trained and keen eyes spotted them on the other side of the valley, resting together, perhaps waiting to be hungry again. Back we went down the steep mountainside, through the valley and back up the other side. The terrain these vehicles could cross was amazing, there was nothing holding up back and we had a driver with guts of glory which made it all the better. As we made our way up the other side of the slope, we had to be sure to keep good sharp eyes in case we just happen to stumble across them. Of course we didn’t and it was our trusty ranger that spotted them and magically created a course to let us view them. They were just beautiful animals. Peacefully resting, you’d think you could just run up and pet them! I wanted to. Thankfully this time I didn’t’ scream and we were able to watch them for about 20 minutes in a peaceful, resting manor. One of the main reasons you don’t want to stand up in the vehicle when you see a lion is because they will pinpoint you as their target and threat. Not because of the reason’s you’d think though. Hunters in the Bush are all color blind (expect for the cheeta), therefore, when we were parked there admiring their beauty and taking photos, all the lions saw was sort of a blob of color, nothing that really stood out and gave them a reason to attack. Its also the reason that lions still need to fight for survival, because to our eyes a zebra may stand out like a sore thumbs, however, to the color-blind lion or leopard, its quite different. You see, in the Bush – there is a reason for everything. Nothing in nature is done for aesthetic purposes or because it can be. There are reason’s zebra’s are black and white stripes, there are reasons why a giraffe has big brown spots with a light tan outline around them. There are reasons why the springbok has groves in its antlers, and there are reasons why trees are poisonous. All of which I can talk about with you later, but I’m sure your eyes are getting tired already from reading this so far. So, we’ll keep to the exciting essentials. Anyway, after that we headed back to the lodge for dinner – which again was absolutely amazing. I can’t even remember the specifics of the food each day, but there was a different vegetable soup with each lunch and dinner – from butternut to spinach, and carrot to corn. The flavours of this food were out of this world…well, out of the American world, because I was in Africa! HAHA!

That night we were all exhausted from being up since 0330, so it was an early to bed because we had an early wake up call…a 0600 game drive to see how the animals came alive in the morning. We started in search of the white Rhino that are on the reserve, but didn’t try to hard because there were other plans for the morning. We made our way into the main valley where the Kariega River flowed through, and on our way there we got up close and personal with a few herds of zebra, a bunch of wildebeest, blesbuck, springbuck, giraffes, and of course the famous Blue-balled monkey. When I say blue balls, I mean it. The testicles on the male monkey were bright, electric, neon-80s BRIGHT BLUE! It’s where their name comes from. When the Dutch first discovered this creature that is what they named it after, the Dutch name being Vervet Monkey – in English – Blue Balled Monkey!

We arrived at the river and boarded the Kariega Queen River boat for a ride upstream in hopes of viewing some of the 250 bird species that either permanently reside, or pass through on their migration trip. It was another dreary morning, poor visibility due to fog, and a steady mist, but again, it added to the experience 10-fold for me. Besides, I was prepared; I was Safari-clad out to the max. They loaned us ponchos, but I had the perfect attire and a great hat that was perfect for my expedition. After a nice ride up the river we turned around to head back to the trucks for the rest of our game drive. We went in search of some hippo, which we found, but they are so damn good at staying underwater, we didn’t get a great view. We headed back to the lodge for breakfast.

After breakfast, a few of us decided we wanted to go on a hike through the trails of Kariega. Don’t get nervous, you’re not allowed to hike on the Big 5 side of the reserve. When we told Leonard the trail we wanted to hike he said that he would come with us because that was the region where the Rhino’s had been hanging and he’d want to be with us, god for bid we round a corner and there they are. So, off we went on the SunSet trail with Leonard as our guide. Within the first 20 minutes, we rounded and corner, and I kid you not, not 15 feet in front of us was Diggler the dominant male Giraffe. He is the biggest giraffe on the reserve and he was as cool as can be. He knows that he is damn good looking and has a constant following of lady giraffes. Each time we saw him he was crowded by a female or two along with their babies that Diggler so proudly bore. WOW! It was so exciting, and thank god I had learned to control my excitement and not scream like I did with the elephants. He just stood there and let us take pictures and talk to him and enjoy his flawless spots and beauty. We continued on our way, learned about termite mounds and trees, impala and aloe. Something amazing about the massive, sometimes 5 feet tall termite mounds is that there are millions of tiny termites living and working inside there. (African termites look NOTHING like American House destroying termites) There are two main types of termites that reside in these massive ant-like hills. There is the worker termite, who like most American’s, spends all of his life working. He has a big claw on his head that helps him carry sand. Then there is the military, or defense termite. These boys come in handy when a predator is hungry and invading the house. They expel an acid that is quite bitter and nasty tasting; it can burn a tongue and even the skin if exposed to enough of it for an extended period of time. They too, do their part to help mend and constantly build the house.

After finishing the Sunset trail, three of us decided to go for another hike on the Wildebeest trail. It was a three-hour hike, probably a few miles that took us up into the back hills of the reserve. We passed by a massive herd of wildebeest, zebra that came out of nowhere, bouncing impala, and one of the most dangerous animals on the reserve…the tortoise. (Note: thick sarcasm implied) We also found a several remains to animals. A skull to a zebra, and a jawbone to an animal we couldn’t ID. At the top of this hike was the Kantaz Lookout, in which if you are not paying attention and you take a step too far, down you fall over 400 feet into the Kariega River below. It is a stunning cliff and across it you see hills, fields, and valleys with views as far as the eye can see. Truly took your breath away.

After that it was out for another game drive. We went in search of Rhino, and sure enough we found em’. It was mom and her baby, along with the dominant male on the reserve who was just hanging out until the female Rhino went into heat again...if you get my drift. They were just resting and enjoying the mist run off their leathery skin. Thankfully, mom was in a good mood and didn’t mind us admiring her and her calf; otherwise she might have charged the vehicle. After that we went back over to the Big 5 side in search of the King of the Plains, the beast of all beasts…the Male Lion. After about an hour of search and stumbling across elephant herds and passing through hoards of impala and springbuck, we found them. Two brothers. Resting. Just sleeping, enjoying themselves. They were out in the open two, unlike their lady counterparts. They were sleeping behind a bush on the open plains, using the bush to block the wind and absorb some of the mist that was yet to cease. They were in the exact same position the entire time we admired them. Each of them slowly adjusting at separate times, but one of them, just one of them giving us the yawn of a lifetime! Thankfully, I brought my trusty and quick, big lensed, traditional 35-mm camera and I was able to capture their every movement. All in all I ended up taking 12 rolls of real film and over 400 pictures on my digital. Needless to say, I have the Safari experience well documented.

Well, that about covers it. We went back for dinner that night, which was once again, amazing. The next morning we did another game drive, and ended up getting better views of the hippo, which was nice. After that it was back on the bus to head back to the airport to head back to Cape Town.

We got back into Cape Town on Saturday evening. The friends of mine that were back from their respective Safari’s and I tried getting tickets to the Rugby game that was being played 10 minutes away, but it was sold out. So we went to a sports bar and watched it from there. It’s quite the sport, and when it is one that the country goes nuts for; a sports bar can be quite the crazy place to watch it. Yet another great sporting experience. Sunday was off to the Flee Market. The Greenpoint stadium was home to a massive weekly flee market where vendors from all over South Africa came to sell their goods and give you “a very special price.” There was easily over 1,000 vendors, and we didn’t get through ½ of it in the four hours that we spent there. Unfortunalty for us, our day started later than we wanted it too because 80% of Cape Town was out of power. Why, you might ask? NO one know. Usually the government told people when they were going to turn off the power for a while, but not this time. It went on for the rest of the time we were there and the city did its best to do what it could with the limited supply of power.

Now, as for Monday…TO THE WINE LANDS WE GO! Six of us hired a driver for the day to take us about 45 minutes outside of Cape Town to the Stellenbosch Wine Lands. The biggest in South Africa, Stellenbosh is home to more than 200 vineyards. We got picked up around 0945, and didn’t’ get back until after 1800. We stopped at three vineyards and also at a Brandy factory(?). It was a day full of tasting of which an abundance of education came with it. Fine wines, great crackers, and an amazing lunch, along with understanding and acquiring a taste for a wine by-product (Brandy), it made the day truly memorable. Not to mention our wonderful driver, Mark, who was filled with the knowledge of his country and was willing to talk and talk and talk and talk.

South Africa. A place I cannot put words to, really. Poverty runs throughout, yet the wealth can be overwhelming. A country taken over by a dangerous virus, yet the 8th largest producer of wine in the world, it is a place of endless options. From the Atlantic to the Indian, and the coast to the plains, it is a place rich in culture and history. A depressing history, yes, but a place that has come so far in such a short time that it is something to speak of. The people are people who are genuinely happy and always willing to talk. The people who are accepting of life and are grateful for all that they have. It is a country and a people who are filled with hope. South Africans live their life by way of a tribal theory called Ubuntu. In fact, it is South Africa’s biggest secret, and because of it, they are one of the most successful democracies and blossoming cultures in Africa. Ubunto is a way of relating to people, a philosophy, and it allows for the individual emergence of people. Mbiti, a tribal leader of the San tribe described it by saying, “I am because we are, and since we are, therefore, I am.” A person is a person through persons. I think if more people all over the world thought this way there would be a better understanding of individual people. We are all people who have grown because of each other, and because of that, we are.

Well, I’m back at sea now, and will be until I think the 27th of February. There is still so much missing from this story in South Africa. I’m still overwhelmed with the idea of it all, as we’ve all said on board, the experience of it all might not hit for real until we get back home in the States. I hope all is well at home and the snow turns to spring buds soon. By the way, did the ground hog see his shadow?!? O and one more thing, what’s the news like now that our wonderful and warm hearted Vice President shot someone? My theory is: Dick found out his hunting buddy contributed to a Democrat and it was his way of taking him out…accidentally.

Well, I’m off to rehearsal! Cheers!