One of the "once in a lifetime" experiences we had on ship during this segment was crossing the point where the Prime Meridian intersects the Equator ... the so called "zero-zero" point. A few minutes after noon on Feb 11, the captain advised that we would feel a light bump as we crossed it (his british attempt at humor). It was strangely calm that day at sea, and we marked the occasion with a few photos.
And then there was an elegant "Captain's Dinner," where we enjoyed eight courses of excellent fare and great wine. Quite a departure from the buffet! Below: Captain Jeremy with Liz and I at the mixer beforehand.
Cape Town, Thursday 2/17. We arrived in the waters just off the coast of this great South African city right on time at 0700. Cape Town's allure was just out of our reach as we heard the news that winds were too high and that we would have to bob like a cork in a bathtub for some time before we could successfully enter the harbor. We circled a few miles off coast all day and all night and still could not get into port ...
After about thirty hours within view of the scrumptious Cape Town coastline and sea views of Robben Island (Nelson Mandela's prison home) we finally caught sight of the long awaited pilot boat coming alongside to bring us into port. I'm not sure a pilot boat ever got such a standing ovation from a shipful of passengers!
And so we then entered the wonderful port of Cape Town. Sadly, we arrived too late and our original safari was canceled. However, with a little innovative scrambling, we put together an independent trip to the Inverdoorn Reserve for a two-day mini-safari that was just wonderful.
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| Inverdoorn "chalet" - very comfortable |
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| This part of the country is called the Karoo, but if I didn't know better I would say San Luis Valley ... right Dad? |
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| Except when you see giraffes, you know you're not in Colorado |
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| Water Buffalo |
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| Wildebeast |
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| Springbok |
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| Cheetah |
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| Rhino |
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| Hippo |
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| Impala |
Next was a sunset trip up to Table Mountain on the cable car. There we enjoyed some wine and watched the sunset (almost). Unfortunately the wind grew too strong and they blew the horn to indicate all must ride down or face a posible night on the summit. As you can see we just about got to see the sun set on the Atlantic ocean.
The next day was a well-awaited Habitat for Humanity service trip. It was sad to see the conditions in the townships just outside the downtown and port area. So much wealth ... then this ....
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| Sarge checks my work inside the front door |
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| We finished all the inside walls on this home |
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