4-20-12

Good Evening,

I started my day at 630.  I wish I had started it a few hours earlier, but the United Nations meeting in my room at the hostel last night had me up pretty late and I just couldn't get out of bed.  There were 7 others in my room and no two people were speaking the same language!  I found this to be hilarious until about midnight.  I then found it to be a headache.  When I departed The Back Packer, I set my eyes on Table Mountain!  This is sometimes found on those  7 Wonders Of The World lists that are always floating around.  After a 2.5 hour hike, of which every step was breathtaking due to both the steep incline, and views, I made it to the top!  I will let the pictures do the talking for what I saw.  However, it was easy to see how Table Mountain is in the running for being one of those Wonders.  The route I took to the summit is called The Gorge.  I did not see a single soul for my entire climb!  I had an entire mountain to myself and it was amazing!  (Everyone else cheated and took the cable car to the top.  Lame.)  There was zero chance I was doing that.  My cab driver to the mountain challenged me to make it to the top in under two hours.  I took his challenge.  I subsequently  lost his challenge.  I was beyond spent when I finally reached the summit, but I was so happy.  The satisfaction for what I had just achieved had me grinning from ear to ear.  Also,  I was in no hurry to go anywhere and that was a good thing.  I spent another 2 hours or so just taking in my surroundings.  It felt like I was on top of the world.  I was on top of South Africa!

After lunch, I descended Table Mountain and headed towards the Victoria and Alfred Harbor.  This is the main port in Cape Town and where I needed to be to catch the ferry to Robben Island.  I couldn't sit still and my emotions were all over the place.  The ferry ride reminded me of the ones I used to take a few times a year to and from Nantucket.  Very commercial.  Filled with tourists.  However, when we pulled into the dock at Robben, my heart began to pound.  I was completely overwhelmed and a bit numb.  My legs although not quite jello, were close.  I had dreamed about coming here for as long as I can remember and now I was living it.

I started my visit to Robben Island with a stroke of luck.  There were about 350 people getting off the ferry and onto buses to begin the tour and I was fortunate enough to have two young women ask to take a seat next to me.  Carrie and Leah.  Both very smart, engaging, and easy on the eyes.  I didn't hold it against them for being from New York.  Thanks for the great company ladies.  Safe travels and good luck at work on Monday!  As for the bus tour of the island, I found this to be ok, not great.  Our guide was entertaining but it just wasn't what I was expecting.  We were then dropped off at the prison itself.  Accompanied by my new friends, we began taking a look at where President Mandela and his fellow freedom fighters were incarcerated.  Our tour guide himself had been incarcerated on the island for five years in the 80s! This blew my mind that he was now giving tours.  After our tour, I pulled him aside to ask why he does this.  He quickly pointed out that he was proud of his past and the history he helped create.  He stated the importance of sharing HIStory with the world.  Everyone knows President Mandela, but there were many more courageous freedom fighters that sacrificed just as much in an effort to change the nation of South Africa and our world.  I was blessed to have met one of them today.  With his first hand recollection of the Apartheid and the life within these very prison walls, he took my heart and soul into the center of one of world history's darkest and then brightest moments.  Thank you.

It was now time to get a look inside President Mandela's cell.  As I stood there, the cell walls were separated by a width just wider than my wingspan.  Perhaps 7x7.  There was a very slim mat that he slept on, (It wasn't until 1975 that the inmates at Robben Island were given beds) a small end table, cold steel bars over a tiny window, and a trash bin that sadly served multiple purposes.  27 years in prison because he was fighting for freedom and equality.  People to people can be so unjust…  Visiting President Mandela's cell was kind of like herding cattle.  I wanted to sit there for hours but I had hundreds of folks behind me that wished to do the same, and the last ferry of the day left in 15 minutes.  I'm very grateful for the opportunity I had today.  I look forward to seeing what I take a away from my visit in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.  This day will stay with me forever.

After Robben Island, I took an hour cab ride to Stellenbosch (Napa Valley of South Africa).  Wine Estates for as far as the eye can see.  I can't wait to sip a fine Merlot!  The landscape is gorgeous and this industry is the lifeblood of much of the nation.    After my cab driver dropped me off at the wrong place, I worked my way through the neighborhood until I found the residence of my dear old friend from Clemson, Darielle!  I will be spending the next few nights in her home before I begin my work with Kusasa.  It was wonderful to see her and meet her husband Bear!  The two of them have quickly shown me incredible kindness and hospitality.  Both their hearts and their home are stunning!  I'm looking forward to  a few days worth of 5 star people and accommodations.

Tonight we went out for a wonderful dinner and followed it up with a night on the town in Stellenbosch.  Highlight of the night was the wonderful company I was blessed to have had, and the steak and cheeseburger I took down for dinner.

PS, we saw a man being put into a sleeper hold tonight during a fight and he passed out cold.  Yup, that happened.  Don't worry, nobody was badly hurt.  I decided not to throw my weight around.

Mark/Chops

Cape Town's "Boston Common"

Dari's Wedding ring!

I don't know how far a kilometer is but that's wicked far!

World Cup Stadium at the V&A Harbor in Cape Town.  Lafif (the soccer club I am on in Boston), let's book our next championship game here!

Sailing a catamaran around Cape Town

Last few seconds of the sunset

Cape Town Lights.  I wish I had a nicer camera to do this justice.

View of Table Mountain from my hostel

Feeling pretty good after 30 minutes

Still feeling pretty good!

Starting to feel slightly less than pretty good, but very excited!

Pretty cool!

I had never wanted shade so badly in my life! Found it :)

Almost to the summit!!

Victory!

Yeah, umm, Amazing!

One of the 7 Wonders of the world!

Cape of Good Hope is out there on the very end!

View of V&A Harbor, Cape Town, from atop the world!

Robben Island Prison Yard

Occasionally President Mandela and his mates were allowed to play soccer.  This was their field.

Inside the prison walls

President Mandela's cell.  7x7 or so.  Heartbreaking.

My tour guide who spent 5 years in prison with President Mandela. Hero.  Unreal.

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days