I'M ON THE MOVE!

Good Evening!
(May 13th)

Last night as I was trying to get to bed at my hostel in Cape Town, I couldn't get Billy Joel's song Downeaster Alexa out of my head.  If you don't know this track, check it out.  My mind had been made up that this would be my anthem for the day to come.  There was no way I was sleeping last night.

Before the sun rose this morning, I was picked up to go on an epic adventure. I couldn't wait!  After two hours of driving, I found myself in a rustic old fishing community abutting the Atlantic Ocean.  This is where I met my boat captain.  Anthony was his name.  He was taking me out to sea.  We were at the southern most tip of Africa!  Next stop, Antarctica!  As the coastline began to vanish, I was becoming more and more excited about what was in store!  This is when I strapped on my wetsuit and body anchors and Anthony began to prepare the fish to chum the 58*F water!  I was about to go diving!  Shark diving with Great Whites!!!  We finished chumming the waters and then the waiting game began.  It didn't take long.  The first mate quickly yelled from the bow that he could see a few of the big fellas approaching.  I didn't give myself any time to hesitate and jumped overboard into my cage!  The first man overboard!  In a matter of moments, I had multiple 15ft+ Great Whites within an arm's length of my nose!  In order to utilize the cage and get the best views of the animals, I had to hold my breath and anchor myself to the bottom of the cage.  However, what I was seeing was so outrageous that I was cheering wildly under water and subsequently, drinking the ocean.  Not the greatest idea.  After a few dives, I got the hang of it all and spent the next few hours diving in absolutely arctic waters observing the most intimidating creature I have ever seen!  I cannot put this experience into words.  Their eyes!  Oh man, their eyes.  Chilly and as dark as the night.  They were terrifyingly awesome!  As some folks resorted to losing their breakfasts and others got out of the water because of the extreme temperatures, I told Anthony I was staying in until he made me come out.  I did just that.  After a 2 hour front row seat to Great Whites biting a steel cage 6 inches in front of my face, I came out of the ocean hardly able to stand.  My hands and feet were frozen.  My thighs were numb.  However, I was grinning from ear to ear!  It was an UN FREAKIN BELIEVABLE experience.  I will NEVER forget what I saw today.  A few hundred yards off our bow, there was Shark Man gathering footage for a documentary to air on the Discovery Channel or something.  We dove where there is the highest concentration of Great Whites out of anywhere on the planet!  What a treat.  What an adrenaline rush!

I couldn't think of a better way to end my time here in South Africa!  I have loved every second of it and I have no doubt that I will back!

In the morning, I plan to do my very best to race the sun to the top of Table Mountain once again! If I start early enough, I know I can win this time!  It is here where I truly felt like I was on top of the world last month.  I'd love to have that feeling once more.  Then my friends, I am off to the Cape Town airport with very mixed emotions.  I am leaving South Africa with half of my heart begging me to stay with these children and continue to fight for their future.  The other half is asking me to go see and do more.  To live, love, and learn somewhere else around the world.

I'll touch base with you all the next time I find myself with the opportunity to do so.  Until then, be good and I hope all is well wherever this post finds you tonight.

Cheers Africa!  Thank you for opening my eyes a bit more to my own soul and to our world.

PS.  I desperately want to share pictures from my dive but TIA.  This Is Africa and I can't upload them.

PPS. Happy Mother's Day Mom and to any other moms that may be reading my blog.

Love,

Mark/Chops

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