(The Clock Tower, Victoria and Albert Waterfront, Cape Town: Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island is just beyond to the right and symbolically "out-of-sight" and out-of-reach)

We get up early and arrive at the Robben Island tour office only to learn that the available places on the tour had gone to those who had arrived at 7:00 AM (or earlier). So -- we will try again tomorrow. We continue picking up items I consider important for the trip but Will is skeptical – to say the least.

(Walking around the "CBD" in Cape Town: St. Mary's Cathedral)

Cape Union for shirts, a few music CD’s at the Victoria & Albert Waterfront, a camp towel (Cape Union again), a marine supply store to order the static snatch rope, another trip to Drive Africa involving the electric air pump. Will’s patience is exhausted and we detour to the District Six Museum – a welcome and beneficial break.

(An old Cape Town neighborhood like District Six: Salt River, Cape Town)

We walk all over the city center again: Long (Lang ) Street, backpacker center(s), government buildings, the Castle of Good Hope, but no cable cars due to the cloud cover obscuring Table Mountain.

(The Castle of Good Hope and moat, Cape Town: Mt. Prospect and Devil's Peak in the background)

Good food (and a relaxing bar) however. Very welcome to offset our fatigue from the late hours (the previous night). Returned to the Green Elephant, washed clothes in the laundry there, and read about the Donner Party(!). A Chinese dinner cements the good mood.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

(A GAME SIGHTING(!): Cape Fur Seals at Victoria and Albert Waterfront)

My son’s patience is tried as we go over all of my lists: the goal is to leave for Calvinia on Saturday (breaking up the trip to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park into two days). Trevor approves as Calvinia is a classic Afrikaner town. We head downtown to see Cape Town after dropping off our electric air pump at Drive Africa to be fixed or replaced (the light plastic tubing melts under the strain of inflating four truck tires).

("Africa" by Brett Murray, St. George Mall, Cape Town)

New and used bookstores to replenish Will’s home library back in his village, my first visit to a PEP store (to buy an inexpensive cell phone and airtime), a big walking tour all over with special emphasis on tsotsis and safety.

(Ships in Drydock at Alfred Basin, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Table Mountain in background, Cape Town)

We rendezvous with Richard -- Will’s Peace Corps instructor in the Herero language (our cell phones are working well) and we all decide on a new Ethiopian place for dinner. A good choice – we see Richard off afterwards and head back to the Green Elephant. Robben Island and the Table Mountain cable cars are on our “to-do” list before we leave on Saturday. We are advised to get to the Robben Island ticket window at 9:00 AM the next day to pick up tickets made available by cancelled reservations. We stay up late talking anyway.

Labels: Cape Town

¶ 11:51 AM