Feb. 19
I woke up yesterday (Friday) around 7am hoping the ship would be in port, but sadly we were still out at sea. The weather seemed perfect for docking; there was hardly any wind and the waves were minimal, but it wouldn’t be until 11am that we finally reached the dock. I think part (or all) of the delay, at least this morning, was based on the fact that the port officials and pilots, the port people who actually guide the ship in, were not that efficient in boarding the ship and starting the proper procedures. I could be wrong, but I definitely got the sense that the SAS staff and crew were frustrated by the delays of the South African port officials, especially when the weather was fine. Anyways, we finally were docked, after about 30 hours of sailing in circles. The V&A waterfront of Cape Town is by far one of the most beautiful areas I have ever been to. The weather was fantastic yesterday and today, and everything around the harbor is clean, neat and classy. There are a lot of waterfront restaurants and shops, as well as a really upscale mall all within feet of our ship. The sidewalks are nice and wide with tons of plants, sitting areas and performers. The waterfront also smells great; a nice mix of beachy ocean with just a hint of seafood to remind me of back home.
I was scheduled to leave for a trip to Robben Island, a township and some apartheid related museums yesterday at 8:30am. Obviously that did not occur, but my group was very fortunate that our trip did not get cancelled completely and we were still able to go to the township and Robben Island. A lot of the other SAS trips scheduled for Friday (and of course Thursday) were cancelled including a couple overnight safari trips that cost around $2500. I can'’t remember the exact name of the township we visited, but it is the oldest one in Cape Town and starts with an L, if someone back home wants to look it up. Because we were so pressed for time, we basically just busted in there and went straight to a family owned restaurant for lunch. There was an incredible marimba band that performed for us the entire time. One of its members was a successful opera singer, so they sounded really good. Some other highlights from lunch were the ostrich meat stew and the fried bread, which I’'m sure, has a specific name. I also had a glass of a South African merlot. It was a 2005 from one of the only black owned-vineyards. It had hints of cherry and a tinge of cedar, but was a little too demanding for the meatiness of ostrich. Perhaps it would compliment roasted lamb better. (I actually thought the wine was gross, and had a tiny glass just out of respect to the owners. I know nothing about wines, so disregard whatever flavor description I gave. The wine tasted very winey, which leads me to believe it is in fact a real wine, and not the type of wine that comes in a box.)
After my very cultured lunch, we left the township and boarded the high-speed ferry to Robben Island. Robben Island was a very interesting and enlightening experience. Our guide was a former prisoner on the island during the apartheid years and provided a very personal description of prison life. One thing that was special about Robben Island was the model of commonality, or spirit of Ubuntu as Tutu would call it, that all the inmates shared. Even though inmates were treated differently based on their race (colored, black, etc…) they would all share food, reading materials, and the conversations that were instrumental in the eventual fall of apartheid. All of the prisoners would go on hunger strikes, forcing the administration to make changes and treat all inmates equally. Even some of the guards were sympathetic with the prisoners and would provide them with newspapers and uncensored correspondences from the main land. I saw the cell that Nelson Mandela stayed in for almost 20 years on Robben Island, and couldn'’t help but be amazed how influential he was, even from his 2m by 3m cell. The people in Cape Town speak of Mandela as if he is the pope, or maybe even God. If Mandela told South Africans to jump today, in unison they would reply, “"how high?”"
After Robben Island, I had a little bit of a chance to walk through the waterfront on the way to the ship, stopping at an ATM to get some rand. This happened to be the same night that U2 was preforming a concert at the giant soccer stadium less than a half mile from the ship, so there was a lot of activity and excitement. I had thought about trying to scalp a ticket to the show, but instead ended up chartering a private catamaran with about 10 other kids. The stadium is right next to the shore, so we were able to listen to U2 from the water, in our privately chartered sailboat, while only paying about $35. I don'’t want to understate how incredibly classy and sophisticated this experience was: not many people get to listen to Bono, in a sailboat, in South Africa while he gives a concert. People may have to start referring to me as sir, or His Majesty. But in all seriousness it was an absolute blast, one of those experiences where you can'’t possibly imagine that there is another place or time you would rather have.
This morning I had a Habitat for Humanity build in one of the townships. I thought about skipping out because we were a day short in port, but have felt obligated to at least attempt to give back to the community in each country we visit. Along with that, I think serving other communities gives me a better idea of what and more importantly where I could potentially serve in a long-term role/career. I think a part of me is expecting (or wanting) a sort of epiphany on this voyage where I find a community or village and immediately feel called to live there and serve. It hasn'’t happened yet, and maybe won'’t happen this entire trip, but I still feel that service projects give me a unique opportunity to interact with locals in their communities, not in the commercialized or touristy parts of a country. The Habitat build went great. It was much more organized than the one I did in Ghana. I also felt like we accomplished a lot more in terms of actually constructing the house. There were a lot of local kids there too, since it was Saturday, so on my break I got to play soccer and rugby with them. I also showed them the pictures on my camera of the places we had been and some pictures of my family and home. I have found that cameras are a great way to interact with the kids, because most of them have never seen one before, and all of them are excited to get their picture taken. I probably have about 30 different photos of little Brazilian, Ghanaian and South African kids climbing all over me and hugging me. That interaction and loving is a mutually uplifting and encouraging experience.
After that Habitat build I returned to the ship for a quick shower. I still hadn'’t found time to just walk around the port and shops, so I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around alone. It was super relaxing and enjoyable. I bought a SA rugby shirt that was on sale and had about 15 mins online at an internet café. Everything in Cape Town is pretty expensive. It also doesn’t help that the exchange rate is something like 1 dollar = 7.30 rand. So the price tags on a nice shirt says 200 rand, and I immediately think how ridiculously expensive that is and so I don'’t end up buying anything. On the other hand, my account balance on the ATM was 7 times larger than I'’m use to, and coupled with the private sailboat cruises, I definitely am a style cat in Cape Town. Along those lines, I’'m heading off to a fancy beach restaurant for an exquisite dinner tonight. Maybe I’ll gain some more experience in my wine senses.
You stay classy, America
-His Majesty Ben
I woke up yesterday (Friday) around 7am hoping the ship would be in port, but sadly we were still out at sea. The weather seemed perfect for docking; there was hardly any wind and the waves were minimal, but it wouldn’t be until 11am that we finally reached the dock. I think part (or all) of the delay, at least this morning, was based on the fact that the port officials and pilots, the port people who actually guide the ship in, were not that efficient in boarding the ship and starting the proper procedures. I could be wrong, but I definitely got the sense that the SAS staff and crew were frustrated by the delays of the South African port officials, especially when the weather was fine. Anyways, we finally were docked, after about 30 hours of sailing in circles. The V&A waterfront of Cape Town is by far one of the most beautiful areas I have ever been to. The weather was fantastic yesterday and today, and everything around the harbor is clean, neat and classy. There are a lot of waterfront restaurants and shops, as well as a really upscale mall all within feet of our ship. The sidewalks are nice and wide with tons of plants, sitting areas and performers. The waterfront also smells great; a nice mix of beachy ocean with just a hint of seafood to remind me of back home.
I was scheduled to leave for a trip to Robben Island, a township and some apartheid related museums yesterday at 8:30am. Obviously that did not occur, but my group was very fortunate that our trip did not get cancelled completely and we were still able to go to the township and Robben Island. A lot of the other SAS trips scheduled for Friday (and of course Thursday) were cancelled including a couple overnight safari trips that cost around $2500. I can'’t remember the exact name of the township we visited, but it is the oldest one in Cape Town and starts with an L, if someone back home wants to look it up. Because we were so pressed for time, we basically just busted in there and went straight to a family owned restaurant for lunch. There was an incredible marimba band that performed for us the entire time. One of its members was a successful opera singer, so they sounded really good. Some other highlights from lunch were the ostrich meat stew and the fried bread, which I’'m sure, has a specific name. I also had a glass of a South African merlot. It was a 2005 from one of the only black owned-vineyards. It had hints of cherry and a tinge of cedar, but was a little too demanding for the meatiness of ostrich. Perhaps it would compliment roasted lamb better. (I actually thought the wine was gross, and had a tiny glass just out of respect to the owners. I know nothing about wines, so disregard whatever flavor description I gave. The wine tasted very winey, which leads me to believe it is in fact a real wine, and not the type of wine that comes in a box.)
After my very cultured lunch, we left the township and boarded the high-speed ferry to Robben Island. Robben Island was a very interesting and enlightening experience. Our guide was a former prisoner on the island during the apartheid years and provided a very personal description of prison life. One thing that was special about Robben Island was the model of commonality, or spirit of Ubuntu as Tutu would call it, that all the inmates shared. Even though inmates were treated differently based on their race (colored, black, etc…) they would all share food, reading materials, and the conversations that were instrumental in the eventual fall of apartheid. All of the prisoners would go on hunger strikes, forcing the administration to make changes and treat all inmates equally. Even some of the guards were sympathetic with the prisoners and would provide them with newspapers and uncensored correspondences from the main land. I saw the cell that Nelson Mandela stayed in for almost 20 years on Robben Island, and couldn'’t help but be amazed how influential he was, even from his 2m by 3m cell. The people in Cape Town speak of Mandela as if he is the pope, or maybe even God. If Mandela told South Africans to jump today, in unison they would reply, “"how high?”"
After Robben Island, I had a little bit of a chance to walk through the waterfront on the way to the ship, stopping at an ATM to get some rand. This happened to be the same night that U2 was preforming a concert at the giant soccer stadium less than a half mile from the ship, so there was a lot of activity and excitement. I had thought about trying to scalp a ticket to the show, but instead ended up chartering a private catamaran with about 10 other kids. The stadium is right next to the shore, so we were able to listen to U2 from the water, in our privately chartered sailboat, while only paying about $35. I don'’t want to understate how incredibly classy and sophisticated this experience was: not many people get to listen to Bono, in a sailboat, in South Africa while he gives a concert. People may have to start referring to me as sir, or His Majesty. But in all seriousness it was an absolute blast, one of those experiences where you can'’t possibly imagine that there is another place or time you would rather have.
This morning I had a Habitat for Humanity build in one of the townships. I thought about skipping out because we were a day short in port, but have felt obligated to at least attempt to give back to the community in each country we visit. Along with that, I think serving other communities gives me a better idea of what and more importantly where I could potentially serve in a long-term role/career. I think a part of me is expecting (or wanting) a sort of epiphany on this voyage where I find a community or village and immediately feel called to live there and serve. It hasn'’t happened yet, and maybe won'’t happen this entire trip, but I still feel that service projects give me a unique opportunity to interact with locals in their communities, not in the commercialized or touristy parts of a country. The Habitat build went great. It was much more organized than the one I did in Ghana. I also felt like we accomplished a lot more in terms of actually constructing the house. There were a lot of local kids there too, since it was Saturday, so on my break I got to play soccer and rugby with them. I also showed them the pictures on my camera of the places we had been and some pictures of my family and home. I have found that cameras are a great way to interact with the kids, because most of them have never seen one before, and all of them are excited to get their picture taken. I probably have about 30 different photos of little Brazilian, Ghanaian and South African kids climbing all over me and hugging me. That interaction and loving is a mutually uplifting and encouraging experience.
After that Habitat build I returned to the ship for a quick shower. I still hadn'’t found time to just walk around the port and shops, so I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around alone. It was super relaxing and enjoyable. I bought a SA rugby shirt that was on sale and had about 15 mins online at an internet café. Everything in Cape Town is pretty expensive. It also doesn’t help that the exchange rate is something like 1 dollar = 7.30 rand. So the price tags on a nice shirt says 200 rand, and I immediately think how ridiculously expensive that is and so I don'’t end up buying anything. On the other hand, my account balance on the ATM was 7 times larger than I'’m use to, and coupled with the private sailboat cruises, I definitely am a style cat in Cape Town. Along those lines, I’'m heading off to a fancy beach restaurant for an exquisite dinner tonight. Maybe I’ll gain some more experience in my wine senses.
You stay classy, America
-His Majesty Ben
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