Sunrise over Table Mountain

I went up on the deck in complete darkness, with a bright Venus directly over the Crescent moon.   It was if the planet would fall directly into the cusp.  The lights of Cape Town were reflected in the water as we made our final contact with the dock.

Then the sky began to brighten slightly, and the silhouette of Table Mountain began to emerge from the blackness.  As Nick remembers, Table Mountain is quite high, and with a very distinctive profile.  A lower mountain is nearer to the city, then it is connected to a craggy peak, Lion's Head, then Table Mountain towering over the city.  We plan to take the cable car up the mountain later today, then see the South African play "Missing" tonight.

As the sky brightened, the detail of the mountain emerged, including the textures of the escarpment.  The sun was behind us, and the pink of the sunrise reflected onto the clouds behind the mountain.  No picture will capture the layers of the water, reflecting the city lights, the city itself, then the mountains and the pink sky.  We have an "Extended Family" of 4 young ladies, and two of them were up on the deck, so we tried a family portrait.

Preparation for the visit to South Africa has been intense.  There was a special meeting a couple of days ago for those interested in visiting a township -- many students had been planning to go on their own, etc.  A faculty member from South Africa and a our "interport student" from South Africa were strongly advising against going to a township without being part of a reputable tour.   Both indicated that, even as South Africans, they would not go into a township without careful guidance.  I will be leading a well-guided township trip tomorrow.

The evening before each port we have a mandatory "Preport briefing" that advises about the various hazards of the country, as well as the interesting things to do and eat.  For example, for Singapore we were warned against chewing gum and spitting.  For Vietnam we were warned against riding motorbikes, and were urged to protect our bags from being snatched by a passing motorbike.  For India we were warned about traveling alone and about unscrupulous taxi drivers.  We have been told to "back away from the monkey", to use condoms if we intended to exchange bodily fluids, and watch our drinks -- all good advise.

For South Africa, the briefing was well done, but intense.  We saw lots of lovely slides of scenery and food, but were told to watch out every minute.  Americans are not targeted, but people with money are.  Even stopping to read a map could single us out as vulnerable tourists.  Baboons can be aggressive, and elephants are not friendly.  With the highest HIV rate in the world, and close to the highest murder rate in the world, care and attentiveness is mandatory.  Of course we worry about students losing their sense of vigilance with alcohol.

I have great memories of my time here in Cape Town with Nick.  We saw whales, penguins, Robbin Island, Table Mountain, the old fort, and pelagic birds.