Safari 2014 Journal: Eleven Glorious Days

6/2/14

Well, hopefully the BIG FIVE are more cooperative than the weather in Cape Town.  Rough seas cancelled our planned visit to Robben Island and low cloud ceiling forced closure of Table Mountain Park.  Nonetheless, our guide Thomas took care of us as we toured the Cape Town City Centre.  We visited the Castle of Good Hope and observed the ceremonial Key Exchange that occurs every day at 10:00am.  We also visited the District Six Museum, an emotional site that recalls the forced expulsion of Blacks and other “undesirables” to make room for Whites.  This happened within the last 40 years and struck a deep chord as memories of the Warsaw Ghetto and the U.S.’s own Jim Crow Laws came to mind.  The other highlight of the day was the visit to Signal Hill to witness the daily firing of the cannon.  Unfortunately, the Naval Officer in charge gave us a one-minute warning only to have the cannon fire 3 seconds later!   Needless to say no photos captured the moment, but I think some undergarments may have.

The day completed with a little shopping at the craft warehouse on the waterfront and a casual dinner at the Quay Four Tavern on the V&A Waterfront where we enjoyed some burgers, onion rings, fries and Eric had several (more than a few) Castle Drafts and Cindy enjoyed a Chenin Blanc as we listened to a duo perform classic pop hits for the 80’s & 90’s.







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