Good day from just off the most southern coast of Africa. I have taken a while to get this story started. The past week or so has been more than hectic. Today is our first full day on the Silver Wind and my first opportunity to sit still for a time and write.
Michael and I were getting ready to leave for this fantastic trip we have been planning since we got off this same ship in Monte Carlo last July. Unexpectedly on Wednesday, four days before our departure, I received an offer on my house in Tennessee. This was the first serious offer since July of 2010. I negotiated with the purchasers through my Tennessee real estate broker by phone and e-mail. I accepted a final offer on Thursday. My Tennessee lawyer's office e-mailed the paperwork. I signed everything necessary before a notary and mailed it off Friday. Assuming everything goes smoothly, the closing will take place about the time we cross the equator on our way up the west coast of Africa. A major expense will end in a positive way. Truly something to celebrate.
We made it to Cape Town by way of two overnight flights: from Denver to Frankfurt and after a ten-hour layover, from Frankfurt to Cape Town. We were able to take a commuter train from the airport to Frankfurt and spend a few hours exploring that city in freezing cold but clear weather.
I took some pictures of quaint looking but restored buildings. The city was bombed to smithereens during WW II and almost everything is either new or recreated. Part of the city features new skyscrapers befitting the financial capital of Germany while the "old town" is somewhat reminiscent of Disneyland in its too perfect replication of ancient buildings. Michael and I took a bus tour of the city to escape the cold as much as anything. Frankfurt is not a tourist city. It took only an hour to see the sights. People were, for the most part friendly and helpful. I would have enjoyed it more if the temperature had been warmer.
One thing I have noticed lately is that everywhere - the U. S., Germany and South Africa are the most recent examples - wherever we are walking, people bump into us as if we are either invisible or inconsequential. No one says, "Excuse me". Is this a result of people living too much in virtual reality? I don't think people are mean, just oblivious possibly not realizing they can't walk through solids or that other people are real.
Cape Town
We left Colorado Sunday afternoon and arrived in Cape Town late Tuesday morning with a nine-hour time difference. I'm writing this in what would be the middle of the previous night in Boulder. Considering the travel, we were not too jet-lagged to start exploring Cape Town. Michael and I spent three days having a wonderful time. We ate delicious meals, mostly seafood, in a variety of restaurants chosen at random. We took a hop-on, hop-off city tour – this time getting off to see a number of sights up close.
We went to Robben Island to see where Nelson Mandela and the other political prisoners of Apartheid had been imprisoned. And we toured the Stellenbosch wine country tasting wine at two different wineries. The only major tourist thing we did not do was take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. We will be back in ten days and maybe we will do that then.
Yesterday, Friday, we were scheduled to board our cruise ship at 10:30 a.m. The ship had been scheduled to dock at 7:00 a.m. less than a quarter mile from our hotel. After breakfast, we walked to the pier. No cruise ship was in sight. Back in our hotel room, Michael checked the location of the Silver Wind on a ship-locator computer program he has on his notebook computer. We saw the track of the Silver Wind going in circles in Table Bay. We took a walk to the end of the breakwater to check it out. There we spotted the ship coming toward the harbor. Instead of turning into the entrance, the Silver Wind turned the other way and began another circle. The day was very windy and the harbormaster had closed the port. We saw boats go in and out for about half an hour later in the morning. The Silver Wind headed for the port entrance. Unfortunately for our spirits, the port closed again and she had to resume her circles in the bay.
I have to compliment the Silver Seas cruise line for the way they handled the situation. Their on-shore agents arranged a space in the Table Bay Hotel for us boarding passengers to wait and have a light lunch. Somehow, they gathered up the passengers from around the city. We were bused with our luggage to the hotel. Later, after the ship docked at the adjacent industrial port instead of at the cozy little Victoria and Alfred harbor, we were bused to the ship. It was an interesting ride past shipping containers and cranes. We passed a small yacht club right next to a set of dry docks. The Silver Wind was in an empty (of ships) dry dock full of water. Trucks and equipment almost blocked access to the gangway. The ship staff got all of our luggage and us in board quickly. They had a hectic day. Not only did they handle a set of new passengers, they dealt with debarking passengers, some of whom had missed flights home due to the delays.
We learned that wind is continuous in the South African summer. Winter, from May to September is the rainy season. It is iffy for cruise lines to have ships visit Cape Town. One of our tour guides mentioned that only about a dozen cruise ships visit the port in the summer.
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Barbara Borsuk
barbara@mborsuk.com
Boulder, Colorado, USA
303 408-3639
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