31 October 2007 – Halloween Morning

Oh! How relaxing is this! The whole travel bit is over! (…for now…)

Arrival in South Africa was (fairly) uneventful. We got through passport control in just over 30-minutes and went on to wait for our luggage. A change of clothing, a beer-or-two, and a massage later and it was good-bye Johannesburg, two-hours more in the air, hello Cape Town.

The hotel is nice. It is just across from the Waterfront. The view of the bay is, well… to paraphrase Douglas Adams: from my room I can see a small slice of the bay that the surrounding buildings just barely fail to obscure. Table Mountain (today's adventure) looms over the buildings as it wraps around the town to the south.

Yesterday is a blur. We discussed the plans at the airport but I decided that I am on vacation and feel no real need to be tied too tightly to a schedule. I know that there are a number of things that we are trying to get to and there are a number of things we all need to do, but that is something that can work itself out. My friend Kevin has a similar mindset. As he put it: "Tell me when to show-up for the meals, which bar we're going to, when our cars are arriving and which plane to get onto at the airport." Luckily, Terry and Angie have been here a number of times before. They have a plan and Angie is an excellent administrator/tour guide.

After check-in yesterday, we had a beer and a dip in the pool and then sat on the deck by the pool basking in the sun, discussing itinerary options and finalizing the plans. Our batteries, thusly recharged, we dressed for a walk around the Waterfront and bought tickets for the various activities we have planned.

We had a lovely dinner last night and each of us headed off to our rooms early. After such a long and busy day yesterday, I was dead to the world the moment my head hit the pillow last night. This morning, I am sitting in my room, enjoying a nice, peaceful morning. I have some lovely music playing; I'm enjoying my second cup of coffee. In a little while, I'll head downstairs to meet-up with my friends for breakfast. Today's adventure is to take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. This vacation rocks!

Wherever you are today, I hope that you’re having a wonderful, relaxing day!

Don Bergquist – 31 October 2007 – Cape Town, South Africa