3/31/2010 ? Entering South Africa

My alarm clock went off at six in the morning. I had been planning on getting up for sunrise but my desire for sleep was a bit overwhelming. However, when I went to turn off the alarm I pressed a wrong button and changed the time. I fiddled with the clock to set it back again. Then I noticed the bright round circle in my room. The moon was large and round and shining brightly off of the soft waves into my cabin. I looked outside for a bit and figured sunrise must not be for a little bit. I reset the alarm for six – thirty and went back to sleep. At six – thirty golden light wafted into the cabin as my alarm rang once again. Excited about the light and seeing us pull into South Africa, I got up and got ready for the day. Eventually I made it up to breakfast a few minutes after seven. The water was beautiful; the sky was blue with pink, orange, and yellow clouds by the horizon. Then I looked out and saw Cape Town nestled into Table Mountain. Table Mountain was breathtaking with shadows and majestic light from sunrise beaming onto the rocky cliff face. I had seen pictures of the city but experiencing Cape Town at sunrise while the temperature outside was perfect (about 70 degrees Fahrenheit), with a little breeze, was a magical moment.

I am writing this entry sitting on the top deck of the ship, watching us pull ever closer to our port near downtown Cape Town. The ocean meets the harbor and buildings. The scene changes to skyscrapers, to houses, to the bare steep slopes of Table Mountain. In all, the city looks small from the ocean, and very developed with modern buildings and amenities. The morning light adds to the beauty and makes everything shine.