"Louis, I Think This is the Start of a Beautiful [Vacation]"

-Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), Casablanca (1942)

Finally, with a good night sleep our vacation was underway. I awoke at 9:00 eager to show them what I had discovered around Cape Town in the previous month. I was surprised to find that I was the only one awake. My Grandmother, who usually is awake hours before me had slept in beyond me for the first time I can remember. Usually she spends this time early in the mornings while everyone is asleep sending post cards to all corners of the world. The running joke in our family is that she single handily keeps branches of the United States Postal Service in business. This sounds far-fetched, but she will probably send roughly 200 to 250 post cards during her 10 days here. I have no such ambitions, so instead I took a shower and caught up on homework. At about 10:30 Sarah and Sally finally awoke, I was happy to see that they were well-rested with over 12 hours of sleep. My grandmother, clearly disoriented waking up at 10:30 couldn't believe we almost missed breakfast which ended at 11. Luckily, we made it just in time and enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the hotel.

Breakfast with a view

          I decided that I would bring them to the V&A Waterfront. By bringing them to a big tourist hub the first day they could acclimate before seeing more foreign sights. I underestimated the fascination they would have with the crafts found around the waterfront. Sally continually found little trinkets and gifts she wanted to bring home to her children, grands and great grands. I also was fortunate to find some rugby cleats, and gear to prepare for my upcoming season at UCT. Sarah and Sally both found cover ups for the beach or pool that they liked and bought on the spot. We toured around all different parts of the waterfront, the swinging bridge, Nobel Square, the trading post home to the larger than life beaded elephants and ended up in the craft market to explore local crafts. We went to Mitchell's Pub for a quick bite to eat, since we'd been walking around in the sun all day, and enjoyed some local beers. After spending the better part of the afternoon out and around the waterfront, we decided to head back to the pool to relax and enjoy some sun. Still weary from their travel, they thought this would be just the way to acclimate.

Beaded elephant Sally and Sarah were smitten with

         The pool was as relaxing of a place as you can imagine, and we found a nice little niche out of the way so we could have some peace and quiet. The sun was still beating down hard at about 5 o'clock, and Sally remarked that catching the sun in the middle of the day must be unbearable if it was this strong still at 5. After catching some sun and resting at the pool, a few friends stopped by the hotel for drinks before they went out to dinner. So we sat with them in the garden, which was a beautiful place to relax with a drink in the evening and Sally and Sarah had a chance to meet a few of my friends from abroad, including Laura who is a friend from Lawrenceville. We sat out until the sun was completely gone and decided that it was time to wash up before dinner.

The back gardens at the Mt. Nelson

         After a day of activity, and still tired from their trip across the Atlantic, we decided it would be best to stay in and get something light for dinner at the Mt. Nelson bar called "Planet Bar." It was a beautiful night and we sat out on the back terrace overlooking the gardens and found the perfect temperature and atmosphere around us. Sally and Sarah tried Ostrich for the first time and I got the Mt. Nelson CLub which was one of the best sandwiches I've had in Cape Town. We sat on the terrace happily, reflecting on the first full day's adventures and looked forward to the coming week's activities and the arrival of Peter on Sunday. By the time we looked at a dessert menu, we were informed that the kitchen ahd already closed as it was past 11. We laughed but realized it was likely for the best and we headed back to the room to get a good nights sleep and prepare for a full day Saturday.

"Louis, I Think This is the Start of a Beautiful [Vacation]"