Saturday, July 17, 2010

Arrived in Cape Town

Wow, that was a long day's (and night's) journey getting to Cape Town. We left JFK about a half hour late, at 11:45am Friday, and arrived in Cape Town at about 1:30pm local time (7:30am EST). Fourteen and a half hours on the flight from JFK to Johannesburg, a three hour layover there, and then 2 1/2 hours down to Cape Town. I realize there are many who travel at least this far and with more frequency than me, but that amount of time in the air is a bit rough. It seemed as though the vast majority of us on the trip were only able to grab short periods of sleep. Whether it was the excitement about the trip, or the discomfort that comes with squeezing into the coach class seats, it robbed us of meaningful sleep. So by the time we arrived at our hotel in Cape Town around 3pm, everyone scattered and disappeared to their rooms. Tomorrow we start with a day of sightseeing around Cape Town, including a ferry ride to Robben Island, the infamous island where Nelson Mandela spent the better part of 30 years imprisoned in a 10x10 cell during the last years of the Apartheid regime.

I'm exhausted and fighting to keep my eyes open, so I'm keeping this short for today's post. I will say, however, that the approach into Cape Town was simply striking in its juxtaposition of the stunning natural beauty, with the rocky mountains that frame the city and its sparkling ocean waters, and the first glimpses of the area's shanty towns as we neared the landing. I have a feeling we are in for an incredible learning experience, professionally and personally.

Good night.

1 comment:

  1. That must have been such a difficult flight, especially for your children. I will be really interested to read your post on Robben Island!

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