Table Mountain

Bob’s still exploring the country of South Africa. Here’s his latest entry for all you Cahill blog readers…

I wish I could try and explain to you what a sunset on the top of Table Mountain looks like. I could show you a picture, but we all know that although it may be worth a thousand words, it’s no where near the value of the actual experience. Neither are my 209 words, but I’ll give it a shot.

When you’re perched on top of Table Mountain and you face South, all you see is Ocean. Although it strectches on forever, your eyes create an illusion and it looks as though Columbus was wrong. The Earth is flat and right there in front of you, it just stops. It’s there that the Sun slowly makes it’s decent. Taking it all in, you can’t help but gaze down towards Cape Town, which lies there in shadow. Interestingly enough, the city has already seen the sun go down. For you though, high on your Mountain, the bright and powerful star still hangs for only you to see (well you and the 200 other people who have ventured to the top of the Table). Next you notice that a layering of clouds has brushed the sky beneath you and has begun blending in with the ocean. Suddenly you feel as though you’re looking down on top of the sky and witnessing this dissapearing act from high above the clouds. It’s rare to see the Sun actually move. Here though, in just a few seconds, it goes from kissing the edge of the Earth to vanishing completely, leaving behind a burst of orange and red clouds and a memory you won’t soon forget.

I should also mention that it leaves behind one hell of a temperature change. We’re talking a 10 degree drop in just a few seconds. The wind picks up too which makes taking the cable car back down a very harrowing adventure. Just ask my Mom. She doesn’t do well with heights so dangling on what is essentially a ski-lift at 1000 ft in the air makes for some very funny facial expressions.

My dear friend Mike Farrell is also here with me. He is truly the adventurous type and went repelling off the side of Table Mountain. If time allows, he also plans to go skydiving and to swim with sharks. He’s trying to talk me into a visit with Jaws on the Friday before I get married. That makes sense right? Spend my last day as a free man swimming with man-eating creatures called sharks. Some people might say that committing yourself to a female is just as dangerous. Fortunately for me, my fiance’s teeth aren’t that sharp.

Anyway, lots to come this week. I get married this Saturday, then we’ll travel East towards the Indian Ocean. We have only a few reservations made. The rest of the time will be a “take it as it comes” type of itinerary. We’ll hit the open road in her tiny Mazda equipped with a tape deck, a cassette adapter, an ipod, beach chairs, an umbrella, and a cooler. We’ll see where the mountains, the hills, the people and the culture take us.

I’ll write again in February when we get back! Until then…GESONDHEID!!

~bob