We are here, but we aren’t.  At least not docked.  We wake up at 6 – on our own, no alarm – and we are just sitting here in the water outside Cape Town.  Great views of Table Mountain, and while that’s wonderful, um, we need to be docked to begin turn over day – not to mention get all these crew home to their families!  Captain comes on the PA – into the rooms – at 6:30a to tell everyone that due to high winds the port officials have closed the port.  Oops.  That’s not promising.  But he’ll have another report to us at 7:30.  Well, doesn’t affect us in the least, we’re just wandering around today – but it obviously affects the debarking passengers and the debarking crew – who must be crazy stressed!

Nothing to do for us but start our day. We head off to the gym, noticing it is wicked windy – the Sanctum chairs and stuff are being totally blown by the gusts and the strong gale.  It isn’t all that rocky right now (it was yesterday and last night though, phew) but we’re still holding on in the gym.  Then it is off to breakfast, where we run into Gilzin!  We say our goodbyes again and he takes a selfie with us – he was looking for us last night but we left when he was in the galley.  Sorta wish we had stayed – a morning selfie is not the most attractive thing for our hair!  But oh well – it’s the thought that counts!

Then it is back to the room and a waiting game.  Finally the captain says the port is allowing us to dock – and here come the tugs to help us in.  We arrive pierside by 9:30 with the tugs pulling and pushing us into position.  It is brutally windy!  But we are here safe and sound and everybody can proceed.  We have to wait until the departing passengers have left before we switch our cards, and we are released off the ship by 11am.  That was totally smooth considering what everyone had to go through to accomplish a debarkation.  Kudos.

And now we wander – we literally have nothing in mind but lunch and shopping.  It is too early for lunch just yet, so we walk over and through V&A, stopping at the picture frame for shot of Table Mountain, then just randomly snapping more photos of the mountain and the clock tower.

We hit the market at the end of V&A looking for the little store that was there last year where we bought those cool bracelets – but it appears to have changed.  All those stores have – and there are more food stalls in there than we recall.  Oh well – it was just a time wasting expedition anyway, and if we want to explore more – we can when we are back for 4 days at the end of the cruise.

From here we backtrack over to Kaptstadt Brauhaus, our go-to restaurant.  Sitting outside, as preferred, we hang out and enjoy the weather, the great pours of their wonderful Sauv Blanc and a fantastic tart lager, then dig into a huge burger with fries, onion rings and sauerkraut sides, as well as a pretzel and those delicious lamb croquettes.  Perfect lunch – and still so cheap! 

Now we shop.  Off to the mall we go, passing through a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside a store purportedly owned by Israelis who are sending money to Israel.  It’s everywhere – what can you do?  There is a huge police presence and it is very peaceful, just noisy, and we easily make our way through it and into the mall unscathed.  The mall is monstrous – 3 floors, every store imaginable, whatever you want – it is here.  We just want the grocery stores for gifts – hitting Woolworth’s first, where I pick up a great cheap bottle of their wine ($2.49 USD) and we grab some candy and biltong.  Then we stumble upon this great little African store with tons and tons of tchotchkes.  Not that we need anything, but we find these great little soapstone animal figurines for what converts to $1 USD.  These are perfect gifts for all the staff that we want to give a little something to when we leave.  We end up with 22 little elephants, rhinos or hippos, we’re not sure, and tigers.  Perfect!

Next up is Pick and Pay where we find a couple of great little boxes of chocolate Amarula liqueur cream fudge – a local specialty.  Perfect for GR coz today is their awful day.  And big box of mini bouchée (who knows, it was little, there were a lot and it was chocolate – how could you go wrong?) for the Security staff who are great.  List all checked!

Now we can slowly wander back to the ship, through the demonstration, to the bridge, which is opening just as we get there, allowing us time to take the obligatory picture of the penguin and of the directional signs – all roads lead to Zurich!. 

Then an easy walk back to the ship.  New cruise, new passengers – lots of new crew! 

Later, after the gym, we take more beautiful pictures of Table mountain and Lion’s Head.

Then head to the Living Room for the sailaway party – moved inside due to the wind – it is still blowing like crazy out there.  Here we see our first Novinophobia t-shirt!  We just learned that word from Mom – fits us to a tee!  Never seen it on a shirt though – too funny.  We hang out up there listening to the new band, who are pretty good, listening to all the introductory speeches, etc.

Dinner is next where Datu is still in our corner – literally and physically! – and we enjoy a lovely dinner.  We skip the variety show – how many times can you see that show?  Head to the cabin for great pictures of Cape Town as we sail away, then retire for a night of Netflix.  Perfect end to a day for us!