Just like my first night here in S.A, I couldn't sleep well at all last night and, I am sure that just like the anxiety had for that 6. A.M Safari it was because of the anticipation for today. I Skyped my mother at 3am because I can't go to bed without saying good night, but she was off grocery shopping and trying to hear pass traffic noise so she totally hung up on me with a rushed, love you, miss you, bye and I am screaming into the tablet "Mommy!" with my mouth open. Did she really? I convince myself that I would call her in an hour to make sure she got back home safely but I was fooling myself. I managed to get 4 hours of sleep in before a 7 am wake up call, but of course I continue to hit snooze at 8 am when a second phone call from reception phoned to let me know that the tour that I was originally supposed to take had arrived. Only, I had a change of plans with reception and opted for a half day today instead since I missed the boat for this tour yesterday . Apparantly, they did not get the memo. We won't talk about how the reception who was kind enough to book me on these tours and slip the confirmation under my door with no tour operator name before taking her days off. We worked that out. So I hurry to get ready and leave the apt by 8 :30, outfit already laid out for once or twice in my adult life. I head down to the continental breakfast area to get a take away box and some OJ. Only the people are moving extra slow to bring me a fork, a cup, and to close my clearly defective fruit container. My patience is wearing thin and I am cursing myself for not waking up earlier. I hurry out for a cab with maybe 15 minutes left and realize I am so my mother's child hopping in a cab 15 minutes before I need to be somewhere. The cabbie is sitting outside reading the paper and in no particular hurry. I asked the guard woman for assistance flagging a cab and she tells me to ask the parked cabbie who I assume is not working but she says ask anyway. Sure enough, asking anyway made the difference. On the ride to the V.A Waterfront we strike up conversation and Dilbert asks me to teach him English so we trade words between Swahili. When we arrive he gives me his card for my return, and asks me about my tours afterwards since he is willing to take my around. We start talking price but I promise to call about free I get on this boat and get my life. 5 minutes to spare. He points me in the direction of the clock tower where I am supposed to get the boat. Breakfast and juice in hand I scurry up the stairs and down the boardwalk in the sandals of death. I stop by the clock tower to see a boat leaving and the guards ask me if I am going on tour. Me: Yes. Was that the boat? Did I miss ? Them: Yes. They pointed me to information. When I reached the information desk for the boat departure the lady first looks at me sideways and I smile my " Hi, I am a customer" smile. Blink. Blink. Blink and she flashes her toothy smile back like she remembered why I may be in her presence. I told her that I am trying to get on the 9 am and have the webticket on my tablet and she says go around they are boarding. Luckily the boat that I saw was circling around to the pick up area. Only I lied to all of us because as I go through to the security checkpoint the damn ticket won't pop up and it wasn't sent in email. The ticket checking man tells me to go back up to the information desk but he really means the sales desk. 2 minutes left. So there I am at sales after stopping at info where both ladies are on the phone, lines crossed and the ticket taking man is yelling at me to go to sales. Boat leaves in one minute. I am being asked for first four of my card, last four of my card, name. Search , search, search. Ticket found and printed. I rush back over to the checkpoint and almost throw or hastily placed my bags and breakfast on the conveyor belt. The man is like "Ma'am , ticket please."Gave him my ticket to be scanned and walked through. I beeped and they just waved me through. Maybe they pitied me. I don't care. Finally walking down the ramp to the boat and woosh, slip in the sandals of death. Him: Ma'am are you ok? Me: Yes. Three more hurried steps....woooshhh! Nearly bust my butt again. Him: Ma'am, Are you Ok? Be careful. It is wet. Me: Yes, I am O.K. Today is going to be a great damn day because I said so. Him: Amen sistah! Lol, I get on the boat and try to find a seat on the lower level, but all the people with the sense to come earlier have taken them. I head upstairs to the upper deck where I have a better chance of surviving anyway. The shipmate gives a hilarious and not very assuring demonstration on how to put on your life vests, which mind you are tucked away in corners to the left and right. Side eyes. I am currently enduring an hour long, slightly choppy ride on the ocean as we are enroute to Robben Island with my eyes on the view and the life vest corners. Down to the minute, I made it and the experience was worth every second. The long walk away from the prison and back to the dock is what really got me. It was the walk of Freedom for Mandela and the other ex- political prisoners. At first I wondered if he even paused to look back but it didn't matter. Looking forward was his next best step.
