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Post date: Jul 12, 2010 1:12:33 AM
We were up bright and early on day 14 to grab breakfast at the guest house and catch our ride to the airport. Brandon from the World Bank - if you ever read this, thank you very much for schlepping the three of us to the airport!
We had planned on going to Robben Island when we got into Cape Town and had already purchased tickets, but didn't count on either a) the delay in our flight departure or b) the MASS of people who were going to go to the World Cup quarterfinal game between Argentina and Germany. As we sat in traffic on the bus heading from the airport to downtown, we figured that we couldn't make Robben Island in time. We looked up at Table Mountain, but realizing that the cable cars stopped at 4:00 PM and looking at the throngs of Saturday afternoon traffic, we figured that we could not make it there either. So, we decided to walk down to Long Street and see if we could find a good place to have a drink and watch the game. After getting smoked out of Cafe Mojito (one of our favorites), we found a quiet Chinese restaurant to watch the game. I admit that the vibe wasn't nearly as good as next to the exuberant Germans at Cafe Mojito, but my lungs thanked me for choosing the quieter life.
After the game, we walked up to a restaurant called Arnold's in our quest for good warthog ribs. For two weeks, we'd been looking for warthog ribs in vain, but at Arnold's, we found gastronomical heaven. For anyone who has not had the sheer joy and pleasure of eating a warthog rib, you are missing out. It is like a pork rib but much, much, much tastier. I yearn for the day when I find a warthog rib butcher in the United States. If that happens, invest in Levi Strauss stock, as I will need to buy a new wardrobe.
After gorging on warthog ribs and dessert, we caught a taxi back to get our shuttle bus back to the airport. Even though many streets were blocked off because of the World Cup game, our driver continued to drive on alternate streets until he found a way to drop us off curbside. His treatment of us, even though we'd repeatedly said he could drop us off anywhere nearby and we could walk, was typical and emblematic of the treatment we received everywhere we went in South Africa and Namibia. It was warm, inviting, and caring, even though we were strangers in their land. While we didn't want to leave, we left on a high note (and on sore butts from the camel saddle) and have many fond memories and amazing pictures.
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