12 days to cross the Atlantic ocean from Cape Town to Buenos Aires

 The MV Explorer departed Cape Town at 6pm on October 30th, and we spent a long 12 days to cross the Atlantic Ocean traveling at roughly 14 knots (ideal speed for minimal fuel consumption, even though the ship can go over twice that fast).  This was, to me, one of the most fascinating, enjoyable, and educational moments of the entire voyage.  I taught my classes, and students complained that it was long, boring, and mostly each day filled with the same sights as before.  But you get two perspectives that you can't "read about" or perceive any other way (in my experience, anyways), and they are these: 1.) you discover just how big the world is and just how much ocean is out there, and you realize, wow, there's an awful lot of water out here -- traveling nearly two weeks and still no land in sight.  We also saw whales breaching, some interesting buoys and floating objects, and some magnificent sunsets and sunrises. Then, just when you are going a bit stir-crazy, you arrive in sight of land on the morning of November 12th and you get hit with the second equally strong impression which is precisely the opposite, 2.) "Aha!  So that's how finite the world is!"  You can almost feel the earth's curvature underneath you as you realize you just traversed it in twelve days, and then you get the itch, the bug, the wish to, you know, keep going all the way around…

Vivi and Dad dressed up again (same outfits) for the real Halloween on October 31st. 

Adler is a boy...

who is really a shy monkey...

but if you're patient, he'll make monkey faces and gestures at you.

Shhhh!  Don't tell anyone that Genevieve snuck into the Faculty Lounge when no one else was around!

Probably the most exciting part of the whole trans-Atlantic crossing was the completion of the ping-pong tournament.  Pictured here is the moment when Mercer, age 18, congratulates Oliver, age 8, on his victory (with a 14-year old partner) in the doubles tournament against every other team on the ship (including students and faculty).

We were mighty proud of him, and he grinned like that for a month straight...

Vivi and Ollie after dinner on the aft deck...

making faces...

cheeseball grinning...

and generally not ever giving Dad a normal photo to take.

Adler before bedtime...

and big sis Vivi already tucked in, waiting for story time.

5 Days in Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town, South Africa, is one of the most surprising, fascinating, beautiful, and paradoxical places we've ever been to.  We only dipped our toe into it with a five-day visit, but still this was enough to experience some of the rich diversity of cultural and natural life that lives on the southern tip of Africa.  We would go back to South Africa at the first opportunity.

Mercer, Dad, Walker at the crack of dawn as we arrived in Cape Town harbor.

The cloud that greeted our morning.  

At the base of Table Mountain, looking down.

At the base of Table Mountain, looking up.

Along the cape point road, on the way to see the penguins.

Rachel and Read on the scenic vista overlook.

At the beach at last!

Genevieve and Adler loved the water.

It was cold, but we quickly got used to it.

On Sunday we dressed up for church.  

Mom and Vivi in semi-matching Ghana dresses.  

Genevieve more closely matched the stained glass in St. George's Cathedral.

We're missing Mercer and Chesterton in this photo, but they were missing for most of the weekend and having fun in parts unknown with college students.

At the Company Gardens, we found all sorts of fun, like extremely friendly (and hungry) pigeons.

Excellent lime milkshakes!

A lunch so delicious even one of our teenagers smiled for the camera...

Mom and kids happy with hot tea and bellies full.

And then we finally did make it up to Table Mountain that afternoon -- the previous day's attempt thwarted by early closure of the cable car.  

Walker, looking studly, with the Table Mountain cliff face in the background.

Walker and Adler riding the cable car up.

At the first lookout on Table Mountain

We took a picture and Mom got nervous feet having all her children at such a high altitude.

Mom's anxiety increases as Genevieve and others discover how fun it is to scare Mom with their fearlessness of heights...

Adler says, "What's the big deal?" not realizing that the abyss, just behind him, is also staring into him....

Jasper feeling like he's actually climbed this mountaintop.

Adler being... Adler.

Genevieve against the blue sky.

Adler begins the arm-raising ceremonies...

Walker conquers the mountain.

Jasper seated at the edge of infinity.

Genevieve poses while Jasper asks for help on the Table Mountain kid's trivia quiz, the prize for which is a free lollipop.

Walker comforts Adler after he tripped and bonked himself.  

Making Mom really nervous, and loving it.  

Jasper, Oliver, Genevieve...

Climbing around barefoot and hamming it up.

Victory!  The prized lollipops awarded for the right answers on all the trivia questions.  These made, of course, excellent "cigarettes" for the boys to smoke.

The cable car descends Table Mountain...

...and descends...

...and lands safely in its harbor at the base.

That night we went out for seafood, and Oliver, Jasper, and Genevieve had to be bribed to try something really delicious once you get over the disgustingness of it:  all three earned major moolah by eating their first raw oyster.  Only Genevieve ate two of them, and she would have done it even without the incentive:  she's an Adventurous Eater!

The Corporation as folk art.  'Nuff said.

If you ever get to taste a "straw wine" - please do yourself the favor and do so.  This Fairview "La Beryl Blanc" and Klein Constantia's "Vin de Constance" were absolutely two of the most amazing flavors of the whole sixteen-country journey.  

On our next to last day, we got to travel three hours outside of Cape Town and go on a very touristy "safari" that was nevertheless pure joy for the little kids.  The all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast and lunch weren't too shabby, either.

Proud as a... five-year old girl standing in front of a fully-fanned peacock.

Adler realizes these are real animals we are going to see, and begins to get a little bit nervous.

The midpoint "champagne" refresher, which is sparkling grape juice for the kids.

Adler and Genevive enjoying a second glass of "champagne."

Osterich pack outrunning our jeep.

These were, um, African, not Asian, elephants... I think.

Don't ask how many shots it took to get this one.  

Adler's best defense mechanism:  Nothing Can Eat Me If I'm Sleeping.  Either that or the "champagne" he got was real.

...the wine...

The Big Five were bored as can be.  Yawn... more tourists?

Genevieve didn't get scared, and loved every minute of it.

After lunch, the kids got to take a quick dip in the pool...

And then it was off to find...

...that shared the name of our eldest daughter: Vin de Constance.

It was amazing, historical, and delicious: a combination of honey, angel's tears, and ambrosia.

On my final day, I got to visit Andrew Breitenberg in his art studio in a very trendy part of Cape Town.  

At the Selah studio.

Upon returning to the ship, we all got to meet and be addressed by the Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who gave us a very frank, surprising, and enjoyable talk.  He also said this.