5-4-3-2-1...Bungee

We were already wearing our harnesses when we walked out onto the catwalk on the Bloukrans Bridge. We looked down through the metal grates at the lush river valley we would soon jump into. Bloukrans Bridge is the highest commercial bungee jump in the world and we were the first jumpers of the day Clay, J1, and Temple, J2.

As our ankles were being tied together we were both surprisingly calm. I hopped towards the edge. Temple said "I love you" and waved goodbye. "Hang your toes over" was the command. That was the hard part, the rest gravity took care of. The crew then showed me the camera hanging six feet in front of my face and they began counting down from 5. 4-3-2-1- and I jumped as far out as I could. The feelings that followed are difficult to put into words. It was very primal.

Southern Tip of Africa

After clearing up where the true southern tip of Africa was, Cape Agulhas not Cape Point, we made our way there. Although it's the southern most point in Africa it's off the beaten path. At the tip is a stone platform that reads Indian Ocean with an arrow pointing east and Atlantic Ocean with an arrow pointing west. We both climbed up to reach across two oceans. Legend has it that if you pee where the oceans meet its good luck. I arrived with a full bladder to get as much luck as I could. The lighthouse that overlooks the cape was one we had to climb. We went up four large wooden ladders to the top. It was difficult to open the door to the outside because the wind was so strong. We ran around for while before seeking refuge from the gale.

Right Whales, Right Now

Not a far drive from Cape Town is the town of Hermanus where every spring brings very special visitors. Southern Right Whales swim north from Antarctica to calve and spend around three months nursing. You can spot them from shore and Hermanus' rocky outcroppings are the perfect spot to sit and watch as the whales breach, surface and sail. After Hermanus we went to De Hoop (pronounced Whoop in Afrikaans) Nature Reserve where in front of a coast of white sand dunes we saw 8 whales at a time. We fell in love with these gentle giants.

Saber the Flavor

Franschhoek doesn't feel like South Africa but a piece of France. That's exactly what the French Huguenots wanted when they settled here over 300 years ago. Now it is one of the leading wine producing regions in the country and it still maintains its old European feel.

We visited Haute Cabriére vineyard, well known for its varieties of champagne. Our sarcastic and gregarious host Takuan von Arnim guided us through his family's cellars which are built into the mountainside. He gave us a history lesson about Napoleon's troops and their favored post-battle past time of sabrage- the opening of a champagne bottle with a saber. After the tour he selected Temple to wield the blade and pop the first bottle of bubbly for tasting.

Temple held the silver sword while he demonstrated that with a light stroke the cork comes off neatly with the neck of the bottle still attached. Before we knew what was happening POP the cork went flying across the lawn.

Power to the Peaceful

On September 13th, 1989, 30,000 Cape Townians of all races took to the streets in a peaceful protest against apartheid and the holding of political prisoners.

The Cape Town Peace March is viewed by many here as the beginning of the end of apartheid and white rule. Twenty years later, we were lucky enough to be in town as marchers, activists, and religious leaders reunited to remember the march. They looked back on all their accomplishments and discussed the challenges that South Africa faces moving forward. St. George's Church where the march began was filled with historical photos and music. Old friends greeted each other and shared stories of the struggle. In the crowd were young children who will never know a day of apartheid and elders who so recently only dreamt that one day they'd know freedom. Carol Carlos remembered 20 years ago calling for "freedom in our lifetime" and not knowing if it would become a reality. Now, two decades later, she reminded the assembled group how much they had changed and that if they all worked together none of South Africa's problems were too large to solve.

It was a moving day after a moving week of visiting the Apartheid Museum, District Six Museum, and Robben Island all which reinforced the presence of injustice in the world and the power of people to overcome it.

Robben Island

During apartheid, South Africa's national rugby team the Springboks were a symbol of white oppression. Rugby was a white sport while soccer was the preferred sport of black South Africans. But in 1995, newly elected President Nelson Mandela changed that. During the Rugby World Cup finals which were held in Johannesburg, Mandela donned a Springboks jersey as he walked onto the field in front of 65,000 Afrikaners, many who still believed he was a terrorist. But soon the entire stadium was chanting the new president's name. Mandela felt that making South Africans of all colors Springbok fans was one of the first steps in healing the nation.

So it was fitting that 14 years later we would watch the same two teams battle for another trophy, this time the Tri-Nations Championship. Standing in front of the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island watching the jumbotron at 9:00 am, the bar was filled with faces from the new South Africa. People of every color were pulling for the green and gold. Just like in 1995, the Springboks defeated the All Blacks in a thrilling match that went down to the last second.

From one former symbol of white oppression to another. After the game we headed to Robben Island, the political prison were Nelson Mandela, lovingly called Madiba by most South Africans, spent 18 of his 29 years in prison. Just like the Springboks, a past symbol of hate is now a memorial to the strength of the human spirit. Former prisoners give tours of the same cells that used to hold them. The tours are living history as the actors in the drama remind visitors from all over the world of their struggle for freedom.

Climbing the Table and Lion's Head

Table Mountain and Lion's Head are icons of Cape Town. Days don't get much better than the one we had climbing both.