Itinerary

So, here's the itinerary (complete with links to the places we're going!) that Dad sent to us on November 1st. We're so excited to actually DO the things we've been reading about for over a month!

CHRISTMAS IN AFRICA 2007
ITINERARY FOR CHRISTIAN FAMILY

SATURDAY, 15 DEC
10:35 PM – Emily, Lewis and family arrive on KLM from Amsterdam

SUNDAY, 16 DEC
9:00 – Attend Church at Guguletu Branch (black township)
Rest day at Mission Home - Sunday dinner and Sunday naps
Drive to Rhodes Memorial and/or Signal Hill in afternoon
Family Home Evening at Mission Home around Christmas tree

MONDAY, 17 DEC
9:30 AM - Cape Town City Sightseeing Tour from V&A Waterfront in red “topless” double-decker bus, including Cable Car to the top of Table Mountain and return to the V&AWaterfront for lunch (www.places.co.za/html/topless.html) (www.tablemountain.net/)
AFTERNOON – President’s final interviews with 9 departing missionaries, dinner prep
6:30 PM – Dinner and testimony meeting for nine departing missionaries

TUESDAY, 18 DEC – “GARDEN ROUTE” TRAVEL DAY
See the departing missionaries off at Cape Town Airport
Make the 5-hour “Garden Route” drive to Knysna in Mercedes Vito utility van
Visit Knysna Elephant Park to feed and pet (and ride?) the elephants (www.knysnaelephantpark.co.za)
Stay at the Knysna Quays Holiday Apartments (www.06knysnaquays.com/)

WEDNESDAY, 19 DEC – KNYSNA & PLETTENBERG BAY

Samantha's 3rd Birthday!
Visit the beach at Nature’s Valley for the morning
(www.aichberger.de/18-3E_Natures-Valley.htm)
Lunch at Ristorante Enrico at Keurboomstrand (www.wheretostay.co.za/restaurants/ristoranteenrico/)
Tour Birds of Eden (www.birdsofeden.co.za)
Visit Monkeyland (www.monkeyland.co.za)
Stay at the Knysna Quays Holiday Apartments

THURSDAY, 20 DEC – KNYSNA & PLETTENBERG BAY
Visit the Blaukrans Bridge and world’s highest bungee jump (www.faceadrenaline.com)
Visit the Tsitsikamma Forest (Treetop Canopy Tour zip line) (www.canopytour.co.za/Tsitsikamma_Tours.html)
Lunch at Tsala, in the treetops (cybercapetown.com/TsalaTreetopLodge/)
Stay at the Knysna Quays Holiday Apartments

FRIDAY, 21 DEC – DRIVE BACK TO CAPE TOWN
Drive the “Garden Route” back to Cape Town via Hermanus (www.hermanus.co.za)
Stop at Hermanus to do some whale watching and return along the sea route

SATURDAY, 22 DEC – CAPE PENINSULA TOUR
9:00 AM – Driving tour of Cape Peninsula, including penguins at Simon’s Town (www.sunsetbeach.co.za/penguins.htm), Cape Point, Chapman’s Peak, Signal Hill, Sea Point and Green Point
Dinner at Mission Home
SUNDAY, 23 DEC
9:00 – Attend Church at Khayelitsha Branch (black township)
Rest day at Mission Home - Sunday dinner and Sunday naps
Drive downtown after dark to see Cape Town Christmas lights

MONDAY, 24 DEC – CHRISTMAS EVE
Play in mission home neighborhood playground, neighbor’s swimming pool (?)
Or Visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
Christmas Eve Family Home Evening at Mission Home - Santa Claus comes!

TUESDAY, 25 DEC – CHRISTMAS DAY at Mission Home
No daytime plans – Open Christmas presents and enjoy them
Christmas Dinner in evening at Mission Home

WEDNESDAY, 26 DEC – BOXING DAY at Mission Home
5 new missionaries arrive (2 from Canada, 1 each from England, Ivory Coast and Kenya)
Interviews and new missionary orientation all day, welcome lunch and dinner
Enjoy new missionaries, play with Christmas presents
New missionary testimony meeting

THURSDAY, 27 DEC
New missionaries go to areas and meet new companions after breakfast
Easy morning at Milnerton Beach, Clifton Beach or Strand on Atlantic Ocean Afternoon at V&A Waterfront, Aquarium, take boat tour (www.waterfront.co.za)
Visit Cape Town sights not yet seen or do favorite things a second time
Evening at Waterfront (and/or Canal Walk Mall)

FRIDAY, 28 DEC – AQUILA SAFARI
6:30 AM – Drive in the mission Vito through Cape Town, Paarl & Worchester to the Aquila Game Reserve for a “Day Safari” on an open Range Rover “Big 5” safari game drive, including breakfast and lunch, and petting the cheetah cubs.
We will see elephants, lions, buffalo, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, zebras, antelope, crocodiles, warthogs, meerkats, etc. (www.aquilasafari.com/day-game-drive.htm)
Dinner and evening at Mission Home

SATURDAY, 29 DEC – THE BEACH AND GREENMARKET SQUARE
Easy morning at Milnerton Beach, Clifton Beach or Strand on Atlantic Ocean
Shop for curios at Greenmarket Square flea market in downtown Cape Town
(www.greenmarketsquare.com/)
Eat out at Cattle Baron for Mom & Dad’s 36th Anniversary (www.cattlebaron.co.za)
Enjoy Canal Walk Mall at Century City (www.canalwalk.co.za)
Arrive at Cape Town International airport by 10:25 pm

SUNDAY, 30 DEC
Emily, Lewis and family fly home at 12:25 am on KLM to Amsterdam

Sunday, December 16th

Sunday we got up and went to the Guguletu Branch at 9 AM. It was at a very nice chapel. It's all a little bit fuzzy to me now, we were quite jet-lagged at the time. Dad & Mom were asked to be the speakers when we got there. They were amazing. Mom invited the AP's to come and give their talks from the last Zone Conference. They were awesome. I was very impressed with what they had to say.

After church we went to Rhodes Memorial. What started out to be a drizzly, foggy day- cleared up just as we were leaving church. We started to head home, but just then the sun broke through the clouds and we had a beautiful view of Cape Town from the Memorial. Andy & Sami had fallen asleep in the car, but woke up as soon as we stopped. Sami enjoyed running around the rocks and splashing in the puddles left by the morning rain in her tights and squeeky, shiny black church shoes. Andy decided to stay in the vito with Grandma.

There was an accident that had traffic backed up on the road back home, so we took another route which took us right to the Meadow ????? branch where the Sister Missionaries had a baptism at 12:30. We were out of our minds tired, but it was fun to experience this small family getting baptized. The primary children sang, and Matthew and Megan joined them. Matthew was a little green with flushed cheeks- he did NOT look good. He told us when he sat down that he felt like he was dizzy and was going to pass out. Jet Lag. We stayed just for the actual baptism and then snuck out to the car.

We came home and had some ham sandwiches and then crased for a few hours. We felt much better after that.