Robben with Robyn

Robben with Robyn

Go ahead and laugh. I've been sitting on that alliterative pun all week, and I finally get to use it. Robyn finally arrived in Cape Town, and we've... well, walked a lot since said arrival. Tomorrow morning's the big run, and we both turned in for an early night. That 4:00am wake up will be sounded by an annoying alarm (which I'll probably sleep through) sooner than I'd like it. Unfortunately for me, I'm not sleeping; I'm blogging. However, I'm in bed, so that must count for something.

Before setting off on the boat for Robben Island, Robyn and I had a packed schedule today. First was the International Friendship Run, which set off from the V&A Waterfront and made a loop around the Cape Town Stadium to end up back at the Waterfront. There were more than 1000 runners from over 70 countries (more than double the number of countries represented at last year's Football World Cup, a good year for international exposure for South Africa). I was one of 195 Americans. Part of the run included a charity event at which we, participants in the run, took a break from running and distributed pairs of shoes to needed school children. The distribution of the shoes took place just outside the stadium.

My two home countries, the flags were appropriately set up side by side at the run's finish.

The visit to Robben Island was quite fascinating. It was more than I'd expected (there was a bus tour, then a walking tour), and it lasted more than 3 hours. While the island has a rather tainted past, it is a very lovely place; the view of Cape Town and Table Mountain from Robben Island is spectacular.

The prison is empty now and serves as a kind of museum. Past political prisoners serve as tour guides, and you cannot help but get an eerie feeling as you try to imagine the lives that were once lived within the thick stone and concrete walls and behind those bars.

There were no hot-crossed buns for me this Good Friday. There were not even any cupcakes that I planned for today because Charly's was closed. I did not even get to do the financial damaged I predicted at the marathon expo because all of my sized items had sold out by the time I went with Robyn to pick up her kit. For a few moments, Good Friday was not looking so good to me.

All it took was some fabulous food to prevent the sour mood from setting in. There will always be other fabulous cupcake shops, and saving my wallet today means it may live to shop another day!