City Guide || Cape Town

The trip has just been a whirlwind of activities and excitement in these first weeks in Cape Town. Hardly two weeks and I’ve taken over 1,250 photos! It feels like we have done so much in a very short amount of time. I lose track of the days. Jet lag finally seems to have worn off, and I am enjoying every moment of our stay in this beautiful country.

Cape Town Water Front

May 19th

We hiked up Table Mountain. It gives a view of both the Indian and Atlantic oceans and almost the entire city.

May 20th

We had a small family reunion of N’s dad’s siblings. The place, we stayed at, was quite cool it was called !Khwa ttu. It is a bushman museum. It was an excellent location for a group gathering. We slept in tents with sticks over them and the communal area it was all built with sticks. We went on a mini-safari, to see some of the wildlife and learn a bit about the culture.

May 21st

We went down to the Waterfront, which is just breathtaking. The place, where the ocean and mountains meet, is strikingly beautiful.

May 22nd

We toured a Vineyard/Winery. Groot Constantia established in 1685 is the oldest one in Cape Town.

May 23rd

We went to Boulder’s Beach to see the penguins. I thought they were pulling my leg first, but there are hundreds of African Penguins.

We drove up signal hill that night. You can see all the lights of the city. It’s a bit of a lover’s lane apparently and rightly so, it’s a wonderful view.

May 24th

We went to Cape of Good Hope/Cape Point. Tourists are often told it is the most Southern point of Africa but it is more a South Western Point, but it still offers quite a spectacular view. It is thought to be the place where the two oceans meet.

May 25th

We took a ferry over to Robben Island and took a tour of the prison where Nelson Mandela detained as a political prisoner. Our guide through the prison was a former political prisoner there.

We also went on a tour of the Langa Township. My understanding of  townships, based on what I have been told, is that townships were historically where all the black, coloured, Indian and Millay (people of Malaysian descent) people were forced to live. Everyone was separated by racial group and placed into designated areas around the cities.

They still exist all over the country even though people are no longer forced to live here they stay because they have strong communities in these places. They are areas associated with great poverty.

Our guide, who grew up and still lives in a township, was very positive and hopeful about the work of the government and the improvements happening in these communities.

It was a very interesting experience for us to walk around with him (it is not really considered safe to do this without a guide). We went into people's homes. Most live in hostel style quarters; these have six rooms per building. The hostels were originally built to house sixteen working men to live in while they were employed away from home. Now several families live in one small room. The one we visited had eight people living in an extremely tiny room, with three beds. It becomes easy to imagine how impossible it would be to protect yourself and your family against crime, violence and violation in this living situation. Families pay R20 ~$3/person/month in the older hostels. The more newly renovated ones rent for R 80 ~$11/person/month. The rest of the residents mainly live in shanties.  The occupants of these more temporary looking houses  families who have moved into the city for work. Some people live in stand alone concrete housing, and we did see a few quite nice homes of people who have chosen to stay in their township after becoming more successful.

We drank homemade beer in a kind of “pub” shack and sang with the men. And we visited a “traditional healer” aka witch doctor. He wore what looked like a whole raccoon on his head and a red sash and waved a wand made of some tale with long hair around. I was pretty sure he was under the influence of something—his hut was very cramped and filled with mysterious and creepy things. Between the smells, the tight space, the weird hanging everywhere and the flies, I nearly lost my lunch.

May 26th

Today has been a wonderfully relaxing day for me. I got to sleep in and then go to the beach and read. N and his siblings went surfing early this morning. Now they are off with some of his sister’s friends caving. I have had the perfect day sitting in the sun with my book and now taking refuge indoors as the day cools.

Yesterday’s tours were a lot for me to digest. Thinking about Mandela and the other political prisoners and what they fought so hard to have; what they sacrificed for freedom, what they endured not knowing if it would ever change anything. Looking at the lives of the people in the townships and the extent of their poverty. And beyond their poverty are the social issues that occur because of the poverty.

I could say, yes, that’s just how it is but at the same time it is hard for me to reconcile with my standard of living standing in this poverty. As well it forces me to confront the complacent way that I thoughtlessly pass my days. When you see these people, you question how you are justifying yourself. The suffering is very real. There are no easy answers. It greatly troubles me. I could just stop everything and change everything in my life but what good comes of that. I could give all my money away to whoever asks but is that the best way. Seeing these dirty children running aimlessly between the shanty houses, I felt sick about how comfortable I have become in my life.

It is not all bad. There are many positive things in these communities as well. There is hope.

 Tonight N and his brother drove a few hours from Cape Town to Hermanus where they will go shark cage diving. I have opted of this activity. I hope will not regret this choice, N has promised to take extensive pictures so I can live vicariously. The girls I will join them on Friday, to entertain ourselves more safely, and on dry land. 

Welcome to South Africa

May19 2011

Welcome to South Africa

Newly married N and I are headed off on our first ever trip together!

We are travelling to South Africa with his parents, four sibling’s and our four-month-old niece. There are nine of us travelling together to meet up with his extended family that all live there. I have never been to Africa before and am both nervous and very excited.

Our first official day in South Africa is coming to a close.

The flight was less grueling than I had expected. I have never experienced such royal treatment as you receive on South African Airlines. I’m guessing it’s more the way flying used to be. When we got on the plane there was a little travel pack waiting on our seats: a warm blanket, socks, sleeping mask, tiny pillow and a toothbrush/paste set. We’ve been served three hot meals so far, including a breakfast omelet. They also serve complimentary wine in half bottles.

We came out relatively unscathed, considering that there are nine of us. There was a delay with one suitcase, and the baby stroller broke. The case was recovered, and a voucher received to cover some of the broken stroller. Frustrating losses but manageable.

We are now settled into a Convent Guesthouse (no that is not a typo—real nuns still live here) for the week. N's Omi has the refrigerator stocked full of tasty meals and the cupboards with home made rusks. Rusks are a South African treat a bit like biscotti that everyone loves. They are disappearing very quickly.

The place is huge with enough space for everyone to have their own room. There is a large kitchen and sitting room as well. The grounds are lovely. I could sit all day our in the warm sun reading in the garden. N and I have a cozy little private room at the back of the house just off the living room. It has a bathroom and the extra room in its own sort of nook. It’s very pleasant.

The nights are much colder than expected, even though I had been forewarned of this. It makes for very uncomfortable sleeping. The days are lovely and warm, even though it is winter here. I feel conspicuous like tourists because we are in our shorts when the nationals are bundled up in tights, toques and scarves.

N's sister introduced me to the most fantastic lattes the world has ever known, or that I have ever known. I was thrilled that we purchased a zoom lens today. I can’t wait to go to the game parks and take pictures of the African wildlife.

We went down to a waterfront area and had a quick, cold look at the beach. We wrapped up the day with a big family dinner at this great pizza place.

Safety is a constant concern. Even if the way, we do things, isn’t particularly different (we still carry purses and cameras and lock doors at the same points) the mindset is always alert and cautious. It is a bit stressful. I am not sure I would notice as a tourist, but our local family is constantly reminding us. Everyone has a story of being robbed or worse.

There are many people working informally. One example of this is the self-assigned car guards. They wear neon reflective vests that look like they’ve seen better days. When we parallel parked the car in a free parking location someone came up to us and said hello and that he would watch the car. I didn’t pay much attention to him. When we returned though there another man, in a vest, who told us that he had been watching the car the whole time and asked for money. I assume they shift off.

We are currently in one of the wealthiest provinces in the country, and the poor are relatively out of sight. The infrastructure looks much like home, the shops are familiar; everyone speaks English, and it is comfortable feeling.

Cape Town is a stunning city! The oceans and the mountains and some truly lovely architecture caressed by lush plant life. Table Mountain sits at the center of the city. It is used to navigate which part of the city you are in because it looks distinctly different from each side.

It gets dark so early (around 6:30pm) that I feel I have not seen much of it much look forward to experiencing more of it.

I can’t get over the fantastic smell of Africa. I just love it here.

I still can’t get over, the fact that we are here.