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Published: March 29th 2007
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Before I even got off the ship in Cape Town, I knew this was going to be a beautiful port to call home for the next couple days. From where we were docked we were given an enviable view of Table Mountain, one of the world’s largest plateaus, that was only enhanced by the rising sun as we arrived. I had breakfast that morning on the back deck enjoying the incredible scenery around me and trying to digest the fact that I was now on the African continent. South Africa has a dynamic history and Cape Town especially reflects this in the language and architecture, which reflect its past as both a British and Dutch colony. It would be easy to assume that the entire country is as safe and pleasant as the Waterfront in Cape Town, but a short drive out of this tourist-friendly area paints an entirely different picture. Almost all the nation’s wealth is accumulated in this coastal region while the bulk of the population live in substandard conditions in townships further inland. This unequal distribution is a lasting result of a 60 year span in which the non-white majority were entrenched in a position of inferior
social and legal status by the white minority, in a system known as “apartheid.” Although these policies have been declared illegal for well over a decade, the subject is still taboo and an rarely mentioned by name by any South African. The division it created is still very apparent, since the whites or “Afrikaners” continue to enjoy relatively affluent lives while most of the non-white population struggles to survive in a state of impoverished deprivation.
On a service visit with Operation Hunger, I had a chance to work with this small organization that is working to find a solution to the serious problem of malnourishment among the kids in these communities. We were to taken to several townships and were met with enthusiastic open arms. The children especially were falling all over themselves to greet us and couldn’t pose for enough photos. The adults, who were mainly women, generously let us inside their homes to look around and answered all the questions we threw at them. I was so impressed with the lack of anger they seemed to have with the major discrepancies in their society and the sense of optimism they all shared for their future.
Because there is so much to do in Cape Town, the entire time we were there was spent rushing around trying to fit everything in the few days we were there. The first evening a group of us went to a jazz club, and for a small cover charge spent several hours listening to the local music and sampling the wines and cheeses made in the vineyards nearby. The next day I planned to hike Table Mountain, but after a full afternoon of waling around the markets in the hot sun, I opted to take the gondola to the top instead. It was still a very steep ride and for those with a fear of heights. The top of Table Mountain gave a great few of the entire city and you really feel like you on top of the world when you see clouds beneath you. We were also able to squeeze in a morning trip out to Robben Island, which was only a quick fairy boat away from the ship. I was able to see the cell where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 23 years for his protest of the apartheid laws, and got a tour of the prison by a former inmate. The highlight of the island was seeing all the little penguins that inhabit it now, and getting close enough to almost oet.
My time in Africa was not complete without a safari, and I was very fortunate to have been able to spend almost three days in Kagga Kamma, a wildlife preservation
several hours outside of the city in the heart of the mountains. After a rocky bus ride, we were led to our chalet, which was a three bedroom hut I shared with 9 other people. At dawn and dusks we went on game drives when the animals were more likely to be out and I got to see a variety of antelopes, ostriches, and wilderbeasts from the back off the jeeps we traveled in. Kagga Kamma was also home to the Bushmen and Sun people until they moved further into the mountains, but their rock drawings remain and our guides explained the stories they told. During the day they offered several optional activities you could pay for, and I was enthusiastic about going on the ATVs. I’ve only been once before on sand dunes at Pismo Beach but this was a completely different experience. For a full hour I followed four others around a path made in the rocky terrain and didn’t get thrown off once. The view of the night sky was incomparable from our location in the mountains, and by fate there was a lunar eclipse on the first night there. After an astronomy lesson and a look through the telescope, we spent the next few hours that night dancing to music in the pub with our guides. The food they had for us at every meal was exceptional and I was able to sample all types of game meats and traditional African cuisine. Our last dinner was held outside around a bonfire which kept us cozy despite the unbearably cold winds of the night air.
My time in South Africa felt like it ended entirely too soon. Our short time there flew by and I didn’t get through even half of my checklist of things to do. I guess I should buy my tickets now for my return to Cape Town when the World Cup comes in 2010.
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maryryan
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Unbelievably vivid descriptions; I felt like I experienced it vicariously through this talented writer.