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Published: March 31st 2008
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I woke up this morning to high winds and driving rain. The walkway through Annie’s Cove is flooded and the sliding glass door in my room is rattling from the wind. When huge gusts of wind rip between the houses, I can see the whole door flex, it’s amazing that it doesn’t shatter. The storms here are intense, with booming thunder and lightning bolts that reach all the way across the horizon. It may just be me but it seems that even the average raindrop is bigger.
The last few weeks have brought yet more adventure with my international friends as well as a few unexpected adventures with locals. A few weeks ago my Xhosa professor, Dr. Somniso, took a group of us into a township on the outskirts of PE, where we had the opportunity to practice our Xhosa with locals and eat a traditional lunch. The lunch consisted of chicken, beef, cow intestines, beans, and peas. The beans and peas were really good, but all the meat was salty and the intestines, which I could only take one bite of, were rubbery. It was fun trying it all, but I think I may pass on it next time around.
One nice thing about the traditional Xhosa meal is that everything is fresh. As we drove through the township, there were stands on the side of the road where vendors were selling veggies, eggs, meat, etc. There were grocery carts filled with chickens where people can walk up, pay for one and have it slaughtered right there. A BBQ sheep head, called intloko in Xhosa, is also a common meal here, and they can be seen cooking over open flame along the side of the road. Everywhere we went locals were eager to talk and share with us.
We met some children outside a little art gallery in an informal settlement who asked us to take pictures with them when we pulled up. The day ended with a stop in at a bar, which was really just someone’s house where we sat around drinking South African beer and talking to more locals.
For spring break, or fall break in South Africa, a group of us rented a car and drove to Cape Town for the week. We stayed in a really cheap backpacker, about $5 a night, with a bunch of other travelers, including a guy from Kansas who
is riding his motorcycle around the world.
On our first day in Cape Town we took a drive all the way down the eastern side of the cape to cape point, and then back up the other side. The drive was beautiful and took the whole day, but mainly because we stopped so many times to take pictures. In the afternoon, we came to a family of baboons on the side of the road and pulled over to have a look at them. As we were taking pictures, another car pulled up and a family got out to take pictures as well. The baboons are pretty tame and I’m now certain that they like to mess with tourists because one of the adults got up and chased after the family. We all ran back to our car and watched through the window as the baboon chased them back to their car, climbed up against the back door, and then opened it. The family all piled out the other side, slamming the doors behind them and leaving the baboon trapped inside! He didn’t seem to mind though, because he found a bag of chips in the front seat which he
helped himself to. After a few minutes of standing there, not knowing what to do, the father went back to the car and opened the door so the baboon could climb out, taking the bag of chips with him. About five more minutes down the road we came to a sign the read: “Warning: Baboons can be dangerous and attracted by food.” Really? We wouldn’t have guessed....
We spent the next few days wandering around Cape Town, browsing through all the markets, and searching for Kenyan tea which I am now addicted to, thanks to Gesche. After looking all over Cape Town for it, I learned from a Kenyan woman in an African Women’s Market that although Kenyan tea is exported to many countries around the world, South Africa doesn’t seem to be one of them. She did however tell me that she would try to find some for me, and told me to come back in two days. On our last night in Cape Town I returned to the market and found her sister instead of her, who knew nothing about the tea I was supposed to pick up, but told me that her husband would drive back
Cape Agulhas
Africa's southernmost point. to their house to get some of their own supply for me. When I tried to pay for it they refused my money, and offered to bring more back from Kenya for me when they go in a few weeks.
This is the spirit I’ve found among South Africans everywhere I go. On our first night in Cape Town there was a mix up with our accommodations and the staff at a random backpacker gave up their beds so that we would have a place to stay that night. The word ubuntu comes to mind here. It actually comes from the Nguni language spoken in southern Africa, relating to a Zulu concept, - “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” - which means that a person is only a person through their relationship to others. Some believe (including Nelson Mandela) that the concept of uBuntu has the potential to transform the world into one of better understanding and respect for every human being. It's about cooperation, compassion, forgiveness, and a sense of togetherness.
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cathy tade
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What a journey!
Thanks for the updates--your journals are so beautiful!!!!