I'm sitting here on my last night in Cape Town, watching the sunset from the balcony of the hostel that a couple of us are staying in tonight (we had to be out of our house by today), and I can't help but to reflect on a number of things. I've only lived abroad once before, but in that 3 month period that I resided in Geneva, Switzerland I was never ready to go home, the day I actually left the city I felt my heart breaking and still feel the pangs of sadness when I see certain photos, talk to people who I lived with there, or listen to one of the many songs I had on repeat during that fall of 2009. Living in Cape Town was different, I'm not sure if it was because I'm at a different point in my life, or going home to a different place in the United States, but a few weeks ago I felt ready to head home. It definitely could be that in the last 15 years I have always gone home to Oregon for part of the summer, and this year I'm not...it could be that my excitement of getting back to New York was just overwhelming...I'm not sure. It was really strange to recognize the adventure I was having but to also be okay with it coming to an end. Fast forward to the present, when I have to actually leave South Africa tomorrow and there's that heart break happening again.
There are so many incredible things about South Africa, so many adventures I've had here, things I've learned and seen for the first time. It is absolutely without a doubt the most beautiful place I've ever been to. It also has without a doubt the biggest wealth-poverty gap I've ever seen, but those who suffer from the immense poverty are also some of the most resilient people I've ever known. I had the opportunity to not only experience the city of Cape Town, which is incredibly rich of culture and diversity but I was lucky enough to road trip along the coast and see parts of the country that I had never even heard about. In the past two months I've learned a lot about humanity and I owe that to South Africa. I can only hope that I'm leaving the country having made a small positive impact on the people, whether that be through the friendships I made, conversations I had or the work I did at my internship.
As I sit here trying to eloquently put my emotions into words (which I'm having trouble doing if you haven't noticed already...) I feel like the best way to sum up my feelings on this beautiful country is to recount perhaps my most cherished night of the past two months. Colleen, Brennan and I stopped to get a bite to eat at a local restaurant in our neighborhood and haphazardly decided to drive up to Signal Hill. Signal Hill is the hill at the base of Lion's head and has an incredible view of the entire city. We drove up the winding road in the pitch dark, parked the car and stared at the beauty of the city lighting up before our eyes. While the city below was quite chilly, for some reason up on the hill we felt warm so we decided to lay down in the grass next to each other staring up at the stars. Suddenly a bright shooting star crossed the sky, all of us had seen it so naturally we held hands and made a wish. In that moment I felt the world was perfect. I didn't want to be anywhere other than holding Brennan and Colleen's hands, staring at the stars on a hill overlooking Cape Town. I can't explain in words the immense peace that rushed over me, which was only disturbed by rustling of nearby bushes which we assumed to be baboons, naturally we took off running and got back into the car.
The rest of the night was spent enjoying things that maybe only we could really enjoy, like watching Brennan laugh so hard that her drink came out of her nose or screaming 'WYNBERG' out the window of the car gaining adoration from locals who couldn't believe it was three white girls in a Chico yelling like the mini-van taxis do, or laughing so hard that all of us were in tears and nearly piddling.
While I'll miss the mountains and the sea, I'm reminded that it's not the place that you go that makes your experience, it's the people you spend those experiences with that make it truly worthwhile. Cape Town, South Africa is a lovely town and would be great to visit, but without the group of these women by my side it wouldn't have touched me as deeply as it did. I leave feeling inspired by the work each of them did in their time here, motivated by their interests and intellect, moved by their passion, sore from all of the belly aching laughter and forever engrained with the memories of a wonderful two months spent with a group of remarkable women in the beautiful and complex country of South Africa.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Adventures before Cape Town Part Three: Nature's Valley, Plettenburg Bay and Knysna
When we left Jeffrey's Bay the sun was starting to set so our drive into Nature's Valley was mostly in the dark, and while we couldn't see much we realized that we were headed into some beautiful mountains. Much of the drive was spent giggling about the 'don't feed the baboons' signs and anticipating arriving at the hostel that Colleen had found for us. As the drive continued, things became more and more rural and we ended up on a dirt road in the pitch black trying to find where we'd be staying for the evening. Anyone who knows me knows that I have an irrational fear of a number of things, so when we headed down a dirt road and into the darkness I was sure that this would end just like the plot of some horror movie, probably like hostel. After shortly debating giving up and turning around, we decided to meet our fate, and thank God we did because we ended up in one of the most magical places I've ever been. Wild Spirit is the most welcoming backpackers that I have ever been to. We pulled up, checked in at reception and unloaded our bags into our huge cabin room before heading back down to the reception area for dinner. By reception I mean an outdoor bar and dining area with a few fire pits and a massive deck, because of the pitch black night we couldn't see what was beyond the deck but had an inkling that was magnificent. Dinner is made by the owners every night because there isn't a town close enough to drive to go get a meal, the veggies and fruit came from their own garden (that you could work in for a few hours to get a free dinner) and the long wooden dining table was painted in illustrations from 'Where the Wild Things Are'. Essentially, I found the Portland of South Africa. The night was spent drinking wine by the fire and making friends with people who were visiting South Africa from around the world.
The next morning we woke up, went out on the deck and realized that it looked over a beautiful mountain range. We were only supposed to spend one night, but it became clear from the start of that first morning that a second night was needed. Wild Spirit also provided breakfast so we filled up and decided to head down the road to stop at a local farm stall we had passed on our way in. The field out front was filled with cows (who looked a bit hungry to be honest) and inside there were a number of local goodies to buy. We decided to have lunch and sample the cheese plate, and naturally ended up getting milkshakes as well. As we ate lunch we took notice of a particularly ambitious cow who kept trying to step over the fence, but was making little progress. Before I knew it the cow had backed up, had a running start and literally jumped over the fence, a feat of epic proportions. The farmer was stunned and then quickly ran after the cow who took off down the road, ten minutes later they both returned. After all of that excitement we decided to head into Plettenburg Bay to check out the sites and see what there was to do. Plettenburg bay was certainly beautiful, but was almost like being in a costal town in Florida, filled with touristy shops and ice cream parlors, after exploring a bit we left and headed back towards Nature's Valley and stopped at a local craft market. Eventually we made our way back to the hostel for a second enjoyable night filled with good food and new friends, a drumming circle and even some fire dancing (seriously, I thought I was in Portland).
We woke up and I decided to take advantage of the wifi and skyped with my mom and sister for the first time since getting to South Africa. Much to their surprise, and to fulfill stereotypes that everyone has about anywhere in Africa, they saw me sitting with a beautiful African 4 year old on my lap. This little girl (her name was Bunga) had known me for less than 3 minutes before deciding she wanted to meet my mom and sister and began asking them questions. Perhaps the most adorable moment was when she asked why they were getting ready for bed when it was the morning time...my mom explained that they lived far away and where they were it was night, to which Bunga asked me if they were past the mountains that were in our view, I told her much further than that, and she was thoroughly impressed. After my skype session Colleen, Tracie and I decided to take advantage of the many hiking trails around the hostel and hike to a nearby waterfall. It was certainly beautiful and was one of the highlights of the few days spent at Nature's Valley. Sadly we had to continue our drive, so with heavy hearts and promises of one day returning, we left Wild Spirit and headed towards Knysna.
Knysna is a big tourist destination and is known as THE place to get oysters in South Africa. Naturally we didn't get oysters because, that's just how life works. We did however go down into the Knysna lagoon which was beautiful and to another craft market before stopping and getting a yummy seafood lunch. Knysna was certainly beautiful but didn't end up taking the whole day to explore. While Knysna and Plettenburg Bay didn't end up being the destinations we thought they would be, Nature's Valley was by far the highlight of the road trip for me. I feel so lucky that I not only got to see South Africa from the city perspective of living in Cape Town, but I also got to spend time in rural areas giving me a more rounded experience and idea of the people and the country.
Many times during this road trip we tried to make some spur of the moment decisions in efforts to have some adventures, the end of our afternoon in Knysna was one of those times. We pulled out my guide book and decided to head off the N2 (the garden route) and over to a town in the mountains towards Oudtshoorn called Montague. The guide book boasted of natural spring pools and we found a farm hostel that had room so we decided a trip off the beaten path was the next step to take...
Next up...Montague, Hermanus, Franschhoke and finally our arrival to Cape Town
The next morning we woke up, went out on the deck and realized that it looked over a beautiful mountain range. We were only supposed to spend one night, but it became clear from the start of that first morning that a second night was needed. Wild Spirit also provided breakfast so we filled up and decided to head down the road to stop at a local farm stall we had passed on our way in. The field out front was filled with cows (who looked a bit hungry to be honest) and inside there were a number of local goodies to buy. We decided to have lunch and sample the cheese plate, and naturally ended up getting milkshakes as well. As we ate lunch we took notice of a particularly ambitious cow who kept trying to step over the fence, but was making little progress. Before I knew it the cow had backed up, had a running start and literally jumped over the fence, a feat of epic proportions. The farmer was stunned and then quickly ran after the cow who took off down the road, ten minutes later they both returned. After all of that excitement we decided to head into Plettenburg Bay to check out the sites and see what there was to do. Plettenburg bay was certainly beautiful, but was almost like being in a costal town in Florida, filled with touristy shops and ice cream parlors, after exploring a bit we left and headed back towards Nature's Valley and stopped at a local craft market. Eventually we made our way back to the hostel for a second enjoyable night filled with good food and new friends, a drumming circle and even some fire dancing (seriously, I thought I was in Portland).
We woke up and I decided to take advantage of the wifi and skyped with my mom and sister for the first time since getting to South Africa. Much to their surprise, and to fulfill stereotypes that everyone has about anywhere in Africa, they saw me sitting with a beautiful African 4 year old on my lap. This little girl (her name was Bunga) had known me for less than 3 minutes before deciding she wanted to meet my mom and sister and began asking them questions. Perhaps the most adorable moment was when she asked why they were getting ready for bed when it was the morning time...my mom explained that they lived far away and where they were it was night, to which Bunga asked me if they were past the mountains that were in our view, I told her much further than that, and she was thoroughly impressed. After my skype session Colleen, Tracie and I decided to take advantage of the many hiking trails around the hostel and hike to a nearby waterfall. It was certainly beautiful and was one of the highlights of the few days spent at Nature's Valley. Sadly we had to continue our drive, so with heavy hearts and promises of one day returning, we left Wild Spirit and headed towards Knysna.
Knysna is a big tourist destination and is known as THE place to get oysters in South Africa. Naturally we didn't get oysters because, that's just how life works. We did however go down into the Knysna lagoon which was beautiful and to another craft market before stopping and getting a yummy seafood lunch. Knysna was certainly beautiful but didn't end up taking the whole day to explore. While Knysna and Plettenburg Bay didn't end up being the destinations we thought they would be, Nature's Valley was by far the highlight of the road trip for me. I feel so lucky that I not only got to see South Africa from the city perspective of living in Cape Town, but I also got to spend time in rural areas giving me a more rounded experience and idea of the people and the country.
Many times during this road trip we tried to make some spur of the moment decisions in efforts to have some adventures, the end of our afternoon in Knysna was one of those times. We pulled out my guide book and decided to head off the N2 (the garden route) and over to a town in the mountains towards Oudtshoorn called Montague. The guide book boasted of natural spring pools and we found a farm hostel that had room so we decided a trip off the beaten path was the next step to take...
Wild Spirit
The outdoor bar and dining area
Just the most INCREDIBLE view
South African Cows
A farm stall lunch
A traffic jam in Nature's Valley
The waterfall right by Wild Spirit
Plettenburg Bay
Knysna Lagoon
Knysna
Knysna Lagoon again
Next up...Montague, Hermanus, Franschhoke and finally our arrival to Cape Town
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Adventures before Cape Town Part Two: Addo Elephant Park & Jeffrey's Bay
After four days of relaxation and acclimation in Durban it was time to start the rest of our adventures on our way to Cape Town and that meant flying from Durban to Port Elizabeth and picking up our rent a car for our road trip. Our flight out of durban left at 6am which meant we got to Port Elizabeth nice and early around 8am, picked up our trusty rent a car (later named Bunga) and headed north towards Addo Elephant Park. When Tracie, Colleen and I were originally starting to plan our travels we quickly nixed going to other countries and decided the best thing to do would be to rent a car and drive along the famous 'Garden Route' to Cape Town, giving us the opportunity to stop in rural areas, be near the ocean and drive through the wine valley. The first day of our road trip started off quite eventfully, I was driving down the highway on our way to Addo when I saw something far ahead cross the road, I slowed down thinking it was a cat or maybe a squirrel and as we approached I realized it was a monkey. This was the first real culture shock (or environment shock?) I had since being in Africa and I was so surprised that I ended up yelling 'There's a f*cking monkey on the road!!' (sorry mom and dad). With this being the starting point of our road trip, we knew only good things could come.
Addo Elephant Park was an hour detour from the Garden Route but we knew this would likely be our only opportunity to experience a safari so we decided it was worth the extra drive. Addo is a massive nature reserve of over 630 square miles of rolling hills filled with a number of animals (including the big 5: elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalo and leopards) and has one of the largest populations of elephants on the continent. I was unsure of what to expect when we arrived but realized that besides the dirt roads we were able to drive on, the land was virtually untouched and the animals were roaming free. There were a number of moments that were surreal during our few hours spent driving around the park, but one in particular was when we sighted our second elephant, it was literally not more than 5 feet away from our car, snacking on some vegetation from the trees and otherwise ignoring us. I couldn't help but feel like crying sitting so close to such a massive animal and looking in its big eyes seeing how intelligent and beautiful it was. After driving around for a few hours we went to the lodge to get a bite to eat and ended up meeting a very kind man and his wife who lived in the suburbs of Cape Town, his name is Schalk (which I took as a good sign seeing as Schalk is the last name of one of my best friends), Colleen got his contact information in hopes of getting together at a later point during our few months in Cape Town (we did end up spending a day with he and his family but that's for another blog post). Addo was truly incredible and something that I'm so thankful that we did, it was also a perfect gateway into our time in South Africa, up until that point we had only been in a city, this road trip would give us the opportunity to get to experience South Africa in a way that many don't.
Our drive from Addo to our first stop at Jeffrey's Bay was a quick two hour long trip. It was on this leg of the journey that we had our first encounters with townships and the poverty of South Africa, while Tracie and Colleen had both been to places where they had encountered serious poverty, this was a new experience for me as I had only traveled around Europe. Seeing homes made of tin, tarps and left over wood was startling and something that I'll never forget. It was in this moment that I realized that part of being in South Africa would not only be processing the incredible wealth and poverty gap, but also would be processing the visions of these homes, of children defecating along the highway and of people carrying on with life as normal while being subjected to the worst poverty I had ever witnessed.
On a lighter note, on to Jeffrey's Bay, or as locals call it J Bay, is one of the most famous surfing sites in the world and is often the host of a number of competitions throughout the year. We had initially hoped to stay at a lovely little hostel that Colleen had found in a guide book but when we arrived there wasn't room for us, so we backtracked a couple of blocks up the road and found a room at Cristal Cove hostel. Because it was the off season the hostel was pretty empty, we were offered a lovely room with a shared kitchen and living room that we had to ourselves. After resting a bit and taking advantage of the wifi we headed out to get dinner and were disappointed that nearly all the restaurants we had wanted to try were closed for the season, we ended up grabbing food at a mexican restaurant and heading back to the hostel early still exhausted from our travels. The next morning we got up, got breakfast at a lovely spot in town and decided that horseback riding on the beach was the must do activity for the day. We stopped at a couple of surf shops first and check out the beach before heading back to the hostel to book our horseback riding. We showed up at the farm unsure of what to expect and a bit nervous, especially when we realized our guide would be a 17 year old kid. Our ride started through green lush hills and then quickly turned to climbing sand dunes and riding along the wind whipped, empty beaches. Besides a couple of unruly moments (my horse had taken to kicking Tracie's and Colleen's horse was simply not wanting to move at a reasonable speed), horseback riding on the beach was incredible and something I'm so glad we did. Once again we were in one of those moments where not only did we have to remind ourselves that this wasn't real life (i.e. we'll have to end this adventure one day), but we were once again faced with the incredible beauty of South Africa, standard.
Just as the sun was starting to set our ride came to an end. We packed up and were back on the road before we knew it, this time headed to Nature's Valley, not knowing what to expect and not realizing that we would end up at the most magical hostel that's ever existed in the most beautiful valley I've ever seen.
Next Up: Nature's Vally, Plettenburgs Bay and Knysna
Addo Elephant Park was an hour detour from the Garden Route but we knew this would likely be our only opportunity to experience a safari so we decided it was worth the extra drive. Addo is a massive nature reserve of over 630 square miles of rolling hills filled with a number of animals (including the big 5: elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalo and leopards) and has one of the largest populations of elephants on the continent. I was unsure of what to expect when we arrived but realized that besides the dirt roads we were able to drive on, the land was virtually untouched and the animals were roaming free. There were a number of moments that were surreal during our few hours spent driving around the park, but one in particular was when we sighted our second elephant, it was literally not more than 5 feet away from our car, snacking on some vegetation from the trees and otherwise ignoring us. I couldn't help but feel like crying sitting so close to such a massive animal and looking in its big eyes seeing how intelligent and beautiful it was. After driving around for a few hours we went to the lodge to get a bite to eat and ended up meeting a very kind man and his wife who lived in the suburbs of Cape Town, his name is Schalk (which I took as a good sign seeing as Schalk is the last name of one of my best friends), Colleen got his contact information in hopes of getting together at a later point during our few months in Cape Town (we did end up spending a day with he and his family but that's for another blog post). Addo was truly incredible and something that I'm so thankful that we did, it was also a perfect gateway into our time in South Africa, up until that point we had only been in a city, this road trip would give us the opportunity to get to experience South Africa in a way that many don't.
Our drive from Addo to our first stop at Jeffrey's Bay was a quick two hour long trip. It was on this leg of the journey that we had our first encounters with townships and the poverty of South Africa, while Tracie and Colleen had both been to places where they had encountered serious poverty, this was a new experience for me as I had only traveled around Europe. Seeing homes made of tin, tarps and left over wood was startling and something that I'll never forget. It was in this moment that I realized that part of being in South Africa would not only be processing the incredible wealth and poverty gap, but also would be processing the visions of these homes, of children defecating along the highway and of people carrying on with life as normal while being subjected to the worst poverty I had ever witnessed.
On a lighter note, on to Jeffrey's Bay, or as locals call it J Bay, is one of the most famous surfing sites in the world and is often the host of a number of competitions throughout the year. We had initially hoped to stay at a lovely little hostel that Colleen had found in a guide book but when we arrived there wasn't room for us, so we backtracked a couple of blocks up the road and found a room at Cristal Cove hostel. Because it was the off season the hostel was pretty empty, we were offered a lovely room with a shared kitchen and living room that we had to ourselves. After resting a bit and taking advantage of the wifi we headed out to get dinner and were disappointed that nearly all the restaurants we had wanted to try were closed for the season, we ended up grabbing food at a mexican restaurant and heading back to the hostel early still exhausted from our travels. The next morning we got up, got breakfast at a lovely spot in town and decided that horseback riding on the beach was the must do activity for the day. We stopped at a couple of surf shops first and check out the beach before heading back to the hostel to book our horseback riding. We showed up at the farm unsure of what to expect and a bit nervous, especially when we realized our guide would be a 17 year old kid. Our ride started through green lush hills and then quickly turned to climbing sand dunes and riding along the wind whipped, empty beaches. Besides a couple of unruly moments (my horse had taken to kicking Tracie's and Colleen's horse was simply not wanting to move at a reasonable speed), horseback riding on the beach was incredible and something I'm so glad we did. Once again we were in one of those moments where not only did we have to remind ourselves that this wasn't real life (i.e. we'll have to end this adventure one day), but we were once again faced with the incredible beauty of South Africa, standard.
Just as the sun was starting to set our ride came to an end. We packed up and were back on the road before we knew it, this time headed to Nature's Valley, not knowing what to expect and not realizing that we would end up at the most magical hostel that's ever existed in the most beautiful valley I've ever seen.
The drive from Port Elizabeth to Addo Elephant Park
Addo Elephant Park
Our first animal sighting, a warthog
African Buffalo
Ostriches
Our first up close experience with an elephant
So beautiful
A whole family of elephants
Little baby and its mom
Our drive from Addo to Jeffrey's Bay
Jeffrey's Bay
A surf town
Colleen, Tracie and I on our horses
A horse riding on the beach selfie
Next Up: Nature's Vally, Plettenburgs Bay and Knysna
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Adventures before Cape Town Part One: Durban
When I started this blog I was so far into my trip that I tried to focus on writing about what was currently happening, which means I've completely left out very important parts of my South African adventures. As my time here is winding down I've found myself reflecting on my first few weeks of my journey, the experiences I had that provided me with the context through which I would see the rest of my time in South Africa. In honor of these wonderful memories and my trip coming to an end, the next few posts will be a recap of my first two weeks in South Africa.
I left New York on a hot day and was accompanied by Tracie (who is in my program), we had planned on flying out together not only because we would be traveling together for the next two weeks, but also in hopes that the 15 hour flight would seem slightly less horrible. We had a direct flight to Johannesburg and then a connecting flight to Durban, where we would be spending the first four days of our trip, and where Colleen (another fellow student) would be joining us the next day. Durban is located on the East coast of South Africa in a province called KwaZulu-Natal, the largest population of people there are the Zulu. Durban is known for many things including: the largest population of Indians outside of India (aka an abundance of great Indian food), swimming, beaches and art. It seemed like an ideal place to start our trip. We also decided to first go to Durban in hopes of experiencing at least a few days of summer before venturing to the Cape Town winter. Because Durban is located on the Indian Ocean it tends to be warmer year round and the forecast was calling for a week in the 80's, perfect for us, the locals however thought this was chilly and while we were tromping around in sun dresses and shorts they were wearing winter hats and jeans.
Feeling severely jet lagged we arrived in Durban to a beautiful sunny day and headed to our hotel where we promptly napped for the next 4 hours trying to get rid of as much of the jet lag as possible. Once we woke up Tracie and I showered, got done up and went out to a fancy 'first night in Africa' dinner. At the suggestion of my guide book and following the cautionary advice of multiple people, we decided to grab a taxi and head to the local casino (yes, we ate at a casino). While the meal was really great, this night was a first of two eye opening experiences for Tracie and I: 1) the exchange rate means that we can eat meals that we'll never be able to afford in New York 2) as women in South Africa, in general it isn't safe for us to travel alone or to certain areas.
The next day we ended up sleeping in and awaking to Colleen arriving at the hotel, now it was her turn to nap for hours trying to get over jet lag, so Tracie and I decided we best head to the beach and leave Colleen in peace. It was in the cab ride to the beach that we met Thuly, a local female cab driver who not only became our semi-chaffeur for the rest of the time, but also was a source of trusted advice and in many ways acted as a protective mother to us. We arrived at the beach mid-afternoon, just enough time to sun bath and go for a dip in the Indian Ocean. By sunset we decided to get drinks at a bar that was on a dock and watch the skyline of Durban light up. We went back to the hotel, woke up Colleen, got ready and headed out to the Britannia Hotel to experience a true Durban dish for dinner: 'Bunny Chow'. Bunny Chow is literally half a loaf of bread with the insides pulled out and filled with an Indian stew of your choice. Tracie ate hers like a champ barely reacting to the level of spiciness involved, Colleen and I however were literally sweating and ended up not being able to eat much because our Irish tastebuds wouldn't allow it.
Our third day in Durban started off with a morning trip to the Durban city hall which also houses an art museum with arguably the best South Africana art in all of South Africa. After we ventured around the museum we made our way to Florida Street, an area known for its cafes, restaurants and crafts. There was a pit stop at the African Art Center to pick but some locally made jewelry, lunch at a cafe along Florida road and then coffee at a combination coffee shop/clothing store/bar/lounge. In the evening we went into town to get drinks at a bar near North Beach before heading to a club in the downtown area of Durban. While I'm not an avid 'clubber' this place was unlike anything I had ever experienced, first off, it was in a parking garage that was actively being used. Not only that but this parking garage/club had a pool and walls of fish tanks, truly an once in a life time experience. After being told repeatedly that I wasn't allowed to swim in the pool, the bartender (who couldn't have been older than 14 years old) compromised and told me that if I came back the next day around 5pm he would let me swim, unfortunately I didn't take him up on his offer.
The last day in Durban was spent detoxing from the night before by laying on the beach and soaking up the sun and eating prawns (the seafood of choice for the area). After a few days of sun, seafood and touring the city we headed back to the hotel to pack for our 5am flight to Port Elizabeth the next day and plan for the next week and a half ahead of us. We were sad to leave the sun and beaches behind but exceedingly excited to start our trek from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town.
Durban was an interesting experience, it was the first time in my life that I was a minority (something that would be experienced throughout my entire time in South Africa), I realized how as a woman my activities in South Africa (especially after dark) are greatly limited and we encountered the Zulu language and culture, something that wouldn't be experienced in Cape Town as most black Africans in Cape Town are Xhosa speakers. Durban was also our first encounter with the vast disparity in resources and income in South Africa. While Colleen and Tracie had both previously been to areas of the world where this was common, as someone who has only traveled around Europe this was much more foreign to me. While we didn't go into any townships in Durban, the vast differences in homes from the 'white' neighborhoods to the downtown area where many black Africans live was shocking. While this was something that certainly made me uncomfortable and challenged me, it would provide the framework for many of the things I would see when I got to Cape Town.
The journey
Durban City Hall from our hotel room
Tracie and I on our first evening out
The city view from the beach
Taking a dip in the Indian Ocean
The city lighting up
Bunny Chow
Art at the Durban City Hall Museum
The Parking Garage Club
Colleen, Tracie and I infront of the Indian Ocean
Prawns on the dock
Colleen, Tracie, Thuly and I
Next Up: Port Elizabeth and Addo Elephant Park (safari time).
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Harbor Towns and Highlights
I haven't updated this blog in over a week, maybe I should spend a little less time feverishly watching Game of Thrones and a little more time telling my friends and family (who am I kidding... my mom and dad are the only ones who read this thing) about my recent adventures...
One of my favorite things in Cape Town (and all of South Africa) thus far has been this stretch of highway from Hout Bay to Sea Point, and some how I've been lucky enough to experience this drive twice. The first time I encountered this route along the M5 was a sunny Saturday a few weeks ago when Colleen, Brennan and I jumped on a 'hop on hop off' tour bus in the spur of the moment manner that we've taken to lately. Initially, especially as New Yorkers, I think we were a bit ashamed to be on one of the dreaded double decker red buses, however the last minute decision more than paid off. We drove through town seeing lots of sights and ended up in Hout Bay.
Hout bay is this lovely little fishing village on the edge of the mountains that is filled with fishermen, locals and tourists taking in the picturesque sites. We meandered around town, walking on the docks, seeing nearly a dozen sea lions and ending up at a small restaurant where a live band of local dads with mutton chops were playing covers as we munched on calamari and fish. Afterwards we hopped back on the bus, not knowing we would be taking one of the most scenic drives in the world back to Cape Town. I would compare it to driving down the 101 along the coast of California, but honestly that doesn't even come close to doing this drive justice. The best part about this unexpected adventure was that we just so happened to have caught the last bus of the day, meaning we were heading home as the sun was starting to set. As we drove along the cliffs watching the sun dip into the ocean, we turned a corner and were facing Lion's Head with droves of lights breaking up the darkness of the ocean and mountain. Everything in this moment was perfect; sitting with two of the loveliest friends I've ever known, wind whipped and laughing at the sheer beauty of the landscape, looking at each other with expressions we often make, ones that convey the thoughts of 'well, just the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced, South Africa, standard.'.
One of my favorite things in Cape Town (and all of South Africa) thus far has been this stretch of highway from Hout Bay to Sea Point, and some how I've been lucky enough to experience this drive twice. The first time I encountered this route along the M5 was a sunny Saturday a few weeks ago when Colleen, Brennan and I jumped on a 'hop on hop off' tour bus in the spur of the moment manner that we've taken to lately. Initially, especially as New Yorkers, I think we were a bit ashamed to be on one of the dreaded double decker red buses, however the last minute decision more than paid off. We drove through town seeing lots of sights and ended up in Hout Bay.
Hout bay is this lovely little fishing village on the edge of the mountains that is filled with fishermen, locals and tourists taking in the picturesque sites. We meandered around town, walking on the docks, seeing nearly a dozen sea lions and ending up at a small restaurant where a live band of local dads with mutton chops were playing covers as we munched on calamari and fish. Afterwards we hopped back on the bus, not knowing we would be taking one of the most scenic drives in the world back to Cape Town. I would compare it to driving down the 101 along the coast of California, but honestly that doesn't even come close to doing this drive justice. The best part about this unexpected adventure was that we just so happened to have caught the last bus of the day, meaning we were heading home as the sun was starting to set. As we drove along the cliffs watching the sun dip into the ocean, we turned a corner and were facing Lion's Head with droves of lights breaking up the darkness of the ocean and mountain. Everything in this moment was perfect; sitting with two of the loveliest friends I've ever known, wind whipped and laughing at the sheer beauty of the landscape, looking at each other with expressions we often make, ones that convey the thoughts of 'well, just the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced, South Africa, standard.'.
The M5 from Hout Bay to Cape Town
Brennan, me and Colleen (front to back) excited about our tour bus ride
(Photo Cred to Brennan Full)
Beautiful Hout Bay, at the base of the mountains
Again
A friendly sea lion
The M5 towards Cape Town
Lion's Head and the city starting to light up
The other side of the bay
Incredible
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Bo-Kaap & Birthdays
I am back from my very quick and last minute trip to New York. I am also now the resident of a brand new, BEAUTIFUL studio apartment in Chelsea and then I got to come back to South Africa. I am the luckiest.
Besides dealing with the crazy jet lag and getting back into the rhythm of things, it's been a quite couple of weeks in Cape Town. Lots of time has been spent exploring beautiful neighborhoods like Bo-Kaap, Sea Point, Green Point and Hout Bay. Every neighborhood in Cape Town has a unique and special feel, part of this is the culture of the city and part of this is a hangover left by the Apartheid. Neighborhoods tend to be highly segregated which isn't all that unique and is something experienced in New York or other big cities, but not to this extent. This past weekend Brennan (the birthday girl), Colleen and I explored a neighborhood called Bo-Kaap. Technically Bo-Kaap was known as a township, however it seems much more like a neighborhood to me. Literally up the hill from down town, entering Bo-Kaap is like entering a different world, no longer among the skyscrapers of downtown, Bo-Kaap is filled with hilly cobblestone streets lined with brightly colored homes. Within the packed streets and stucco houses is a strong 'Cape Maylay' population. These are the residents of Cape Town that make up a large part of the muslim portion of the city and contribute to the diverse south-east asian influences in the food here.
The buildings are brightly colored, the streets small and winding, reminding me of San Francisco. We climbed a hill and ended up in a small muslim cemetery with an incredible view of the city (granted, I have yet to find a place in Cape Town that doesn't have some sort of incredible view). Our afternoon of exploring the neighborhood ended in stoping at a local corner store to pick up spices and ingredients for dinner. We had a birthday braai (South African style BBQ), filled with peri-peri chicken and steak, a crazy delicious curry lentil soup and ended with some sweet desserts and birthday dancing. Another weekend of adventure, exploring, reflection and friendship in Cape Town. I wouldn't have wanted to spend it any other way.
More updates soon.
Brightly colored homes
Table Mountain and Lion's Head
The Muslim cemetery
The city and waterfront from the cemetery
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