Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Fog Fingers
Every 4-5 days while I was in Capetown, the fog rolled in over Table Mountain and seemed to caress the top of the mountain like a giant hand. When this layer is very thin, the locals call it "the tablecloth."
Mandella Exhibit
Half of the exhibits at Capetown's Slave Lodge are dedicated to Nelson Mandella including his early protests against apartheit, his 27 years in prison, and his years as President, Statesman, and Nobel Peace Prize Winner. This poster shows when South Africa won the World Cup Rugby Championship which helped unite blacks and whites in South Africa. This event is the subject of the new movie Invictus which is playing now in theaters
in the US. PS Locals I've talked to agree that Matt Damon does an incredible job with the extremely difficult South African accent.
in the US. PS Locals I've talked to agree that Matt Damon does an incredible job with the extremely difficult South African accent.Lovely Building for Terrible Things
The building is Capetown's Slave Lodge, built in 1679 by the Dutch East India Company to house 1000s of slaves. It has now been turned into a memorial to slavery and apartheid as a reminder
of the horrors of slavery and the struggle for equality.
of the horrors of slavery and the struggle for equality.
Vivid Colors of Bo-Kaap
The Bo-Kaap is Capetown's answer to San Francisco's Painted Ladies (their brightly painted Victorian Houses). The houses in Capetown are more humble but every bit as colorful. The Bo-Kaap neighborhood is almost entirely Islamic, while the majority of Capetown and South Africa is Christian
(about 75%).
(about 75%).
Capetown Noon Gun
The Capetown Noon Gun is exactly what it sounds like. Every day at exactly noon a cannon is fired while a group of stupid tourists like me stand around watching it go off and we then spend 3-4 days not hearing anything. The beautiful view of the city from the top of the hill is almost worth the cost.
Capetown View From Castle of Good Hope
The Castle of Good Hope was built by the Dutch in Capetown in 1665 and it's now one of the main tourist attractions. The museum inside is excellent, with beautiful paintings of what the area looked like in the 1600-1800s. The photo shows the castle moat with the city center and the Lion's Head part of the mountain in the background.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Laundry and Dreams
Some hope that I saw in the townships was the number of kids in school uniforms. It seemed like there were many kids attending school and I saw some primary and middle schools within the townships themselves.
Also, the townships seem to have a benefactor in Ireland who goes there on a regular basis to replace shacks with small woooden homes. You can see his little neighborhoods of yellow houses with red roofs throughout the townships.
Finally there is a lovely community center in the Langa township where locals sell their crafts and perform traditional dances for visiting tourists. It's a small way for tourists to give something to the communities.
For now, this is the end of my Capetown experience. With all the beauty and sadness, I have lost my heart to this city and it was hard to leave.
I'm now in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. After catching a bug my last day in Capetown, I've spent 2 days in bed here with a raging fever, but now I'm ready to go out and see this beautiful city. The entire country of Namibia has 1.8 million people -fewer people than the 6 million people in Capetown alone. It's a country of beautiful deserts and oceans. Now I just need to get out and see it!
Also, the townships seem to have a benefactor in Ireland who goes there on a regular basis to replace shacks with small woooden homes. You can see his little neighborhoods of yellow houses with red roofs throughout the townships.
Finally there is a lovely community center in the Langa township where locals sell their crafts and perform traditional dances for visiting tourists. It's a small way for tourists to give something to the communities.
For now, this is the end of my Capetown experience. With all the beauty and sadness, I have lost my heart to this city and it was hard to leave.
I'm now in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. After catching a bug my last day in Capetown, I've spent 2 days in bed here with a raging fever, but now I'm ready to go out and see this beautiful city. The entire country of Namibia has 1.8 million people -fewer people than the 6 million people in Capetown alone. It's a country of beautiful deserts and oceans. Now I just need to get out and see it!
Mzoli's Meat-the Place to Go in Guguletu
It seemed that this was the in-place to go if you want to hang out in the townships. While I was there, one mostly white corporate group was having a luncheon there and having their pictures taken with the locals. The townships of Langa, Nyanga, Crossroads, and Guguletu provide quite a contrast to the California-like Capetown.
Barbecue for Sale
A big item in the townships is a concoction made out of sheep's heads.
I passed on that.
I passed on that.
Self Sufficiency in the Capetown Townships
Little Mom and Pop operations are everywhere throughout the townships - selling everything from groceries to beauty shops and open air barbecue pits.
Township Bathrooms
During the years when the white government was actively 
trying to turn South Africa into a white stronghold, blacks (who represented 75% of the population) were moved into 13% of the country's total land area. My guide Frank remembers this time when his family was forced to leave thier family home of generations to move to a designated black area.
trying to turn South Africa into a white stronghold, blacks (who represented 75% of the population) were moved into 13% of the country's total land area. My guide Frank remembers this time when his family was forced to leave thier family home of generations to move to a designated black area.Capetown Townships
Faucets with clean water can be seen about every 20 yards, but it still must be carried to your home. The faucets are set up in a trough-like structure where people bring their laundry.
Townships-Living Off the Grid in Capetown, South Africa
Out of the 6 million people who live in Capetown, 2 million live in the rambling townships, with houses made out of cargo containers, scraps of corrugated metal, bits of wood, cardboard, or cloth.
Electricity is stolen from nearby powerlines, but the government has finally realized that it needs to bring in fresh water - and empties the buckets from the outhouses twice a week.
Electricity is stolen from nearby powerlines, but the government has finally realized that it needs to bring in fresh water - and empties the buckets from the outhouses twice a week.A Reading Problem
My last day in Capetown, this photo was in the 
morning paper, of a photographer being attacked by a baboon. I can't tell you how many posted warnings I saw throughout the Cape, telling people not to get out of the car around the baboons. I actually saw a baboon attack a Safari jeep full of people in Kenya.
morning paper, of a photographer being attacked by a baboon. I can't tell you how many posted warnings I saw throughout the Cape, telling people not to get out of the car around the baboons. I actually saw a baboon attack a Safari jeep full of people in Kenya.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
New Capetown Soccer Stadium
In less than 100 days, South Africa will be hosting the World Cup Soccer Championship and everywhere building and refurbishing is going on to get everything ready. Most of the activities will take place in Jo'Burg (Johannesburg), but Capetown has built a new stadium and is putting in extra bus lanes
in preparation for the games that will be held here.
in preparation for the games that will be held here.
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