Cape Town is clear across the country from Limpopo where I stay... and it is clearly different from any place I've been in Limpopo or anywhere else this side of the country. Very European in feel, bordered by the South Atlantic Ocean, full of coffee shops, good food, good sites, and a false sense of security (we felt really safe in the beginning before we were shocked back to reality and were reminded that we were still in South Africa and needed to be on our guard). Some highlights and memorable times for me were wine and cheese tasting in Franschhoek, staying in our own room full of bunkbeds at the backpackers, driving to Cape Point and The Cape of Good Hope to stand on the beach of the most south westernly point of the African continent, taking Olan Mills style photos on the beach, Nathan treating us to a nice dinner (I tasted good wine, had a tomato basil soup for a starter, swordfish with avocado as a main course, and ate my share of the desserts we all ordered) and showing of 'The Fully Monty" musical, freaking out while standing at the The Cape of Good Hope Castle key exchange ceremony when the mini cannon was lit and fired (the guard warned us, but I really didn't think such a little cannon could make such noise... and, of course, I was talking through his warnings), getting coffee in the afternoons, creating our own cheese platters with good bread, having a "share shelf" in our room where we put food (mostly chips, chocolate, fruit, gummies, etc.) so we could constantly be eating, driving down to Hermanus in the rain to see whales off the coast (I really felt like I was on the edge of the world), having Nathan stand with me and try to distract me so I wouldn't puke my guts out while on the ferry to Robben Island... my pal Victor was very attentive, checking in throughout the whole trip to see how I was doing, seeing the boat that brought inmates who had been freed from Robben Island back to the mainland, talking to some American "activists" about my work here and what my experience has been like, staying in a fancy beach house in Simons Town, washing all my clothes in a real washer and watching cable TV while drinking hot chocolate, watching the sunrise over the ocean from the second floor porch at the beach house, seeing African Penguins in their natural habitat!, driving the Corsa Lite all over the place (stick shift, two doors, and 5 people), talking to Keri about how exhausted and out of it we were while at the airport, thinking of walking from the domestic terminal right on over to the international one while in the airport, gettin' a chocolate bar in my vegetarian meal on the flight, walking into the men's restroom at the airport with Keri and noticing we were in the wrong place after considering that the airport really has coed restrooms, and all the talking and good time I spent with some of my very, very close friends here.
Keri and I posing, Olan Mills style, with Cape Point just to the left of us, in the distance.
Sittin' on the edge of the world.
Rainbow out over the Atlantic Ocean. Although our trip was quite rainy, that meant a lot of rainbows!
A view of the backpackers we stayed in in Franschhoek. We spent an evening sitting around a big table, next to a fire in the fireplace, drinking wine and hot chocolate, eating cheese and other food we'd picked up at the Pick 'n Pay that stayed open 'til 9 (! this is unheard of around where I live!), listening to the creek flow just outside the kitchen. Oh and yeah we cruised around Franschhoek listening to Culture Spears in the Corsa Lite.
A view of Table Mountain from the car.
This picture is compliments of Justin. This is what Mmapula looked like when she finally got back on land after a 45 minute boatride to Robben Island. I didn't throw up, but definitely had to fight the urge. When you're feeling sick on a boat it helps to look at the horizon, what happens when you can't see the horizon because the boat is rocking too much? Dramamine next time!
A picture of the Blouberg boat taking prisoners who were freed from the island back to Cape Town and the mainland.
Nelson Mandela's cell was the fourth one from the left. We had a chance to quickly walk by it and see just how small his cell was.
This is a picture of me and my friend, Victor, the guy who was so nice and helpful throughout the rides to and from the island. He provided me with the barf bag I never had to use and led me (and Nathan) up to the top of the boat to get some fresh air even though it had been roped off to other passengers.
Maybe the boat was rockin' so much because of this storm that was settling over the Victoria and Albert Waterfront?
Sunrise over the ocean from the porch of the beach house we stayed in in Simons Town.
African Penguins on the beach in Simons Town.
Keri and I posing, Olan Mills style, with Cape Point just to the left of us, in the distance.
Sittin' on the edge of the world.
Rainbow out over the Atlantic Ocean. Although our trip was quite rainy, that meant a lot of rainbows!
A view of the backpackers we stayed in in Franschhoek. We spent an evening sitting around a big table, next to a fire in the fireplace, drinking wine and hot chocolate, eating cheese and other food we'd picked up at the Pick 'n Pay that stayed open 'til 9 (! this is unheard of around where I live!), listening to the creek flow just outside the kitchen. Oh and yeah we cruised around Franschhoek listening to Culture Spears in the Corsa Lite.
A view of Table Mountain from the car.
This picture is compliments of Justin. This is what Mmapula looked like when she finally got back on land after a 45 minute boatride to Robben Island. I didn't throw up, but definitely had to fight the urge. When you're feeling sick on a boat it helps to look at the horizon, what happens when you can't see the horizon because the boat is rocking too much? Dramamine next time!
A picture of the Blouberg boat taking prisoners who were freed from the island back to Cape Town and the mainland.
Nelson Mandela's cell was the fourth one from the left. We had a chance to quickly walk by it and see just how small his cell was. 
This is a picture of me and my friend, Victor, the guy who was so nice and helpful throughout the rides to and from the island. He provided me with the barf bag I never had to use and led me (and Nathan) up to the top of the boat to get some fresh air even though it had been roped off to other passengers.
Maybe the boat was rockin' so much because of this storm that was settling over the Victoria and Albert Waterfront?
Sunrise over the ocean from the porch of the beach house we stayed in in Simons Town.
African Penguins on the beach in Simons Town.
1 comment:
I've missed hearing from you! Thank you for the update and for posting pictures!
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