People Have Gathered

I meant to post this THREE DAYS AGO, but the Wi-Fi at our apartments is hit-and-miss, and by the time I had a genuine connection I was sound asleep.  Sorry for the delay!

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#letmetakeaselfie

It’s currently 21:05 local time, which means it’s about 2pm back home.  We’ve had a very long, but truly wonderful and eventful day.  We all went down to the V&A Waterfront to do the hop-on, hop-off city tour of Cape Town.  I wasn’t sure what to expect from this, but it’s would up being a profoundly meaningful experience.

table mountain covered in fog

canopy walk

me in front of the foggy mountain

As we boarded the red, double-decker bus I was mostly concerned with scarfing down my muffin before I spilled it everywhere, but I was soon completely distracted by the breathtaking views around me.  Table Mountain was obstructed by the rolling morning fog, which gave the city waterfront a mystical and almost surreal feel.  As we continued away from the waterfront and into the city, narrowly missing people walking along the road and barreling through the narrow streets of Cape Town I finally felt that I was really and truly somewhere new and exciting.  Up until that point I hadn’t really felt that we were in Africa… not because I expected it to be primitive or undeveloped or anything like that (I knew that Cape Town was a very cosmopolitan city).  I feel that I was just so happy to finally see something less sterilized and pedestrian than a mall, or a grocery store.  I actually began tearing up on the bus, and had to take a moment to just recognize how very grateful I am to have the opportunity to be here.

birds of paradise.  One of my favorite flowers

the whole teach abroad group

me in front of an ancient almond tree

The first stop on our tour was at the Kirstenbosch Garden Center, which are a sort of botanical garden in Cape Town.  Despite the constant drizzle and fog the view at the gardens was truly marvelous, and really filled me with this amazing feeling of excitement and appreciation for the natural beauty of these plants I’ve never seen back home.  We were able to spend almost an hour touring the gardens (not nearly enough time) including the canopy walkway, which offered stunning vistas of the surrounding gardens and the mountain.  After running to catch the bus again we climbed back onto the top deck and plugged our headphones back in to continue listening to the guided information through the bus speaker system and headed off toward the wine country.

I suppose you're never too far from home?

The winelands

described as deeply unwise

the chocolate and a wine list

We got off at the Groot Constantia Landgoed Estate where we got to try some of their fabulous wines and even did a chocolate pairing which was really quite fabulous.  My favorite was the Sauvignon Blanc with the White Chocolate Papaya, which was an almost salty chocolate that really complemented the sweet white wine.  At the vineyard some of the crew (aka the study abroad group) saw a baboon ravaging a trashcan, which I missed, but they apparently were shocked by how clever and hauntingly human-like he was.  The baboon population is apparently quite a pest here in Cape Town, even to the extent that homes need to be baboon-proofed and warnings were issued about how they can open bags and be very aggressive.

Look at all that lovely farm land!!!

pictures of mandela are absolutely 

everywhere!

After spending some time at the winery, and getting lunch we hopped back on the tour bus and headed to Imizamo Yethu Township, also known as Mandela Park.  Imizamo Yethu in Xhosa literally means “Our Struggle,” and the name is apt and hits very close to home.  The dilapidated shacks that comprised the majority of the township were squeezed together halfway up the mountain, barely leaving room for roads let alone sidewalks or living spaces.  We were allowed into a family’s home that truly illustrated the living conditions for those in the townships.  A family of six (four adults, two children) was sharing a small tin three-room shack with no heating or cooling.  The floors were covered with cardboard to help prevent the flooding since Cape Town is now experiencing their rainy season.  This family shared a toilet 300 meters away with 20 other families.  An Irish philanthropist, Niall Mellon, has been working to eradicate these kinds of shacks and provide real brick homes for people in the township, and we were fortunate enough to see one of these as well.  The house was much larger with three bedrooms, a living room/kitchen and had it’s own bathroom, and was shared by a family of six.  The homes are completely donated by Niall Mellon Township Trust with their People's Housing Process, but sadly only so many of these homes can be built at a time, and housing is issued on a first come, first served basis, so most of the 33,600 people living in the township live in the shacks.

painted by local school children

natural models

            As we continued to tour the township two things struck me vividly.  The first was the children.  Throughout the township we saw children playing with a mishmash of toys, balls, jump ropes and tennis rackets wherever they could find the space to do so.  The children were also happy to come and say hello and pose for photos for some of the tour group.  They were simply being children, having fun, and trying to live their lives… but seeing them trying to do this in these cramped and squalid areas, the ground covered in trash… seeing children facing such extreme poverty was very hard for me personally.  It’s really hard to explain, and honestly still hard to wrap my head around.  I knew before coming here that yes, poverty did exist in Africa (and yes, all around the world even in America, I know) and I had even seen photos of children in conditions similar to these… but a picture simply doesn’t do it justice.  Seeing this real destitution with my own eyes, and experiencing every part of the township:  the sights, sounds, smell, and simply everything that came with this community was truly heartbreaking.

kids playing amongst the trash

            Even amidst all of this poverty, the unrelenting happiness and hope was almost as powerful.  The smiles on the faces of every citizen we met, and the friendly greetings exchanged were so uplifting.  The children were playing amongst trash in cramped alleyways, yes, but they were really and truly playing with the unrepentant joy that can only be demonstrated by a child.  Our tour guide, Kenny, was a prominent member of the township community and serves on the planning board for the projects associated with improving the township.  He shared with us how the community center, school, and medical center have all improved the lives of the township citizens, and even showed us the plans for a youth center they are hoping to build in the township.    I came away from this experience with mixed feelings, but certainly feeling grateful for my own life and the blessings that I’ve experienced.

             
      After leaving the township it was quite late in the day, so we rode the bus back to the waterfront.  On the way back we drove along the coastal road and saw stunning views from atop the big red bus.  Although today was incredibly long, and very emotional I feel that I’m so grateful to be here, and I think I’ve taken away some experiences that may last me a lifetime.