We leave tomorrow morning, and while some of us are ready to come home, the rest of us are pretty sad to be leaving. Cape Town is such a great city for walking and exploring, so beautiful and multicultural. We had a big group dinner tonight, with all kinds of foods from Africa. There was great art on the walls, delicious food, and we had a great time. And now we have to pack, and we have to say good bye. Almost all the students are out and about for one last time in the city, but thoughts of home are looming.
We'll be back in Elmira, if everything goes according to plan, sometime early afternoon on Friday.
This has been a wonderful experience, with so many opportunities, and we have had such a great group of students. It has really been amazing!
We'll be home soon.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Cape Point
The professors (and Andi) took a drive to Cape Point this morning. Along the way, we followed the coastline, at times driving along cliffside switchbacks with insane drops off the side. Part of the way, we were in a half tunnel (with the drop-side open) so that we were protected from rockslides. The views were amazing, when we could manage to look over the side of the speeding vehicle!
The weather today has been foggy and a bit rainy, with dramatic mist swirling up from the sea and hiding the tops of the mountains. In the city, it's been a little wet, but not so bad because little cafes and shops are everywhere and it's easy to duck inside. We were worried that the gray day would obscure the gorgeous views, but it turns out that the views we did have were pretty great, so it all worked out.
We walked around at Cape Point, the South-Westernmost point of Africa (and almost the most Southern, but not quite). Sad to say, there has been a lot of misinformation about Cape Point, including, as I had believed up until today, that this was the place at which the Indian and Atlantic Oceans met. But not so. Several large currents meet here, including one that passes India and is much warmer than the Atlantic water, but it isn't the edge of the ocean. Darn.
Still, it was gorgeous. The South African National Park system is really well maintained, and the three parks we have seen have all been wonderously beautiful. Cape Point was no exception, with huge crashing waves and giant cliffs and a dramatic hulking peninsula with a victorian-era light house at the top. We had the choice of walking up to the highest point, or taking a funicular car. The view was amazing for miles around us, although the fog did obscure the mountains on the other side of False Bay. Still, it was pretty great.
We then went to visit some penguins, or rather, we went and tromped around in their nesting grounds while exclaiming loudly in wonderment. The male penguins were hanging out, not afraid of us, going about their penguin business. We could see babies in some of the nests, some of the babies seemingly being squashed by dad's rear-end sitting on them. The females were out fishing, and if only we had shown up a little later, we might have seen them return with their catch.
On our way home, we were waylaid by a group of baboons hanging out in the middle of the road. They walked alongside us, and we were careful not to have any open windows as they can be quite aggressive about food. We did see a little baby baboon run out into the road, and mom immediately leaped out and tackled the little one (literally) and then in one swift move, latched the baby onto her belly while continuing to run across the road. We couldn't help but think how similar humans might be, racing out to rescue our babies from the road.
During our free time today, a number of groups of students have done all kinds of interesting things. There was some serious bargaining going on at the local crafts market (and I've seen a number of quite lovely gifts heading home, not to give away any secrets or anything!). Mike and Jocelyn are working on Facebook as I write, and a number of students began posting their photos online today. Sadly, the students who planned to go to the beach (Becky, Laura, Jocelyn, Mike and Dylan) got rained out. Our shark-divers, Chris, Jameson, and Diane have survived with all of their limbs intact, and they swear it was a wonderful experience with "lots of action." (I don't want to think about it too much!). The three of them were apparently together in the cage while the sharks were baited, and the sharks were so close that they were thrashing their tales against the cage as they ate. I'm just glad our students are back safe and happy. A number of students are out right now down at the waterfront, where there is a GIANT mall with lovely seaside restaurants and curio shops and all kinds of entertainment options. I think there is a group heading out for clubs later tonight.
I think we all really like Cape Town a lot. It is such a lovely and lively city for walking, and there is such an interesting mix of cultures here. And it is SO beautiful! It's hard to believe we'll be home soon.
The weather today has been foggy and a bit rainy, with dramatic mist swirling up from the sea and hiding the tops of the mountains. In the city, it's been a little wet, but not so bad because little cafes and shops are everywhere and it's easy to duck inside. We were worried that the gray day would obscure the gorgeous views, but it turns out that the views we did have were pretty great, so it all worked out.
We walked around at Cape Point, the South-Westernmost point of Africa (and almost the most Southern, but not quite). Sad to say, there has been a lot of misinformation about Cape Point, including, as I had believed up until today, that this was the place at which the Indian and Atlantic Oceans met. But not so. Several large currents meet here, including one that passes India and is much warmer than the Atlantic water, but it isn't the edge of the ocean. Darn.
Still, it was gorgeous. The South African National Park system is really well maintained, and the three parks we have seen have all been wonderously beautiful. Cape Point was no exception, with huge crashing waves and giant cliffs and a dramatic hulking peninsula with a victorian-era light house at the top. We had the choice of walking up to the highest point, or taking a funicular car. The view was amazing for miles around us, although the fog did obscure the mountains on the other side of False Bay. Still, it was pretty great.
We then went to visit some penguins, or rather, we went and tromped around in their nesting grounds while exclaiming loudly in wonderment. The male penguins were hanging out, not afraid of us, going about their penguin business. We could see babies in some of the nests, some of the babies seemingly being squashed by dad's rear-end sitting on them. The females were out fishing, and if only we had shown up a little later, we might have seen them return with their catch.
On our way home, we were waylaid by a group of baboons hanging out in the middle of the road. They walked alongside us, and we were careful not to have any open windows as they can be quite aggressive about food. We did see a little baby baboon run out into the road, and mom immediately leaped out and tackled the little one (literally) and then in one swift move, latched the baby onto her belly while continuing to run across the road. We couldn't help but think how similar humans might be, racing out to rescue our babies from the road.
During our free time today, a number of groups of students have done all kinds of interesting things. There was some serious bargaining going on at the local crafts market (and I've seen a number of quite lovely gifts heading home, not to give away any secrets or anything!). Mike and Jocelyn are working on Facebook as I write, and a number of students began posting their photos online today. Sadly, the students who planned to go to the beach (Becky, Laura, Jocelyn, Mike and Dylan) got rained out. Our shark-divers, Chris, Jameson, and Diane have survived with all of their limbs intact, and they swear it was a wonderful experience with "lots of action." (I don't want to think about it too much!). The three of them were apparently together in the cage while the sharks were baited, and the sharks were so close that they were thrashing their tales against the cage as they ate. I'm just glad our students are back safe and happy. A number of students are out right now down at the waterfront, where there is a GIANT mall with lovely seaside restaurants and curio shops and all kinds of entertainment options. I think there is a group heading out for clubs later tonight.
I think we all really like Cape Town a lot. It is such a lovely and lively city for walking, and there is such an interesting mix of cultures here. And it is SO beautiful! It's hard to believe we'll be home soon.
Fynbos
So I'm going to take a moment to geek out a bit about all the plants around us. We are in a very small but very special vegetal area, considered its own biome. The Cape Floral Kingdom, where we are, is one of only six floral kingdoms in the world, and is also the smallest. The Afrikaans word for it is 'fynbos,' or fine bush. It's a kind of shrubby and floral set of vegetation that grows in extremely sandy and rocky soil, only needing water for part of the year, and needing regular wildfires to jump-start the reproduction process. The fynbos is all around us on the sides of the mountains, looking from afar like a bit of a close-cropped dark green carpet.
Up close, we can easily see all the flowers. The fynbos is filled with proteus plants, currently in full bloom. I've spent a lot of money on these flowers in my life, buying them from speciality flower shops. Here they grow wild, looking like huge pink blooms busting out of the top of a pineapple. Some of them are quite large, bigger than any I've seen in the US. Mixed in with the proteus flowers are wild rooibos plants, which aren't in bloom but which clearly show the little red needles that are collected for rooibus tea (which I also drink regularly). There are lots of juicy-looking little succulent plants spreading over the ground. I know there are honeybush trees in the mix, but I'm not sure I can identify them yet. And every now and then, there is a large wild aloe plant in bloom, with any number of large spikey orange flowers shooting up from the top. The wild aloe don't always get harvested, and some of them have grown quite huge on top of their old leaves (limbs?). Some are as tall as I am, which seems pretty amazing.
Around homes, we see blooming hibiscus, bougainvilla, and jasmine. There are also a number of bushes with small blue flowers (kind of cornflower blue). I can't seem to identify them, but they are everywhere it seems, even in the wild.
The soil up the sides of the mountains is so poor that trees don't grow easily, so there are very few of them. We do see a few Norfolk Pines and Lebanese Cedars, but not much else outside the city.
It all makes for a very interesting landscape, filled with flowers but at the same time, seeming a bit dry and scrubby. It's lovely in any case.
Up close, we can easily see all the flowers. The fynbos is filled with proteus plants, currently in full bloom. I've spent a lot of money on these flowers in my life, buying them from speciality flower shops. Here they grow wild, looking like huge pink blooms busting out of the top of a pineapple. Some of them are quite large, bigger than any I've seen in the US. Mixed in with the proteus flowers are wild rooibos plants, which aren't in bloom but which clearly show the little red needles that are collected for rooibus tea (which I also drink regularly). There are lots of juicy-looking little succulent plants spreading over the ground. I know there are honeybush trees in the mix, but I'm not sure I can identify them yet. And every now and then, there is a large wild aloe plant in bloom, with any number of large spikey orange flowers shooting up from the top. The wild aloe don't always get harvested, and some of them have grown quite huge on top of their old leaves (limbs?). Some are as tall as I am, which seems pretty amazing.
Around homes, we see blooming hibiscus, bougainvilla, and jasmine. There are also a number of bushes with small blue flowers (kind of cornflower blue). I can't seem to identify them, but they are everywhere it seems, even in the wild.
The soil up the sides of the mountains is so poor that trees don't grow easily, so there are very few of them. We do see a few Norfolk Pines and Lebanese Cedars, but not much else outside the city.
It all makes for a very interesting landscape, filled with flowers but at the same time, seeming a bit dry and scrubby. It's lovely in any case.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Townships Near Cape Town
This morning, we left early to see the view from Table Mountain. This mountain is the giant, flat-topped mountain that backs the city into the sea, and it is huge. We had hoped to go all the way to the top via cable car, but unfortunately, the cable car wasn't running today (everything is shut down for repair). So we drove up to the highest point we could and stopped to take some pretty breath-taking photos. We could see the entire bay, with the city curving below us. We could see back to Lion's Head, the other, more spiky smaller mountain nearby. The ocean and sky were bright blue, and the sun was really bright. Except for the fact that the sun was in our eyes in one direction, it was really lovely.
Then we went to the other side of Lion's Head, and walked along the ridge. This allowed us to see into the next bay over, and get the rest of the city in view. We also looked down almost directly on the monster new soccer stadium being constructed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Championship. We could see Robben Island way out in the bay. We watched, for a while, some men who were preparing to jump off the side of the mountain with only a parachute. We waited and waited, but the wind was never just right, and finally we got tired of waiting and left them behind.
By mid-morning, we turned our attention back to our class topics, and had a chance to walk through the area of the city called the Bo-Kaap. This area was settled in the early 1800's by the newly freed slaves the British had brought from the West Indies. When Britain outlawed slavery in 1814, they also took responsibility for their former slaves and built them this neighborhood. The houses still stand, amongst mosques and small shops, but now they are mostly painted bright colors. It's funny to see these houses built in the time of Jane Austen, and in similar style, now beautfully painted such bright colors!
From there, we left Cape Town center and drove up through a mountain pass to the area behind Table Mountain, a place they call the Cape Flats. Flat it is, and not particularly pleasant. While the land in front of the mountain is lovely and verdant, planted with trees and flowers and filled with beautiful houses and buildings, gently sloping down to the ocean, the area behind the mountain is scrubby, sandy, and poorer. There is not even the smallest glimpse of the ocean. It is here that the Apartheid government built a number of townships for Colored people and for Black people. We got to visit the township of Langa, where we had the chance to walk through the market and talk with people. We also got to visit the lovely community center, where people come to learn crafts which they then practice in order to sell goods to support themselves and their families. We got to see the ceramic studio and the iron working area, and we also got to hear a short performance piece telling an old traditional tale. And some of us bought lovely crafts that had been produced by the collective there. What was very interesting about these crafts was that they weren't just producing more of the expected traditional carvings and jewelry, but instead were melding tradition with art and coming up with some really unique items. It was nice knowing that by shopping for gifts there that we were also supporting this community center, located in the midst of such poverty.
We also visted Guguletu, another Township, and we noticed that the townships are extremely vibrant and interesting places. There are areas which are essentially shantytowns, with tiny mean little shacks, some with only plastic sheeting for a roof. Other areas of the townships have nice-by-any standards middle class homes (behind fencing and protective metalwork gates). And there are a number of areas with one room homes built by the Apartheid goverment, and the houses are still standing. And then there are the new houses. The ANC government began in 1994 on their greatest project, to build decent housing for the people of South Africa, and we could see some of the fruits of that project in the Townships. We could see blocks of neat apartment buildings, rows of townhouses, and neighborhoods of small houses mixed in with all the other housing. It makes such an interesting mix.
We stopped at a restaurant in the township called Lalepa, inside someone's home. The woman who owned the home, Wendy, moved into the township in 1960 after being resettled by the government. Over time, she began running a restaurant there, and now she has added a number of rooms in a sort of haphazard way. The food was traditional African, served in a buffet, with lots of delicious dishes. Dessert was a type of gingerbread cake that gets drizzled with syrup while it is still hot. It's quite sweet and very good as sweet things go. Throughout lunch, we were entertained by a marimba band (with 3 marimabas and several traditional African drums). It was a lot of fun, and they ended by playing The Star Spangled Banner, which our students spontaneously began to sing. We then asked them to play the South African national anthem, which they did, and we were surprised when everyone around us stopped and joined in singing. We had been singing our anthem in a fun way, but they were passionate and serious about singing theirs. It was a touching moment. Of course, the anthem is from the new South Africa, and has at the heart of it the idea of freedom for all. Given all that we have seen, learned, and experienced here so far, it's easy to see how the idea of freedom takes on a particularly special meaning.
Tomorrow is free time. Students are shark diving, going to the beach, shopping for presents, and maybe even hiking up Table Mountain. Andi is going with the professors to Cape Point to see two oceans meet. We are winding down, and having a lovely time. More later.
Then we went to the other side of Lion's Head, and walked along the ridge. This allowed us to see into the next bay over, and get the rest of the city in view. We also looked down almost directly on the monster new soccer stadium being constructed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Championship. We could see Robben Island way out in the bay. We watched, for a while, some men who were preparing to jump off the side of the mountain with only a parachute. We waited and waited, but the wind was never just right, and finally we got tired of waiting and left them behind.
By mid-morning, we turned our attention back to our class topics, and had a chance to walk through the area of the city called the Bo-Kaap. This area was settled in the early 1800's by the newly freed slaves the British had brought from the West Indies. When Britain outlawed slavery in 1814, they also took responsibility for their former slaves and built them this neighborhood. The houses still stand, amongst mosques and small shops, but now they are mostly painted bright colors. It's funny to see these houses built in the time of Jane Austen, and in similar style, now beautfully painted such bright colors!
From there, we left Cape Town center and drove up through a mountain pass to the area behind Table Mountain, a place they call the Cape Flats. Flat it is, and not particularly pleasant. While the land in front of the mountain is lovely and verdant, planted with trees and flowers and filled with beautiful houses and buildings, gently sloping down to the ocean, the area behind the mountain is scrubby, sandy, and poorer. There is not even the smallest glimpse of the ocean. It is here that the Apartheid government built a number of townships for Colored people and for Black people. We got to visit the township of Langa, where we had the chance to walk through the market and talk with people. We also got to visit the lovely community center, where people come to learn crafts which they then practice in order to sell goods to support themselves and their families. We got to see the ceramic studio and the iron working area, and we also got to hear a short performance piece telling an old traditional tale. And some of us bought lovely crafts that had been produced by the collective there. What was very interesting about these crafts was that they weren't just producing more of the expected traditional carvings and jewelry, but instead were melding tradition with art and coming up with some really unique items. It was nice knowing that by shopping for gifts there that we were also supporting this community center, located in the midst of such poverty.
We also visted Guguletu, another Township, and we noticed that the townships are extremely vibrant and interesting places. There are areas which are essentially shantytowns, with tiny mean little shacks, some with only plastic sheeting for a roof. Other areas of the townships have nice-by-any standards middle class homes (behind fencing and protective metalwork gates). And there are a number of areas with one room homes built by the Apartheid goverment, and the houses are still standing. And then there are the new houses. The ANC government began in 1994 on their greatest project, to build decent housing for the people of South Africa, and we could see some of the fruits of that project in the Townships. We could see blocks of neat apartment buildings, rows of townhouses, and neighborhoods of small houses mixed in with all the other housing. It makes such an interesting mix.
We stopped at a restaurant in the township called Lalepa, inside someone's home. The woman who owned the home, Wendy, moved into the township in 1960 after being resettled by the government. Over time, she began running a restaurant there, and now she has added a number of rooms in a sort of haphazard way. The food was traditional African, served in a buffet, with lots of delicious dishes. Dessert was a type of gingerbread cake that gets drizzled with syrup while it is still hot. It's quite sweet and very good as sweet things go. Throughout lunch, we were entertained by a marimba band (with 3 marimabas and several traditional African drums). It was a lot of fun, and they ended by playing The Star Spangled Banner, which our students spontaneously began to sing. We then asked them to play the South African national anthem, which they did, and we were surprised when everyone around us stopped and joined in singing. We had been singing our anthem in a fun way, but they were passionate and serious about singing theirs. It was a touching moment. Of course, the anthem is from the new South Africa, and has at the heart of it the idea of freedom for all. Given all that we have seen, learned, and experienced here so far, it's easy to see how the idea of freedom takes on a particularly special meaning.
Tomorrow is free time. Students are shark diving, going to the beach, shopping for presents, and maybe even hiking up Table Mountain. Andi is going with the professors to Cape Point to see two oceans meet. We are winding down, and having a lovely time. More later.
Damond's Birthday
We were without email for a while, and I didn't get a chance to write about our experiences in East London. We flew out from Johannesburg to East London and went to our hostel, a place called The Sugar Shack, which was pretty much both a little bit of sugar and a little bit of shack. The good thing was, it was right on the beach, and we had our first glimpse of the Indian Ocean, which was lovely. In our free afternoon, many folks went swimming or walking on the beach.
The real highlight, though, was after dinner, when a local man named Richard came and joined us around a campfire. Richard is a traditional African drummer as well as a really great guy, and he gathered us (and a few random Australians and Brits) around the fire, gave us amazing hand-made drums, and showed us how to use our hands to make the best sounds. And then we drummed. For a while, we all drummed together, with the sounds of the fire and the waves, but then we went around the circle and each one of us started a new beat which everyone else then picked up. It was Damond's birthday (and Richard's birthday too) so it was already a special night, but the drumming was almost like magic. Even the students who were less interested (or capable) at first ended up getting the hang of it, and it was pretty cool to learn drumming from a man who not only made all the drums by hand but for whom drumming was such an important and traditional part of his life.
So happy birthday, Damond. We had a great time.
The real highlight, though, was after dinner, when a local man named Richard came and joined us around a campfire. Richard is a traditional African drummer as well as a really great guy, and he gathered us (and a few random Australians and Brits) around the fire, gave us amazing hand-made drums, and showed us how to use our hands to make the best sounds. And then we drummed. For a while, we all drummed together, with the sounds of the fire and the waves, but then we went around the circle and each one of us started a new beat which everyone else then picked up. It was Damond's birthday (and Richard's birthday too) so it was already a special night, but the drumming was almost like magic. Even the students who were less interested (or capable) at first ended up getting the hang of it, and it was pretty cool to learn drumming from a man who not only made all the drums by hand but for whom drumming was such an important and traditional part of his life.
So happy birthday, Damond. We had a great time.
Robben Island
Yesterday, we took the ferry boat out to Robben Island, the home of the notorious prison where Nelson Mandela and other political activists were kept for years. The island itself is forbidding: large, sandy, wild, scrubby, and windswept. There are some imported trees, but they look like they are trying to just hang on. The feeling of desolation is really powerful.
Before we went into the prison, we drove around the island, seeing the homes where the guards lived (and what was almost a charming tiny town and school for the guards and their families). We also got to see the white limestone quarry where Mandela and other prisoners were put to hard labor mining rocks. In fact, in photos of Mandela now, you can see that his eyes squint a bit from the permanent damage of working for years without sunglasses in the bright white limestone quarry. It hurt our eyes to look at the quarry in the sun for just a few minutes, I can say.
The quarry was also an important historical marker not just because it was the site of hard labor for so many important activists, but also because it was where the political prisoners taught each other (and the criminal prisoners) in a kind of informal but very powerful open university. Even some of the guards would come and listen to the teachings, and, in fact, it was such a place of powerful ideas that the Apartheid authorities had to regularly transfer guards out of Robben Island so they wouldn't become to politicized.
Inside the prison, the cell blocks were long and thin, made of blue stone with strong iron bars over the windows. All the windows currently have glass in them, but when the buildings were operated as a prison, often the glass would be broken and the cold wet ocean air went straight inside the unheated barracks. During the later Apartheid times, when the prisons were terribly overcrowded, so many men were kept in each cell that they were ordered to sleep on their sides on the floor so that every inch of space could be packed with prisoners.
We walked along the path that Nelson Mandela walked every day as he left for work in the quarry. The prison yard had no grass, just sand and rocks, and there were a few hard-scrabble scruffy looking plants. It was not a pleasant view. The outside of Mandela's cell window looked down into a closed cement yard where prisoners were given large rocks and a chisel and were forced to break the rocks into gravel. The gravel was not used for anything, so it was basically just a form of punishment, and the sound of so many inmates chiseling on rocks in a closed yard would have been almost deafening.
Mandela's cell, like the other cells, was impossibly small. In his autobiography he writes about how he couldn't lie down completely straight because he was too tall, but still, seeing the cell itself was very powerful in understanding what it must have been like. Inside the cell was a thin mat, which the prisoners used to sleep on, and a small box-like table, with a bucket for a toilet in the corner. There was almost no other space in the cell, and no chair for sitting. It was entirely a barren place, except of course that it was a place that Mr. Mandela used for some of his great thinking and teaching. It was a very powerful experience.
Our guide around the prison was a man named Derrick, a former political prisoner himself. He talked with us about his personal experiences there, and about some of the ideas that influenced his poltical thinking. He was younger than Mandela, and had been influenced by Steve Biko's Black Consciousness Movement more than the earlier ideas of Mandela and other 1960's ANC leaders. After Biko's murder at the hands of the police, he was part of the Black baby boom generation that swore to make the country ungovernable. Derrick told us how he joined an underground group that bombed a government building at night, and when he was caught, he was proud to plead guilty. And he said he has no regrets. It was quite an interesting discussion to say the least, and it was certainly an important perspective.
On our way back to the mainland, the ferry hit some really choppy water, and a few faces turned a bit green. Others (who shall be nameless but who seem to thrive on danger) used the moment to climb up several flights of stairs to get to the upper deck of the boat, passing people falling and flailing, and getting to sit up high in the pitching boat while rain and sun whipped down.
Many people walked around in the waterfront area after we got back to shore, with shopping, exploring, eating, listening to street musicians, and generally watching the sun slowly set over Table Mountain. It was delightful.
If only I had more time right now, I'd post about what we did today. But I'll have to do that later, as a group of us are about to head out to the Pan African Market in search of a traditional healer and interesting cultural artifacts. More later...
Before we went into the prison, we drove around the island, seeing the homes where the guards lived (and what was almost a charming tiny town and school for the guards and their families). We also got to see the white limestone quarry where Mandela and other prisoners were put to hard labor mining rocks. In fact, in photos of Mandela now, you can see that his eyes squint a bit from the permanent damage of working for years without sunglasses in the bright white limestone quarry. It hurt our eyes to look at the quarry in the sun for just a few minutes, I can say.
The quarry was also an important historical marker not just because it was the site of hard labor for so many important activists, but also because it was where the political prisoners taught each other (and the criminal prisoners) in a kind of informal but very powerful open university. Even some of the guards would come and listen to the teachings, and, in fact, it was such a place of powerful ideas that the Apartheid authorities had to regularly transfer guards out of Robben Island so they wouldn't become to politicized.
Inside the prison, the cell blocks were long and thin, made of blue stone with strong iron bars over the windows. All the windows currently have glass in them, but when the buildings were operated as a prison, often the glass would be broken and the cold wet ocean air went straight inside the unheated barracks. During the later Apartheid times, when the prisons were terribly overcrowded, so many men were kept in each cell that they were ordered to sleep on their sides on the floor so that every inch of space could be packed with prisoners.
We walked along the path that Nelson Mandela walked every day as he left for work in the quarry. The prison yard had no grass, just sand and rocks, and there were a few hard-scrabble scruffy looking plants. It was not a pleasant view. The outside of Mandela's cell window looked down into a closed cement yard where prisoners were given large rocks and a chisel and were forced to break the rocks into gravel. The gravel was not used for anything, so it was basically just a form of punishment, and the sound of so many inmates chiseling on rocks in a closed yard would have been almost deafening.
Mandela's cell, like the other cells, was impossibly small. In his autobiography he writes about how he couldn't lie down completely straight because he was too tall, but still, seeing the cell itself was very powerful in understanding what it must have been like. Inside the cell was a thin mat, which the prisoners used to sleep on, and a small box-like table, with a bucket for a toilet in the corner. There was almost no other space in the cell, and no chair for sitting. It was entirely a barren place, except of course that it was a place that Mr. Mandela used for some of his great thinking and teaching. It was a very powerful experience.
Our guide around the prison was a man named Derrick, a former political prisoner himself. He talked with us about his personal experiences there, and about some of the ideas that influenced his poltical thinking. He was younger than Mandela, and had been influenced by Steve Biko's Black Consciousness Movement more than the earlier ideas of Mandela and other 1960's ANC leaders. After Biko's murder at the hands of the police, he was part of the Black baby boom generation that swore to make the country ungovernable. Derrick told us how he joined an underground group that bombed a government building at night, and when he was caught, he was proud to plead guilty. And he said he has no regrets. It was quite an interesting discussion to say the least, and it was certainly an important perspective.
On our way back to the mainland, the ferry hit some really choppy water, and a few faces turned a bit green. Others (who shall be nameless but who seem to thrive on danger) used the moment to climb up several flights of stairs to get to the upper deck of the boat, passing people falling and flailing, and getting to sit up high in the pitching boat while rain and sun whipped down.
Many people walked around in the waterfront area after we got back to shore, with shopping, exploring, eating, listening to street musicians, and generally watching the sun slowly set over Table Mountain. It was delightful.
If only I had more time right now, I'd post about what we did today. But I'll have to do that later, as a group of us are about to head out to the Pan African Market in search of a traditional healer and interesting cultural artifacts. More later...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Our First Day in Cape Town
We are finally in the lovely city of Cape Town, settling in for the last part of our class.
As we left Oudtshoorn yesterday, we stopped at a wild animal sanctuary to see the large cats that we didn't manage to see in the wild when we were at Kruger Park. The place we stopped was both a kind of zoo and a breeding facility, so it was a strange mix of education and entertainment, but we did see some amazing animals we hadn't yet seen. Huge crocodiles, cheetas, lions, and tigers (from India) were all there for us to see. Part of the way the facility raises funds for breeding and rescue programs was to sell the chance to go into an enclosure and gently pet a few of the large cats that had been raised by humans and rescued by the facility. Many of our students chose to meet the cats up close, and there are some pretty great photos heading home from the experience.
We also stopped at a working ostrich farm, where we learned about breeding, raising, and managing large groups of ostriches. Again, there was some entertainment involved, and Angie, Becky, Laura, and Jocelyn all were convinced to try riding an ostrich, which they managed to do without too much screaming. It was...different, to say the least!
But our main purpose yesterday was to drive the long trip down to Cape Town along the so-called Garden Route. This route is famous for its beauty, and even though we were on the bus for many hours, we certainly got to see the gorgeous rolling fields and the long purple mountain ridges that followed us all the way to Cape Town. We drove through the Lowry Pass in the mountains and rounded the corner at the top of the pass just as the sun was setting over the city. Our first glimpse of Cape Town was a view of the city lights curving around the large ocean bay at twighlight, with the giant looming form of Table Mountain lit from behind by a dark pink, orange, and purple sunset. The sight was breathtaking. The city was spread out before us, and the lights even seeming to twinkle in the slight mist. It was such a wonderful welcome!
We are now settled at our hotel, and we should let you know that we are staying at a different place than listed on our itinerary. We are now at The Backpacker (or Africa Travel Center. The hotel is small and charming, with a colorful tile pool, lovely flower and herb gardens, and open courtyard and a cafe that stays open late. It is also well located, just a block from the action of Long Street. I think this will be a great place to end our time in Cape Town.
This morning, we started our day with a visit to the District Six museum and memorial. District Six is an area in Cape Town located centrally near the waterfront. It was an older section of town, and it had been one of the neighborhoods that was racially integrated long before Apartheid. Sadly, during the years of Apartheid, the government, with no warning, declared the area to be for Whites only, and forced the inhabitants into townships based on their race. Families were separated based on race (interracial couples had to live separately, in some cases not only from each other but also from their children). In order to see each other, families had to apply for passports to visit, which were only granted once every three months for 2 hours at a time. And the government bulldozed the entire neighborhood. What was once a charming older section of the city, filled with families and shops and cosmopolitian life, had been decimated by Apartheid policies. While this story was repeated all over South Africa during Apartheid, what makes District Six so poignant is that Whites refused to move in, and nothing was ever built in place of the bulldozed homes. The area is just an abandoned wasteland of grass and rubble, right in the middle of the city.
We met a former inhabitant of District Six, Noor Ebrahim, who talked with us about his experiences and his story. His family lived 4 generations in their house, and they lost everything. One of the most touching parts of our visit was seeing the giant map of the former neighborhoods. People who used to live there have come back one by one and written in their names on the map where their houses used to stand. Each name has a kind of power to it, and seeing the entire giant map (taking up the whole floor) really conveyed the sadness of what was lost.
Students have been out exploring and we all really love the city so far. We'll report again on our adventures again soon....
As we left Oudtshoorn yesterday, we stopped at a wild animal sanctuary to see the large cats that we didn't manage to see in the wild when we were at Kruger Park. The place we stopped was both a kind of zoo and a breeding facility, so it was a strange mix of education and entertainment, but we did see some amazing animals we hadn't yet seen. Huge crocodiles, cheetas, lions, and tigers (from India) were all there for us to see. Part of the way the facility raises funds for breeding and rescue programs was to sell the chance to go into an enclosure and gently pet a few of the large cats that had been raised by humans and rescued by the facility. Many of our students chose to meet the cats up close, and there are some pretty great photos heading home from the experience.
We also stopped at a working ostrich farm, where we learned about breeding, raising, and managing large groups of ostriches. Again, there was some entertainment involved, and Angie, Becky, Laura, and Jocelyn all were convinced to try riding an ostrich, which they managed to do without too much screaming. It was...different, to say the least!
But our main purpose yesterday was to drive the long trip down to Cape Town along the so-called Garden Route. This route is famous for its beauty, and even though we were on the bus for many hours, we certainly got to see the gorgeous rolling fields and the long purple mountain ridges that followed us all the way to Cape Town. We drove through the Lowry Pass in the mountains and rounded the corner at the top of the pass just as the sun was setting over the city. Our first glimpse of Cape Town was a view of the city lights curving around the large ocean bay at twighlight, with the giant looming form of Table Mountain lit from behind by a dark pink, orange, and purple sunset. The sight was breathtaking. The city was spread out before us, and the lights even seeming to twinkle in the slight mist. It was such a wonderful welcome!
We are now settled at our hotel, and we should let you know that we are staying at a different place than listed on our itinerary. We are now at The Backpacker (or Africa Travel Center. The hotel is small and charming, with a colorful tile pool, lovely flower and herb gardens, and open courtyard and a cafe that stays open late. It is also well located, just a block from the action of Long Street. I think this will be a great place to end our time in Cape Town.
This morning, we started our day with a visit to the District Six museum and memorial. District Six is an area in Cape Town located centrally near the waterfront. It was an older section of town, and it had been one of the neighborhoods that was racially integrated long before Apartheid. Sadly, during the years of Apartheid, the government, with no warning, declared the area to be for Whites only, and forced the inhabitants into townships based on their race. Families were separated based on race (interracial couples had to live separately, in some cases not only from each other but also from their children). In order to see each other, families had to apply for passports to visit, which were only granted once every three months for 2 hours at a time. And the government bulldozed the entire neighborhood. What was once a charming older section of the city, filled with families and shops and cosmopolitian life, had been decimated by Apartheid policies. While this story was repeated all over South Africa during Apartheid, what makes District Six so poignant is that Whites refused to move in, and nothing was ever built in place of the bulldozed homes. The area is just an abandoned wasteland of grass and rubble, right in the middle of the city.
We met a former inhabitant of District Six, Noor Ebrahim, who talked with us about his experiences and his story. His family lived 4 generations in their house, and they lost everything. One of the most touching parts of our visit was seeing the giant map of the former neighborhoods. People who used to live there have come back one by one and written in their names on the map where their houses used to stand. Each name has a kind of power to it, and seeing the entire giant map (taking up the whole floor) really conveyed the sadness of what was lost.
Students have been out exploring and we all really love the city so far. We'll report again on our adventures again soon....
Friday, May 16, 2008
Tsitsikamma Park
As we left the East Cape yesterday, we passed through the lovely city of Grahamstown and spent a couple of hours at Port Elizabeth on the Indian Ocean. The area was certainly lovely as we were driving. We moved from the gentle rolling hills of the rural Xhosa countryside into a more forested area, with green hills turning into rocky mountains. Tsitskikamma Park, where we stayed overnight, runs along a narrow strip of coastline, with forested mountains crashing to the sea. Even though we arrived at dusk, we could feel the amazing beauty of the place.
Our camp was at the Storm's River Mouth, as it entered the ocean. The river has cut a giant deep gorge through the rocks. There are walking paths along the gorge, and paths down along the ocean, and even a very difficult path to a hidden waterfall. We stayed overnight in rooms they called 'oceanettes,' which we discovered meant little apartments that overlooked the rocks and the ocean. Each one had a little deck or patio, and the view was directly down onto the water. The coastline was particularly rocky in the area, and the waves were large and powerful, so the sound of the surf crashing in was very present with us. A number of people sat up late to watch the moon rise over the ocean, lighting up the mist created by the pounding waves. The sounds of nature were all around us, and looking down the coastline, there were no lights in one direction, and far off in the other direction we could see the gentle lights of a small town on the point. It was peaceful and beautiful, and even without seeing it in daylight, we all loved the park!
This morning, we had free time until noon. Jocelyn, Becky, and Laura went for a run along the paths (and reported seeing a number of small brown gentle animals that seemed like rabbits without ears). Other students walked around the park, which was set up much like a national park campsite in the US, with a shop, and laundry, and restaurant, etc. There were small brown springbok deer walking up close to the oceanettes. And some people spotted dolphins jumping in the ocean right up close to shore! (sadly neither of the professors spotted the dolphins. Oh well.)
Our adrenaline-lovers got up early and headed out for the world's highest bungy jump, which was right near our camp, over the Storm's River. Dylan jumped first, and Angie, Kati, and Jameson each took a turn. Diane, Chris, and Andrea went up on the bridge for moral support (and for the great view). The bridge itself was enough of an adrenaline rush, as it had a mesh floor and even the observers had to wear safety harnesses. Mike stayed along the side in order to shoot photos. All reports say it was AMAZING!
We left Tsistikamma wishing we had more time to spend there. The forests, mountains, and ocean were so beautiful and powerful and peaceful, it was just a lovely place to be. But we had to leave on our journey along to Cape Town. On our way out, along the highway, we spotted a troup of wild baboons, including babies. Apparently, South Africa's only completely unfenced elephants live in the area, although we didn't see them.
We stopped in beautiful Knysna for a break this afternoon, and first took photos from the top of what they call The Heads. Knysna is a town built on a large and beautiful lagoon, with mountains on all sides. The narrow sea passage into the lagoon is protected by The Heads, which jut upwards from the sea. While we were on top of one of them, we were able to take photos out over the sea and into the lagoon back towards the town. The town itself was charming, and most of us stopped along the boardwalk in sweet little outdoor seaside cafes for lunch.
We are now in Oudtshoorn, up in the mountains. We said goodbye to the Indian Ocean at George, and headed up a gorgeous mountain pass. The mountains on either side of our switchback road were worn into gentle rocky rolls covered in green trees, looking much like huge piles of draped green velvet. The sun was starting to be lower in the sky, and the light on the mountains was lovely.
Oudtshoorn is an old victorian town, along the Klein Karoo (which is very desert-like and flat, at a high altitude). The vegetation is mainly grassy and brown, and it looks quite dry. The town itself struck it rich around the turn of the century before the First World War, when its famous ostrich farms supplied much of the world craze for ostrich feathers. We plan to visit an ostrich farm tomorrow before we leave. We also hope to stop at a wild cat sanctuary where they have a leopard breeding program.
We are on our way to Cape Town, and should be there by this time tomorrow night. It's been a wonderful trip so far, with such a mix of cultural, historical, social, and natural-world experiences. We have a truly wonderful group of students with us. And we still have almost another week of learning (and adventuring) left before we head home...
Our camp was at the Storm's River Mouth, as it entered the ocean. The river has cut a giant deep gorge through the rocks. There are walking paths along the gorge, and paths down along the ocean, and even a very difficult path to a hidden waterfall. We stayed overnight in rooms they called 'oceanettes,' which we discovered meant little apartments that overlooked the rocks and the ocean. Each one had a little deck or patio, and the view was directly down onto the water. The coastline was particularly rocky in the area, and the waves were large and powerful, so the sound of the surf crashing in was very present with us. A number of people sat up late to watch the moon rise over the ocean, lighting up the mist created by the pounding waves. The sounds of nature were all around us, and looking down the coastline, there were no lights in one direction, and far off in the other direction we could see the gentle lights of a small town on the point. It was peaceful and beautiful, and even without seeing it in daylight, we all loved the park!
This morning, we had free time until noon. Jocelyn, Becky, and Laura went for a run along the paths (and reported seeing a number of small brown gentle animals that seemed like rabbits without ears). Other students walked around the park, which was set up much like a national park campsite in the US, with a shop, and laundry, and restaurant, etc. There were small brown springbok deer walking up close to the oceanettes. And some people spotted dolphins jumping in the ocean right up close to shore! (sadly neither of the professors spotted the dolphins. Oh well.)
Our adrenaline-lovers got up early and headed out for the world's highest bungy jump, which was right near our camp, over the Storm's River. Dylan jumped first, and Angie, Kati, and Jameson each took a turn. Diane, Chris, and Andrea went up on the bridge for moral support (and for the great view). The bridge itself was enough of an adrenaline rush, as it had a mesh floor and even the observers had to wear safety harnesses. Mike stayed along the side in order to shoot photos. All reports say it was AMAZING!
We left Tsistikamma wishing we had more time to spend there. The forests, mountains, and ocean were so beautiful and powerful and peaceful, it was just a lovely place to be. But we had to leave on our journey along to Cape Town. On our way out, along the highway, we spotted a troup of wild baboons, including babies. Apparently, South Africa's only completely unfenced elephants live in the area, although we didn't see them.
We stopped in beautiful Knysna for a break this afternoon, and first took photos from the top of what they call The Heads. Knysna is a town built on a large and beautiful lagoon, with mountains on all sides. The narrow sea passage into the lagoon is protected by The Heads, which jut upwards from the sea. While we were on top of one of them, we were able to take photos out over the sea and into the lagoon back towards the town. The town itself was charming, and most of us stopped along the boardwalk in sweet little outdoor seaside cafes for lunch.
We are now in Oudtshoorn, up in the mountains. We said goodbye to the Indian Ocean at George, and headed up a gorgeous mountain pass. The mountains on either side of our switchback road were worn into gentle rocky rolls covered in green trees, looking much like huge piles of draped green velvet. The sun was starting to be lower in the sky, and the light on the mountains was lovely.
Oudtshoorn is an old victorian town, along the Klein Karoo (which is very desert-like and flat, at a high altitude). The vegetation is mainly grassy and brown, and it looks quite dry. The town itself struck it rich around the turn of the century before the First World War, when its famous ostrich farms supplied much of the world craze for ostrich feathers. We plan to visit an ostrich farm tomorrow before we leave. We also hope to stop at a wild cat sanctuary where they have a leopard breeding program.
We are on our way to Cape Town, and should be there by this time tomorrow night. It's been a wonderful trip so far, with such a mix of cultural, historical, social, and natural-world experiences. We have a truly wonderful group of students with us. And we still have almost another week of learning (and adventuring) left before we head home...
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Our Xhosa Experience
We haven't had internet access in the past few days because we have been staying at Mngqesha, the Xhosa Great Place of King Sandile. Our experiences in the past few days have been amazing! Mngqesha is not only the village of the Xhosa King, but it is also a Xhosa cultural center. We stayed for two nights as their guests, living in small (but modern) roundhouses with white clay walls and thatch roofs. We were greeted by the elder as we arrived, and he told us quite a bit about Xhosa history and culture. Our first night, we were served a lovely Xhosa dinner by a number of older Xhosa women with their heads wrapped in beautful scarves and who were wearing colorful clothes. Some of us took a walk in the twighlight, up the dusty dirt road past the village on the outside of the Great Place. Most of the people live in small roundhouses made of the traditional clay walls, but the roofs are mainly corrugated iron. There are small but crowded gardens green with vegetables and herbs, and chickens and cows walk freely. Kids were out on the unlit soccer field (which was really just a clearing) until it was solid darkness. We walked back with our flashlights, as the only lights were what we could see out the tiny windows of the roundhouses, and the stars in the sky. The land is lovely with rolling hills and green fields and golden grasses, and the ridges are dotted with small colorful Xhosa villages.
Our next morning, we started right away by driving to Fort Hare University, the first (and most important) of the traditional Black Universities (where Nelson Mandela and other important leaders were educated). We walked around on the beautiful campus, with its gracious old buildings and lush grounds, and it was filled with students from all over Africa, mostly Blacks, and they looked just like us: backpacks, jeans, walking and laughing with their friends. We had hoped to get into the ANC Archives, which is the main repository of information and photos of Nelson Mandela's life, but the day we arrived was the day before graduation and there were some ceremonies on the other side of the campus. We did, however, get to meet some of students. We had arranged to meet with a Sociology class. The students went off to talk with each other sitting out in the grass and on benches. I'm not sure what was discussed, but as they returned, I saw lots of photos being taken and emails and facebook info exchanged, so it must have been interesting at least.
After lunch, we drove to the Township of Ginsberg, which was the home of Steve Biko. We had seen the movie Cry Freedom in class before we left, which is about Biko's life and death at the hands of the South African Police. We saw Biko's home and then we went to the Creche (community nursery school). After Biko was banned in the 1970s, he was instrumental in organizing this important community center (and in fact it plays a role in Cry Freedom). We had committed to doing a service project there, together with young people from the Ginsburg Youth Leadership Council. We brought paint and brushes, and after we met the kids (95 2-4 year olds in a space the size of the Harris 4 classroom--or perhaps even smaller). The walls were dingy blue, with handmade painted signs that said things like "A Loved Child is a Happy Child." There were several tiny tables and chairs, but most of the kids were lying on mats on the floor when we arrived, packed together and holding hands, and staring and waving at us. There were no toys or books in sight. The kids were wearing patched clothes with blue pants and orange tops (all school kids wear uniforms, and they extended that idea to the preschool). Outside, the yard was dirt, with a swingset with tire swings, and a number of painted tires half buried in the ground for kids to climb. The external walls were dirty and peeling, and the paint was a 1970s shade of gold (it probably hadn't been painted since then in any case).
Our students had wanted to bring candy for the kids (in honor of Beth's birthday), so we first handed out bags and bags of candy. Some of the kids literally didn't know what it was. Some of the adults explained that these children are so poor they have never seen candy before. Some of our students went around and helped kids open the candy. The kids couldn't understand us, but we quickly learned that if we stuck out our thumbs and said the word 'sharp' with a British accent, the kids would smile and use their thumbs to touch ours. It was SO sweet!
After many of the kids went home, we got to work with scraping, sanding, and painting. We were working on the outside of the building. With the help of the Township youth leaders, we swarmed over the building, getting almost the entire front side painted with two coats (in a light gentle yellow). All our students worked really hard, and I think we all just wanted to do as much as possible. We also got the contact information so that when we get back to the US, we can send packages back to the school. (The school gets almost no government funding, and the Township community that supports it is REALLY poor, mainly living in small shack-like homes. A German organization has been sending some financial support, but the school and the students desperately need books and toys and crafts, not to mention structural work on their small building. For example, the area for the bathroom has gaping holes in the ceilings, and water damage all down the walls).
After we finished there, we raced back to the Great Place, where they were having a brai and traditional celebration in our honor. We brought the Ginsburg young people with us. The King was not present, but he sent a Prince in his place, so we got to hear a speech by Prince Zolile Burns-Ncaneashe ( and we got to meet a real prince!). We also heard a speech from the head of the Creche, a man named Chris Soka, who had started the Creche along with Steve Biko in the 1970s). The Prince's speech was interesting in part because he told us how important the US is to them, and how we need to take our position in the world seriously. He also spoke about Xhosa culture, and how they are using traditional cultural ideals to work against things like the spread of HIV/AIDS. (He shocked us a bit, I think, talking about the importance of 'virginity inspections' for the Xhosa girls). We also got to see children in traditional dress do a ceremonial dance for us (which was AMAZING!).
This morning, we delivered a load of soccer gear that we had brought with us from the US. The gear went to the tiny Xhosa school outside the great place, Mbomba Lower and Upper Primary School. Some of the children, in their patched but neat uniforms, were assembled waiting for us. We handed over the gear which they recieved very formally and politely, and then they sang for us. We sang 'Simeon Benjamin' for them, and as we left and got a little bit away from the school, we suddenly heard them erupt in cheers and shouting. We turned back to see the kids playing and tossing soccer balls to each other, running and dancing and laughing. I guess their teachers had told them to be polite, and now we were far enough away that they could be themselves!
It was wonderful, and we left with happy hearts.
We are leaving the Xhosa area and the East Cape, heading towards Tsitsikamma park tonight. More blogging as soon as we can....
Our next morning, we started right away by driving to Fort Hare University, the first (and most important) of the traditional Black Universities (where Nelson Mandela and other important leaders were educated). We walked around on the beautiful campus, with its gracious old buildings and lush grounds, and it was filled with students from all over Africa, mostly Blacks, and they looked just like us: backpacks, jeans, walking and laughing with their friends. We had hoped to get into the ANC Archives, which is the main repository of information and photos of Nelson Mandela's life, but the day we arrived was the day before graduation and there were some ceremonies on the other side of the campus. We did, however, get to meet some of students. We had arranged to meet with a Sociology class. The students went off to talk with each other sitting out in the grass and on benches. I'm not sure what was discussed, but as they returned, I saw lots of photos being taken and emails and facebook info exchanged, so it must have been interesting at least.
After lunch, we drove to the Township of Ginsberg, which was the home of Steve Biko. We had seen the movie Cry Freedom in class before we left, which is about Biko's life and death at the hands of the South African Police. We saw Biko's home and then we went to the Creche (community nursery school). After Biko was banned in the 1970s, he was instrumental in organizing this important community center (and in fact it plays a role in Cry Freedom). We had committed to doing a service project there, together with young people from the Ginsburg Youth Leadership Council. We brought paint and brushes, and after we met the kids (95 2-4 year olds in a space the size of the Harris 4 classroom--or perhaps even smaller). The walls were dingy blue, with handmade painted signs that said things like "A Loved Child is a Happy Child." There were several tiny tables and chairs, but most of the kids were lying on mats on the floor when we arrived, packed together and holding hands, and staring and waving at us. There were no toys or books in sight. The kids were wearing patched clothes with blue pants and orange tops (all school kids wear uniforms, and they extended that idea to the preschool). Outside, the yard was dirt, with a swingset with tire swings, and a number of painted tires half buried in the ground for kids to climb. The external walls were dirty and peeling, and the paint was a 1970s shade of gold (it probably hadn't been painted since then in any case).
Our students had wanted to bring candy for the kids (in honor of Beth's birthday), so we first handed out bags and bags of candy. Some of the kids literally didn't know what it was. Some of the adults explained that these children are so poor they have never seen candy before. Some of our students went around and helped kids open the candy. The kids couldn't understand us, but we quickly learned that if we stuck out our thumbs and said the word 'sharp' with a British accent, the kids would smile and use their thumbs to touch ours. It was SO sweet!
After many of the kids went home, we got to work with scraping, sanding, and painting. We were working on the outside of the building. With the help of the Township youth leaders, we swarmed over the building, getting almost the entire front side painted with two coats (in a light gentle yellow). All our students worked really hard, and I think we all just wanted to do as much as possible. We also got the contact information so that when we get back to the US, we can send packages back to the school. (The school gets almost no government funding, and the Township community that supports it is REALLY poor, mainly living in small shack-like homes. A German organization has been sending some financial support, but the school and the students desperately need books and toys and crafts, not to mention structural work on their small building. For example, the area for the bathroom has gaping holes in the ceilings, and water damage all down the walls).
After we finished there, we raced back to the Great Place, where they were having a brai and traditional celebration in our honor. We brought the Ginsburg young people with us. The King was not present, but he sent a Prince in his place, so we got to hear a speech by Prince Zolile Burns-Ncaneashe ( and we got to meet a real prince!). We also heard a speech from the head of the Creche, a man named Chris Soka, who had started the Creche along with Steve Biko in the 1970s). The Prince's speech was interesting in part because he told us how important the US is to them, and how we need to take our position in the world seriously. He also spoke about Xhosa culture, and how they are using traditional cultural ideals to work against things like the spread of HIV/AIDS. (He shocked us a bit, I think, talking about the importance of 'virginity inspections' for the Xhosa girls). We also got to see children in traditional dress do a ceremonial dance for us (which was AMAZING!).
This morning, we delivered a load of soccer gear that we had brought with us from the US. The gear went to the tiny Xhosa school outside the great place, Mbomba Lower and Upper Primary School. Some of the children, in their patched but neat uniforms, were assembled waiting for us. We handed over the gear which they recieved very formally and politely, and then they sang for us. We sang 'Simeon Benjamin' for them, and as we left and got a little bit away from the school, we suddenly heard them erupt in cheers and shouting. We turned back to see the kids playing and tossing soccer balls to each other, running and dancing and laughing. I guess their teachers had told them to be polite, and now we were far enough away that they could be themselves!
It was wonderful, and we left with happy hearts.
We are leaving the Xhosa area and the East Cape, heading towards Tsitsikamma park tonight. More blogging as soon as we can....
Monday, May 12, 2008
The Eastern Cape
It is evening in East London. Our lodging is on a gorgeous beach on the Indian Ocean, and several of us spent the afternoon enjoying the beautiful and warm waters. Our internet access here is very limited, and we will also likely not have any internet access for the next few days. Tomorrow, we will be driving to the palace of the Xhosa king, where we will stay for two nights. We're very excited for this amazing cultural opportunity! We also have planned to help with a service project of painting a nursery school at the Ginsberg Creche, and from there we will make our way along the Garden Route before we get to Cape Town. We will update when we can!
At the airport.
We have a bit of a wait for the plane to East London, and some of us spotted an internet cafe and stumbled in to quickly check on things back home. Beth and Damond and Karen seem to be trying to catch up on Facebook, while others are out getting caffeinated or shopping for gifts in the airport shops. As the host to the international football championship in 2010, South Africa is pretty soccer-mad now, and in fact this whole airport is under construction in order to be prepared. The upside for us is that there are a lot of cool soccer-themed gifts here, which seem to be becoming popular gifts to take home.
One of the really geeky and really cool things we did in Kruger that I haven't mentioned so far is that we went and stood on the Tropic of Capricorn. That's the line in the the southern hemisphere where the sun goes the furthest south at it's peak. They actually put a brick line down on the ground at the correct parallel right at a small turnoff of a Kruger road. Some of the students were a little underwhelmed, but the professors (and some of the others) were really into the amazingness of it. We have some great photos of us standing on the line. How may people can say they have STOOD right on the Tropic of Capricorn, let alone crossed it? (I'll attempt to upload photos later today)
OK, people are starting to gather their things, so we need to get going on to East London, the Sugar Shack Hostel, and the beach. I suspect along with the beach will come some serious laundry as well.
More later, if possible...
One of the really geeky and really cool things we did in Kruger that I haven't mentioned so far is that we went and stood on the Tropic of Capricorn. That's the line in the the southern hemisphere where the sun goes the furthest south at it's peak. They actually put a brick line down on the ground at the correct parallel right at a small turnoff of a Kruger road. Some of the students were a little underwhelmed, but the professors (and some of the others) were really into the amazingness of it. We have some great photos of us standing on the line. How may people can say they have STOOD right on the Tropic of Capricorn, let alone crossed it? (I'll attempt to upload photos later today)
OK, people are starting to gather their things, so we need to get going on to East London, the Sugar Shack Hostel, and the beach. I suspect along with the beach will come some serious laundry as well.
More later, if possible...
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