Mom and Will's Visit to Cape Town

I’m back! With some very long-overdue posts. 

Eagerly anticipating Will and Mom’s long-awaited visit to Cape Town in early October, I adopted the position of official travel agent, planning an action-packed week of South African must-see’s and do’s. 

Friday:

            Early Friday morning, Will and Mom caught their connecting flight from Joburg, arriving bright and early in Cape Town to check into the beautiful Vineyard Hotel.

Here, I met up with them and led the hungry travelers to lunch in Observatory.  We settled down at an earthy little café, full of beat-up old wooden tables and chairs and overflowing with charm. After lunch, I gave them a tour of my house. Finally, they would be able to picture me in my Cape Town “habitat.”

            That afternoon, after some down time at the hotel to attempt to recover from jetlag, we headed to the Bo-Kaap.  In this scenic old Cape Town neighborhood, I led them up to a gorgeous scenic overlook at the peak of the hill, where the sweeping view of the Cape Town waterfront was breathtaking.

            We then enjoyed an African dinner at Marco’s African Restaurant, where Mom and Will got their first tastes of steamed bread, paap, ostrich, kudu, springbok, crocodile carpaccio, African linefish, malva pudding, and delicious South African wine.  This, paired with the live jazz music performed by women in tradition African attire, was the perfect end to a fabulous first day.

Saturday

            After a refreshing breakfast buffet and plenty of hot coffee at the hotel, we hopped on a minibus taxi headed for Old Biscuit Mill, where we took in the mass of delicious smells, sights, and tastes of this bustling weekend market.  Highlights included chicken souvlaki, potato pancakes with poached egg, salmon, and hollandaise, a mind-blowing ostrich burger, and an unbelievable pear-almond tartlet for dessert.  Then, after Mom and I squeezed in as much shopping as Will could stand, we headed for our next stop: Table Mountain.

            The 3 of us caught a cab to the cable car at the foot of Table Mountain.  Here, we climbed into the car, which had a rotating floor that provided a 360 degree view as we ascended the mountain.  Once at the top, we were free to walk around, taking in the gorgeous views of Cape Town, and of course taking tons of pictures.

            After Table Mountain, we ventured down to the V&A waterfront, where we explored, shopped, and enjoyed the live music being performed at the ampitheatre.  We finished off the evening with a delicious meal at Balthazar, a steak and seafood restaurant on the water, where we polished-off every bite of our fabulously fresh, massive seafood platter for 3.  Stuffed and satisfied, we went home to collapse in our beds at the Vineyard, happy and exhausted.

Sunday:

            After enjoying another impressive breakfast buffet at the hotel, we set off for a tour and wine tasting at Neethlingshof Vineyard in Stellenbosch.  The vineyard was beautiful, and our enthusiastic guide took spent all morning treating the three of us to our own private wine education session, which not only included the tour and tasting but an Afrikaans lesson and lots of good laughs.  After the tasting, we sat down for a peaceful lunch on the patio before heading back to Cape Town.

            Back at the hotel, Mom and I decided to treat ourselves to a pair of massages and body scrubs at the hotel’s spa.  It was wonderfully indulgent, and afterwards we enjoyed a peaceful and relaxed meal at one of the hotel’s restaurants.

Monday:

            While I went to my service site to work on Monday morning, Mom and Will took a township tour, where they got to see township life up-close-and-personal. 

Afterwards, we met up for a quick UCT tour before my Xhosa class in the evening.

Tuesday:

            On this beautiful, warm, spring morning the three of us headed to Kalk Bay to soak up some sun and sea breeze.  Upon arriving, we stopped for fresh-out-of-the-ocean sushi and fish and chips at a little restaurant hanging over the water.  Sitting here feeling the spray from the crashing waves below, we watched the seals splash around and play in the water.  After lunch, we wandered around the town, grabbing coffee and cookies from a local bakery and checking out some of the boutiques before heading back to Cape Town. 

            For dinner, we decided to check out the scene downtown, where we ended up enjoying delicious salads, pizzas, and chocolate lava cakes at Greens, a great little restaurant right off Kloof Street.

Wednesday:

            On Wednesday, while I was in class and working at my service site, Will and Mom went on a safari at Aquila game reserve, a few hours outside of Cape Town.  They came back full of delicious food, stories, and pictures of all of the animals they saw.

  

After, they enjoyed a hearty, satisfying meal at the cozy Newlands restaurant, Wijnhuis. 

Thursday:

            Bundling up on this cold, windy morning, we decided to have lunch on St. George’s mall at a little café called Licorice and Lime.  Here, we ate a cozy meal of hot tea and warm tramezzinis.  Afterwards, we did some souvenir shopping at Green Market Square, where Mom got a great African mask, Will got TWO vuvuzelas (as hard as I tried to fight it), and I got a t-shirt featuring Nelson Mandela’s face.  Later that afternoon, Mom finally convinced us to check out the South African Art museum, which ended up being pretty interesting.  Then, after warming up in a coffee shop by the Cathedral, we headed back towards the hotel. 

            That night, we went back to Wijnhuis for dinner.  Here, we indulged on the fabulous fresh-baked bread, flavorful seafood, and what was truly the BEST flourless chocolate torte in the world.  Seriously. 

It was the perfect end to a wonderful week.

I can’t wait to make a repeat visit to Cape Town, next time with the whole family.

Winetasting and Whalewatching

            After a long wait, we finally made it to a winetasting.  Though we had been hearing about the incredible wine culture around Cape Town (and, of course, sampling the wines on our own), this was the first time we had gone to a vineyard and actually done an official tour and tasting. 

            On this beautiful, warm Saturday, we left our house bright and early at 9am and made the drive out to Paarl, a region of Stellenbosch, to a little vineyard called Nelson.  We began our morning with a tour of the vines and winery, learning about how the grapes were grown, processed, and turned into different types of wine. 

            After the tour, we were escorted to the tasting, where we were situated around giant round wooden tables and each given our own wooden board with cheese, crackers, and a glass.  For the next hour, our guide (who also happened to be the daughter of the founder of the vineyard) talked us through five of the vineyard’s wines, teaching us how to correctly taste, appreciate, and differentiate between the different types.  I quickly chose my favorite, a crisp, light Rosé, and as soon as the tasting ended I bought two bottles to take home with me.

            After the tasting, we were led out to our picnic lunch by the pool, where we enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by a local caterer and watched while a wedding ceremony was being set-up nearby.   We lazed in the sun for a few hours until finally, pleasantly numbed by the food, wine, and sun, we climbed back into the bus, sleepy and content.  Overall, the winetasting was one of my favorite experiences so far, and left me eager to try more. 

           

            The following weekend, we woke up early after a night of relaxing at a backyard Braii with our neighboring house to the delicious smell of baked apple French toast, which Danni whipped up to lure us out of bed in time for our 7am departure.  Once we had eaten our fill, we loaded into the van, pleasantly sleepy and satisfied, and headed to Hermanus for their annual Whale festival.  Every year, this charming little coastal town hosts a huge festival in honor of their yearly visitors, the Right Southern Whales.  We spent the day exploring the town and enjoying the festivities, which included several parades, a car show, tons of stands selling food and African crafts, and even some carnival games and rides.  After lunch at Cuban restaurant near the water, we took a walk along a scenic trail on the coastline.  Here, we had the opportunity to take in the gorgeous views and catch some glimpses of the whales! 

            At the end of the day, we piled back into the car to head home, taking the scenic coastal route where we got to see even more of the beautiful coastline.  Never having seen a whale before except in Free Willy, this day was definitely one I will never forget.  

Spring Break 2010

            This week six service-learners, Kato, Erin, Lauren, Noah, Danni, and I, celebrated spring vacation with a trip across the Garden Route on the Baz backpacker’s bus.  With only our backpacks and a loose idea of where we were going and what we would do when we got there, we set off early Saturday morning ready for anything.

            Our first stop was the Crags, a rural area near Plettenberg bay.  We stayed at a hostel (called a backpacker in SA) aptly named Wild Spirit, as it had a definite hippie-vibe.  On our first full day, we started off with a bang with the group attempting the world’s highest bungee jump off a nearby bridge.  Four of the group-members decided to do the jump (Erin and I opted to save our money and satisfy our survival instinct by watching from the pub which overlooked the jump and serving as the designated photographers).  Amazingly enough, nobody backed out, and all four jumpers came back smiling, satisfied, and adrenaline-filled, each with a DVD to document the event. 

Spring-themed party and dinner of Potjie stew at Wild Spirit- this explains my nature-inspired headpiece

the jumpers! the extra is Adrien, a french guy staying at Wild Spirit who came along for the jump

            That night, we headed to nearby Jeffrey’s Bay, a small surfing town.  For the next two days, we hung out by the beach, wandering around the quiet town and soaking up the mellow surfer-vibes.  It was a little cold to sunbathe, but being near the water felt great.

            From Jeffrey’s Bay we went to Port Elizabeth, where we stayed at a cozy little hostel.  We decided to use our one full day in P.E. splurging on a safari.  The day started at 8 am, when we were picked up and taken on a driving tour of Addo Elephant Park.  Driving through the park, we saw tons of elephants, some coming right up to the van! We then enjoyed a nice lunch at Addo before heading to Scotia Game Reserve for our afternoon safari. 

            At Scotia, we all piled into an open-air landrover, equipped with wool blankets to wrap up in with, of course, our cameras in-hand.  For the rest of the afternoon, we rode around the park, seeing some unbelievable animals up-close and personal.  Highlights included the giraffes (my favorite!) and zebras.  Later in the afternoon, following a tea and coffee break, I got to ride on the tracker’s seat, a little bench perched on the hood of the landrover (the only condition was, according to our guide Peter, that I had to get back inside the vehicle when we found a rhino).  For close to an hour, I got to ride around in this seat, clinging on with both hands during the rough ride and soaking up the animals, scenery, and beautiful African sunset.  Finally we did spot a rhino, and Peter quickly pulled over in the bush for me to climb back in.  We then drove over to the rhinos, who came right up tous. Suddenly, one of them charged at the front of our truck! Apparently we did something to make him mad- thankfully I had vacated my special seat, or the day might not have ended so well for me. 

setting off to safari

I managed to capture the moment when the rhino charged at the van! 

            Once the sun had gone down, we headed to a bungalow on the reserve for a delicious African home-cooked dinner of stewed kudu, chicken, rice, potatoes, pureed squash, green beans, mushroom sauce, and fresh-baked African bread.  Paired with a glass of wine and a slice of Malva pudding with custard for dessert (the best way to describe malva is a slice of thick syrup-soaked pancake cake- AMAZING), it was the perfect way to end an incredible day.  Finally, as if this wasn’t enough, we piled back into the landrover for the final highlight of the experience- venturing out to observe the nocturnal lion hunt.  Though we saw a few lions earlier in the day, this was nothing compared to what we saw once the sun went down.  Driving out into the open grass, we got within 3 feet of TONS of lions.  Though this was supposed to be their hunting hour, most didn’t seem in the mood- instead seemingly preferring to lay around in the grass.  Lucky for us, this provided the perfect opportunity to see them up-close and take a million pictures.  Overall, the day was an undeniable high-point of the trip, and an experience I will never forget. 

picture's a little dark- but check out his pose.

            For our final spring-break stop, we stayed our last night in Knysna, a sweet little sea town.  With a picturesque waterfront, lots of shops and restaurants, and a slow-paced charm, it was a nice opportunity to explore and unwind after a hectic week.  When we finally piled back on the Baz bus on Friday for the long drive back to Cape Town, we were exhausted, happy, and full of stories and pictures to record our memorable week.  

Devil’s Peak Hike, Baxter Dance Festival, and Langa Homestay

Finally back with many long-overdue updates on life in South Africa!

           

            Last month, following a late night out with the housemates in Observatory, we decided to de-tox with a hike up to Devil’s Peak (arguably the highest point on Table Mountain? I’m not entirely sure…).  The hike ended up being much more intense than I anticipated, but ultimately the struggle paid off with a spectacular sweeping view of Cape Town.  The peak was so windy I thought I was going to blow away, bracing myself to stay rooted to the mountain.  Luckily, someone had managed to get a couch up there (how, I can’t even begin to imagine, as the climb up required both hands and feet), so we were able to have a little rest before heading back down.  We finally stumbled back into the house six hours later, exhausted but feeling accomplished.  Needless to say, we all slept like babies that night.

resting at the peak on the mysterious couch... check out that view

            Erin, Danni, and I also recently had our first artistic experience at the Baxter Theater, checking out the Baxter Dance Festival.  The theater, which is a two-minute walk from our house, is gorgeous, and the show was spectacular.  I was blown away by the variety, talent, and creativity demonstrated by all of the dancers.  Showcasing everything from African modern to Contemporary theater/dance to Flamenco, they easily held my rapt attention throughout the two-plus hour performance. 

            Another recent adventure was our homestay in Langa, one of Cape Town’s townships.  We stayed in pairs with local host families, and the weekend included checking out local bars and taverns, sampling the local food, getting a tour of Langa, and attending an African-style Roman Catholic church service on Sunday morning.  Overall, the weekend was a definite learning experience, with lots of surprises which undoubtedly left me with a much deeper understanding of the culture of township life. 

Me with my host family

on the tour of Langa

Me with a chicken head- we got to see the entire process, from cage to killing to plucking to cooking.  Honestly, a little more than I wanted to know.

Getting Settled into Service at the Brooklyn Chest

             After a long process of figuring out my service site, things are finally in full-swing with my work at the Brooklyn Chest.  Since early last week, I have been diving headfirst into my work with the school-aged children at the TB hospital- a group of about 25 students ranging from ages 6-15.  The kids have gone above and beyond my expectations, responding with enthusiasm and creativity to art projects and activities I introduce.  These projects aim to empower them and encourage them to express themselves and play an active role in their environment. By creating personal works like self-portraits, I want them to develop a sense pride and self-awareness, and by producing decorative art for their ward, I encourage them to “leave their mark” on the hospital that they call home for so many months.

            Preparing for their self-portraits, I had a photoshoot with the kids the other day.  They loved starring in their own solo shots- it turns out we have some natural model/actors in the group.  The pictures are priceless- I hate to say it but because of hospital privacy policies I can’t post them here.

            Going into this work, I think I had expected to feel a general sense of hopelessness and depression.  Now a few weeks in, I can see how wrong I was.  Though every day brings its own emotional challenges as I hear heartbreaking stories of patients’ and staff members’ struggles, these stories are interwoven with a sense of perseverance that is so incredibly inspiring.  Even in the face of huge challenges, the kids are so responsive, receptive, and open- they want to rise above their circumstances and make the most of their bad situations.  At the end of the day, they are still able to look forward, rather than dwelling on the undeniable physical and emotional pain they face on a daily basis.  Talk about putting things in perspective.

            

Kalk Bay

            On this holiday weekend we finally had the opportunity to explore some of South Africa’s coastline and spend a day by the water.  Monday marked the celebration of Women’s Day, an entire day every August 9 devoted to honoring the women of South Africa- and Mariah’s 21^st birthday! Classes were cancelled and we found ourselves with a completely free day, so we decided to take our first stab at figuring out the train system and headed out to Kalk Bay on the coast. 

            I was instantly charmed by the peaceful little sea town.  We got off the train after a smooth forty-minute ride and were greeted by a misty, overcast, windy day, with waves crashing up against the rocky coastline and a sweeping view of mountain, sea, and sky.

            We immediately headed for Kalky’s, a fish and chips shack on the pier dishing up fresh catches straight off the boat with generous helpings of thick fries, chili sauce, and vinegar. After a deliciously coma-inducing lunch, we wandered along the dock, checking out the brightly-colored boats and even catching a glimpse of a seal playing in the water.  Afterwards, we explored some of the boutiques and vintage shops in the town and scouted out the local “sweet spots,” finally settling in for pastries and tea at a little traincar converted into a diner, appropriately named the Kalk Bay Espresso: Cake, Coffee, and Pancake Train. 

            At the end of the day, we boarded the train home feeling exhausted and chilled by the damp sea air.  One thing is for sure though: we won’t wait long before making another visit to Kalk Bay and exploring the rest of South Africa’s beautiful coastline-- we’re hooked.  

Service-Learning begins...

We are enjoying another fun, relaxing weekend with beautiful weather.  I have continued to explore more and more of the UCT campus during my daily runs, and I can feel my legs getting stronger with the practically all-uphill mountain roads.  My run always include a trip up to the the Rhodes memorial on the side of Table Mountain, with a sweeping view of Cape Town and two oceans.  The first time I stumbled on this spot, it truly took my breath away.

the view

Rhodes Memorial

Yesterday, we checked out the Old Biscuit Mill, a huge open-air market in the Woodstock neighborhood.  We were amazed (and slightly overwhelmed!) by the hoards of people, vast array of goods, and unbelievable smells coming from the dozens of food stands: everything from Indian curries to French pastries, sweet and savory crepes, shawarma and mezze, and even a woodburning pizza oven firing-up authentic Italian pies.  Aside from the food (which would have been more than enough to keep us occupied all afternoon) there were clothing vendors, craft stands, and tons of other local goods.  Needless to say, I was a big fan of the mill, and may have to make my trips there a weekly ritual.
Tomorrow begins our first full week of service-learning life.  We have our classes in the mornings, and in the afternoons we'll be going to our various service sites and getting to work. Over the past two weeks, we've been visiting tons of different sites and trying to decide where we want to spend the next four months developing our service projects.  All of the sites were incredibly interesting, but it wasn't until my visit to the Brooklyn Chest TB hospital that something clicked for me.
Walking into the hospital for the first time, the scene was pretty overwhelming.  Brooklyn Chest is basically a complex of three wards: one for young children, one for older children (there is also a school for them on the grounds) and one for adults.  All patients are infected with Tuberculosis, which is a huge problem here in South Africa.  As soon as I entered the young children's ward, I was struck by what I saw.  About two dozen cribs were scattered right in the entrance, with crying infants laying on bare mattresses, each labeled with the child's name, age, and some record of their condition.  The helplessness of these children, many of which rarely have visitors or human contact outside of those tending to their most basic needs, was difficult to take in.
Yolanda, the woman who met us and showed us around, was very warm and grateful for our interest in the hospital.  She seemed open, receptive, and eager to make use of anything we could offer.  Along with expecting us to help cover some of the more basic needs of the children, like feeding and changing them, she encouraged us to pursue our own projects and attempt to bring some fresh ideas to their organization.  I am excited to work with her, and I can't wait to get started!

Meeting Desmond Tutu

Another high point of Cape Town so far was going to hear Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak at St. George's Catholic Church on a friday morning.  After hearing that he would be leading the 7:15 mass (AM!) we decided to brave the dark, chilly morning to check it out.  As we were sitting around the kitchen half-awake nursing our coffee before we set out, we saw the headline of the local newspaper announcing Tutu's retirement from public speaking.  Apparently we were catching one of his last appearances.
The service at St. George's was pretty amazing.  There were only about forty of us in the small, intimate sanctuary, and when we arrived Tutu had us all go around the room and introduce ourselves.  The group included some incredible people, everyone from local missionaries to a writer who was en route to Johannesburg to deliver the Nelson Mandela address- an honor previously held by Tutu himself.

Erin with the day's newspaper 

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

After the service, Tutu came over to greet us.  He was unbelievably personable, even offering to take a picture with us.  Later we all went to breakfast to rehash the experience, which was definitely one we will never forget.

Never a dull moment

Following our "expectations workshop weekend" at an outdoor adventure camp an hour North of Cape Town, the health of the service learners quickly went South.  Over the course of four days after our return from the camp, each and every one of us came down with varying degrees of this mysterious epidemic, attributed to "traveler's tummy" (a cute name for something that is- trust me- not the slightest bit cute in practice), food poisoning, stress of being in a new environment, and a stomach bug going around.  Whatever it was, I'm glad it's over.
After recovering from what I affectionally dubbed "The Plague," we all finally felt up for doing something other than laying around in our sweatpants fighting with the spotty internet connection, so Kato, Noah, David and I decided to try our luck hiking to the peak of Table Mountain.  Not much of a hiker, I was glad that David took on the role of trailblazer.  He fearlessly led us through existing trails- and a few paths that we created on our own- on the outrageously windy afternoon.  More than once I felt like I was going to be blown off the mountain by the force of the gusts of wind, but we ended up making it back all in one piece.  The best part was discovering a hidden waterfall, which David and I were quick to point out made us feel like four of the characters on Lost exploring the island.

view from the top

the waterfall

me and Kato

I don't think I'll attempt this hike on my own anytime soon, but I can definitely say that I'm quickly learning to love and appreciate this gorgeous scenery and am eager to see as much of it as I can over the next four months.

Getting to know Cape Town

My first two weeks in Cape Town have been unbelievable.  First, we took a tour of the townships, seeing some of the roughest, most impoverished slums on the outskirts of the city.  Highlights included meeting a traditional healer, sampling fresh homemade beer out of a communal tin bucket, seeing a local woman cook sheep heads on an outdoor fire, and getting our hands dirty over a lunch of Braai (afrikaans for barbeque) meat and paap.

The traditional healer in his "office"

Sheep heads- apparently you eat the skin.  Sadly, they weren't ready for us to sample.

home-brewed beer

Langa homes

latrines in Langa

Later, we visited the Bo-Kaap, the vibrantly colored muslim district of Cape town perched on the side of table mountain with gorgeous views of the water, ending our tour in one of the homes with a delicious meal cooked by our local hostess, Habiba.

lunch at Habiba's

the Bo-Kaap

about to go inside the mosque

Aside from these highlights, we also went to the Ubuntu festival in honor of Nelson Mandela's 92nd birthday, visited the District 6 museum, and explored UCT's gorgeous campus and the surrounding community nestled at the foot of the breathtaking Table Mountain.  So far, I see why so many come to visit Cape Town and never want to leave.