I haven’t blogged about our 5 day post-trip to Cape Town in South Africa. I returned to the states exhausted and jet-lagged, recovering from a respiratory infection, and carrying a GI bug which was perking on the final flight and hit me arriving home. I was so thankful to have a bathroom close and also couldn’t complain when I lost a tooth crown a couple of days later. Thank you, God!
However, to be complete I do want to document our final leg of the trip so here it is.
After an amazing 12 days in the bush, the small tourist town of Victoria Falls was pleasant and still seemed like authentic Africa. Baboons and warthogs roamed the streets and wild elephants crossed the road in front of cars. Arriving in CapeTown was a jarring experience for me.
A short flight from Victoria Falls deposited our group in Johannesburg which is a major aviation hub. It was a quick and hurried goodbye to all but 7 of our group along with Noss who were all continuing to CapeTown. Arriving early for departing flights back to the states and delays and more delays meant we spent an entire day traveling before reaching our hotel in Cape Town around midnight.
I was looking forward to our post-trip since I may never be in this part of the world again. Cape Town - home of The Olympics, the bottom of the African continent, Nelson Mandela, and apartheid is what comes to mind. The city is currently experiencing a severe drought, and we were warned there would be water restrictions. However, we were told tourists would not be affected like the regular population. Signs in our hotel bathroom stated a 3 minute shower used 9 liters and each flush of the toilet 3 liters. Stoppers were removed from tubs and sinks so water could not be pooled. Robyn and I agreed not to flush every time, and as long as I can shower, even a short stop and go one, I’ll be OK.
I will note here that water restrictions have affected tourist attractions. Every public restroom I visited had signs asking you to flush only if necessary and most sinks had the water turned off or the handles removed so you would only use hand sanitizer. Again, I think everyone was compliant; although, it did feel weird not flushing!
A beautiful breakfast buffet greeted us downstairs before we boarded a van to drive to Table Mountain, the iconic flat top mountain that overlooks the city. It was a windy road full of switchbacks before arriving at the lower cable station. Standing at 3,558’, Table Mountain is frequently wreathed in clouds and closed to tourists, but today was beautiful.
Boarding the cable car, we were told not to hold on since the car itself rotates during the trip to the mountain plateau. It is an interesting sensation slowly spinning as you ascend, but it gives you a panoramic view of the city.
I initially headed down the cement pathway and then diverted to a dirt footpath watching my step and hoping not to twist an ankle. I already felt “traumatized” by arriving in the city after the bush and having to battle cars instead of insects. Noise and busyness and traffic; I needed some peace and nature and less people! Gazing down into the rocky gorges was definitely soothing to my soul.
I realized our van driver and guide was close behind me, and as we talked and walked, he told me about his many trips to Table Mountain. He showed me his two favorite places....one you had to jump a crevice to reach the next rock and the other you laid flat on the rock and looked over the cliff! Getting up wasn’t pretty, but it was nice to escape the crowds and gaze at the city, Robbens Island where Nelson Mandela was a famous prisoner, and the Atlantic Ocean.
Our tour of the city continued with Kirstenbosch Arboretum filled with beautiful gardens and the most gorgeous gift shop. I’m not usually interested in tourist gift shops but the botanical motifs on the items were striking. I bought a fabric muffin carrier which lies flat until the corners are tied to form a basket with hand painted birds. Although most of the garden was not in bloom, there were still enough flowers for me to capture some close-ups.
We walked the old market area which is now a pedestrian walkway and visited Bo-Kaap, a multicultural part of the city filled with colorful houses and cobblestone streets. History explains that the area residents expressed their freedom by using vivid exterior paint colors.
Lunch was at the marketplace at the Victoria and Alfred...V&A... Waterfront. It was a beautiful place to walk, shop and eat along with the bronze statues of South African Nobel Prize winners.
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District Six is a former inner city residential area in CapeTown which was populated by 60,000 residents mostly black, immigrants, and “colored” which means mixed race. During the reign of apartheid in the late 60s and 1970s, the area was declared “whites only”; although, only 1% of the current population was white. Residents were forced to move miles away to a deserted flat and the houses and businesses bulldozed.
The government gave four reasons for the removals: interracial interaction lead to conflict so the races needed to be separate, District Six was a slum which was not fit for rehabilitation, the area was filled with criminals and crime, and it was also filled with immoral activities such as gambling, drinking, and prostitution. Many residents believed the land was coveted due to its location close to the city center, the harbor, and Table Mountain.
Although plans were made for District Six, the only development has been a small educational facility. Today, the area is memorialized for its distinctive history. We visited the District Six Museum which remembers the sad era of apartheid along with the culture of the area.
I was spoiled (?) during our previous days where water was provided on all tours and in our rooms. During the post-trip, the hotel only gave us ONE small bottle of water and none was available on the tour. It was a hot day, and even though I had bought water at Table Mountain, I was soon dehydrated and not feeling well. Along with the traffic and noise, I was not happy!
Purchasing a liter and another smaller bottle of water, I guzzled the liter without stopping and felt better. Thank goodness so I could enjoy the rest of the day. As they say, the best is yet to come!
Touring the townships and learning about apartheid was educational and depressing. It is such a sad part of South African history that they are still struggling to recover from. Many of the residents have small businesses, and we stopped by a local woman scraping and preparing sheep heads. This is considered a delicacy where they are charred over an open flame. If I had felt better, I would have welcomed this interesting afternoon snack!
We parked at our next stop, walked through a tight knit group of men, and ducked into a narrow dark opening where two candles barely illuminated the area. Standing before us draped in fur robes of indeterminate origin was the local witch doctor!
As we sit down on benches surrounded by hanging herbs and animal skulls and parts which all contributed to an interesting and not totally pleasant odor, he welcomed us and asked if anyone had a complaint he could cure. I was dumb struck just taking in my surroundings!
He explained witch doctors are a special calling passed on from generation to generation and you are born into the profession rather than trained. He receives many of his prophesies in visions, and his customers seek cures for medical ailments, spiritual problems, relationship and love difficulties and the occasional hex.
He talked continuously while answering a few questions. He was in such high gear I wondered if he was using some of his own special herbs! It was one of the most fascinating and unusual experiences of my life!
CapeTown is experiencing a wave of crime, and we were notified both through the US State Dept and Noss to be careful outside the hotel. We were advised not to leave at all after dark and to remain in a group during the day. Robyn and I had a quick dinner at the hotel and prepared for tomorrow.
Another day in Africa!
