Scatterlings of Africa: Amazing Trip: Cape Town in Pictures (mostly)

Table Mountain, Cape Town

Molly & Ryan on Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town

View from top of Table Mountain

Gondola Ride up & down the mountain

Long Street at Night, Central Capetown

Bo-Kaap District

Colorful Bo-Kaap area, a predominantly Cape Malay Muslim area

Bo-Kaap Museum

Shoe maker and leather repair shop in Bo-Kaap

delicious Cape Malay food, Bobotie

Cape Malay curry

the steep steep drive down from Signal Hill

Mosque in Bo-Kaap

Waterfront & Robben Island

Cape Town waterfront area

View of Table Mountain & Cape Town from Robben Island

Limestone quarry where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners slaved away

Nelson Mandela's cell in prison, Robben Island

No white prisoners were kept on Robben Island.
"Bantus" (blacks) were given different food than the other prisoners--"Asiatics" and "Coloreds" (coloreds being people of mixed race or anyone else who is "non-white")

Cape Pennisula

African penguin, Boulder Beach, Cape Pennisula

African penguins--did you know South Africa is actually pretty close to the South pole?

molting. mohawk.

when penguins molt, they lose their waterproofness,
so they have to wait it out n the beach for 2-3 weeks.

pretty penguin

feet

friends

dassie
this rodent-looking little guy is actually most closely related to the elephant!

False Bay, along the eastern coast of Cape Pennisula.
Lots of ships sank here, thinking they were already to Cape Town harbor.

Cape of Good Hope (formerly known as Cape of Storms)

Cape Point

Ryan at Cape Point, well almost.

Beautiful rocks at Cape of Good Hope

Beach at Cape of Good Hope

Protea

along the western coast of Cape Pennisula

Coming across Chapman's Peak drive, falling rock hazard, but amazing views!

Hout Bay
we actually heard and saw Southern Right Whales in the bay from the lookout
the sounds were amazing
hard to see from far away though, lots of fins and black/white spots through binoculars

Chapman's Peak, sunset

Sunday Worship

St. Stephen's NG Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church), Cape Town
this church is primarily a Colored, Afrikaans-speaking worshiping community
(the term "colored" is different in South Africa than in the States. It was a catch-all term in the apartheid era to mean anyone not classified as "white" or "black/bantu" or someone of mixed race. The terms "white," "black," and "colored" are still used in SA today, as descriptors, not a legal classification.)

Inside St. Stephen's

there was a mix of contemporary music and traditional hymns with organ
most all the music was sung in English

check out the really tall pulpit
the pastor spoke (and preached) in English, but prayed in Afrikaans
also the Nicene Creed--in catechism question form--was recited in Afrikaans

first Sunday of the Month= Communion
they had a very large table, and the servers came up to sit during the liturgy before Communion

St. Andrew's Anglican Cathedral, where Archbishop Desmond Tutu still preaches sometimes
not this week though...

Langa Township

laundry in front of Table Mountain
it's important to remember Cape Town isn't all slick, beautiful tourist sites (though those abound)
but I don't want to make it seem like the townships are the "ugly" side of Cape Town
many say South Africa has one foot firmly planted in Africa and one in the West
meaning there is incredible wealth & development right alongside extreme poverty
but there is much beauty and hope also

we took a local tour of Langa township, one of the largest & closest to the city center
Siviwe's Tours-- found it in Lonely planet
it started a the cultural center, where youth can learn arts such as music, pottery, painting

Nathi, our guide, grew up & still resides in Langa
he's since studied tour-guiding & now works with Siviwe leading tours in through his community
this mural, one of 4 double-sided murals on the corners of the main intersection by the center, depicts "lovers lane"
housing was so over crowded that often young couples would choose to build in the slum area

These buildings were originally dorms--meant for men working on building Cape Town
8 men to a room, 3 rooms to an apartment
then they housed 3 families to a room...
and still do
there are strict rules in this close-community living. curfews. mediation between families.
young couples are still moving out to the shanty-town, slum areas on the outskirts

everyone, especially young people, spend most of their time outside
to have some space and socialize

this woman prepares her family's meal in the communal kitchen

new housing put up by the government. single family apartments
but there is a long process to move from the dorm-apartments to these

there is a good deal of middle-class & wealthy homes/families still in Langa
though some move away, many people stay in the township once they move up the ladder
Nathi explained that there isn't really jealousy, the wealthier people are seen as inspiration
nicer homes have walls or fences, but no razor wire and alarms like in rich white neighborhoods
Nathi said it was more for insurance purposes
there is also little crime in Langa--the community "takes care of" thieves, rapists, murderers
a.k.a. corporal punishment outside the law

many women cook & sell sheep heads for their living, a local delicacy

this woman has turned a container car into a home
she lives alone in her 2 small rooms
watching football

a brightly painted 2-room home in the slum area

Siviwe and Nathi also run a program called "Happy Feet Youth Project"
kids can come and learn to gum
the way miners danced and communicated

Nathi (left in white) and Siviwe (middle in green) singing with the children
they now have a volunteer, a young woman from California
and a blog and videos on YouTube

the slum areas are primarily on the perimeter of townships
the last place possible to build
for the lovers to get away to, have a place of their own
you would only see this side of the townships if you never ventured inside

Winelands--Stellenbosch & Franshoek