What an awesome day we've had in this incredible city!!! I think I may never leave...
Although we had originally planned to start on some of the city center museums today, with a 90% chance of rain tomorrow we rearranged our plans and enjoyed the sunshine today instead! We spent the day seeing the cape peninsula area, as well as a little bit of the city along the way.
We started at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, an incredible landscape of rolling foothills and beautiful plants. We walked for hours, taking in the landscape and the beauty surrounding us.
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Table Mountain and its surrounding mountains stand above you as you travel around the cape and through the gardens - absolutely beautiful! We learned in the gardens about the many indigenous as well as non-native plants that exist in the area. (Did you know that all geraniums originate from the area around Table Mountain?!) The land on which Kirstenbosch sits (as well as the majority of the land around the area) was once owned by Cecil Rhodes, (yup, the guy who Rhodesia --> Zimbabwe was named after!) a successful/ruthless entrepreneur who had grands plans of British colonization of the entire continent. Incredibly wealthy, Rhodes left specific plans in his will for how his land and assets should be divided. Luckily, these gardens were a part of his plan - and what a beautiful part they are!!! We loved seeing the lush landscape of this beautiful region.
This region was originally inhabited by the Khoikhoi people. Although they at first tolerated visitors to the cape, seeing it as a stopping point for trade routes, slowly their land began to be taken from them. As they realized what was happening, the Khoikhoi first traded with the Dutch colonialists, and then tried negotiating with them. This eventually broke down, and war ensued. Although I have yet to learn a lot about this history, it seems like an unfortunately similar story to many places in the world where indigenous people were pushed out by colonialists. Just like America, South Africa has not only the apartheid injustice in its history, but also this original forced removal of the country's first inhabitants.
On the way to the gardens, we drove by the hospital where the first heart transplant was performed (though passed on the opportunity to see the operating room and life size replicas of the surgeons and patients....) as well as the barren District Six - one of the only open field areas within the city center. District Six was once a vibrant community, until Apartheid forced the relocation of 60,000 colored South Africans to areas outside the city. Their homes were bulldozed behind them, and the emptiness that remains is another reminder of the injustice that lies in much of SA's recent history. More on that tomorrow, when I visit the District Six museum! We also saw the Mount Nelson hotel, one of the most famous hotels in the region, hosting many internationally known guests throughout history. Apparently one day someone reported a vagrant on the hotel lawn, who turned out to be John Lennon meditating in the grass!
From the gardens, we traveled on to check out a number of the views around the peninsula - the wine country of Constantia, Hout Bay, Sea Point, Three Anchor Bay, and Green Point. We spent a bit of time strolling (maybe frolicking is a more apt description - I get veritably giddy by the sea!) on the Hout Bay beach, and enjoyed learning about the quirky community - they declared themselves a republic in the 1980's, complete with their own tourism passports! Legend has it that someone was once able to travel the world on their Hout Bay passport, without any officials noticing! We basked in the sun, enjoyed the waves, took in the scent of the sea, and enjoyed the spectacular views! It was lovely - lovely - lovely!!!
We also passed by the township of Imizamo Yethu (meaning "our struggle.") It's amazing that some of the wealthiest areas sit mere kilometers from some of the poorest. South Africa is definitely a study in contrast - beauty and desolation, injustice and triumph, hardship and hope, wealth and disparity.
We learned about two Imizamo Yethu domestic workers who decided to take on a project they are calling "On Top of the Mountain." These two women climbed Table Mountain, and then determined to summit the highest peak on each continent. They have checked off Kilimanjaro, a peak in Argentina, and are planning for Everest. If they succeed in their goal, they will be the first black women to summit the highest mountain in the world! They have set out on this tremendous undertaking to show South African women the great things that are possible for them, even despite hardships! Wow!!!
We ended our day at the V&A Waterfront - a lovely harbor area in the shadow of Table Mountain.
It's a beautiful area to stroll around, shop, eat, and enjoy the views. We'll be back here a number of times during our visit, especially to take the ferry to the Robben Island prison/museum. Tonight, we explored the canal (Oprah is rumored to have a penthouse apartment here!), walked along the boardwalk, wandered through the shops and markets, and ate at a great Portuguese restaurant right along the water. It was lovely to reflect and take in the sights as the sun went down on the harbor. (As it's winter here now, our patio dining was equipped with heaters and blankets!). A delicious evening, in so many ways!
Tomorrow we'll don our rain jackets and explore more in the city center. We have plans to see the Slave Lodge Museum, District Six Museum, St. George's cathedral, and a local market that's only a couple of days a week. Can't wait to share about all I am learning and seeing!
~emily~
Although we had originally planned to start on some of the city center museums today, with a 90% chance of rain tomorrow we rearranged our plans and enjoyed the sunshine today instead! We spent the day seeing the cape peninsula area, as well as a little bit of the city along the way.
We started at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, an incredible landscape of rolling foothills and beautiful plants. We walked for hours, taking in the landscape and the beauty surrounding us.
This region was originally inhabited by the Khoikhoi people. Although they at first tolerated visitors to the cape, seeing it as a stopping point for trade routes, slowly their land began to be taken from them. As they realized what was happening, the Khoikhoi first traded with the Dutch colonialists, and then tried negotiating with them. This eventually broke down, and war ensued. Although I have yet to learn a lot about this history, it seems like an unfortunately similar story to many places in the world where indigenous people were pushed out by colonialists. Just like America, South Africa has not only the apartheid injustice in its history, but also this original forced removal of the country's first inhabitants.
On the way to the gardens, we drove by the hospital where the first heart transplant was performed (though passed on the opportunity to see the operating room and life size replicas of the surgeons and patients....) as well as the barren District Six - one of the only open field areas within the city center. District Six was once a vibrant community, until Apartheid forced the relocation of 60,000 colored South Africans to areas outside the city. Their homes were bulldozed behind them, and the emptiness that remains is another reminder of the injustice that lies in much of SA's recent history. More on that tomorrow, when I visit the District Six museum! We also saw the Mount Nelson hotel, one of the most famous hotels in the region, hosting many internationally known guests throughout history. Apparently one day someone reported a vagrant on the hotel lawn, who turned out to be John Lennon meditating in the grass!
From the gardens, we traveled on to check out a number of the views around the peninsula - the wine country of Constantia, Hout Bay, Sea Point, Three Anchor Bay, and Green Point. We spent a bit of time strolling (maybe frolicking is a more apt description - I get veritably giddy by the sea!) on the Hout Bay beach, and enjoyed learning about the quirky community - they declared themselves a republic in the 1980's, complete with their own tourism passports! Legend has it that someone was once able to travel the world on their Hout Bay passport, without any officials noticing! We basked in the sun, enjoyed the waves, took in the scent of the sea, and enjoyed the spectacular views! It was lovely - lovely - lovely!!!
We also passed by the township of Imizamo Yethu (meaning "our struggle.") It's amazing that some of the wealthiest areas sit mere kilometers from some of the poorest. South Africa is definitely a study in contrast - beauty and desolation, injustice and triumph, hardship and hope, wealth and disparity.
We learned about two Imizamo Yethu domestic workers who decided to take on a project they are calling "On Top of the Mountain." These two women climbed Table Mountain, and then determined to summit the highest peak on each continent. They have checked off Kilimanjaro, a peak in Argentina, and are planning for Everest. If they succeed in their goal, they will be the first black women to summit the highest mountain in the world! They have set out on this tremendous undertaking to show South African women the great things that are possible for them, even despite hardships! Wow!!!
We ended our day at the V&A Waterfront - a lovely harbor area in the shadow of Table Mountain.
Tomorrow we'll don our rain jackets and explore more in the city center. We have plans to see the Slave Lodge Museum, District Six Museum, St. George's cathedral, and a local market that's only a couple of days a week. Can't wait to share about all I am learning and seeing!
~emily~
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