Cape Town - First Impressions

My first impression of Cape Town was that I could have been in any city in the United States - perhaps that’s why so many Americans who come to South Africa rave over its beauty. It better fits their comfort zone. For me, after Senegal and Joburg, I kept wondering, “where are the Africans?”


I soon found out. As we drove in from the airport our guide tried to avoid talking about the corrugated iron shanty towns that sit in the bowl of this glorious city surrounded by mountains and the sea. One million souls subsist in these places that are truly indescribable to someone who hasn’t seen them. No slum in the United States would look like this. It seems that, after the end of apartheid in the ‘90’s, the new government promised to build housing for all those who had been disenfranchised, but they couldn’t possibly provide housing for so many.


The majority of these people were denied an education or a means to make a living so, even in new housing, how would they provide food for their families? We’ve been told by various taxi drivers and guides so many tragic stories unknown to most of the world. In this case, people rented their new government provided homes in order to earn enough money to get by, continuing to live in the shacks.


On the waterfront, named ironically for previous oppressors of the African people, you can purchase souvenirs at the very finest name brand stores. You’ll also find Sotheby’s for real estate sales, Dior for fashion, and fine wines and beers. 100 yards away you may decide to board the catamaran that will take you to another world, Robben Island, home of political prisoners accused of treason by the apartheid government for “plotting” to take back their country.


Most readers will know the most famous prisoner held in cell #7, Nelson Mandela, and will be appalled at the size of the cell, the austerity and loneliness of the island, the bone chilling cold, a wind that never rests, the work in the mines and the cruelty that segregated even the prisoners into blacks and others. Blacks received fewer grams of food. More horrific than what you see on Robben Island is the fact that you are being lead on your tour by former prisoners.


Our guide told about the time the world finally received news that people were being mistreated here. A delegation of journalists were sent by the BBC to verify the reports. Prisoners who were formerly clothed in ragged shorts, not even underwear or socks, were given warm, full length farmer’s jeans and jackets to wear for the photo shoot. The second it was over, so was their comfort.

Yes, I am getting an education. As I’ve written previously, this is why one travels. But please, don’t think it is all so horribly depressing. It has been an eye-opening adventure, the best of which is the people we have met. All Don has to do is ask an open ended question of a cabbie, a tour guide, a person sitting next to us on a boat or bus and it’s fabulous! It’s like speaking to living encyclopedias. We share, we spar, and we understand another’s point of view. At the end of the day, we sit over our wine and meal , discussing what we’ve discovered, what we didn’t expect, what was a revelation and we marvel at all that we have in common with the rest of the world.



We are now spending a week unconnected to the world, no phone, no Internet, just days of listening to the wildlife and reading. Wait until I tell you about today!!