South Africa Western Cape Trip
August 2017
“Hope is when you can hear the melody of the future. Faith is when you can dance to the melody.”
OBSERVATIONS
1. Many of the vehicles that I saw on the road were white. Driving on the left side of the road with the wheel on the right took some adjusting.
2. There is much more smoking here.
3. There is much rr rolling in the Afrikaan language.
4. The language delivery is very expressive and dramatic.
5. There is Wifi in many places; “always on” is a popular hotspot. Gone are the days of Internet cafes.
6. South Africans seem to like their ice like the US.
7. The dollar is very strong; 13/14 rands to $1
8. It is a very clean country. Someone is always wiping off or beautifying.
9. There are many hitchhikers. We saw a lot of people walking on directly in the shoulder of the highway.
10. Shoe sizes are 1 size bigger than the US
11. A lot of this country isn’t 3rd world.
12. Cannibus Oil “Zulu blues” is all the rage
13. Choir warmups use a lot of R “Brio 54321”
14. Takeaway means “to go.”
15. Zuma (the president) is greatly disliked. They were voting on getting him out of office when we were there. It wasn’t successful however. The county is having financial difficulties.
16. Mathomb is a great radio DJ.
17. Cars sales in Cape Town are big business.
18. The Cape Town Aquarium would be a great trip for SA kids.
19. Many locals we met are Fromm Zimbabwe. They said there is little work and food there and they wish they could go to the us. They had positive reactions to America. One was surprised that the US doesn’t have the tasty, fruity grapetizer drink. They exclaimed “the US has everything!”
20. There is uber in South Africa but not lyft.
21. What’s app is a great way to communicate overseas. Verizon doesn’t really have cell service towers here; 2.99 a minute.
22. We spoke to many people about their apartheid challenges from different skin colors, identities, and economic realities. They were very open about their experiences. One story in particular stick with me. There are many hues of people of color here. You are classified here more by class rather than skin color. A colored women I met shared the following story with me. When she was visiting a former whites only venue, another woman of color pointed at a “white appearing” woman and said “she must miss the old days when it wasn’t mixed here.” The white woman she was pointing at was the first woman’s mother.
23. Bad words in Afrikaans are very fun to say especially when dramatically delivered.
24. Dankie is thank you in Afrikaans (like donkey.) Braai is BBQ. Slaai is salad.
25. Restaurant scrambled eggs were runny.
26. Our friends say, “I need to have a pee” instead of “I have to pee”
27. Even though it was winter in South Africa, I didn’t get too cold. I was often asked “aren’t you cold Elizabeth?”
Thursday 8.3.17
We had our universal chargers, walking shoes, and temperate winter clothes. We were ready to visit my friend Tarnia and family in Capetown. Tarnia and I were at music school together in 1989 at Eastern Illinois University. It had been 28 years. It was time high time to visit her in her homeland. Elizabeth and I took a Lyft at 230pm to EWR. Our check in and the security line was pretty painless. We flew Delta airlines to Amsterdam then KLM to Capetown. My phone fan attachment made this 48 yr old’s travel life much happier. The TSA in Newark assumed we were together since according to them, we seemed friendlier to each other than the way most people act in NJ. My 4.2 ounce hairspray stopped me at security and went bye bye. Boo. We both checked a suitcase without fees. Yay. The planes were much nicer and roomier than domestic. My tuchus had extra room and the tray table fit. Imagine. The kids on the plane were so cute. A little girl was running down the aisles in her pajamas. Eliz suggested a pillow fight but I don’t think the non jovial flight attendants would have been game. After 5 years, I am glad to have new un-scratched and crooked-less glasses that don’t hurt and “nooz” readers attached to my purse ready to go when in a pinch. We had screens on the back of our seats. Gone are the days of one movie and a few screens. I tried to watch King Kong skull island but wasn’t enthused. I did watch woody Harrelson in Wilson and enjoyed it. I also watched Split and was impressed by James McAvoy but annoyed and confused by the movie itself. The first flight was only 7 hours and there was wifi which was nice.
Friday 8.4.17
We landed in Amsterdam at 730am their time.
We had a two hour layover. Debit cards work everywhere now so I got some of my orangina drink and a holland magnet. No more travelers checks. Our flight to Capetown left at 10am. This was a long flight. Over 11 hours. And no wifi. So I watched many good movies including German film about an orphanage in the 60s, “the day will come,” Spanish film about Brazilian singer “Elis,” and another Spanish film about Argentina singer “Gilda.” Great movies. They fed us a lot: two meals, a light meal and snacks. The flight was full but a calm group of folks including well behaved small kids. We were however very ready to get off the plane. Our friend Clinton (Tarnia’s brother) met us first at the airport and friends Tarnia and David (Tarnia’s partner) came shortly thereafter. Capetown airport is very nice. We weren’t tired even though we hadn’t slept in two days. We stayed up and chatted for a few hours when we got to David and Tarnia’s house in Somerset West. They gave us some tasty wine, awesome amarula, and delicious Appletizer (a less sugary version of Fanta in the states.)
Saturday 8.5.17
We had a lovely continental breakfast and relaxed in the morning. That afternoon we explored Gordon’s Bay and Clarence Drive. This was an unbelievable drive and view of Cape Town. We met friends of Tarnia and David, (Ingrid and Maliaka) who live in a neat, artistic seaside village called Pringle Bay. We enjoyed fresh sea food called hake and snoek which is indigenous to their waters. We ended the day by seeing an outstanding drag show at the Artscape theater center “ab fab drag.” It is women’s appreciation month. The performers shared their moving personal stories and performed an amazing show including my personal favorite, the Rossini Cat duet. What. Tarnia used to work as a project and logistic manager at Artscape so we were able to meet many of her talented colleagues.
Sunday 8.6.17
By this point, I was so happy not to be sweating all the time. The cool weather was wonderful. We were invited to Tarnia’s brother and sister in law’s lovely home on Sunday for brunch. They live in the Bellville area which was a whites only area up until the 1990s. I finally had a chance to meet Tarnia’s Mom and Dad. They call them “Ma” and “Pa.” My friends would have been considered Cape Colored during apartheid so they weren’t allowed in many areas. Families were taken from their homes (belongings were put on the front lawn) when they were young and moved to certain less desirable areas specified only for their race. I can’t imagine. Brother Clinton made tasty braai for lunch. It was delicious. Afterwards, we visited their friends in various neighborhoods including Tarnia’s hometown Ravensmeade, Uitsig, Ottery, and Moundview. These neighborhoods span the spectrum from affluent to poor. In the evening we heard an amazing jazz group of music teachers and students from the Cape Town area called “out of town.” They invited people to come up and sing and so I sang “My Funny Valentine” with them. It was a lot of fun.
Monday 8.7.16 in Cape Town included a trip to Victoria and Alfred waterfront, big wheel ride, seafood at Quays, trip to Table Mountain national park to the wonderful Signal View Hill, and a sit in and sing with a SA community choir “ComArt.” The parking garage by the water front only cost 1 dollar American which is considered expensive for the locals. People were paragliding on Signal Hill. We were able to see the sun set and moon come up simultaneously. Singing with the choir was amazing. The director is an opera singer and teacher. She was very vibrant and effective with the volunteer group. The people were so joyful in their singing. Very robust and heartfelt. It was in a community center originally made for colored people so sadly it had very minimal amenities. It was a real treat to sing with this group. We ended the night by going to the amazing Capetown casino called the GrandWest. It has restaurants, ice rink, movie theater, auditorium, music arena, and stores. It is extremely nice. Much nicer than most I have seen outside of Las Vegas. Our friends enjoy Burger King so we enjoyed their spicy burger favorite, the “Fierce” Burger.
Tuesday and Wednesday 8.8.17/8.9.17
We took a road trip to the southern Cape of South Africa. It was a 6 hour drive from Cape Town. We stayed at a beautiful resort called Beacon Island in Plettenberg Bay. It is an ocean side town. The mountains and canola fields on the drive down were beautiful. Many of the tourists at the resort were from Australia and Germany. We didn’t meet too many Americans. We were somewhat of a novelty. Our friends introduced us as the American Lizzes from NJ. More than a few store vendors would chuckle and say to us “Americans? Trump?” We had an elegant dinner at the resort. Dinner for 4 people cost only $75 with tip. The views of the beaches, mountains and forests in this area are amazing. We visited Plettenberg, George, and Knysna (which was sadly affected by a terrible fire in May of this year.) As we drove, we would see people living in settlements of shacks throughout the area nearby expensive housing. The great diversity of wealth is very significant in this country. We went to an African market and bought beautiful handmade wooden bowls, malachite jewelry, and my personal favorite, wall masks. We met a sweet little girl named Gloria (maybe 3 years old) who ran up to us when we arrived. We enjoyed playing hide and seek with her. Her bright smile was infectious. That evening, we visited friends of our host (Noelene and George) who live in George, SA. Our friend and her friend prepared delicious appetizers and seafood entrees. Noelene speaks English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa (language of the indigenous Africans.) She tried to teach us words with the indigenous click. Not easy to do. The curse words were much easier. 😉 George took us in his new and very fast car to a beautiful lookout point in the town. The stars and skyline were amazing. Outside of their beautiful development, you could see a big settlement of shacks which is heartbreaking to view. They also had zebras and springboks (national animal) just hanging out in back yards. Elizabeth greatly enjoyed the southern stars. She had a special astronomy app that identified various objects in the sky like the southern cross, centaurus, ara, phoenix, telescopium, and the Milky Way. Her father, Frank, is an amateur astronomer and builds telescopes. He has taught her a lot. Her Mom and Dad are going to Nebraska on August 21st to see the solar eclipse.
Thursday 8.10.17
We got to go on a safari at the Plettenberg Game Reserve. It was a 2 hour tour drive through their reserve of animals. The ride was bumpy and not necessarily on paved paths. I actually needed a blanket as it got cold. Animals came right up to the safari. We saw elephants, zebras, springboks, waterbucks, ostriches, hippos, crocodiles, cheetahs, rhinos, giraffes, wildebeest, lions, cows, and African dogs. The Lion looked a little tired where as the female looked like she ran the show. Our guide, Evans, was very nice but his English accent was hard to understand so we didn’t catch too much of the detail. We made friends with a little boy in front of us who couldn’t have been more than 2. Hide and seek was also a popular game with him as it was with Gloria at the African market. We were the only Americans on the safari. Others were European and South African. After the safari, we went and shopped briefly at downtown Plettenberg. I found a swimsuit at Woolworths so I could go swimming. Woolworths in South Africa isn’t the same as the former US lower priced version. Woolworth clothes in South Africa are a cross between Macys and Target. They have stores that sell furniture and food too. I went off on my own to shop but quickly realized that there was no uber in that area. Thank goodness for the mugg and bean (somewhat like Starbucks) and their wifi. What’s App saved the day and Elizabeth came and got me in a cab. Again is was really inexpensive; 8 dollars round trip. Our cab driver was very personable and told us he was named after a great African American actor. I guessed correctly that his name was Denzel. I told him how much I love their “grapetizer” and “appletizer” carbonated drinks. He was shocked that the US doesn’t have these drinks. He said “but the US has everything!” These drinks are fabulous. I sure wish we had this tasty beverage at home. At sunset, Elizabeth and I went into the Indian Ocean. It was a short jaunt because it was very cold. We enjoyed, instead, the lovely hotel heated pool. For dinner, we ate Indian food at the hotel. Again I was amazed that dinner for 3 was $40. The hotel music reminded me that I am no longer a “spring chicken.” I noticed that the music playing at the hotel is mostly music I grew up with; 70s and 80s tunes. I guess they are catering to my generation. We must be the middle aged folk bringing their family on vacation or perhaps now even empty nesters on holiday. Not sure when that happened. :-O
Friday/Saturday 8.11.17/8.12.17
We drove back to Cape Town on the N2 highway. For the weekend, Elizabeth and I booked a hotel on the Cape Town waterfront. The waterfront is a very exciting place to be. There is a lot to do. Apparently, long street is the place to be. Alas, we didn’t make it there. When we got to the hotel, we crashed; myself falling asleep in my clothes. It was a great week but a busy one. On Saturday, there was a big complementary buffet at the hotel. No small countertop like the US but an extensive buffet with a variety of eggs, breads, meats and made to order omelettes. It was so good. We then met Alfred, a very friendly uber driver from Zimbabwe, who took us to a winery called Boschendal. This is one of the oldest wineries. It was established in the 1600s by a French family escaping religious persecution. The wines were wonderful. I especially loved the dessert wines. Go figure. Eliz loved the Blanc Noir. We purchased another suitcase so we could bring home wines. Our friend now, Alfred the uber driver, offered to wait for us and take us to our next stop. He and many of the other uber drivers speak of america very positively. Alfred in particular spoke about the opportunity there and how he respected our country. He clapped with joy when we gave him a 20 dollar tip. He took us to Tarnia and David’s house for a dinner she was hosting for their close friends. They had a fire going and Tarnia made a wonderful meal. It was wonderful to speak to her peers and listen to their stories about South Africa. This included what it was like to be white during apartheid and the guilt and privilege attached. This county has come so far.
Sunday 8.13.17
On Sunday, we went to the town of Hermanes. This town is known for whale watching. Tarnia sings with the Stellenbosch Libertaskoor (choir.) They were presenting a concert at a Dutch reformed church. The choir did a variety of selections including traditional African pieces, selections by talented composer Karl Jenkins, and a medley from the movie Selma. The choir was terrific. They had a great spirit and showcased wonderful soloists. Eliz and I were given a pair of cool bead necklaces that the singers wore in the concert. Afterwards, we shared Indian dishes at a restaurant called Bukhava. The food was amazing. This restaurant is themed after District 6; a neighborhood in downtown Cape Town that historically suffered under apartheid.
Monday 8.14.17
On our last day, I had a wonderful voice lesson at the University of Cape Town with renown voice teacher, Virginia Davids. Virginia is a longtime friend of Tarnias. She has a tremendous voice studio. She has trained many stellar students who perform worldwide. She herself sings the same repertoire that I sing so she had many specific insights to share. We had a great session together. She told me that she will get me an audition with Cape Town opera. I look forward to keeping in touch. It was a trip highlight. After the lesson, we went back to the Cape Town waterfront and enjoyed a champagne sunset cruise. The ride was a little bumpy for my motion sick self but I persevered. We picked up our luggage at our hotel and headed to the airport at 8pm. Tarnia was working at an Artscape music festival and Clinton was in Johannesburg so David saw us off at the airport. I will miss them. I hope to see them in the states soon. The security at Cape Town airport was very low key but I got fully felt up in Amsterdam. They don’t play. Security was so tight. The agent laughed and said that we can’t blame it on Trump though because it has been like that since the 1980s. Our layover was 4 hours but alas we wouldn’t have been able to leave the airport and make it back in time with security. Someday we hope to visit for real.
The trip was amazing. I was sad to leave. From the safari and outstanding views, to the local people and delicious cuisine, (and appreciated hiatus from the oppressive US news cycle) it was a tremendous trip. #grateful
akintsucrooner 