Farewell, Cape Town: a Six Month Journey

So this is it: I awoke this morning with the knowledge that today I'll be leaving Cape Town. For the past few weeks I've been comforted by the assurance that soon I'd be heading back to the States, where my family, my friends, Skidmore, a fantastic summer job, where everything would be waiting for me. But now that the moment is at hand, now that only a few meager hours separate me from a plane to take me away, I feel uncertain, conflicted, and saddened by my imminent departure. While so much has happened to me while here, and I've learned so much about myself and the world, I have to come to terms with knowing that so much has happened to the people I left behind as well: that they too have changed, and perhaps that change has led them in a different direction than the one they were headed in when I left. We've all grown in separate spheres, and I worry now that I'm going to re-insert myself into the old spaces and find that those places are outdated and abandoned, or that my new, older self won't fit into the spaces of old, and I'll be forced to cram myself into something that doesn't fit.
I don't want to go back and find that life is the same as when I left: I embarked on this experience with the expectation that I would come out of it a different person, but now that I'm thinking about all the things that have happened to me and all of the things I've seen over the past six months, I'm afraid that the routine of life on the other side will lull me into a previous self, and within some arbitrary length of time I will regress into a marketable version of "before." I miss the things I had and the person I was, but I know that in missing them I can make myself better for the future. Because now I'm looking at the future--working this summer, one last semester at Skidmore, trying to find a job or perhaps a career that challenges me and fulfills me--and I'm afraid of what's to come, all of the uncertainties, but I believe that my self now, versus the one who boarded the plane in Boston six months ago, is ready for the challenge.
I loved Cape Town from the moment I set foot here, and loved even more the opportunity to explore this vibrant, diverse, troubled, growing city, with people who take the time to talk and share and who look to the future with hope that things will be better. I've met the most amazing people imaginable, both Americans abroad, local Cape Townians, South Africans, Zimbabweans, Mozambiquens, Afri-CANs, and many, many others who have helped me along my journey and who have left an impression on my heart and mind. I can only hope that somewhere, somehow, I've left my mark on this fantastic, chaotic place that will draw me back.
So today I say "Goodbye Cape Town... For now" and look to the future with hope and big dreams.


While I'm leaving Cape Town for a while, Shaun and I are super excited about the next phase of our adventure here: our week-long camping safari along the Eastern Cape, through Swaziland and into Kruger National Park, where we'll end next week in Johannesburg for a day and a half before flying back to the States. We've spent this previous week hanging around the city, enjoying some of the sites that have become so familiar to me, and loving the delicious foods that Cape Town has to offer. Basically it's been one long, drawn out meal since the time he arrived. Thank goodness we've been doing so much walking! Getting to share what has become home to me has been an incredible experience, and I couldn't think of a better person to travel with than my older brother. For the next week we're not going to have reliable internet, so unfortunately you're going to have to wait until we get back from South Africa to get the details on the safari. Stay tuned!

Lion's Head: Rawr!

One of the guys at Liesbeeck was nice enough to organize a hike up Lion's Head mountain, which is like a weird outcropping from Table Mountain that's much smaller but offers spectacular views of the city and peninsula, especially at sunset when the full moon is rising.


So up we climbed, up the steep lower part of the mountain and then further up the rocky bits that challenged not only my non-existent rock climbing skills but also my severe dislike for heights. But, in my true study abroad fashion, I sucked it up and climbed... and climbed... and climbed...


Boy was it worth it! While we left a little later than anticipated, leaving us little time to get to the top before the sun set, the group did make it up to watch the sun set over the ocean while the full moon rocketed up over Devil's Peak and the city lights. What a beautiful experience: it's hard not to believe in a higher power while seeing something so awe-inspiring as nature in its fullest moments of splendor. There was a cloud bank over the ocean, so the sun set over this fluffy blanket of clouds that stretched out to the horizon and snuggled up to the Twelve Apostles on the back side of Table, and as the moon came up the stars came out and were reflected by the lights from the city coming on... Definitely worth the effort to get there!

Celebrating Mother's Day in an Interesting Way...

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommas out there. I wish I could have spent the day at home with my momma to remind her how much I appreciate her every day.
But since I'm a two-day's flight away I got to celebrate Mother's Day in an entirely different but interesting way: the LGB RAs took us CIEErs on a township tour so that we could experience what the townships are really like for a horrendously significant portion of the South African population. While the morning started off a bit rough for me thanks to some not-so-accurate information regarding the departure time coupled with some less-than-stellar decisions on the part of the organizers, I did have a pretty amazing day.
We started off in Gugulethu, one of the largest townships in South Africa. There we met our guide, a self-made Gugulethu native who worked his way from a one-room shack with his wife and daughter to a sprawling guest house, where he houses more than twenty tourists whom he guides around the township, giving tours and details about the residents, his own experiences, and the daily hardships that come with life in the townships. Unlike my experience in Ocean View a few months ago, Gugulethu is comprised mostly of corrugated iron, wood, and cardboard shacks that house multiple family members. Many of these houses have recently been supplied with electricity, but none have running water, so water must be carried from pumps scattered throughout the settlement, and the toilets still run on the "bucket system" (yes, it's exactly what it sounds like). While many families have learned to get by in cramped quarters that have no building codes and are built with highly flammable materials, they were promised in 1994 that with the new government would come new, low-income, affordable housing. While the ANC has produced over 3 million homes to needy families, the demand has yet to be fulfilled, and many are still waiting anxiously to get out of their current situations. With the upcoming local elections on May 18th, hopes are once again rising that change will be brought. But as an outsider experiencing the realities of this kind of life first-hand, even for a brief period, and also from the perspective of a student of history learning about the process of rebuilding, I must admit that I'm discouraged and disappointed in the government's lack of action. I find it so hard to fathom how people who must walk upwards of 100 meters to go to the toilet every day can still, after almost sixteen years, have faith that the government will change things. How even when thousands of people in Masephumelele lose their homes because there's no adequate system to deal with fire in the townships, people can still be optimistic about their future is inspiring but also ignites a deep sense of shame and guilt in me: perhaps because I know that I get to go back to my own room, with my computer and my iPod, and when I go home I have a room waiting for me that's heated and air conditioned and I never have to worry about where I'll get my next meal from. How can people, like me, see this situation every day and not do something about it, while at the same time I wonder how people, like me, could possibly tackle something so monstrous, in both size and complexity? Where do we even start? And I know I'm not the first, and I certainly hope, for the sake of humanity, that I won't be the last to contemplate these human issues, but it's still difficult for me to confront such disturbing levels of poverty at such close proximity, and perhaps what worries me the most is what I intend to do about it. I mean, I'm not looking to change the world, but can I really just watch dispassionately, like a passenger in a speeding car gazing out the window?
But still the people we met today, just as we were walking through the township, were thrilled to see us. We were clearly a group who didn't belong there--a bunch of white Westerners with our collegiate sweatshirts and our flip flops--but we were still welcomed warmly because of what we represented. To them our group was an opportunity for awareness and education, for the small chance that a photo or a story would spread and someone might see or hear about the people who are still suffering and struggling, daily, to survive. I'll admit I felt really uncomfortable at first, because it seemed to me that we were Americans gawking at the misfortunes of others and comparing our situations with the ones in Gugulethu, relieved that our cards were dealt in a whole different game. But as we moved through the neighborhood and talked to the residents I felt more and more that their positive mindset, and their willingness to accept us and tell their story, was an invitation to learn more and fully appreciate the experience for the opportunity it was.
I'm not saying we have to change the world in one day, or that that's even possible, but maybe just being aware that the world needs changing is enough to get the ball rolling in the right direction.

A Toast to Stellenbosch

Happy Easter Everyone! While the weather here has taken a turn for the not-so-great, yesterday was absolutely perfect for our short jaunt to Stellenbosch, the Cape's wine country. Eight of us girls took the train out and spent the day with a tour group checking out four different vineyards, tasting lots of wine, some cheese, and enjoying the spectacular scenery and even better company.
We started off at the second oldest vineyard in the country, called Simonsig, world-famous for being the first vineyard to start cold fermentation on white wine. According to our tour guide this was kind of a big deal because before then all wine was fermented at room temperature, but cold fermenting white wine brings out more of the natural flavor and makes the wine better (red wines, on the other hand, are always fermented at room temperature and more commonly in oak barrels, which bring out different flavors). Simonsig also has one of the first sparkling wines, and arguably one of the most popular, in the region: here it's called Cup Classique because Champagne can only be applied to sparkling wines cultivated and made in the Champagne region of France (fun fact!). I absolutely loved all five of the wines we tried, even the two reds, particularly the Shiraz which has the most amazing chocolate-coffee undertones and fantastic color. And the winery itself was of course absolutely gorgeous, with beautiful mountains all around, row upon row of vines (empty now because harvest season just ended about three weeks ago), and absolutely clear blue skies.
Next we traveled to Fairview, which is also famous for its goat's cheese and other cheesy products (not tacky, but literally cheese goods). Another beautiful estate on the side of the mountains, with gardens and a big koi pond outside the tasting room. The atmosphere inside was also really great, with the walls tastefully decorated with photos and historical plaques about the vineyard and several tasting stations stocked with Fairview's different labels: Fairview also produces La Capra wine and Goats do Roam, which we were able to try. My particular favorites here were the Viognier Special Late Harvest, a pale-gold desert wine which tastes like ambrosia, as well as, surprisingly, the Chardonnay, which is the best Chardonnay I've had since I got to South Africa. Definitely both worth trying, but I didn't dislike any of the other five wines I tried either.
As I mentioned before Fairview is also known for its cheese, so attached to the wine tasting room is a cheese tasting center, where you can grab a toothpick and taste away to your heart's content. After trying some wine, tasting some cheese, trying some more wine, and tasting a little more cheese, we were hustled back into the van to head off to lunch, which was served at a small coffeehouse with some great ciabatta bread. It was nice to get off our feet for a little bit and discuss our observations so far, and we were all feeling ready to go by the time we needed to be back in the van for our next tasting.
Our next stop was Dieu Donne vineyards, perhaps not my favorite for the wine but certainly for the view! The farm is set literally on the side of the mountain overlooking the Stellenbosch valley, so the view was just spectacular as we sat out on the patio and sampled our wines. The girl at the bar was also incredibly knowledgeable about the wine making process and the wines we were tasting, which was very helpful.
Finally we made it to our last stop, Boschendal Wine Estate, was also incredibly picturesque, with wrought iron tables and chairs set up outside the main building under a huge tree surrounded by tree-lined drives and grassy fields. The glasses were already set up for us, making the tasting rather quick and simple, but there was no sign of anyone who worked at the farm to tell us about the wines, which I found a bit off-putting. I also didn't find any of the wines particularly great, although I did find my sudden ability to judge wines a little interesting. But in all honesty I don't think the wines at the last two estates were really that great compared to the wines at the first two places.
All-in-all it was a fantastic day, and it really isn't that expensive to get out to Stellenbosch (only R25 round trip) and about an hour's journey by train, so I'd love to try and get back sometime to explore more of the town and shopping malls (the girls are already talking about trying to get back tomorrow, but we'll see about that).

Two Oceans Aquarium and Some Reflecting

Kudos to you, my dear readers, for remaining ever patient and attentive while I neglect my blogging duties these past few weeks. I left off two weeks ago with tales of adventure in Mozambique, and while the past two weeks haven't been quite as thrilling I've definitely been up to a few things that I thought I'd share with you this evening.
Last week actually wasn't at all exciting so I'm just going to skip over that bit and fast-forward to this past weekend. Friday evening started off with Wine Society, which, while sounding like a horribly veiled excuse to just drink for two hours every Friday night is in fact a very fun and socially acceptable way of drinking for two hours while learning about wine and wine tasting. I've gone for two weeks now and already I can tell a lot about a wine based solely on its name, color, and smell. Each week a different vineyard stops by UCT to divulge some knowledge on how its winery grows the grapes and produces the wine, giving us some short but informative presentations on the history of the vineyard and its philosophy in wine production, which has been very helpful in understanding why some wines have a more acidic taste than others, what makes an oaked wine more expensive, and why some wines have to sit in the bottle for so long while others should be shared immediately. I've also discovered that I definitely am not a red wine kind of gal, but can palate a few varieties if pressed.
After Wine Society a few friends and I went out to Claremont to see Water for Elephants, which I recommend although I haven't read the book (I'm told by someone who has that the book, of course, is better, but I still enjoyed the film nonetheless). It certainly made me want to go out and join the circus, or at the very least get an elephant that speaks Polish, but alas, I haven't done either.
Saturday was also action-packed, as I started off the day at Old Biscuit Mill again (although it's been much too long since my last visit!), which of course was fantastic, as always. The experience was made all the better, however, because I happened to run into two friends from Skidmore who are also studying abroad in Cape Town through a different program! What a small world! The three of us were on the same Skidmore First Year Program in London, so it was so nice getting to talk to them about our experiences here in Cape Town in comparison to our experiences in London and how different things are. They leave in mid-May, when their program ends, so I'm hoping that sometime in the very near future we can all get together though.
The girls and I then headed down to the Waterfront to check out the Two Oceans Aquarium, a "must-see" according to all the guidebooks. Having lived within a stone's throw from the Boston Aquarium I was a little skeptical about the fantastic-ness of Two Oceans, but went into it with an open mind and was completely shocked at how cool it was! The exhibits were great and very interesting, and we all ran around like little kids looking at all the amazing sea creatures, both local and abroad, as well as the special exhibit on frogs. While it wasn't as exciting as being in the water with Great White Sharks, I did enjoy the clown fish tank where you could stick your head inside to get a fish's perspective of the world. Unfortunately it was a bit difficult getting into the tank as the little children kept cutting the line: who made the rule that five-year-olds automatically get to go to the front of the line at the aquarium? I don't recall seeing that on the rule board. I got a chuckle out of the "No Fishing" rule though. No joke, they actually specify that you're not allowed to fish at the Two Oceans Aquarium. Anyway, I'm getting carried away...
The rest of Saturday was low-key as the day had been long and educational, so it was a pretty early night for me. Sunday dawned bright and early with a call from one of my friends inviting me to breakfast at this neat little restaurant-farm thing that another girl recommends. Intrigued, I battled my way into the shower and hit the road, literally, as we walked for what seemed like miles, my empty, unhappy stomach grumbling all the way. But boy was the wait worth it. Basically Millstone Farmstall and Cafe is pretty much what it sounds like: a farm that sells its own goods but also runs a cafe on the premises. The store has all homemade goods, from honeys to cookies and bread, and you can sit outside in the sun next to the garden and order food. I got the Farmhouse Breakfast, with scrambled eggs, and I swear to the good Lord they were the best eggs I've ever had in my life. Like, melt-in-your-mouth-like-butter delicious eggs. And the bacon and sausage that came with it: I could practically taste the home-grown. It was fantastic. And the atmosphere was so relaxed and calming, with gardeners doing the weeding and horses grazing on the other side of the fence. Definitely a great way to start off a Sunday. After mowing down on the scrumptiousness we all walked around the place, picked up some essential victuals (the cookies were just begging to be tasted!) and spending some time petting the horses (more than therapeutic for me, I've been dying lately from not being able to ride) we made the trek back, which of course seemed way shorter than the walk out. Funny how that always seems to be the case.
The rest of the weekend was again low-key, with some grocery shopping and reading for class taking up the rest of the afternoon. This week has also been relatively mild, although Manenburg today was a bit chaotic, as the kids finished the activity we had for them super quick, so we were at a bit of a loss as to what to do with them, and they completely took advantage of the situation and got completely out of hand. Only the promise of snacks and outside time could get them to remotely listen. I'm getting to know some of the kids and do enjoy being there with them, but most of the time I look forward to seeing them leave so my head stops ringing and I can take a breath. I can't handle kids and have almost certainly re-affirmed my stance on children and child-rearing.
Anyway, on a more serious note: since getting back from vacation things are quickly winding down in terms of my stay here. Only seven more weeks remain before the end of the program, and nine before I fly back home. I've been doing a lot of thinking these past few weeks about my stay here, and what I'm gaining from it, what I haven't accomplished yet, and what I plan to do when I return to the States. I certainly feel that I've gained a lot from my brief stay already: seeing and experiencing first-hand the struggles of people post-apartheid as a new nation, has been incredibly eye-opening. Honestly I don't think I fully considered or anticipated how fresh the wounds would still be for people, so when I left home in January I wasn't fully conscious of what I was going to encounter here. My time in Ocean View and in the subsequent weeks, through material I'm covering in classes and interactions I've had outside of the classroom have really brought home for me how people here are still dealing with the recent history of this country. People are still mourning--for loved ones, for lives irrevocably changed, for what was--but the atmosphere isn't one of sadness. Overwhelmingly I sense and have heard in others a deep wealth of hope, in spite of all that's happened. As a tour guide told us two weeks ago, anger doesn't solve the problem, it doesn't bring back what was lost, and it certainly won't take this country in the direction it needs to go. It's forgiveness and hope that will make the future bright. That was definitely a message and a philosophy I could get on board with, and I think I've incorporated that ideology into my life as much as possible.
Speaking of the personal, I've also been giving some thought to this study abroad experience as a whole and what it has done for and to me. So far I've surprised myself in how much I feel I've immersed myself here in Cape Town as opposed to my semester abroad in London. The explanations for that are as varied as they are complicated, so I won't go into to much detail and risk boring you, but I believe it has something to do with my willingness to submerge myself, my desire to fully experience this place, and my greater understanding of myself as a person between then and now. I came into this study abroad semester with set goals based on my experience in London, which has certainly been to my benefit. Although my living situation isn't ideal aesthetically, I'm certainly happy with my choice of living in the dorm and getting to know at least one of my Southern African roommates, as opposed to secluding myself with other Americans in a house. I'm also thrilled that I chose a program that immersed me into the University culture, where I get to intellectually interact with South African students. While I've been surprised and even saddened by the gaps in the education system here, I certainly respect and admire my UCT peers and have come to know some of them on a personal level. I definitely didn't get that opportunity while in London, and I'm grateful for the opportunity here. I also feel that the courses I'm taking, particularly my South African history course, as well as some of the extracurricular activities, such as my homestay in Ocean View and volunteering in Manenburg and at Brooklyn TB hospital have given me a more rounded view of South Africa, not just from a student's perspective but more importantly from a human perspective. I know it may sound corny, but it's true. Cape Town isn't just a place on the map for me, and it's not just some city I went to school in for a few months; it's hard to express accurately or fully (which is obviously saying a lot, coming from the English major) but I just feel more connected to Cape Town, more aware of it. Maybe it's the people I've encountered, or the things I've seen, or the history lessons and the guided tours, I'm not really sure. I suppose I still have some time left to figure it out.
But it certainly hasn't been easy. Finding my niche among my American peers hasn't been as easy as I'd like, certainly not as fast and binding as fitting in among the Skidmore Londoners (when you're all thrown under the same bus you build a tight sense of camaraderie). I have terrible bouts of homesickness, which I didn't experience as much or as intensely as I did in London. It makes me unspeakably sad knowing that life is carrying on back at home and at Skidmore without me, and seeing the Facebook posts and getting the invites to things I couldn't possibly attend sometimes makes me want to get on the next flight back to Boston. I feel like sometimes I'm a character in a novel, and this chapter is going to end with a satisfying cliche or quip and the next page will open with me back in my real life, getting ready to graduate and finding a job and moving on to the next stage. And this whole semester has sort of felt like that: an interlude to my life, a short break before the real stuff hits the fan. Everything seems to hang on when I get back.
I try to think about all of these observations and reflections and to make sense of them all, which is a daunting task but one that I believe is important in understanding this point that I'm at and growing from it. Yes, life is waiting for me on the other side, but it's also happening right here and now, and hyper-focusing on what's going to happen doesn't make sense when there's so much in the immediate present. As a historian I should be focusing on the past anyway, so what qualifications do I have to micromanage the future? OK, a bad joke but sort of true, in a way.
I'll leave you with that for now and will keep you updated on any progress made towards making sense of life, the universe, and everything else. In the meantime thanks for hanging in there with me and next post will definitely be more lighthearted and fun:)

Mozambique!

We're literally at the other end of the semester now, so time's truly flying. Only six weeks left of classes and three weeks of finals, then... done. It's really rather frightening to be honest.
Anyway, what an amazing midterm break! As it's one of the few long-term periods we all have off, many of the CIEE students scattered to the four winds to find adventure and excitement, and I was certainly one of them. I decided to head north-eastwards to Mozambique, with its spectacular Portuguese-influenced culture and gorgeous beaches.
My four friends (Brittany, Diane, Nate, and Loren) and I flew to Jo-burg on Friday the 25th, despite our plane being delayed (big surprise: almost nothing flying towards Jo-burg seems to get out on time) so we didn't arrive until after midnight. This wouldn't have been a huge problem except that we had a bus to catch at 6:30 the following morning, so by the time we reached our hostel it was after 1am and we needed to be up at 5am for the bus. What was really sad was the fact that we only spent such a short time at this wonderful hostel: Moafrika Lodge, despite being a bit out of the way of the main city, was a palace compared to our living arrangements at UCT. We pretty much ended up with our own room, complete with a jacuzzi tub, how shower, a TV (which only got two channels but it was still a working TV!!) and fresh towels. We literally did a double-take because we couldn't believe our luck. Fortunately we were scheduled to spend another night at Moafrika on the way back, and were already excited about it.
So Saturday had barely dawned and we were up and out once again, headed towards the bus station to catch our lovely Greyhound bus (yeah, no joke, Greyhound runs in South Africa too!) to Maputo, scheduled to be about nine hours. While we had some issues with our tickets--Loren had lost hers, as well as her camera and all her money at the airport the night before, and Brittany and I needed to get our tickets for the return trip that we had to reschedule due to our inability to read a calendar--exacerbated by the system failure on the Greyhound computers (another frequent occurrence in this country, the sporadic shut down of the internet for long periods of time, always when you need it most) we did manage to get on the bus and were headed to Maputo! The ride itself was rather uneventful, although the choice in movies was rather questionable (I have a hard time believing "Drag Me to Hell" was really appropriate for the toddler and young boy sitting across the aisle from me, but maybe I'm just a soft American or something). At the border we had to get off the bus in order to get our passports stamped by the South African side (to declare that we'd actually left) as well as the Mozambiquean side (to clarify that we'd arrived). The border crossing was made easier by the helpful assistance of some of the regular border-crossers, who probably guessed from our slightly confused and worried expressions that we needed some help deciphering which unmarked brick building to enter first and what lines we did and didn't have to stand in. All-in-all the whole process was rather hokey because we probably could have walked through the whole mess without any visa or stamps and no one would have questioned us because we're white tourists. But I have the visa and stamps to prove that I follow the rules.
We finally made it to Maputo and found the hostel, called Fatima's Place, which is deceptively large but homey and laid-back at the same time. Apparently Fatima's Place can keep up to 90 people, which seems impossible at first glance because the bar seems to take up most of the space, but once you start exploring you realize there are bunk beds everywhere, and each room can hold at least eight people. The common area is open, which becomes problematic when it rains, which happens quite frequently, but lends a sort of jungle-atmosphere in the middle of the city. But we got our things situated and found some food across the road, then made it back to take up residence on the outdoor furniture in the common area, where we met three young guys from Pretoria (also on break) who were extremely entertaining and had a great time making fun of our American accents and our lack of soccer knowledge. Fabio, Matthew, and Thebe were determined to make sure we had a good time, and they certainly fulfilled their roles as they introduced us to South African culture (I'm mostly referring to their extensive knowledge of South African drinking techniques, but we also had some interesting conversations about race and soccer). We also met a traveler from Colorado, who had taken a month off from his job designing iPad and iPhone apps (ever used the New York Times ap? Yeah, Ryan designed that) to travel, and he'd already spent time in Amsterdam, and Cairo, and was headed up to Tofo for a few days and then out to Cape Town to round off the adventure. We filled Ryan in on all the vitally important things to do in Cape Town, and were excited to hang out with him on the beach in the coming days. The boys persuaded Brittany, Diane, and Loren to head out with them to a Reggae club at 1:30 in the morning, but I decided to pass and paid the entrance fee to Club Sleep instead.
The following day we spent in Maputo, exchanging money (Mozambique uses the metical, which currently is worth 30MZN to the US dollar) and seeing a little bit of the city. We didn't get very far though, as the small area we were in was rather peculiar and honestly didn't seem like a friendly place for tourists anyway. I was struck by how much dirtier it felt to the Cape Town that I've become accustomed to, and I realized that Maputo was more of an African city without the heavy European influence. The Portuguese colonized the area, but it seems that once Mozambique won its independence the country was adamant about removing all traces of colonization, and it hasn't really recovered since. We did manage to get our money exchanged and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying some amazing pizza and preparing ourselves for the next leg of our journey.
Monday morning we headed north along the coast to Tofo, a beach town about twenty minutes west of Inhambane. The ride was...well, horrible. Basically the bus we were taken in was a glorified minibus, the kind I see here in Cape Town every day that run along the main roads taking people to work and such. The ones here fit about ten people, maybe more if you really squeeze people in. This bus held 29 people, including the bus driver (I counted) but was bigger than the minibuses in Cape Town. Each row of seats held four people across with no aisle and absolutely no leg room. The seats were horridly uncomfortable, and we were all soaking wet to begin with because it was pouring when we left and, as I mentioned before, almost all of Fatima's Place is open to the elements. It had rained so hard during the night that the street in front of the hostel had turned into a river, and we had to wade through ankle deep rushing water to get into the bus. Needless to say we were none-too-pleased about the forthcoming six hour drive to Tofo. But we got to see some of the massive markets that Maputo is reputed for and the scenery was lovely once you got out of the city.
Tofo could not have been more perfect. We arrived a little after 1pm to beautiful puffy white clouds, an azure sky and the rhythmic sound of the ocean. We literally dropped our stuff, threw on bathing suits, and ran down across the hot sand into the water of the Indian Ocean. It was literally like a bath tub the water was so warm. The sand was perfectly white and unblemished by rocks or debris, and the hostel was right on the beach so there was no commute and no lugging of beach gear down to the water. If this wasn't paradise I'm not sure I want to go.
The hostel itself was called Fatima's Nest (owned by the same Fatima that owned the hostel in Maptuo) and it consists of the main common area which houses a bar and several picnic tables, a kitchen where they serve three meals a day daily, and comfy canvas chairs that look out over the beach and the water beyond. Next to the main building are several grass covered wooden buildings that house the dorms and suites, and beyond those are the showers and toilets as well as the kitchen were you can prepare your own food. The whole place is built on the sand, so after about five minutes you begin to realize that you're going to be sandy for the rest of your stay. But that didn't bother us as we soaked up the last rays of sunshine on our first day.
We met up again with our new friend Ryan (he had taken the bus with us that morning) as well as two American teaching assistants that work at UCT who's gone out with Brittany, Diane and Loren the first night we were in Maputo. Sara and Shannon joined us for dinner and we had a great time looking over the exams they had to grade for their students back at UCT. I was appalled by the absolutely awful writing of most of the students: many of the exams had basic, basic grammatical errors, like misuse of commas or subject-verb agreement and spelling errors. Both Sara and Shannon assured us that this was not abnormal, despite these papers being from their second year students, and that the sporadic and poor public education system in South Africa is to blame for the failures of the students. It just made me sad to think that UCT is the best school in Africa, often toted as the Harvard of Africa, but frankly that only insults Harvard. Obviously not every student that goes to UCT can't write--please don't believe that's what I'm saying--only that a majority of the students are not prepared for college in terms of their writing, and the system in place here is not doing them justice.
Basically my friends and I spent the next couple of days just enjoying our time off and exhilarating in the sun and sand. We walked down the main road (I think the only real road in Tofo) to the market on our first full day where the locals swindle the tourists for souvenirs, food, and booze. We had some fun bartering for things, as well as exploring the language barrier between English and Portuguese. A trip into town became necessary to find the ATM, which became an adventure as night started to fall and myself, Brittany, Diane, Loren and Sara were crammed into the back of a minibus knowing that one of the golden rules of Africa is never to travel in a minibus after dark. But we didn't have a problem and made it to Inhambane and several ATMs, most of which didn't have any money in them (a common occurrence in Mozambique) and others which only took specific cards. We finally got what we needed, stopped at a grocery store to pick up essentials (like drinking water, as the water from the tap is not OK to drink) and took the nice public bus back to Tofo. We spent a couple of nights with Fabio, Matthew and Thebe, who we met in Maputo, as they liked to peruse the three main hot-spots along the beach (Fatima's being one of them) so inevitably they would run into us.
Wednesday the girls, Sara and Shannon, Ryan and I all took a dhow, a traditional fishing boat, out to Flamingo Bay, where we spent the day sailing in this beautiful lagoon and touring Survivor Island, where apparently a season of the TV show Survivor was filmed. I'm a little skeptical about that point, only because the guide seemed a little washy on the details, but the tour was fun and we got to see this small village that is almost completely isolated from the mainland and survives only on its own resources, which was pretty interesting. They also treated us to fresh crab for lunch, which didn't sit well with my stomach, but the side dishes were delicious nonetheless. We slowly sailed back to the mainland, saw some flamingos, and headed back to Fatima's to examine the sun damage caused from being out on the water all day.
Our final full day in Tofo was spent primarily sitting on the beach and hanging out in the luke warm water, as it was so hot we couldn't stand to be anywhere else. That night we headed over to Dino's, a bar and grill (yeah, just like the song) where they have fantastic pizzas that are delicious but take forever to make. Literally an hour and a half after arriving we got our pizzas (after two people from our group left because they couldn't wait any longer and were fed up) only to have a black out (the power was cut to the area). The entire beach went pitch black, which was actually kind of awesome because the stars just popped, and it was breath taking to look at them with no lights. But after about five minutes the power came back on and we finished eating and headed back.
That morning we all returned to Maputo by the minibus, and spent the afternoon at Fatima's Place showering all the sand off of us and taking a long-awaited nap. Sara and Shannon had a flight out of Maputo airport at 5pm, so they left shortly after lunch and Ryan had a bus to catch later that evening, so he left shortly after the girls. Fabio, Matthew and Thebe still had two more days of their Tofo stay, so we had said goodbye to them the night before.
Our bus back to Jo-burg Saturday morning was almost empty, so we had the run of the place on the ride back. No issues at the border, and two more stamps to prove that I was leaving Mozambique and re-entering South Africa. Saturday night was a luxury once again as we enjoyed the comforts of Moafrika, indulging in a long hot soak in the tub and a little Aljazeera on TV. Our flight out of Jo-burg Sunday morning actually left on time, and we were back in Cape Town by 10:40am, with plenty of time to get back to good ol' LBG to get some postponed school work done and a little grocery shopping.
Overall the trip was fantastically relaxing and fun; essentially the epitome of a college Spring break. The people I traveled with were great, we had a lot of fun and definitely made some great memories that will last for a long time. I'm glad I got to experience a piece of Africa that I can't find here in Cape Town, and while I realize that Tofo is definitely a tourist area I think spending time in Maputo and just traveling around between the two spots allowed me to see more than just the Spring break experience. I'm certainly glad that I got to meet the people I did, and I'm hoping that I meet them again (I actually ran into Shannon today on campus, and we're hoping to catch up with Ryan before he leaves Cape Town on Saturday, and Fabio has extended an unlimited invitation to stay at his house in Pretoria should we be in that neck of the woods).
I only have a limited amount of pictures as we rotated cameras throughout the trip to conserve batteries as well as limit the amount of doubles of the same pictures, so once I get the photos from Brittany and Diane I'll have more stuff to post, but in the meantime enjoy the ones that I do have and I'll post the others ASAP.

Open Minds, Open Hearts, Full Stomachs

What a weekend! The CIEE students were lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend the weekend with host families in the Ocean View community, one of the designated Coloured areas from the apartheid era. With almost nothing to expect besides the vague rumors claiming Ocean View as an unsafe area, we set off Friday night excited, anxious, but ultimately hopeful that this was going to be a fantastic experience.
I suppose a bit of history is in order before I get too carried away: during the apartheid regime in the late 1960s, Coloured communities from the surrounding area (Simon's Town, Noordhoek, etc.) were forcibly moved to what is now Ocean View because their former homes were in newly designated "white areas" (this was completely legal due to the Group Areas Act). A person was classified as "Coloured" based on heinously ridiculous tests imposed by the government based on racist ideas: for example, the Pencil Test amounted to the belief that if a pencil inserted into someone's hair didn't fall out, that person was considered Coloured or Black. Also, if the knuckles of the hands were darker than the skin surrounding it, a person would be classified as Coloured, even if their skin was as white as snow. These classifications were instituted mainly as a means for the government to not only control ethnic groups, and by herding these people into specific areas, despite generations of land ownership or history, the government instigated the calculated demise of an entire racial group (not my words, but I'll explain later on).
When the poorly constructed neighborhoods of places like Ocean View were filled with people, tensions between families from various areas sparked terrible unrest, because some people saw themselves as better than others based on where they originally came from. Buses to and from the areas were very limited, and many people lost their jobs because of the unreliable transportation (few people could afford cars). Families were separated: a white person marrying or being married to a coloured or black person was illegal, and those coloured or black people would be arrested for being with a white person (this practice was legal because of the Immorality Act). If they had children their fate would rest on the color of the child's skin: lighter skin meant he or she could stay with their white parent; darker skin meant he or she was thrown into the system, or were basically sent to orphanages. The government intentionally set up liquor stores in the center of every township, so that the disparity from such terrible treatment would lead to alcohol and drug abuse, in the hopes that the people within these areas would be trapped by their own sadness. When injustice sparked anger and the people tried to rise up, the single entrance to the township would be blockaded by the police, and the people would be trapped within their own community while their water supply was cut off from the outside. Anger could only be vented internally, and the communities suffered.
Unfortunately the history of this treatment still persists today, although Ocean View now is much different than it was back in the seventies and eighties. After 1994 people were allowed to move in and out of the community as they wished, and some chose to go while others stayed. My host mom for the weekend, Virginia, and her sister, Bernadette, or Berna, both stayed in Ocean View to teach at local high schools (their four siblings are also teachers, and all live in the area but teach at different schools). They both teach Afrikaans, one of the eleven official languages of South Africa, and both are influential members of the community in Ocean View. They opened their home to me and another CIEE student, Bridget, for the weekend, and Virginia and I talked quite a bit about teaching and what she sees in the community and in the classroom. While some things are better, others are still a problem, and many of the causes can be linked to the history of Ocean View and the apartheid era. Drug and alcohol abuse still plague the area, and gang violence is a problem, although I didn't witness any of that during my stay fortunately. There is still tension between groups, particularly English-speaking students versus Afrikaans-speaking students, as those who speak English at home tend to think higher of themselves and are unfortunately favored by some of the teachers. Many students choose not to go on to higher education, preferring to stay close to home and work part-time or poorly paying jobs because education is so expensive, even at the lower levels. Teen pregnancy is on the rise according to Virginia, based on the number of students in her class alone that are pregnant or are already mothers at grades 10-12.
It's hard to imagine all this, however, when we Americans have been so warmly enveloped into the community for the much too brief weekend. The Friday night dinner catered by the amazing and wonderful Nelly, whom I later got the privilege to speak with at length, was so incredibly welcoming: we got the chance to meet our host families as well as watch talented performing students from the community, and the food was of course delicious. Once things settled down Virginia and Berna drove us back to their home, where we got to meet their five dogs (I was very excited about the dogs!). That night we slept well on full bellies and the prospect of the next day's excitement.
Bridget actually had to go on an all-day field trip for her archaeology course, so while I got to sleep in Virginia got up early to make Bridget breakfast and pack her lunch (what an amazing host mom!) while Berna took some of her students to Stellenbosch for a workshop. Once Bridget was off Virginia and I had a light breakfast and headed over to her friend's house to drop of a jersey for the big bike race on Sunday. Every year there's a big bike race that goes 110km around Cape Town, and part of the race passes right through Ocean View. It's a really big deal for the community, as there's lots of press but also big braai's and revelry as residents gather along the route to cheer on the cyclists. Virginia had seventeen of her students racing, so we were very excited about going out to watch them. Anyway, Virginia's friend wasn't at home so we left the jersey inside her fence and headed over to the mall, where Virginia showed me around. I swear Virginia knows everybody: we were hardly in the mall before she was saying hello to people and chatting with former students or neighbors or just people she knew. I felt like I was back with Mom shopping in Amherst! But we made it back to the car and headed back to Ocean View, where we stopped by Virginia's sister's house as well as her cousin Joyce's. Joyce's daughter is a hairdresser but also an interior designer, and her work is brilliant. The house was gorgeous with bright colors and wonderful textured patterns.
The rest of the afternoon Virginia and I spent getting some work done: her grading while I read for class, but we each succumbed to a late-afternoon nap, which was just perfect as we were getting up while Berna walked through the door, followed not too long after by Bridget back from her field trip. Dinner time: my good lord the food was fantastic! Virginia made us delicious chicken, sausages, a fully-loaded salad... I thought I wouldn't be able to eat for days afterward. Oh boy was I wrong! Later on we drove over to Nelly's house (she's Virginia's close friend) where we were treated royally by Nelly and her husband Trevor. Both were very interested in hearing our thoughts and opinions of South Africa, Cape Town, UCT, Ocean View, the works. I finally mustered up the courage to ask about their experiences during and after the forced removals (it's a very loaded and charged topic, not to mention extremely emotional, so I was a little hesitant to just outright ask about it, but I really wanted to know more because you can only get so much from books). Nelly gave us the background (synthesized for you above) and spoke about how even now the echoes of apartheid are still being felt today. She was incredibly gracious and thorough in describing how she felt and it was again incredibly emotional hearing about the heartache and sadness surrounding the event and its aftermath. I certainly felt that I'd gained an appreciation and a great deal of respect for people like Nelly, Trevor, Virginia and Berna who chose to overcome the hardships around them to become the wonderful people they are.
Sunday morning dawned with the tantalizing smell of eggs and bacon as Virginia did her magic in the kitchen once again. Somehow my stomach still had room for more food, and I gobbled up the delicious fare as we watched the beginning of the cycling race on television. The weather was absolutely perfect, and the professional men's and women's groups had record-breaking times as they crossed the finish line. Once breakfast was partially digested we headed out to the main road to watch the race, and it was a ton of fun to watch the cyclists speed by as they flew through Ocean View towards the finish line back in town near the new soccer stadium. I was really struck by how appreciative the racers were as we cheered them on: many actually thanked us for supporting them, waving back, giving high-fives to the kids lined along the road, smiling widely as Virginia encouraged them, "Already passed halfway, you're doing great! Keep smiling!" (she's done the race before, so she's completely qualified to give advice!). I saw one racer with an American flag top on and got excited and a little homesick. We watched and cheered and clapped for almost two hours before our hands were numb and our voices shot, and finally a few of the Ocean View students whizzed by, so we headed back to the house in order to have lunch and get out of the sun. Bridget and I were treated once again to a feast: pork and chicken, rice, cauliflower in cream sauce, and another loaded salad. As if we hadn't eaten our weight already!! But we both managed two helpings (I say managed like it was hard, but really it was so good to have home-cooked meals that we just couldn't help ourselves) before calling it quits and plopping down in front of the TV.
The rest of the afternoon passed all too quickly as Virginia put out a snack for us to go with tea (usually served at 4 but since that's when we were leaving to head back to the res we had it at 3) and again Bridget and I couldn't help but stuff ourselves full again. Virginia even made us a goody bag (or plastic container as the case may be) of leftovers from lunch to take back with us (host mom of the year!) and we walked back to the high school to catch the bus.
We snapped a couple of last-minute photos of the four of us before saying goodbye and promising to come back for dinner sometime (we have an open invitation, and they both want to meet Shaun when he comes out to visit in June).
I'm having a hard time putting into words how great an experience this weekend was: I came into it a little hesitantly because I really didn't know what to expect, but decided to be open and willing to learn all I could. I think I achieved that, and certainly feel that I've made a great connection with people who graciously allowed me into their lives. I took a chance: it's not often that an American gets the opportunity to submerge him- or herself into a community like this, and I'm ecstatic that I did, because I came away from it with a greater understanding and appreciation for people as a whole, if I can be so bold in such a generalization. But I think it speaks to the human character when a group of people who have been so badly treated come together and rise above the anger and hate to prove that they're better than the people who mistreated them. Only time will tell if the echoes will eventually fade away, leaving nothing but a vague memory or a chapter or two in a history textbook, but as Virginia told us at dinner Friday night: "A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step."
I'd like to think my first step was coming to Africa, and each day and each experience is another step in my journey towards a new understanding of myself and the people around me.