Cape Town

So many things to say about Cape Town... An interesting city, with an amazingly beautiful good side and a horrible, heartbreaking dark side.




Table Mountain - note the chasm just to the right, that was where we climbed





Clifton




Muizenberg




The Cape Penguins at Simon's Town




Dias Beach at Cape Point



Kommetjie

A steep climb!

And the reward!

3 Haayema men

Sisters

Bo-Kaap

Greenmarket Square

First, the good things - we successfully climbed Table Mountain, an accomplishment I'm quite proud of. It was a tough, very steep climb, a challenge for all of us that went. The unrelenting African sun beat down on us as we worked to scale the rock "steps", most at knee height. We climbed our own heights every 2-3 steps. I have never sweat so much in my life, including in Zimbabwe. It was very exhilarating to reach the top, though, but as we made our way across the top, some joy leached away at the sight of so many tourists enjoying the view after coming up the cable car. I wanted to shake my fist at them "You didn't earn this!! I earned this!" Hmmm, must have been the heat. ;) The good news about the tourists is that there was food and drink at the top, and we all had a celebratory ice cream as we waited for our legs to stop shaking. Then, when our hands were steady, we took some pictures and began our descent. Going down was easier on the muscles but harder on the knees, but thankfully all grumpy knees involved behaved themselves for this climb, a real blessing.

Some other highlights included the gorgeous, white sand beaches, the aqua bays, exploring the harbour, seeing the penguins, and the expansive vineyards stretching over the hills. Another great part was getting to know our relatives, Eelke and Jellie and their kids. They were wonderful hosts and we really enjoyed getting to know them.

But among all this joy, there was always the hulking presence of Cape Town's dark side. Though we've seen a lot of poverty in the last couple of months, this seemed to hit quite hard. My impression of Cape Town always was that it was a richer place. It probably is, for many people. I guess the hardest part about Cape Town's townships was knowing that the adorable kids of Eelke and Jellie were all adopted out of these areas. It was that personal connection that made it hit a bit harder than all the other heartbreaking things we saw. It doesn't take too many stories to believe that Satan is lord over the townships. Some areas register up to 12 murders a night, women are raped frequently, meager belongings are stolen on a regular basis. These kids that we played with every day used to play there. Many homes are nothing more than bits of tin leaning against the next bit of tin to make a tiny space barely differentiated from the next bit of tin space. We heard story after story that broke our hearts. We wanted to cry, but what good does that do? How do you fix such a complicated problem wrapped up in apartheid history, different attitudes, cultural differences, job opportunities, conflicting priorities, good vs evil, and so much more that I can't possibly fathom after such a short time. We have so much respect for Eelke and Jellie for what they do - they show us that though you can't fix the big picture, you can do what you can on an individual level. They have adopted 7 children, all with various baggage from their past experiences, and they also run a safehouse where children can be brought for a short time to get them out of a bad situation until something better can be arranged. Maybe some only see it as a drop in the proverbial bucket, but for the children in their care, whether temporary or permanent, it can change their whole world.

So, I guess this is the 3rd reason why we haven't written much lately. What do you say in the face of such poverty and heartbreak? This is so much more than needing some food and to find a sustainable way of life. Don't get me wrong, there is much truth and value in the idea of "give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime". I really believe many situations are applicable for this. But where does this fit in the midst of a vast township that crowds 500,000 people in a disturbingly small area of the city? When that is only one of many more? I hope you aren't reading along expecting the answers. I have none. I merely reflect on our experiences and desire to show people the other side. The ugly side of the beauty. The complicated side of poverty. The broken side of love.

There is no way to describe what we saw and experienced. We don't have many pictures of this side. I know in some places you can do a "township tour". I find the idea nauseating. How awful, to load up a bus full of rich tourists, drive them through the poor areas so they can gawk and take pictures of the poor people. Does it make people feel good about themselves? Or is it from a desire to educate people about what the rest of the world is like? Maybe, but then I'd still like to see a tangible way the tours actually help someone.

I'm really not trying to end this on a down note. It was more than 100% worth it. I'd do it all again in a hearbeat. In fact, I hope we can do it again some day. People tell us that once you've been to Africa, you always go back. I hope so! It wasn't enough. Yes, part of us are happy to be going home again, it's been a long time already. However, a large part of me keeps saying "I'm not done with this yet". I'm not okay with saying goodbye to these 2 countries we experienced and not see them again. I will admit I'm getting sick of airplanes, though. :) I'm now on our 10th flight of this trip, Frankfurt to Chicago, with only one more to go before we're home. 11 airplanes is too many, and some we were on for too long! I'd love to have Africa closer to home, but part of the joy is the space from North Americanism. :) Anyways, as always, thanks so much for reading. I hope you've enjoyed our trip almost as much as us! Thank you all so much for all your comments and emails, they are absolutely treasured. Now we're headed to Chicago for debriefing. Maybe we'll have some intelligent insights after! Ha, ha. ;)



One of the richer townships