"Stylin" in Cape Town

Cape Town is a beautiful city in the southwestern part of the country. During our three days there, we managed to visit many important places in and around the city.

I have been keeping a journal with reflections on our experiences. Here are a few highlights from my journaling about Cape Town:

On Robben Island

Monday, May 16, 2011
“The highlights of the day were learning from the tour guides at Robben Island and conversations the view on the ferry ride back to Cape Town. Our tour guides were fantastic! Craige, a self-described young “coloured” South African and member of the “lucky generation,” gave a unique perspective on apartheid and race relations in South Africa. He thinks that significant social profess has been made, but the difficulty is that apartheid played on common weaknesses in the human nature/condition. Through physically separating people and engraining discriminatory ideas in the education system, the system taught the children growing up in it to be racist. All four South African racial groups, white, black, coloured, and Indian/Asian, had perceived notions or prejudices against the other groups. Changes has been made and continues, but the process of healing and opening people’s minds takes time. Craige’s generation is “lucky” to have grown up as apartheid was ended and the New South Africa began. But (naturally) there is still much more that this young country needs to do to move forward from its painful and difficult past.
Our tour guide inside the prison itself was a former inmate, who was arrested as a young student leader during the Soweto uprisings. He served five years in prison on Robben Island. At the end of the tour, I asked him why he chooses to do this work. First, he said he wants to thank the international community who protested, sanctioned, and used outside pressure to help tear down the apartheid system. Second, he said his work is part of a healing process for him, his therapy. The prison and his stories were somber, inspiring, and moving. However, there were moments when I felt unsure, almost guilty about all of the foreign tourists snapping pictures as he talked at this deeply important place in South African history.
Since arriving, I have continually asked myself why I am here and what the implications are of my being here? What was my role today as an American tourist? What will my role be once I begin my work at the hospital? And, what will my role be in seven weeks once I leave South Africa? I am constantly ruminating on these questions in an attempt to keep challenging myself and pushing myself to fully engage in this experience. As I prepared to come to South Africa, I was continually aware of the need for humility, open mindedness, and a respect for the people I meet here. This respect was a lesson that Zed began to teach us the moment we arrived here. Loading our luggage into the van at Oliver Tambo airport in Johannesburg, several men said “high ladies” and moved to take our luggage and load it into the car for a fee (although it was unclear exactly what they were going to do with the luggage). Zed looked at them and firmly said, “No, thank you.” Regardless of the fact that they were (in the words of Zed) “trying to hustle us,” it is important that we acknowledge their humanity and understand that they have been pushed to do this by lack of resources and/or desperation. This does not mean that we should allow ourselves to be taken advantage of. However, we always need to understand the humanity of those around us.
The guides told us the purpose of Robben Island is to be a place of learning. It is there as a memorial to honor the great leaders and activists who suffered there. However, above all, it a place meant to pass of the lessons of apartheid, so these important and challenging lessons can be shared and remembered. They were clear to state that Robben Island is explicitly a place of learning and remembrance, not a place where hatred or anger is perpetuated…
…The views of Cape Town by boat were stunning. The fog lifted as we neared the harbor, and you could see the flat, green, majestic top of Table Mountain. The sun was also starting to set, illuminating the clouds and the water. Cape Town is really a breathtaking city!"

The view of Cape Town as we took the ferry back from Robben Island

May 18, 2011
Two other highlights stand out from our jam packed three days in Cape Town: visiting the Cape of Good Hope/Cape Point and climbing Table Mountain. Cape Point is the southern most point in Africa and the place where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. It was a warm, clear day, and the view was absolutely spectacular! The currents of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans met, forming a subtle white line in the water and clashing shades of blue as the waters of different oceans rushes into each other. Cape Point itself is strong and weathered, home to a lighthouse and a lonely little building perched far down on the cliff. Although the fog did not impeded our vision, it waited on the water and merged on the clouds with on the horizon.
Cape Point, like Table Mountain, is an interesting mixture of incredible natural beauty and a carefully designed experience with shops, restaurants, and over priced t-shirts and souvenirs. This rather touristy atmosphere was part of the reason I was really glad Tom, Elizabeth, and I were able to hike up Table Mountain.
Because of heavy fog on one side of the mountain, we took a longer path that zig zagged up the mountain. We hiked for about two hours from the cable car base station to reach the top of the mountain. It was a challenging hike up a well-worn path with steep stone steps. About half way up the mountain we took a long break during which we shared some of our fears about the summer and challenges we anticipate. In the end, the hike ended up being about a lot more than just a physical challenge. It was very rewarding to finally reach the top and great to be able to experience the mountain in such a genuine, natural way - with few other people and without the shops and restaurant at the top of the mountain which felt a little out of place.

Cape Point / The Cape of Good Hope - "Where Two Oceans Meet"

May 21, 2011
We are currently in Durban for our last few days together as a big group before we start our work. Durban is a large costal city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The city feels distinctly different from Johannesburg and Cape Town. We are also getting acclimated to South Africa and moving away from the role of just tourists. The trip is shifting as we begin to prepare for our internships with orientations, lectures, and Zulu lessons. Early Tuesday morning we are leaving Durban to go to the hospitals we are working in for the next five weeks. I will be working at a hospital in a very rural part of KwaZulu-Natal - very close to the border with Mozambique. I was very excited to realize upon arrival that I will have an opportunity to practice speaking Portuguese with doctors and patients from Mozambique. Given the fact that the majority of the patients at the hospital will be speaking Zulu and minimal English, it will be great to be able to communicate with some patients more easily.