Monday October 7, 2008
Cape Town, what a great experience. Not unlike Sydney or San Diego it is a fun loving city in a stunning location. Table Mountain looms in the background and the sea ahead-Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic. Like the rest of South Africa the disparity of haves and have nots is alarming. But the diverse population lives in multicultural harmony. We are staying at the Radisson Waterfront Hotel. We check in and leave our luggage as it is too early to check in and head for Longstreet to do some shopping. We come back to the hotel, check in and eat lunch outside overlooking the ocean front. The aircraft carrier the Theodore Roosevelt is anchored in the harbor,
We arrange to meet our guide, Rob Davidowitz at 1 PM. Rob, an Afrikkaner, is a former SA AF pilot, flying a number of aircraft, including the Shackleton, as well as Hunter fighters. He is a charming fellow and manages to give us a history lesson about South Africa, “explain apartheid”, and take us to the very place (a balcony city hall) where Nelson Mandela had spoken to the crowd after being released from prison only hours before. Rob said that it was only the second time in his life when it felt as if all South Africans came together as one-the other time being the time they won the World Cup, He then took us to District 6, In 1948 a whole community (black and colored) were forcibly relocated, had their homes and businesses bulldozed. Today it is a huge vacant area and a suitable monument to this huge injustice. Then Rob took us to the District 6 museum, which I can only compare to the emotional impact of going to Anne Frank’s home in Amsterdam. Rob drove us up Table Mountain and the cable car was not operating because of wind. Still a spectacular view of the city! He took us back to the hotel and we relaxed, had internet connection and left for Camps Bay and a drink at a lovely bar and on to dinner at a great seafood restaurant that Rob had recommended-the Codfather. (Rob is our new Rick Steves!)
Sunday Rob picked us up in his Honda CRV and we drove to Kirstenbosch Gardens... This is a must see to any Cape Town visitor! Rob was so knowledgeable, about herbs, native plants and this was a real learning experience! We saw three plants that are our gift from South Africa, bird of paradise, geraniums (of all sorts) and agapanthus. I could have stayed there all day. We headed around the Cape Peninsula, saw lots of wild life and the African penguins on the South Cape. We had lunch on the coast, a wonderful seafood curry with mussels. We drove back up Table Mountain for another try at the cable car-closed due to wind. Along the coast we had watched sail boarders and kite boarders (what an exciting sport!). Then we took in the view from signal hill and back to the hotel for a bit of relaxation and CNN. We then headed for the Victoria and Albert Waterfront and dinner at a nice seafood restaurant.
To our great disappointment we were unable to get a tour to Robben Island (a prison for political prisoners) where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. The tours were fully booked. One admirable aspect of South Africa is the way they seem to have learned from the terrible injustice of the past and not shied away from them.
October 6
We spent the morning downtown shopping for mementoes and Rob picked us up at 1 Pm and we headed for Stellenbosh and the wine country. We are staying in the oldest Inn in the country-the O’Ouwe Werf. What a treat. The town is the home of the Afrikkans University (it reminds us of UCD in that it is the place to go for winemaking) but the town is far more interesting than Davis. Stellenbosh is a charming village. We walked around and visited the city museum, which were 4 old houses from the 16th-17th Centuries. The Dutch had settled here and this little village is a monument to the Dutch presence in South Africa. The thatched roofs and ornate gables are reminiscent of those in Amsterdam. Last night we had a delightful dinner in the Inn where we are staying. It was a perfect evening to sit outside and enjoy ostrich and local wine. We turned in early in anticipation of our last night in South Africa.
Rob picked us up at nine and we headed for the wine county. Why is it that wine growing regions look so much alike? We could have been in Sonoma or New Zealand. We tasted pinotage and Chenin Blanc that made me rethink my idea of Chenin Blanc. This was light, grassy and tasted of asparagus. In all we visited 4 wineries-Jordan (selling in the US under the label of Jardin), Beyerskloof, Villiera and Rupert and Rothchild. The wine was wonderful and Rob was a wonderful guide and host. At Villiera we tasted wine and paired it with food. A challenge and great fun. What goes best with spicy nuts, apricots, dark chocolate? Dogs were as prevalent as they are in our wine country. Every tour with Rob turned into an interesting and informative discussion about the larger social concerns. We learned that the wine maker at Beyerskloof (an MP of the ANC party) had made his money, moved to a smaller winery and taken the workers that had been with him 10 years and gave them part of the land to do with as they wanted. They are now very successful winemakers and he served as their consultant. He is an Afrikkaner and a Christian who lives his belief. Another winery, Villiera has very nice homes for the workers and has employed the women to collect the snails which were a major pest in the vineyards. The women learned how to feed the snails cornmeal and turn then into escargot. They then took their earnings and built a nursery school for the children of workers. Empowerment of people is the goal of these white South Africans. And all of this has happened so quickly, since 1994 when the black and colored people were allowed to vote for the first time. By the way, I saw several Obama bumper stickers and other evidence that the American election is of great interest in Africa.
Cape Town, what a great experience. Not unlike Sydney or San Diego it is a fun loving city in a stunning location. Table Mountain looms in the background and the sea ahead-Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic. Like the rest of South Africa the disparity of haves and have nots is alarming. But the diverse population lives in multicultural harmony. We are staying at the Radisson Waterfront Hotel. We check in and leave our luggage as it is too early to check in and head for Longstreet to do some shopping. We come back to the hotel, check in and eat lunch outside overlooking the ocean front. The aircraft carrier the Theodore Roosevelt is anchored in the harbor,
We arrange to meet our guide, Rob Davidowitz at 1 PM. Rob, an Afrikkaner, is a former SA AF pilot, flying a number of aircraft, including the Shackleton, as well as Hunter fighters. He is a charming fellow and manages to give us a history lesson about South Africa, “explain apartheid”, and take us to the very place (a balcony city hall) where Nelson Mandela had spoken to the crowd after being released from prison only hours before. Rob said that it was only the second time in his life when it felt as if all South Africans came together as one-the other time being the time they won the World Cup, He then took us to District 6, In 1948 a whole community (black and colored) were forcibly relocated, had their homes and businesses bulldozed. Today it is a huge vacant area and a suitable monument to this huge injustice. Then Rob took us to the District 6 museum, which I can only compare to the emotional impact of going to Anne Frank’s home in Amsterdam. Rob drove us up Table Mountain and the cable car was not operating because of wind. Still a spectacular view of the city! He took us back to the hotel and we relaxed, had internet connection and left for Camps Bay and a drink at a lovely bar and on to dinner at a great seafood restaurant that Rob had recommended-the Codfather. (Rob is our new Rick Steves!)
Sunday Rob picked us up in his Honda CRV and we drove to Kirstenbosch Gardens... This is a must see to any Cape Town visitor! Rob was so knowledgeable, about herbs, native plants and this was a real learning experience! We saw three plants that are our gift from South Africa, bird of paradise, geraniums (of all sorts) and agapanthus. I could have stayed there all day. We headed around the Cape Peninsula, saw lots of wild life and the African penguins on the South Cape. We had lunch on the coast, a wonderful seafood curry with mussels. We drove back up Table Mountain for another try at the cable car-closed due to wind. Along the coast we had watched sail boarders and kite boarders (what an exciting sport!). Then we took in the view from signal hill and back to the hotel for a bit of relaxation and CNN. We then headed for the Victoria and Albert Waterfront and dinner at a nice seafood restaurant.
To our great disappointment we were unable to get a tour to Robben Island (a prison for political prisoners) where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. The tours were fully booked. One admirable aspect of South Africa is the way they seem to have learned from the terrible injustice of the past and not shied away from them.
October 6
We spent the morning downtown shopping for mementoes and Rob picked us up at 1 Pm and we headed for Stellenbosh and the wine country. We are staying in the oldest Inn in the country-the O’Ouwe Werf. What a treat. The town is the home of the Afrikkans University (it reminds us of UCD in that it is the place to go for winemaking) but the town is far more interesting than Davis. Stellenbosh is a charming village. We walked around and visited the city museum, which were 4 old houses from the 16th-17th Centuries. The Dutch had settled here and this little village is a monument to the Dutch presence in South Africa. The thatched roofs and ornate gables are reminiscent of those in Amsterdam. Last night we had a delightful dinner in the Inn where we are staying. It was a perfect evening to sit outside and enjoy ostrich and local wine. We turned in early in anticipation of our last night in South Africa.
Rob picked us up at nine and we headed for the wine county. Why is it that wine growing regions look so much alike? We could have been in Sonoma or New Zealand. We tasted pinotage and Chenin Blanc that made me rethink my idea of Chenin Blanc. This was light, grassy and tasted of asparagus. In all we visited 4 wineries-Jordan (selling in the US under the label of Jardin), Beyerskloof, Villiera and Rupert and Rothchild. The wine was wonderful and Rob was a wonderful guide and host. At Villiera we tasted wine and paired it with food. A challenge and great fun. What goes best with spicy nuts, apricots, dark chocolate? Dogs were as prevalent as they are in our wine country. Every tour with Rob turned into an interesting and informative discussion about the larger social concerns. We learned that the wine maker at Beyerskloof (an MP of the ANC party) had made his money, moved to a smaller winery and taken the workers that had been with him 10 years and gave them part of the land to do with as they wanted. They are now very successful winemakers and he served as their consultant. He is an Afrikkaner and a Christian who lives his belief. Another winery, Villiera has very nice homes for the workers and has employed the women to collect the snails which were a major pest in the vineyards. The women learned how to feed the snails cornmeal and turn then into escargot. They then took their earnings and built a nursery school for the children of workers. Empowerment of people is the goal of these white South Africans. And all of this has happened so quickly, since 1994 when the black and colored people were allowed to vote for the first time. By the way, I saw several Obama bumper stickers and other evidence that the American election is of great interest in Africa.
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