Reflections from Cape Town, South Africa

Hello family and friends! Before you continue reading this entry, I just want to forewarn you that it will be quite long; I had 5 incredible days in Cape Town, South Africa, and thus have a lot to reflect on!

South Africa, like India, is a country of extremes. The Gini index of the country (which measures the financial inequality between residents) is 58, which means it is incredibly unequal. To put it in context, the Gini index of India is 46, of United States is 48, and of Norway is 25. Most of the large economic disparities between residents in South Africa is due to apartheid. Even though apartheid ended in 1994 with the first multi-racial election, racial intolerance and segregation is still widespread today. It would be easy to not see the effects of apartheid in Cape Town. Our ship was docked at V&A Waterfront, an incredibly gorgeous, and also upscale, part of town. My 5 days included an amalgamation of both parts of South Africa- visiting the absolutely amazing geographic region, but also visiting Robben Island and talking with some locals about issues of race and class.

My first day in Cape Town was primarily spent at Table Mountain, one of the main landmarks of the city. There is a cable car that takes visitors up the mountain, but because I have a goal to hike in many countries, my friends and I decided to hike up. We thought that the trail would be pretty simple; however, we were wrong! The almost vertical trail, which consisted of large rocks, was very challenging! It took me about 2 hours to finish the hike, which I was happy about. Hiking provided some incredible views of Cape Town and the surrounding region, and hiking for me is always rewarding because it offers a feeling of accomplishment. These were not my favorite parts of the hike, though. My favorite part was the fact that it was such an international experience. We met and spoke with hikers from France, Germany, England, and also met a group of hikers from Cape Town. The hikers from Cape Town were a group of around 10-15 males, all wearing “Yes We Can” shirts. They were fun to hike with because they were very encouraging, and very funny! At one rest point in the shade, they asked to take a picture with me, and we started discussing where I was from. I learned that they are a group of recovering drug addicts and are in a program together. It was so inspiring to speak with them. Once we made it to the top, we spent a good 2 hours taking many pictures, eating lunch, and enjoying the fresh breeze.

I was fortunate to get on a program to Robben Island the second day. Our program was through an Anglican group, and our tour guide is currently a peace activist. I asked him a few questions about what type of work he does, and he mentioned some of the conflict between black South Africans and peace activists, as peace activists are normally white middle-class individuals (including him). I somewhat picked up on the racial conflict that is still alive today between him and some of the workers at Robben Island, which I found a little bothersome. Our visit was very informative, though, and I feel fortunate to have gone. During our visit, we went to the lime quarry, where political prisoners worked from 1963 onward. It was disturbing to see the place where hundreds of political prisoners worked and were dehumanized daily. The limestone production was used to build prison buildings, but mainly, it was used as a form of humiliation and physical abuse. The most intense part of the experience was the visit to the prison. My friend Erin and I had to leave the trip early due to prior commitments, so we went through the prison together. The halls were completely empty, and rooms were left almost exactly like they were when it was in use. Walking through the rows of cells and viewing the stories of individuals who spent time there, as well as viewing the tiny windows that separated prisoners from the rest of the world, was very eerie. We found a worker who took us to Nelson Mandela’s cell. The cell was unmarked, and did not stand out from any others. It was almost anticlimactic, as seeing so many cells that other political prisoners were in just magnified the fact that numerous individuals risked their lives for a greater cause. Walking through the halls and seeing the cells was the most out-of-the-body experience I have had in my life. I unfortunately struggle to find words to describe my experience in those halls, but I can say that the incredibly short time I spent there is a minute representation of the inhumanity prisoners had to experience.

It is clear that Cape Town is a very historic city, and in the near future it will have the attention of the world. In mid June, it will become the host city of the 2010 World Cup! Our third day, my friends Caitlin, Ashley, and I headed to the new stadium built for the World Cup, which was finished in December. It was a short 15-20 minute walk from our ship, which was very convenient. Unfortunately, we happened to visit on a day they don’t hold tours, but we were able to walk around the periphery and view the grounds. Of course, it is completely empty now, but it was amazing to imagine the energy that will be there in June. We peered through a parking gate to see the inside of the stadium and see the bright green turf that awaits the most talented soccer players in the world! It was also somewhat humorous to take pictures of ticket boxes and entry gates without enormous lines in front of them. The hype of the city was amazing; we walked to downtown after visiting the stadium and noticed many banners hyping residents up about being the host city. Stores were filled with shirts, flags, and knick knacks, and even the craft market downtown had World Cup hats. The rest of the day was spent walking around the city and enjoying the waterfront. On the way back from a wonderful evening, we ran into a group of guys in the area outside our ship. They stopped and asked us about ourselves. They were a group of very friendly, nice, and funny high school seniors, and we enjoyed our conversation. Because they were asking many questions about us, I decided to ask about them and their lives in Cape Town. This unraveled an incredibly interesting (and disturbing) conversation about race. For those of you who don’t know, South Africa is known as the Rainbow Nation. One of the guys in the group stated immediately (excuse my language here, please): “Don’t believe the Rainbow Nation stuff you hear. It’s complete shit!” He went on to explain that South Africa, in his eyes, is not a Rainbow Nation. He also said to us “Don’t get with any black guys here, it’s not like the U.S. They’re not clean here, they’re dirty, don’t trust them.” Meanwhile, a group of black individuals was walking by our conversation. I was extremely embarrassed to be seen with a group that was making such racist comments, but with my interest in race issues, I knew that this conversation was important for me to have. The group started talking about their experiences with reverse racism, and explained that they saw themselves at the bottom of the ladder. They also mentioned that they were annoyed with quotas in South Africa, such as the fact that their rugby team had to be 50% black or coloured. According to most classification, I would be seen as coloured in South Africa, but one of the guys looked at me and said, “no, you look like my sister!” It was interesting to see their acknowledgement that race relations in the United States is very different from in South Africa. These are not bad people, but rather, it is important to note that they are products of their environment and their socialization process.

Our fourth day in Cape Town was also an international experience, as we went on a tour of the Cape of Good Hope with a group of seven Europeans from many nations. We first went to Boulders Beach, where we saw the Jackass Penguins. They were adorable, and were enjoying the ocean water! We then went to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where we went on an hour bike ride throughout the incredible land there. The most amazing part was turning in for the Cape of Good Hope and seeing stunning views of rugged, dramatic cliffs and blue water. We biked through the hills and saw ostriches roaming freely. Once we reached the Cape of Good Hope, we hiked throughout the area and saw where the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean meet. The day overall was just phenomenal, and all we could say over and over again was “wow.” I feel so amazingly blessed to have had the experience. I had to pinch myself throughout the bike ride to really believe I was doing what I was!

My final day was also an incredible day in God’s creation, during Easter Sunday! I went to a game reserve and enjoyed a 2 ½ hour drive through the reserve. This area of South Africa was much more arid than Cape Town and had a very different natural beauty. During the drive we went to the cheetah conservation area, where we saw a male and a female cheetah! They are very beautiful and graceful animals. During the drive, we saw impala, kudu, springbok (the national animal of South Africa), and a hippo! My favorite part was when we saw a large herd of zebras, with wildebeest and springbok all around! It honestly did remind me of The Lion King (enter Circle of Life music….) We also saw a lion and a group of giraffes, which were incredibly cute! The time at the game reserve definitely made for an interesting Easter, and one that I will remember for years to come!

South Africa was full of fascinating, beautiful, difficult, awe-inspiring, and educational moments. It is a country that I must return to one day, both to explore the natural splendor and to research the issues of race and class. I hope all of you are doing well! I think we should be thankful that we live in a country where racial intolerance is becoming a mindset of the past, and an election of a multi-racial President makes us a country to look up to, not frown upon.