I have procrastinated a long time on doing this post because I have so much to share. But if i do it all in Twitter-speak maybe I can make it a short read. Ha! Let’s see if that happens.

After visiting South Africa over about 23 years ago I decided it was time to return. A lot has changed mostly for good. I spent three months in South Africa and stayed in a lot of places before I settled into a beautiful apartment with Table Mountain as the backdrop.

Cape Town

Music and dancing is deeply embedded in the fabric of South Africa and you will find it everywhere.

Signs of Nelson Mandela, Madiba as he is lovingly called, are everywhere. He was a great man and I loved seeing images of him at each turn. I went down to the waterfront quite often and every time I went there was a bird sitting on Nelson Mandela’s head. Smart birds, they too want to be close to greatness.

The first picture above is from the concert held after the march through Cape Town on Nelson Mandela Day, which I will remember forever.

Nelson Mandela Day

There’s nothing like a good march. There were so many high points to this trip to Cape Town but this was my all time favorite. Getting to march with and meet so many good people and being a part of this great movement if only for a few hours was magical. After the march through the city we were treated to a free concert. Richard Branson was there as part of the elders. Hugh Masakela played and I felt privileged to get to hear him play live. Growing up we heard Hugh Masakela and Miriam Makeba quite often in our home. Getting to hear him play was priceless. May he rest in peace.

Volunteering – Feeding the Homeless in Cape Town

I truly enjoyed working with the organization Ladles of Love feeding the homeless. I looked forward to it each week and often volunteered twice a week. A lovely man who owns a popular restaurant in the city feeds the hungry at least three times a week. Hot soup, bread, drinks and anything he can get from food donations. He partners with another organization that donates sanitary products to females who are homeless. Seeing the look on the faces of the homeless women when they received sanitary products was priceless. Seeing the disappointment on their faces when we ran out has added a new dimension to how I help homeless women on the streets. I can’t imagine seeing a homeless female and not ducking into the nearest drug store and getting feminine products for her. It was a dimension of homelessness I had never thought about. Volunteering adds new perspectives to your life in unexpected ways. Think about how you can give back in your communities.

Volunteering – after school public speaking group

This was hands down one of my best volunteer jobs. The kids were fabulous! I helped the organizer run a Toastmasters program once a week. The kids were focused, hard working, energetic and ever so hopeful about their futures. I would definitely do this again when I return. I sponsored a similar group when I was teaching in Germany and I have to admit the work ethic between the kids in South Africa and the American kids is as opposite as night and day. The kids in S. Africa are hungry for knowledge. They believed in follow through and always had their speeches prepared and ready to present. They rarely made excuses. They showed up and showed out. What great kids. It was an honor to work with them.

Durban

It was so cold in Cape Town I decided to go up to Durban where the weather was  a bit warmer. While warmer, Durban could not hold a candle to Cape Town. So what was supposed to be a stay for over a month turned into 5 or 6 days. After a few days in Durban I decided instead of flying back to Cape Town I would fly down to George, rent a car and drive back to Cape Town via, George, Mossel Bay, Hermanus (for whale watching), Franshoek and Stellenbosch.

Sadly enough the picture with the arrow is what I had to draw and put in the car to remind me to stay left because they drive on the left side. Yes I am admitting this in public with a picture to prove it! Ain’t no shame in my game.   🙂  That’s  Moses Mahdiba Stadium in the background. I really did not see that much in Durban as there is not too much to see or do, for me, otheres might enjoy it. I am officially a Cape Town girl. My hotel was on the beach so I spent a lot of time viewing the beach from my room and walking along the the beach. The place was popping because I happened to be there during the Durban July, which is their version of the Kentucky Derby only bigger and more glamorous if you can imagine that.  So I did a lot of people watching. I thought about driving up to Swaziland but chose to cut my loses and head back to Cape Town via the Garden route which turned out to be hands down the best decision I had made since landing in S. Africa. The pictures below are from Durban.

George and Knysna

George was a small town I toured from the car as it was an overnight stop after my flight from Durban. The guest house was excellent and the property manager a great host. He even cooked breakfast for me. We had the most amazing open conversation about apartheid, racism, and his generations legacy after apartheid. I find whites in South Africa are more open to the conversation than Americans. He did not want me to go. Said he could talk to me all day long. No one has ever said that before! Hahahahahaha! I could have talked to him all day as well. But alas, a nomad must move on. Amazing young man. He sent me to eat at the restaurant where his girlfriend works. She was just as nice. I told him when I returned he had better put a ring on her finger.  After George I backtracked to Knysna because I heard the drive was beautiful. However, the area had experienced a massive fire a few days prior and it spread wide and far. The town was quaint but I couldn’t linger because I had to make the long drive to Mossel Bay and I had driven in the opposite direction to get to Knysna.

Mossel Bay

I have more to say about the guest houses on the Garden Route because that is where all the fun happens.  South African guest houses are the best. You are warmly welcomed and treated as if you are the only guest. This guest house was my favorite. The manager took me to a place on the water where she likes to go to think. It was magical; the water, the weather and the coffee. Great time. I was supposed to stay one day but the views of the water in the evening were so fabulous I stayed a second night. At the end of the day I always took my shoes off, snuggled in a blanket, drank a fine S. African wine and watched the sunset. You can’t get more relaxed than that. The view of the bay from my bedroom was simply gorgeous. Below are pictures of the house. A water view from every room. Now this is living!

Hermanus

Hermanus landed on my radar because it is famous for whale watching. I sat for a long time and I didn’t see one whale but the scenery was beautiful. Gearings Point is where you are supposed to see the whales. I saw nothing….not even a fish.

Franschoek and Stellenbosh

Franschoek and Stellenbosch are the heart of wine country! I enjoyed wine with kudu, olives, cheese, hummus, prosciutto, bread, all delicious. South African wines are so good. I don’t drink much and never red wine. But even the red wines were okay. The wine tasting paired with chocolate tasting was the bomb….and I don’t really eat chocolate. Yes that is a real fireplace. Wine and chocolate tasting in front of the fireplace. Priceless.

Both towns are gorgeous with Franshoek being the smaller of the two. Tiny bistros and cafes line the streets and the Wine Tram in Franshoek makes visiting the wineries easy and safe. You can taste as much as you want and the tram will be there to transport you to the next winery and finally back to the center of town. I also enjoyed walking through neighborhoods in both towns seeing the Cape Dutch style of architecture that is prominent in the area. When I go back I will stay a little longer in both towns. I missed the chance to visit a Black owned winery but it will be first on my list when I returned.

Meeting People,  Making Friends, Visiting Friends

There is nothing more fun than having friends visit me on the road (hint hint to those who have yet to join me).  My friends Carmen and Ed flew into Cape Town from Belgium. We had a fabulous time because there is never a dull moment when they are around. We were supposed to do it again this year, 2018,  but the devastating drought in Cape Town is keeping us  away. I will return when the water returns. I met really cool people this trip and enjoyed hanging out and touring the city with everyone. I met Irma pictured when we both volunteered feeding the homeless. We hung out a lot and always found good places to eat. I met Glenda at Toastmasters and she is a road warrior like me  and always had somewhere new and exciting for us to visit on weekends . I always enjoyed meeting her for the Saturday market as well, one of my favorite activities. My landlords were really cool and they were always so accommodating.

The landlords’ dog and I became quick friends. She came knocking at my door every evening when I returned home. She would lean her heavy body on the door several times until I opened the door. I had two glass walls in my apartment and it allowed me to see all of Table Mountain vista from my sofa. So Mocha would come and lay at my feet while I worked or gazed at the mountain. She was so accommodating as she allowed me to warm my feet on her from time to time. One night she would not leave so I let her sleep over but that little heifer woke me at one o’clock in the morning to go out, and then had the nerve to come back knocking to come in. Needless to say she stayed out. We made up the next day but I never made the mistake of letting her sleep over. Mocha and Glenda’s dogs really got me itching to get a dog. Mocha was such a sweetheart. But dogs are not for nomads like me, yet. I will settle down one day and I will get my two Portuguese  Water Dogs..

My Apartment in Cape Town

I loved this apartment for the view, the dog, my landlords and the bathtub! It was cute and more than enough room for me.

Signs

This sign is from the District Six Museum. Just seeing the words “60,00 Forced Goodbyes” makes me tear up. The indignities to people of color around the world is mind boggling. District Six was a major hub of commerce and a mixed community of freed slaves, people of color, merchants and immigrants. The forced removal began with Black South Africans. Many affluent moved to the suburbs, others forced into townships. Altogether 60,000 people were forced to leave their homes and the area later designated as a white area only. Today people are still trying to legally get back what was stolen from them.

The museum is housed in an old wooden church where slaves used to sing and worship. The feeling in this church was overwhelming at times. It was unsettling looking at the pictures of Black South Africans going about their daily lives, owning stores and businesses, a busy community, home to many. Out of nowhere 60,000 people were displaced without compensation. It just makes my blood boil to think about it.

Toastmasters

We all know it would not be an authentic post without Toastmasters. Below are pictures from two of the three cubs I visited; City Bowl Toastmasters Club and Ernst & Young Toastmasters Club.