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Goeiemôre GBD!  First, I’d like to thank Mari for posting Brit’s ditty about Burnaby, Canada last week.  Obrigada Mari!

So far, we’ve been introduced to hometowns in North America, South America, and Europe.  Lookit how international GBD is!  :D  Today we’re hoppin’ over to a new continent – Africa!  Here’s Emma-Lu to tell us all about Cape Town, South Africa!

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Cape Town

Hello GBDers, this is Emma-Lu (or just Emma), from Cape Town, South Africa – also referred to as the “Mother  City”.  It fits neatly at the bottom, western part of South Africa hanging down like a little stalactite.  There is a multi-cultured mix of racial ethnicities and languages in this country.  But to illustrate this point, try getting your head around this number: We have 11…yes, 11…official languages in South Africa as recognized by our constitution.  They are, in no particular order: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Xhosa (please note: the letter ‘x’ has a click sound to it, almost like you’re calling a horse), and then there is:  Zulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, SiSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga.  This might surprise you, but only 8.5% of the population of 45 million is mother-tongue English speakers.

The infamous Table Mountain looks like a table, and with cloud cover, looks like it has a tablecloth on it.  I dare you to hike to the top, but most people take the Cable Car.  On ground level, the Atlantic Ocean, beaches, palm trees and an expansive harbour hug the actual city.  For those of you who have been to or who live in Vancouver, Canada, I’ve heard people compare these 2 cities as having a similar feel about them.  Inner city is more like a flavour of Europe or San Francisco, with the quaint houses, cobble stone paths and long and extended hills.  There is this famous street, called Kloof Street (pronounced ‘cloof’) with ONLY restaurants on it, side by side and opposite one another.  I love this street.  It houses every type of restaurant and cuisine you can imagine.  A dance for your tastebuds!  Our summers (December to March) are super hot, but can be very windy in parts, so bring your hairspray, please!

Table Mountain

Table Mountain cable car ride

View from top of Table Mountain

Kloof Street

Beauty and aesthetics aside, every city has its pros and cons.  South Africa has a very high crime rate; these include house burglaries, hijackings, an incomprehensible amount of street children begging at traffic lights or shop corners, domestic violence, and sexual abuse.  Without a doubt, these are the long-term manifestations of a Post-Apartheid environment (Apartheid ended in 1994).  It may take years for South Africa’s crime stats to shift drastically, but where there is a will, there is a way.  There are some wonderful organizations here dealing with AIDS, street children, domestic violence, long-term housing, etc.  There has been a drastic change since 1994 though.  I’m sure most of you are familiar with the South African Apartheid regime government, but just in case you aren’t, in brief:

The Apartheid government legislated segregation between racial ethnicities from 1976-1994, and as a result we were heavily sanctioned.  The rest of the globe completely ostracized us.  Then the incomparable Nelson Mandela (affectionately known as Madiba) was released from prison in 1994 and inaugurated as President for the term of 1994-1999.  His charisma and forgiveness not only endeared him to the rest of the world as one hell of an iconic leader and unique individual, but also put South Africa on the map again!  What an awesome guy.

A trip out to Robben Island (formerly a place of banishment and prisons from the 17th to 20th centuries) is something I would urge anyone to do!  This Island, today a World Heritage Site, was used to exile political prisoners during the Apartheid regime (1960-1991).  Fascinating stuff!  Take a ferry from the V&A Waterfront Harbour and you’ll be amazed.  This history lesson will give you a solid account of South Africa’s history and you’ll get to see former President Nelson Mandela’s old prison cell.  Here is the site.

Robben Island

One of the biggest and most obvious problems we face today in Cape Town and in the rest of the country is that there is an enormous…no, HUMUNGOUS…gap between the richer and poorer communities.  Once you travel just outside the city, you’ll do a double-take at the clustered gathering of shanty town houses and self-built shacks, low cost housing along the highways.  This is a notable change from the wealthier houses inner city and in the suburbs.  I think that this is what defines us as South Africans – we are comprised of 2 financial extremes living close together in a confused but seemingly organized manner.

The average person is generally very friendly and easy to talk to and will be happy to help you or give you any advice.  Our public transport is bad; it’s not reliable and sometimes not even roadworthy (lol.  Do you guys notice a dichotomy about SA or is it just me?).  I would recommend hiring a car or taking one of the private taxis.  You will pay a bit more, but it’s worth it.  Door to door.  The average person here is passionate about Sport (especially rugby and soccer).  They will also talk a lot about crime, AIDS, travel, environmental sustainability, game farm safari trips (we have the Big 5: lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo living in our national game farms).  This is also a hugely popular surfing destination, despite the sharks (lovely white-toothed, and not so friendly, Great Whites parade the oceans with confidence!).

Our food: we certainly have a diet high in meat.  Weekend barbeques are popular and since the oceans are on our doorstep, seafood is very popular as well.  Our word for barbeque is:  ‘braai’ (pronounced, ‘Bry’ – this is an Afrikaans word).  Also another dish is ‘Bobotie’ (pronounced ‘Baburety’).  This is a combination of soaked bread, mixed with mince meat, onions, fruit jam and sultanas.  Then also the ‘Potjie’ dish (pronounced ‘poikey), which is basically a huge cauldron with a lot of mixed veggies and stewed meat, cooked out in the open over a fire!  Perfect if you like camping.

Bobotie

Potjie

Popular things to do: a trip up Table Mountain by Cable Car, a drive along the Garden Route, where you can book to go on long hiking trips (eg the Otter trail – a 3 day hiking route), Kirstenbosch picnics (a diverse flower and tree conservation garden).  In Summer, they have open-air concerts every Sunday.  It’s fun to pack a pinic with friends and enjoy the music.  Then there is ’sharkcage diving’, urrr if you dare?  That happens in the coastal towns, eg Hermanus (pronounced ‘Her-mar-ness’).  Also if you like wine-tasting, the wine farms are beautiful and fun to explore in and around Cape Town.

Plattekloof Gorge

A slightly less popular thing to do (to me one of the coolest things though) is to go on a private tour of the townships (smaller communities).  You get to interact with locals and get a flavour of what’s completely local, traditional, and unaffected by external influence.  The Truest of Spirits!

As a woman I find that growing up here has forced me to be both a vigilant but independent person.  Even though you can be free in all this beauty, at the back of your mind the crime stats lurk.  You find a way to adapt though.  Depending on where you go, know that you shouldn’t go solo.  Learn some kickboxing and never get complacent about your safety.  If you need any other tips, let me know.  xx

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Doesn’t the bobotie look really good?  Yum.  And Nelson Mandela rocks!  As does Emma-Lu for writing this awesome intro to Cape Town.  Dankie Emma-Lu!

And this international party train doesn’t stop here.  Next week, Nina is going to give us the down low on Meerbusch, Germany!  Whoohoo!