Wow - I slept until 8 this morning and went for breakfast in the hotel lobby - it's included with the room. After updating my blog I was picked up for my 9:15 city walking tour. The weather is a bit better today. The District 6 history is something I want to learn more about today.
My guide arrived right on time - Tim Freeman of Friends of Dorothy Tours! He was funny, knowledgeable and very entertaining. We drove first to the Malay Quarter - streets lined with colorful houses now restored - a "colorful" history too and a mosque. We drove then through the PLU section of Cape Town - much of which is being torm down now for new development that is going on everywhere in the city in advance of the World Games 2010. We drove by the bridge that goes no where - its been there since 1967 and just ends in mid air - it truly is amazing. Apparently they rent it out now for movie shots of buses and cars going off the end. Through downtown and to District Six that I wanted to know more about.
This was a shanty town of 60,000 people - the government decided that they would move the people and sell the property off to the privileged people. They forceably removed all of these people and dumped them in the countryside - how awful that would have been. As they loaded the people onto trucks to move them away, they bulldozed their houses and whatever was left in them. They took from the poor and gave to the rich - or at least to the whites! Such a tragedy!
This ended up being a huge disaster and it's mostly a wide open space now where nothing has been built - only 37 hourses so far - 2 of which Nelson Mandela turned over the keys to the new residents. But today there should have been 4,500 homes built - and only 37 are there. It's a tragedy and so sad. I hope to get to the District Six museum to learn a bit more about this. This is all a human tragedy given how it was all done but this is part of our learning from the South Africa experience and history. Hopefully, others can learn from these failings..
We then went to the old fort that used to be on the waterfront. The Dutch built the fort with the door facing the ocean only to find out that it flooded whenever the ocean raised up in storms - so the thrifty Dutch dismantled the door (they wouldn't want to waste it) and moved the door to the side. We then strolled through the entire city and this gave me a lot of confidence about walking alone in the city of Cape Town - so lovely.
Interesting Art Deco architecture that amazed me - reminded me of Southern Florida. and a lot of mixtures of architecture. I saw the building where Nelson Mandela gave his speech after leaving prison in 1991 - so much history here - recent history. I'm loving it. Tim bought some pieces of local food for me to sample - a chicken spicy piece - delicious - and a meat triangle - and a dessert that was to die for - all from a local vendor across from where Mandela gave his speech.
We walked by Desmond Tutu's catherdral and a beautiful garden by government buildings and a market. The last stop was at a statue of Cecil Rhodes - who started the Rhodes Scholarship Foundation - oringinally for men only. Cecil was a "lover of Italian opera"! Didn't know that, but it figures now in thinking about it. I also didn't know that Rhodesia was named after Cecil Rhodes and he founded DeBeers Diamonds and also a gold buisness. No wonder Thordes had so much money to spend on scolarships for men!
My private tour ended at the hotel and I was going to rest but we noticed that the cable cars were running up Table Mountain. So the hotel called me a taxi and I dashed up to the Cable car station - only to find out that it was all shut down for the day due to high winds! Shucks! Nelson, my taxi driver, waited for me while I looked around - and while he had a coffee on me! - and I then had him deive me to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront - a huge development and tourist attraction around the waterfront. A three-story mall with every kind of store imaginable - restaurants, banks, hotels, bars, everything. And HUGE!
I indulged in an Italian gelato - very authentic and only about $2.50 for a double scoop - what a deal! I walked all along the waterfront, into a couple of luxury hotels for a look. I went back back to the Clock Tower to check on the ferry to Robben Island - where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for most of his 27 years in prison. The ferry was cancelled today due to the weather so I'll check on it tomorrow. I also found out the cell where Mandela was in solitary confinement is under renovation and not open to the public. Well - you always have to save something for the NEXT visit.
I thenstarted out walking. Went by the bridge that goes nowhere and took pictures - it is really funny!!!! They started this superhighway in 1967 and it stops in mid air and is now used for movies - they drive buses and cars off of it. There seem to be a lot of things started here but not finished - including human rights issues! I went through the PLU district to see that most of the establishments are closed or moving as they are completely renovating this area - tearing down the buildings except for the facades which they are saving for historical purposes. But their technique is somewhat scary - they don't really support these walls standing alone so high in the air - and I'm surprised that they don't topple over in some of the winds that we are having here.
I went back by the Huguenot Church I had visited this morning and went into the Gold Museum next door - WOW - talk abuot some gold - solid gold pieces everywhere - impressive collection. As I walked through downtown, I reflected on my feelings about roaming around in a foreign city as a minority. Caucausians make up less than 10% of the population here and I'm noticeably a minority. I definitely feel this but have become so comfortable with being here on my own that it doesn't both me. I have noticed that no one looks you in the eye here and I find that interesting. I look at and observe people wherever I go but I have had no one in Cape Town look back at me - white or black. I smile at people as a gesture of friendship - this worked in China - but not in South Africa. I wonder if this is cultural, racial, or paranoia? This is interesting to me.
I wound my way back through downtown to Desmond Tutu's cathedral. The current archbishop has a name that is like Mumuwuluwucaluwocho - that isn't really his name but it sounds like that and goes on and on when they pronounce it. He is retiring soon and they are hoping for another bishop like Tutu so it will be easier to pronounce. The cathedral used to stand at the end of a pedestrian mall in the center of the town - there is a picture of it - but they tore is down and all that remains is the huge cross that was on the steeple - it is now on a stand on the ground. Next to the cathedral is a long walkway - Government Walk - by their Parliament, Botanical Gardens, museums, and even an AIDS Memorial Rose Garden. The government has its head in the sand on AIDS and even planted a hedge in front of the plaque designating the garden as a memorial. The South African President recently said some really stupid things about AIDS in Africa and this denial is not good for the people. I loved this walk - beautiful and peaceful. The Government Walk ends at the Mount Nelson Hotel where I had high tea yesterday - took pictures and then headed for a leisurely walk up the hill (mountain) to the hotel which overlooks the city and has a beautiful view of Table Mountain. Peter, at the hotel, couldn't believe that I had walked all that way but it was enjoyable - Tim and I take long walks all of the time when we travel. Today gave me more confidence about walking around in Cape Town during the day. I've been warned by everyone NOT to walk around alone at night - and have heeded those warnings.
I took a steam bath and rested for dinner. Had half a bottle of a wonderful South African white wine - they are so great and very inexpensive3. Went to dinner at Balduccis at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. I had the most wonderful, flavorful filet for dinner - one of the best steaks I've ever had. Then dessert - the piece d'resistance! Icky Sticky Toffee Pudding - a local creation and favorite - one of the best desserts I've ever had - even beats bread pudding. The pudding and a dallop of vanilla ice cream was heavenly. I need to try the other favorite dessert here - Mulva Pudding. Had another great bottle of South African white whine - Klein Constantia - one of the best wineyards here - yummy!
Back to the hotel for a nightcap and then to bed. It started raining again tonight and is supposed to rain for the next 4 days. This will literally put a damper on the rest of my planned tours - especially the cable car to the top of Table Mountain and the ferry to Robben Island where Mandela was jailed - oh well - something to save for the next visit.
Larry
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