Cape Town Recap

Apologies again for the slow updates at the tail-end of our journey in Africa. After returning home, I’ve been living in a haze, trying to readjust back into daily life. I often wake up at night frantically believing I’m still travelling somewhere. It’s the oddest feeling! I still don’t have my final thoughts wrapped concisely together about the entire experience, but I do want to share a bit about our time in Cape Town.

Cape Town is very truly one of my favorite places I’ve ever been. Its incredible history, scenery, and biodiversity make it infinitely interesting. While it boasts some of Africa’s nicest neighborhoods and wealthiest communities, it also was home to the worst poverty we saw throughout our travels. The townships are packed tightly with over 50% of Cape Town’s 4.5 million residents. Here you’ll find homes atop of homes, each with wires connecting to the nearest electricity pole. It’s just so remarkable that less than 3 miles away, one can walk through posh beachfront communities featuring lavish homes housing some of the world’s most well-known dignitaries.

One traveler we visited with commented that he felt Cape Town was a combination of Miami and Denver. This comparison is apt as Cape Town boats coastline on both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, but is also nestled into a mountain range, most notably represented by the famous Table Mountain. This stunning topography helps make Cape Town such an incredible city.

While in Cape Town, Leah and I soaked in much of the city’s culture. The highlights including a drive to Hermanus for whale watching, visiting wine estates near Stellenbosch, riding the cable car up Table Mountain, and visiting the V&A Waterfront (which is like a superior version of Chicago’s Navy Pier). My highlight, though, was a trip to Robben Island, the infamous prison that housed Nelson Mandela for 18 of his 27 years of incarceration. Beyond the breathtaking views of Cape Town from the sea, the trip was a great walk through hundreds of years of history and tragedy. On Robben Island, nearly all tour guides are former political prisoners or supporters of “the struggle” (which is how most South Africans refer to the fight against apartheid). We were blessed to see the island with a tour guide who was a leader in the PAC, a political party opposed to apartheid. He knowledgably spoke about the island, including connecting the history of Robben Island to the contributions of all the countries represented in our tour group. Later, we toured the actual prison with a former prisoner who was part of the MK, the armed militia branch of the ANC (Mandela’s party). To hear a formerly oppressed black prisoner talk about his commitment to reconciliation is beyond remarkable. I really hope everyone gets a chance to visit Robben Island and experience it for themselves.

The other top highlight of Cape Town was meeting Norman and Christle, two friends of Vicki Schmidt. Norman and Christle graciously welcomed us into their home and proudly showed us Cape Point and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. As volunteers in the National Parks, Christle and Norman provided insightful commentary about each location. However, the stories and hospitality they shared were far superior to any tourist attraction. Norman and Christle are “coloured”, an accepted South African term indicating mixed racial heritage. During apartheid, they faced many challenges because of this such as being spontaneously relocated when the all-white government decided it wanted only whites to live in their family’s neighborhood. However, in the years following apartheid, most coloured citizens have been left behind by the almost entirely black government. For years, they were too black, but now they are too white. This reality creates such an interesting perspective, and Norman and Christle were happy to share their views with us. Despite enduring many hardships, Norman and Christle have achieved so much in life. Beyond successful careers as a dockworker and teacher, they have raised two highly-accomplished children. Norman and Christle are proud to always welcome international travelers into their lives boasting friends from the US, Germany, Holland, Scotland, and many other countries. They are also wonderful “parents” to their adorable dog Smudgie. Norman and Christle are fascinating and lovely people with generous hearts. I can’t say I’m surprised, though. I wouldn’t expect anything less from friends of Vicki!