The Western Cape - Part 1

Our second full day in Cape Town I was still struggling. But nothing like those who inhabited Robbin Island, our first tour in the morning.  Nelson Mandela spend 18 of his 27 years in prison on this island during Apartheid, along with many ANC and other “illegal” organizations fighting against minority white rule in a majority Black Country.  I’ll explain how this came about after our Apartheid Museum visit in Johannesburg next week.  This racist history is only 25 years ago and the country’s still evolving and a work in progress.  I won’t discuss current politics and race relations until one of my last posts because I find my analysis, emotions, and thoughts whipsawn as we meet more people, white, black and colored, that provide another perspective into the situation. To say the least, it’s very complicated.

The past is still so present in this country that former prisoners of Robbin island are the tour guides and give personal anecdotes of life on the island.  It’s very moving; the human spirit is inspiring; and at the same time human behavior toward our fellow species is appalling.  More to discuss later.

Security around Robbin Island 

Former Prisoner for 7 years, and our Guide

Photo of Prisoners breaking rocks. 

Same courtyard today

Mandela’s solitary cell for years

After Robbin Island we returned to the Victoria and Alfred waterfront and walked around.  In our guide books when I read about this new development I thought some fool misspelled the name as it must be Victoria and Albert, the Queens Consort.  Alas, Victoria’s son was Alfred and he was a major figure in British South Africa.  I also was a little hesitant to spend much time here as it was a tourist destination.  They have a Great Wheel like Seattle, London and many other cities appealing to the masses.  The development had all the typical tourist attractions like restaurants, boat tours, aquarium, etc.  But the development was pretty well done, clean and safe.  It integrated its working waterfront into the amenities with a sense of a new South Africa.

Old Colonial Dutch waterfront building 

New development along the working waterfront 

Later the four of us went to Woodstock for lunch.  This former industrial area, and then slum is a gentrifying area of Cape Town where Michele Obama had lunch at a salad bar.  He choice looked great, but we were past the noon hour and most selections were gone.  So we found another excellent restaurant in a redevelopment of an old warehouse that was still mostly vacant - ahead of the curve.  

Hip salad bar in Woodstock visited by M Obama

Warehouse converted into restaurant and shopping - still mostly vacant 

Thom and Johnson had a different agenda for the afternoon than us so we separated.  We like to explore cities on foot so we walked the two miles from Woodstock back to the CBD of Capetown.  It presented a very different picture of the city than our privileged tour of the peninsula, Table Mountain, V and A waterfront, and guided tour of Robbin Island.  It reminded us of the Bronx. Real people going to and fro with their daily life:  coming from school, finishing or starting work, catching buses or “taxis” back to the townships and general milling around.  However, before we left for South Africa Robin was constantly advised by a friend that lived in Cape Town “don’t walk there, you’ll be killed for $5.00.”  Our walk was both a reminder of that advice as some places seemed threatening, and a confirmation of our impressions to date that South Africans are VERY friendly.  Both probably true - it’s complex.

Woodstock

After returning to the CBD we walked to BoKaap, one of the original settlements in Cape Town by coloreds.  In Apartheid South Africa people were officially labeled by their race:  White, Blacks (non-mixed Africans), colored (intermarried Africans, and other non-whites).  Later they separated out Asians from coloreds.  BoKaap was settled by Malay who were imported as workers.  It was late afternoon as we walked BoKaap and Robin wanted me to see some of the back streets she saw with Thom and Johnson on the morning of my sick day.  As we started down the cobblestoned back streets in the gloaming, a nice Malay woman advised we go back to the main thoroughfare as it was getting unsafe in the evening.  

BoKaap 

We returned to our hotel, Cloud 9, via Long street. The street has an interesting architectural feel.  Two and three story buildings that reminded us of New Orleans with the wrought iron balconies, colorful graffiti painted walls, hawkers, and a milling population that looks very suspicious.  Most pickpockets in Capetown work this street of tourists (I’m getting to be an expert now - after the horse is out of the barn.)

Long street and New Orleans Architecture 

Long Street 

Tomorrow we rent a car and drive the wine country and Garden route for five days.  It will be more of a European trip than an Africa trip.  That will be in Western Cape Part 2.