The Short Letter to Freedom
Over the last two weeks we have been travelling through the Western Cape province of South Africa. This specific area, in and around Cape Town, is not only where South Africa started but is infamously known as the birthplace of Apartheid. In our efforts to creatively compose this blog we have decided to craft this entry in the same vein as the political prisoners of the time. Each political prisoner (depending on his ranking) was allowed one 500 word letter every six months. Keep in mind as you read this entry that this period of time is only two weeks, not SIX months!
From Kenya we arrived in Jo’burg but had previously decided to spend no time (lil’ bit of a crime problem!) there and jumped on a flight to Cape Town. This was a brilliant choice as Cape Town and its surroundings offer a very diverse tourist experience.
We opted to rest in the city for a few days then rent a car and head around the rest of the Western Cape. In our efforts to fully epitomize rest and relaxation we headed down to the Mount Nelson Hotel and partook in English afternoon tea. Donning our convertible travel pants and hiking boots we hobnobbed perfectly with the stuffy English ladies clad in their Sunday hats and checkered pant suits. After filling our bellies and dropping off our laundry we delved into a true American relaxation experience. What better way than tracking down a movie theatre, flashing our student discount cards, and viewing the DaVinci Code for less than $5 TOTAL!
Next we hopped into our rental car for a totally new experience. We aren’t talking about new places we are talking about driving on the other side of the road and opposite side of the car. Yikes!!! Jeff, being the consummate driver, had a few issues with continually turning on the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal, but all in all had mastered English-style driving within 24 hours. Okay…word check! Only two days into our journey and already 50% of our word quota. This is hard…no wonder Mandela’s book after release was so long!
As we headed out the N1 to the South African Winelands we began to see the beauty of this area, just minutes from the big city! Sun-soaked mountains, luscious green farms, and bright sunshine…..all in the middle of winter??!!! The locals think it’s tough, let’s introduce them to Chicago Winter 2000 and see how they adapt. We enjoyed two days in Stellenbosch visiting eight fantastic wineries. The tasting rooms are gorgeous; workers extremely knowledgeable (especially Rustenberg); quality superb; and prices so low they frustrate you for only being able to carry what fits in your backpack. After our bacchanalia in the wine country we hiked around Cape Point, the most southwestern tip in Africa; played with the penguins; watched World Cup; and finished with a beautiful coastline drive.
Back in Cape Town we realized we’d better brush up on some history. We started with a visit to Robben Island, home to Apartheid’s political prisoners where Derrick (a former prisoner) took us on a guided tour through the cells and work quarries the prisoners were forced to inhabit. Derrick introduced us to the realities of fighting Apartheid as well as the conditions these men endured. Our next journey was a tour of historical Cape Town from the settler’s Dutch homes to the Apartheid-installed, segregated townships and shanty towns. Our guide, an anti-Apartheid advocate, perfectly executed our history lesson and opened our eyes to the egregious atrocities of discrimination as well as the bright future for these hard-working, South African citizens. All the shanties (1 million) will be replaced with a free standing, citizen-owned home by 2010!
Okay so that’s 500 words. WOW…how frustrating not to be able to BE YOURSELF by limiting your personal style, things you want to teach, issues you feel passionately about, etc. In looking back on this experience the thing that strikes us the most is that this type of state-sponsored discrimination (which seems so obsolete) only ceased to exist in 1994. By the way it is still going on elsewhere!
Tags: Cape Town, South Africa, Stellenbosch, Travel
Jeff and Becca
Leave a Reply