Cape Town, part II

Aug 3 - Cape Town
Got to visit several outdoor sites and talk to people working on conservation education. Started the morning by picking up our ZA colleagues at Kirstenbosch. We drove from there down the eastern side of the cape to WESSA - the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa - for a talk on what they are doing in environmental ed in ZA. They are an NGO so it was interesting hearing a different perspective.

From there, drove down to False Bay and visited one of the shark spotters. They started 11 years ago as a system to help the surfers in False Bay - they are up on higher overlooks and search for the shadows of sharks (since the Great Whites are big enough you can actually see them). On busy days, there are a hundred surfers in the bay, and the sharks lurk just outside the outside break. They've spotted almost 900 sharks and there has been just one attack and no deaths since the program started.

False Bay is interesting because it is a big bay with cliffs on all sides. it's called False Bay because back during the days of the Dutch Trading Company in the 16th and 17th centuries, ships would go from India around the cape and up to Europe. If they weren't careful in bad weather (lots of fog so they couldn't see very far), they'd go up False Bay thinking they'd reach the point and turn up - and it was a big problem because to turn around they had to wait for the winds to change.

I talked to the shark spotter, who said they don't see that many now - they are all out at Seal Island (in the middle of False Bay) feeding on the baby seals. But on the really busy days in the summer, they spot maybe one each day.

Now was also Right Whale season, but she says oddly they haven't been spotting very many...


From there we drove down to Simon's Town, and visited the Save our Seas Shark Center in Kalk Bay. They are working to educate the public about sharks. From there we walked down to the tide pools where we got a mini-lesson on what we saw there.


Then we drove further south to The Boulders to see the colony of African Penguins. There is a boardwalk that allows us to walk down to the beach and go fairly close to the animals. It was really windy, but I guess that's good because penguins really stink!!

Some of the bird were still quite young, which means they don't go into the water and still have quite a bit of fluff on them. They are more grey and black, not yet the black and white of typical penguins.


Then we drove further down, not quite to Cape Point but cut across to the Western side of the cape. We stopped at a colored township called Ocean View (although there were no views of any ocean!) Its where the people were relocated away from the nicer coastal areas during apartheid. We learned about how poor management has devastated the marine resources - many of the fish species are threatened or already wiped out. There is a lot of poaching, but small scale and traditional fishermen can't follow their livelihoods.

We then went to the Two Ocean's Aquarium where we heard from the WWF's Sustainable Seafood Initiative. They gave us a lecture that they give schoolchildren, including hands-on work with sea urchins. Afterwards we went down to see their large kelp bed exhibit, which was really cool.

Walked from there down the waterfront to the Hildebrand Restaurant - a nice chicken marsala (too much fish for one day!) Overall, a nice day!

August 4 - Cape Town
A cold, rainy day!! Went to KNBG in the AM to meet with the South African teachers and learn about Environmental education in ZA. We also had a workshop with an Active Learning Framework - we all got an environmental issue and had to discuss how to tackle it in the classroom. After a nice lunch we were supposed to go on a service learning project but it started raining very hard. We got a talk on the Working for Water Program, but skipped out on the clearing invasive species project. Instead, we went down to the Kirstenbosch Gift Shop for an hour, then went back for a short game on sustainable fishing using jellybeans in a pond.

The group work finished early, and Candice and I got invited to sleep over at Alicia's so that she wouldn't have to come all the way downtown to pick us up the next day. We picked up some food at the market, stopping also for Candice and I to get some fresh bilton (smoked, cured meat, kind of like beef jerkey).

Alicia's house is nice - much like you'd find in the US, only nobody has heat. The houses are very cold - they keep their jackets on inside, so luckily they have a fireplace/woodstove where we sat. Alicia's brother-in-law Richard came by - an administrator at a private school, and his wife (Julian's sister) is a primary school teacher. So it was nice to hear several different perspectives and experiences.

The interesting story that Julien told us was how in '94, he and his friends (they are all colored) used to go out every Wednesday and find a white guy to beat up. That was their way of releasing the tensions and anger.  As Richard and Julien were telling their apartheid stories they were laughing - I asked why, and they said it was so awfully unbelievable that they just had to laugh. I guess that was truly one of those examples of "you have to laugh or else you'd cry."

After dinner we actually went to Alicia's mom's to sleep. She has a huge house in the township - has 2 extra bedrooms. So we slept there. Comfy, but freezing cold. I showered just to warm up but didn't wash my hair because I was afraid of the cold!


Visited Alicia and Julien's school the next day, then had a brai at their house before going back into Cape Town to join the group.


August 6 - Stellenbosch
A free day!! It was an absolutely beautiful day - sunny, with blue skies - so it was perfect for a drive into the countryside. I went with the boys - Jamison, John, Eric, Dave, and Scott - we hired Jerome and his cab for the entire day. We drove up to Stellenbosch to see some wineries - went to Tokara and Meerlust wineries. Then we went to a traditional store, Se Winkel, which looked like something you'd find in the old west or pioneer days. Watched rugby in a pub and found porcupine quills on a walk through the countryside. A great day!

Tokara Winery

Weaver bird nests

The hills above Tokara

In Oom Samie se Winkel

watching rugby with the locals

Cape Town

July 31 - Cape Town
Another full day, with an early wakeup and departure from Durban. Had a morning flight to CT - I sat across from JL, so I had a nice talk with him about his life, spirituality, Toyota, and the program. He seems like he's genuinely impressed with the program and likes supporting it, which is nice to know.

Arrived in Cape Town in time for a quick lunch at the V&A Waterfront - ate with Amy and Osha, takeout Thai food in a fast half hour, then a quick bus to the ferry. Went across to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held as a political prisoner for 18 of the 27 years he was incarcerated. The ride over was sunny but windy, cold, with a great view of Table Mountain and Cape Town. (Oh! On the way from the airport, saw some wild zebras on the slopes of Table Mountain!)

Robben Island is now a museum, kind of a sterile place, with guides who are former prisoners. We saw both the communal and solitary cell blocks - including Nelson Mandela's, and heard about the experience of our guard. Seems like they survived because there was great camaraderie - they really supported each other and became a family.

Nelson Mandela's prison room

Surprisingly, there is ow a small permanent settlement on Robben Island with both former prisoners AND former wardens living together!

Toured around the island on the bus - saw the leper graveyard, small town, and viewpoint to Cape Town. Also the quarry where prisoners worked. Lots of wild birds on the island, including penguins - we saw a bunch on the drive!

The guide is Xhosa, which is a click language, and I got a video of her explaining the Khoi Khoi origins of Table Mountain and the legends of two ancient rulers who drowned and are now ruling from the bottom of the sea. Hear some Xhosa:

Had a cold and windy ride back to Cape Town, then went to the hotel to check in on Pam - we're in a small room in the Manor House, but it's clean and comfortable.

Cool upcycled decor!

Had dinner at Africa  Cafe - a fun, touristy restaurant with cool recycled-bottle decoration. A very pan-African menu, but best of all was the singing/drumming by the servers after the meal. A very fun way to end the night.









August 1 - Cape Town
An amazing day visiting local families and seeing the struggles that communities are facing with poverty, domestic violence, and AIDS/TB.

Went this AM to Delft Township, to a community activist project called Afrika Tikkun. Their focus is on Youth Development, family support services, and health care for disadvantaged people. We visited their facilities, but the true interesting part of the day was the home visits to families receiving help from the organization. It was a difficult visit, but enlightening.

We first saw a shanty that was being built for a small family (a mom with 2 kids). It was built of corrugated metal with a cement floor - cold in winter and so hot in summer that they are known as "microwave shacks." It was tine - about 8 ft by 12 ft, with a small window and wood door.

Microwave Shack

Net we visited a grandma in a government subsidized home - cinderblock and more permanent, but still very rough. The mother was a drug addict who'd been raped twice and had no support until Afrika Tikkun came in - she was sent to rehab and the grandma was raising her two young kids. There was an air of despair exuding from the home, and both women we met begged for help (blankets for the kids).

The bedroom

The second home was a family with 11 children - we met 7 of them, around ages 9 to about 20, none of whom were in school. The family was absolutely beautiful - they were colored (not black), with gorgeous features and striking eyes. The mother started crying when she told her her story - a neighbor's car had gone missing and the keys were found in her house, so she had to move around a lot to avoid retribution.

The house was way too small for the large family - not enough beds, and the mom said she was grateful that none of her kids had committed suicide yet because of the awful life they had.


The family counselors we went with, Mickayla and Amanda, were lovely people with a lot of dedication. They were themselves from the Hague area of Delft; in their early 20s, and so friendly and caring.

Kids at Afrika Tikkun

After the home visits we debriefed at Afrika Tikkun, had lunch from their kitchens - the same thing they were serving - rice with a chicken/lentil stew. IIE gifted them with 500 spoons - something they really needed and appreciated. We're all hoping to buy shoes for the family counselors - something many of them don't have.




After lunch, we went to a different part of the Township - Mfuleni, to see young girl dancers in their after school program. They were amazing, and we learned a dance with them, which was a lot of fun.



We debriefed with Educo-Africa - Mark and Sphesh, at the Africa Democracy Institute. The room was so cool - there was a chandelier with a life-sized statue of a flying Bishop Desmond Tutu hanging from the ceiling. The debrief wasn't nearly as emotionally draining as the J'burg one - thank goodness - I think because the day's visits, even though it was difficult to see, was actually empowering because the people had hope and were trying to lift themselves out of the situation they were in.

Dinner was on our own, so we ate a 'pot luck' at the hotel in the apartments. Was really nice talking outside to everyone, and it wasn't too cold (hooray!) Luckily we have a free morning tomorrow, so many of us are planning to go to Table Mountain.

August 2 - Cape Town

What a gorgeous day today!! It was wonderfully warm and sunny, and we had a free morning (our first free time since we've arrived!) So a group of us decided to hike at Table Mountain, so we left around 8:45 and took a cab to the cable car. It is wonderfully built - there is a rotating platform in a circular funicular, so you really get to see all around as you go.up the mountain. The ride is quick, and there is just a funicular station, gift shop, and restaurant at the top. Other than that, it's just trails and an absolutely amazing view of Cape Town. From the top you can see both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and you can look down south to the ocean or North up into Africa. It is truly very flat up top (and not that wide - maybe 200-300 yards) - so it is easy to see why its called Table Mountain. I went around with Eric - walked around the main 'table', then decided to hoof it to Maclear's Beacon, about 30 minutes from the cable station. We were walking very fast, but got to take some time at the point and take several pictures. Its really windy but not cold up top, but I can see how it would be freezing if the fog rolled in.

Maclear's Beacon

Candice, Alicia, and me

Had a brisk walk back to the able car and shared a cab van (9 of us) back to the hotel. Ate a picnic-y lunch of leftovers at the boy's apt, then had to get to the bus by 1:30 to head to Kirstenbosch, where we met the ZA teachers. Candice and I are partnered with Alicia Keet, a science teacher in a high school about 30 minutes from here in a township. We'll get to see the school on Friday, and have dinner at her house.


Got to spend almost 2 hours walking around the gardens, which are really beautiful. There is a huge variety of plant species, many from the Fynbos region (where we're located). ZA has over 23,000+ species of vascular plants and is one of the only 6 Floral Kingdoms in the world. We learned a bit about the South African National Biodiversity Institute, which educates and maintains environmental stewardship in South Africa.

Dinner was at 6 Spin Street, and it was nice talking to several SA teachers. I sat with Sunett, who is actually not a teacher but works in community conservation. Dinner was delicious, especially the Mulva (pronounced mulfa) pudding dessert!

Durban

July 29 - Durban
Holy smokes I'm tired. Got up at 4AM this morning to catch a flight to Durban. It was grey and rainy when we got here - very unusually cold, so they say. We immediately went to the Toyota factory for a tour of the production facilities. It was actually really interesting - we went around the factory floor, from the stamping machine (where they formed the parts for the doors and body from sheets of metal), to the assembly and welding area (where we were showered with sparks from the welders), to the finished product, where they started up the engine for the first time. Interestingly, they don't make the cars in like batches - there is a white, right hand drive car, then a blue left hand drive, etc. Doesn't seem efficient to me...

Had lunch at the factory, then went to the Bisasar Road Landfill. It's where they have a gas-to-electric project, extracting and burning off methane and other gasses and generating electricity. It was raining when we got there, so it was a quick visit.

After that, we had a talk with the Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department of the city of Durban. They discussed the challenges of environmental protection when weighed against other urban needs, such as the housing shortage. We also went to see the living roof pilot project at the nearby department building.

It was a lot of info, especially since we were all so tired from the long day. Had dinner at the restaurant around the corner - tried the Portuguese sardines, which were pretty good, and had a steak. Lots of meat here! Everyone is off to bed early tonight...

July 30 - Durban
A great day today! Packed and a bit rushed, but lots of good stuff. Had breakfast at the hotel and left early - 8AM - for the Toyota facility to meet with the South African teachers. They are in the Toyota Teach Program, which identifies at risk schools and provides a mentoring program for the teachers. We talked to several of the mentors and got a good overview of the South African schooling system.

After that, we went to the Buffelsdraai Landfill, an area where they are trying to reforest with indigenous plants as a way to offset the carbon emissions from the World Cup (and, to some extent, the upcoming COP 17 Conference). They get their trees form local "tree-preneurs" who trade saplings for basic goods like food, clothing, and school fees. This way, the local people have a tie to the project and the land.

From the landfill, we went into the community to see one of the tree-preneurs. We had to walk about 5-10 minutes up the hill to a house. Along the way we waved at many people, and then we just started talking to them - to kids on the street and women outside their houses. They were all so welcome and friendly, and wanted to show us their homes. One woman, Pel, took us down to see the view behind her house. On the way back to the bus, two 7th graders took Uzma and I to see their planted trees. It was a fabulous experience talking to the locals and we didn't have nearly enough time.

Proud tree-preneurs 

The view from our actual seats...

Then I schooled Eric on the art of
sweet-talk, and got us onto the field...

We left around 2 for lunch, at a bird park, then off to Mr Price Kings Stadium for the Sharks vs. Cheetah's rugby match. It was so much fun! Eric and I decided to try sneaking on the field, so we went down and played the dumb tourist "we're from the US and have never seen rugby and can we just take a quick photo?"  Believe it or not, it worked. We basically stayed more than half the game, in the front row at center field.

...which gave us a slightly better view of the action!

Plus, you get to interact with
TRUE rugby fans!

The rugby players are HUGE - I can't believe they aren't all on steroids - and the hits are VERY hard. Can't say we understood what was going on, but it was still exciting to see the action and viscerally feel each hit and tackle! I can't imagine being this close to an American football game, so I wish I knew more about rugby. Nevertheless, it was an unforgettable experience.

The sharks won, 40-29, and after the game I bought two Springbok Jerseys (I know, not Sharks, but the Nation'l team of South Africa).









Came back to the hotel - we were going to walk to the beach but the receptionist said it was very dangerous (as did Jameson) so Elaine and I came back. met up with a group for dinner - fish and chips, a local (Capetown) fish called Kingklip. It's Deb's birthday today, and surprisingly JL paid for all of our dinner on Toyota's dime!
Tomorrow, off to Cape Town!

Soweto

July 28 - Soweto

Today we went into Soweto - the SOuthWEsternTOwnships of Johannesburg where displaced South African Blacks were forced to move during Apartheid. The most moving thing for me was the hope and joy of the people. In my visions of Soweto, I always saw miles of shantytowns - poverty and dispair beyond belief. But I was amazed by the people we saw - those on the streets who waved and smiled to the busses, the vendors who were friendly and open, even if you didn't buy anything, the people working in the restaurants and museums and churches. Given their history and past circumstances, the Sowetans had and have every right to feel bitter and to complain about their lot in life. Instead, I saw genuine joy and smiles, and a peoples who strive to overcome those obstacles and despite everything, to enjoy life.

We started the day at Freedom Square in Kliptown. The monument celebrates the rights of the people, and the "X" on the top of the monument represents the voting rights of the people.

From there we drove through Soweto, stopping to see some of the "informal settlements" that still sprawl across the landscape. It was a difficult thing to see from inside our luxury busses, and it was our first real taste of the poverty and plight of the people.

We drove to the Regina Mundi Church, where Bishop Desmond Tutu and the Truth and Reconciliation Committee met, as well as where all of the funerals from the Soweto Uprisings were held. Unlike those glorified, gothic monstrosities you see in Italy and other parts of Europe, it is a humble brick building with cracked tile floors, worn carpeting, and bullet holes in the roof. Upstairs is a series of photos from Soweto's history, and graffiti jams the walls behind the pictures. The struggle of Soweto's people clearly impacted everyone one on earth, and the messages left there show how inspirational they were.

From there, we went to the Hector Pieterson memorial and museum, a tribute to the young who marched in the Soweto uprising and who gave their lives for the struggle against apartheid.

Then to the Nelson Mandela House: 

And on the way, we saw the cooling towers from the power plants that were used to generate electricity for the whites in Joburg.

Johannesburg and Pretoria

An early start this morning - we almost missed it because the alarm was turned so low the neither Candice nor I heard it! So we got up at 7:30 for a 7:45 meeting - had a quick bite for breakfast then met at the hotel with our South African guides. First we heard from Keira, our tour guide from Spirit of Africa, who gave us a Quick History of South Africa from the Beginning of Time Until the Present. (Well, maybe her title was different, but that's what it should have been.) She had some really interesting insights on the background of whites in ZA, including the conflict between Boers and the English that led up to Apartheid. We also heard from Mark and Sphesh, guides from Educo Africa, a group that takes disadvantaged youth on wilderness adventures (a program that sounds a lot like Outward Bound). They're here to help us process and understand the things we're about to see.

We then left for Pretoria (the Executive capital of ZA) to visit the US Embassy. The roads here are very nice - for the World Cup last year, they widened the highway so there was virtually no traffic. Many big businesses and offices in modern buildings lined the highway - not what I expected of Africa. But this is Northern Joburg and Pretoria, where the biggest boom of economic development is happening on the continent, so I'm sure it isn't representative.

The US Embassy is a concrete, sterile building where we couldn't take pictures of bring any electronic equipment. We heard from the Minister Counselor of Public Affairs (Karl Stoltz), who gave an overview of US interest in South Africa (which deals in large part on educational and health reform). Also heard from Fulbright specialist Mareka Chabedi who discussed ZA's education system, and Martin Matlebyare, an economics

specialist who talked about ZA's environmental sustainability.

After leaving the embassy, we went to the Union Building Gardens for a picnic lunch. The Union Building is theExecutive house of the government, where the President has an office. Its also where Nelson Mandela was sworn in as president in 1994. There are beautiful tiered gardens with a great view of Pretoria.

After lunch, we drove back to Joburg to the Apartheid Museum. Along the way, we saw the stadium where the World Cup opening and closing ceremonies were held. The Apartheid Museum opened in 2001 and is a really stark but beautiful building. I especially loved the pillars reading "Freedom", "Respect", etc.

The museum gave a history of apartheid in ZA and showed many photos, videos, and articles. Not sure if it was because I'd just gone to the Holocaust Museum, but I didn't find it nearly as depressing as I was expecting. (Although I admit to getting emotional watching the video of FW de Klerk's speech when he freed Nelson Mandela).

Had dinner at Gramadoelas Restaurant, in the

old market building. It was an interesting restaurant with great decor, serving all kinds of traditional African foods. Tried fried mopane worms and ostrich, among other things. Delicious!

Now we're back at the hotel, and I'm trying to warm up. It is reaaallly cold here, unusually so, and they say it's the coldest day they've had this year. Supposedly there is a cold front that is only going to last a few days. But in the meantime, Welcome to Winter!

Start of the African Journey

So I finally made it to African soil! So far the trip has been wonderful - the people at Toyota and IIE are fantastic, and the teachers on the trip are all great - nice, friendly, and a very accomplished group. They treat us very well, so we're going to be spoiled by the time the trip ends!!

I left San Jose on Saturday night, 8PM. It was an eerily empty airport - actually kind of creeped me out, horror movie-style. But I connected smoothly in LA and had an easy (is this possible?) red-eye out to Washington DC. Met up with Candice at the airport and we took a limo to the Capitol Hill Liaison hotel - right near the Capitol building. It was around 8AM when we checked in (and 90 degrees - eesh!) and they didn't have a room ready yet, so after changing, Candice and I decided to walk around the mall. We ended up going to the Holocaust Museum, since neither of us had been there before.

The museum is dedicated almost entirely to the Holocaust, and is really good but very disturbing. It discusses several aspects leading up to the war, gives various perspectives, and has pictures and case studies. After a while it got to be a bit too much for both of us and we had to walk fairly quickly through the whole second half. I think the most disturbing part was the room of shoes - the musty, leathery old smell was really haunting.

From there, we walked to the Museum of American History and had lunch - then we just went back to the hotel to rest. After a nap and shower, we met up with the rest of the TITP group for the welcome and intros. Along with the 24 teachers, there are two IIE staff (MarDestinee and Mike), 2 from Toyota (Rhonda and her boss JL), 2 videographers (Dave and Scott), and a journalist (Osha).

At 6:30, we walked over to the US Botanical Garden for a reception - it's a beautiful space, and we met several other Toyota and IIE staff, plus a number of people from the South African Embassy.

It was lovely event, sponsored by Donald Payne, the congressman from NJ, who came to speak to us. Too bad I was so dang tired - by then I was totally exhausted.

The next morning, we checked out at 7:45 and went to the Toyota DC office for breakfast.

We ate up on their rooftop deck, which had a nice view of the city and Washington Monument. Then we went down into the offices for a talk about Toyota's environmental initiatives, plus a South Africa overview given by the Deputy Chief of Mission from the ZA embassy.

Lunch was on our own, paid for by the stipend they gave us at the beginning of the trip. It was raining pretty hard (but still very warm and muggy) so we went around the corner for a quick lunch then hid in the Toyota building until it was time to go. At 2, we headed out to the airport, checked in as a group, and waited through the 2 hr delay (ugh!).

It was a 7 1/2 hour flight to Dakar, Senegal, an hour or so wait on the plane, a disgusto anti-bug spray, then another 7 1/2 hours to Johannesburg. But we finally made it!

Now we're in the Grayston in Sandton - a very nice hotel in the fancy part of Joburg. We're all completely exhausted... off to bed...