There was a Tablecloth

Up at 6:30am to depart hotel at 8:00 for our tour of the Mother City. The tour started at the entrance to the Garden District, with St. George's Cathedral being the beginning. While our guide was telling us about the area, I noticed a homeless person sleeping right behind us under nothing but thin shipping foam.

Not long after that a police woman came and woke him up so he'd move on. He gathered up his bed and shoved it in the corner and placed a large block on top of it. I understand now why our guide advised we shouldn't leave our hotel to wonder around the downtown area. Here we also learned about Nelson Mandela and Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu's program TRC (Truth Reconciliation Commission). This Commission's objective was to find out what happened to so many anti-Apartheid men. It took four years of interviews, hearings and documentation, but it gave many families closure. Many of these men were taken from their homes in the middle of the night never to be seen by their families again. This Commission and its results is was gained The Arch Bishop his Nobel Peace Prize. Photo of Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela's statues at Nobel Square at the Water Front.

The Company's Garden was our first stop. It is the most beautiful and peaceful place. Originally it was used to grow fruits and vegetables for the residents. Now there are ponds, lots of flowers, trees (a 150 year old rubber tree and a saffron pear tree that was in Cape Town when it was originated in 1652), squirrels, pigeons and ducks.

Among the statues in the garden is one of Cecil Rhodes.

At the age of 17 he moved to Cape Town from Great Britain to join his brother in mining. His brother eventually left and returned to Great Britain, but he stayed and at the age of 26 was the richest man in the world at that time. He hit the jackpot in the largest diamond mine in South Africa and ended up owning all the rights to that and the surrounding area. He founded DeBeers. At the age of 49 he died of "consumption," which could have been anything immune system related. He was a gay man and it is believed he died of aids. He had no heirs and, thus, left his entire fortune to the people. But it was only used for the benefit of the white population. His fortune also helped fund the Rhodes Scholar program. 

 From Company's Garden, we visited the Bo-Kaap District. This is the portion of town with brightly colored painted houses. It also goes by the Malay Quarter because the slaves who lived here were brought from Java, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bali and Sri Lanka. Today it is predominantly occupied by the Muslim community.

This led us to the Waterfront - or as it is named the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Queen Victoria and her son Alfred. I decided to go ahead - since I was here :) - and purchase my township art, a recycled tea bag painting and the cutest, most colorful giraffe made from recycled flip flops. 

 During our lunch break I decided to go and take photographs of Groote Kerk (the first church in Cape Town upon settlement). Magnificent floors, pulpit, ceiling and of course its massive pipe organ. A third of the floor is old stone covering burials, some have dates back to 1737. 

I then headed to the City Hall to look at its impressive interior but was unable to - needed to make an appointment. Oh well, that happens. 

Our afternoon included an optional tour to two of the city's townships. Imagine a target, but as a larger circle. That circle was the white population, having the best of everything - land, homes, jobs. Surrounding that circle comes the colored (mixed race citizens) - getting the next best thing and then that area is surrounded by the black population. That section got the bad land, virtually no housing, high unemployment. 

The first township was Langa. It was established in 1927 and designated for the black population, even before Apartheid. The government is starting to build appropriate subsidized housing and tearing down the shacks. Some have electricity but most have no indoor toilets. There are port-a-pots in different sections. 

The next township was Khayelitsha. It is the largest and fastest growing. Here there are lots of shanty homes but also proper homes mixed in. Here we visited a women's cooperative where they learn to weave to earn a living.

We were entertained by some children in the courtyard area. Very cute. We were then entertained by a group of teens and young adults and I do mean entertained. It was the best part of the outing. It was put on by the IlIso Care Society. Their mission is to empower and enable skills and provide the most basic needs to the people of Khayelitsha. There was even some dancing going on.

Lastly, the day ended with the most fantastic dinner at the Waterfront - Gibson's Gourmet Burgers & Steaks. It was superb!!!! 

 Over and out!!