January 17 , 2005

Leah and I are now in South Africa for a little rest and relaxation in between volunteer duties.

We arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa on January 4th. We once again returned to the Bedford View Bed and Breakfast. We found it under new ownership. Chris and Anne Taylor had moved on to new pursuits, and Janine and Richard Smith had taken up the reins. We found the B&B in good hands. We were warmly welcomed by the new owners, who were holding a couple of bags for us.

We had been so long without a bedside table and lamp that I was fascinated by the one next to my bed. It felt like such a luxury after our months of camping, spare accommodations and reading by flashlight. And running water in a pristine white sink? Now that is civilized after dragging water up the hill in a bucket. I was so fascinated that I even photographed the sink with water running into it...

Leah wanted to revisit some memories of her 4 years as a child in Johannesburg. We visited her old house on Milner Avenue to find it still standing. We tried to talk our way onto the property for a better look, but the owner was 'having lunch' (at 2pm?) and wanted us to come back later (which did not work into our plans). So instead, we satisfied ourselves with a couple of stolen glances through a security gate and the foliage filled landscape. The house was still there, but the property was definitely more 'secured' given the increase in crime.

We also made our way to St. Andrews primary school for girls, where we saw the pool that Leah used to swim in. The sight brought back nightmare visions of the time 10-year-old Leah stood on the 3-meter diving board for the entire class session, refusing to jump off. She was finally given reprieve from the exercise when it was clear that she was not going to budge. No way!

And good news, I got my first paying photography gig at the Bedford View B&B. I shot interior and exterior images for their future website and promotional materials. It was a nice way to fund a couple of nights at the B&B. Especially as we are finding South Africa to be quite a bit more pricey than Zambia. Every little bit helps.

By January 9th, we were on our way to sunny Cape Town, South Africa.

We have been immersing ourselves in a cultural and historical view of Cape Town. We started with a tour of the Bo-Kaap, a Malay district settled by people from Sri Lanka, India, and Indonesia. They were originally brought here by the Dutch as slaves and later became merchants and trades people in the community. Their neighborhood is bright and colorfully painted and rich in aromatic spice scents. A visit to the Atlas Trading Company to experience the aromas is a must. We couldn't resist buying some spices and basmati rice there. And of course, we couldn't pass up the 'Wonder Creme' that promises to cure all skin conditions that ail you.

A Robben Island tour afforded us with another impactful day. Robben Island houses the prison that Nelson Mandela was held at as a political prisoner for more than 15 years. Many of the tour guides were previously guards or prisoners at Robben Island. Our tour guide spent 5 years incarcerated at Robben Island as a political prisoner from the age of 17. He spoke first hand of the harsh conditions there: torture, hard labor in the rock quarry that blinded many due to the harsh sun, cold sleeping conditions. In spite of it all, the top political prisoners preached education and forgiveness. They covertly held classes in the rock quarry latrines. It stank so bad, the guards wouldn't go there. It was here that many of South Africa's future political leaders were born. Our guide has since gone on to be accepted at University for his Masters Degree.

A tour of District 6 in Cape Town provided us with further shocking revelations about Apartheid in South Africa. This neighborhood was declared by the government in 1966 as an 'all-whites' neighborhood. And over 15 years it was literally torn to the ground. At the time, it was a melting pot of a community, with black, colored, Jewish and white working-class living together. Leah met a white South African couple that now lives in San Diego in the museum. They lived in District 6 and watched their friends homes be bulldozed systematically when the government destroyed this area and forced them into racially segregated townships. They pointed out a picture of their grandfather in the museum. They left South Africa in 1981 due to the political climate at the time. Apartheid was not just about not being able to sit on a 'whites only' bench. It tore apart families, friendships and communities. Today, there is a move to rebuild the area and bring back previous residents of District 6 that were forcibly removed. A move in the right direction.

Tomorrow we are headed off from Cape Town towards Durban along the southern coast.

Best to you all!

Cindy and Leah