My South African Adventure - October 2007

My dear friends,

Nothing could prepare me for the beauty of the land and the people of South Africa. With each day, a new and incredible (and sometimes humbling) experience unfolded. Below, in my daily journal, I attempted to capture the genuine adventure that is South Africa, the adventure that awaits you on our upcoming South African Odyssey 2008 tour. Enjoy.

Landed In South Africa Oct 11, 2007

The flight over on Delta was nice, smooth and the service was great. I only expect better from South African Airways when we do this next year non-stop from DC. Delta makes 1 stop in Dakar, Senegal but it was all good. Our Immigration and Customs was quick and easy. The African brothers greeted us with smiles at both stops. America tells us 2 empty pages (not incl Ammendment/Endorsement pages). America is checking for 2 so stay in compliance with them because they do not have to let you board the plane without 2. Here they tell me, they only need one. The customs information states no more than 5,000 Rand can be brought in but I did not see a limit on US Dollars but then you know the U.S. Treasury wants a declaration of over $10,000.

Okay, our meet and greet was right on the money. Avis point to point had a sign with my name on it, ushered us to a waiting Benz and we were off to the Michelangelo. It was a very nice 1/2 hr ride from the airport. We saw lots of African factory workers rushing to get home, lots of housing developments some black only and on the opposite side of the freeway, black and white.
Upon our arrival at the Michelangelo, the doorman, a tall African brother, greeted us with more smiles. We thanked and tipped our driver, a very, nice, young responsible brother, by the name of James.

The Michelangelo is the creme de la creme. When I say it is a super deluxe property, that may even be an understatement. The Reception was courteous and efficient and the concierge was definitely on his job. The rooms are very modern and nicely appointed. The bathroom is marble and granite, comes with a bathtub that has a 5ft high arched mirror, a separate glass-enclosed shower plus a separate glass-enclosed toilet. Those of you that are coming will see the circular, well-equipped bar, very large Koi pond, additional lounge/business center with large plasma TV and 2 PC's/printer, etc.

The hotel has direct access to the Sandton City Mall, adjacent to Nelson Mandela Square. You all know I despise shopping but this mall has everything any shopper could want - Gucci, Bally, Patek Phillpe, and a ton of other high end shops. Security is very visable in the hotel as well as the mall. There are several restaurants in the mall from Sushi to Pasta to The Butcher Shop (for the meat eaters). We dined at -- Montego Bay Seafood Specialists (yeah, I know, just can't get away from Jamaica, right??) For appetizers we had garlic prawns with a hint of chili and this wonderful, hot buttered foccacia bread . June had the Kingklip fish which was grilled and sprinkled with lemon-butter, served with creamed spinach and potato wedges. I had prawn pesto mixed with taggliatelle pasta. We washed it all down with a very nice bottle of a South African rose' wine.

The time is now 10:43pm and I am going to turn in so I will be well rested for the Soweto Tour with lunch, Oprah's Leadership Academy, a few museums and some other interesting sights.

Stay tuned for more........

Blessings,
Kat

A Day In The Life - Soweto

Greetings,
It is now 6:45pm. This morning the sun rose over Jo'burg before 5am but by this time I had only slept 2 hrs. I'm sure my insomnia was due to a combination of too much sleep on the airplane and total excitement on what new sights, sounds and tastes I would experience this day.
This was a private tour and the driver picked us up in his Benz and we headed to Henley on Klip, home of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership School for Girls. It was a nice, scenic drive and the school is lovely (yes, I've got pics. No, no visitors allowed inside. It is like a damn fortress with not one but 2 separate electric gates for those vehicles allowed inside.)

Our driver, Jimmy, owner of the tour company did not want to take "no" for an answer so we hung around a few minutes while he did his thing but to no avail. Jimmy has been doing tours for 35 years here and is really like the Godfather, everybody knows him, no matter what part of town we were in and he is a very likeable guy.He was the first person to start bringing tourists inside Soweto. You'll get a chance to meet him.
Our next stop was Soweto. Jimmy was actually born in Orlando West, part of Soweto. Soweto means SOuth WEstern TOwnship.
We had lunch at Wandies, an icon of Soweto. The walls are covered with business cards, names of people, regular folks as well as celebrities, like Jesse Jackson, Clintons, Prince, etc. The place was packed with mostly tourists from Amsterdam, Germany, Italy. Jimmy just ushered us right through and got us set up immediately. The food was delicious. It was buffet style. I mean, you actually help yourselves to not platters, bowls of food but pots, still simmering on the stove. What an experience. They had chicken, lamb, beef, greens, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and "chakalacka", chopped tomatoes with chopped onions and hot peppers and an array of salads and breads.

Afterwards, we went to the Aparthied Museum, to the street where both Bishop TuTu and Nelson Mandela use to live. Their houses are 100 yds apart. At no time did we feel threatened or intimidated by the young men on the street, trying to make a living. We were entertained on the steet by some Zulu dancers. Those brothers got down. Zulus make you feel it! We stopped and chatted with some school children and discussed their plans for the future. The people are so warm and friendly. The most moving was the visit to Hector Pietersen Memorial and the museum. I really had to hold back the tears because Hector was only 13 yrs old in June 1976 when he was gunned down by the police during a peaceful demonstration. His sister Antoinette said he was a shy kid and he was only there out of curiosity.
We saw the shanty towns of Soweto, went to a Bed and Breakfast to take a look. There are several in the area and all doing a decent business. Even though we hear about the run-down delapidated condition of the area, no one bothers to tell the other side, that there is actually a section with very lovely homes. You can''t always believe the hype, right?
You'll see for yourself.
Well, that's it for now. Stay tuned!

Blessings,
Kat

In Nelson Mandela Square

Let me begin by saying that South Africa is AWESOME. The feelings of connectivity with those I meet is likened to seeing relatives I havent seen since I was a kid.

Dinner last night was at Lekgotla (pronounced: Lay Ho TA), an authentic African restaurant where servers are dressed in traditional african attire and the crisp white linen napkins are embroidered with their 2" logo. So many choices made it difficult for me to decide (that's always been a problem for me) lol. But I settled on an appetizer of Sugar Bean Soup, infused with truffle oil and bits of tender morsels of lamb. Sugar bean is similar to Jamaican "red peas" soup - rich, thick and oh so tasty. It was accompanied with a mound of hot, freshly baked bread called "vetkoek". My next course was a clay pot with chicken yassa. Instead of pieces of chicken it had several ground chicken meat balls, surrounded by a variety of vegetables including lemon and onions, served with Jasmine rice. Wow! Including my bottled "still" water and cosmo, my tab was about R140 which is equal to $20. Of course those of you on the South African Odyssey next year, will not have to worry about dinner or breakfast costs but this will give you an idea should you choose one of these places for lunch.
In the Nelson Madela Square, just outside our hotel Michelangleo, you would not believe the number of restaurants.

I had no problem sleeping last night so I guess my body clock is back to normal.
I started this morning with a wonderful buffet breakfast in the hotel's restaurant, Piccolo Mondo. The buffet had everything imaginable and it reminded me a lot of the bountiful breakfasts we use to have at the fabulous Kurhaus Hotel in The Hague as well as the Westin in Rotterdam.
Today will be a laid-back day of checking out the Harley Davidson and Gucci store - no not for me but for DeeDee.

Tomorrow, I will be picked up and driven to Lesedi which is about 40 mins away and there I will check into my accomodation of a "hut", and have a real cultural experience complete with dinner and a show, overnight stay and breakfast.
The group will do the afternoon experience which includes a meal but not the overnight.
So stay tuned to find out all the details about this "hut" experience.

Until next time.......
Love and blessings,
Kat

Around The Way In Jo'Burg

Yesterday, was a real treat. My taxi driver was Daniel (he said, like Daniel in the lion's den). He turned out to be a very good connection. After he agreed to take me to Harley Davidson and wait for me at no extra cost, I knew he was a genuine person. The cost for anywhere in the local hotel area is only R50 = $7. This Sandton City shopping mall adjacent to the hotel is a real plus even for an anti-shopper like me. So, after returning from Harley, I strolled though the mall to pick up a few souvenirs, postcards, stamps, etc, I went back to my lovely room and relaxed a couple hours before calling Daniel to take me to "downtown" Joburg as well as to the trendy, Melrose Arch area. He showed me the the blighted areas, the downtown area that once was vibrant and thriving now in stages of "urban renewal". This is where the "Top of Africa" is located, on top of the Carlton Center and for less than R10 you can go up and have the best view of Jozie. Immediately surrounding this area are the areas he schooled me on "not to be caught walking around as it is no joke". Just so you know, they are: (listed from worse to bad) Berea, Hillbrow, Yeoville, Bellevue. These areas are primarily residential with hundreds of people just there, trying to make a rand, maybe honest, maybe not. The high rise apartment buildings are practically in ruins, mostly all dilapidated. There is a hotel called the Johannesburger Hotel. Do not let your travel agent book you there. It is actually in Hillbrow on Twist St. They have the nerve to be listed online as a great place to host your meeting or convention, walking distance to downtown. It may very well be a decent hotel but definitely in the WRONG place.Also nearby is a pedestrian street called "Smal Street" . It is lined with hundreds of little shops, stretches for about 8 blocks, wall to wall folks, a sea of folks is a better description. This is where tourists have no business at all. Daniel says, hard-working, honest, local residents dont even want a job in that area because early mornings can mean getting jacked for your cell phone and anything else of value.I went across the Mandela Bridge. A gorgeous bridge connecting New Town (the part of downtown that is being rebuilt) to downtown. It spans over the railyard, no water. Nearby is Oriental Plaza, a very large shopping center owned and operated by the Indian community. Anything Indian can be found here. The business center is called Braamfontein and nearby is the High Court and Museum Africa.We then went to a very popular and hip area called Melrose Arch. This is where MOYO'S restaurant complex is located. Moyo means "soul" in Swahili. SA Odyssey group will have dinner there next year. This place is truly "African sophistication". There are 5 levels plus outdoor dining. A smoking floor/cigar room for the smokers, a wine cellar for patrons that want to purchase by the bottle, they go and wine taste there. Groups are served on the lower level called "the tent" because the ceiling resembles such, next to that, also for goups is the "blue room", dimly lit and intimate. They also have a few partially enclosed booths just for 2 on another level. For groups, they have a hand washing ritual before your meal and face-painting afterwards. There is always music of some sort. This is where dining is really an experience.Directly opposite this Moyo's is the highly rated "Melrose Arch Hotel". Moyo's has about 5 other locations throughout SA.My driver patiently waited while the staff took me on a very thorough site inspection of the restaurant.After leaving the Melrose Arch area, we drove to Houghton. Now, Houghton is the place. This is where Mr. Nelson Mandela and his wife live. We drove by his lovely home which I might add is under very tight security, visible surveillance cameras, security personnel, electrified security gates (only the wire at the top of the gate is electrified). This unexpected stop was the icing on the cake and the end of my 3 hr tour by taxi for a mere $40. Daniel says, "The bad things one hears about Joburg is how it once was". I have seen with my own eyes a remarkable change". Daniel is about 27, did not go past the 6th grade, grew up in a shanty town, he says he learned to speak English and a lot of other things from television. He now lives in a nice community, drives a nice MBenz.This was an education well worth the $40 spent. After being dropped off at my hotel, I was famished and proceeded, yes, next door, back to the mall. I had already decided to try out "Trumps Grill". It is next to "Lekgotla". It was Saturday night and Lekgotla had live jazz that could be heard from Trumps. I started with Chicken Livers in a Peri Peri sauce. Peri Peri is a very hot sauce, used in sauces and gravies. It came with a tiny loaf of warm bread. My main course was the Kingklip Thermador, with boiled baby potatoes, creamed spinach, mashed pumpkin. Kingklip is like fillet snapper (a very large serving) grilled with fragrant spices and it had a white, wine mushroom sauce on the side. The platter was garnished with tomato and cucumber slices. Cost with bottled water: $19.Dinner was excellent! As much as I wanted dessert, I passed because I had heard that the bartenders at Michelangelo were not friendly. So of course, I had to find out for myself. This would be my last opportunity. I had 2 brandy alexanders as an after-dinner drink. My dear friend, June, started with a Bailey's Irish Coffee, then switched to her regular double shot of tequila (no Patron, no 1800), then a coke. She had a complaint but they quickly corrected the problem. I complained there was a pineapple coconut taste that should not have been in my Alexander. I had already emphasized, "Make sure you use light creme de cacao not dark. I want it Nike white". The next bartender admitted his colleague must have used Amaretto and malibu. He quickly whipped up my 2nd one. The taste was superb but he used dark ---- oh well, can't have everything. Had my better half, bartender extraordinaire, Fitzroy, been there, he would have told him the exact ingredients, no slip-ups. :) Neither June or myself found these guys to be anything less than charming and accommodating and service with a smile. My only complaint was a little soft background music would have been nice. This bar can get very busy but these guys handled it superbly well. I have really enjoyed my stay at this wonderful hotel. The group will have "superior" rooms. I had "deluxe" this trip. .Some difference, not a lot. If you want to know the difference and upgrade let me know. The bathrooms are the same, the size is the same. Personally, I will be quite satisfied with "superior".In about 1 hour we leave for the overnight experience at Lesedi where my accomodations will be a "hut". I'm not sure of the internet access at this place so you may not hear from me in a day or so. Until next time!Kat

Life in the Village

My South African cell phone came in handy. Check out time was 11am so I planned my time accordingly so that I would be ready for the 2p pick up. The driver, Stanley (60 something, reserved gentleman, with a British accent from Malawi) arrived at 1:30 and when he checked at the desk, he was told I had checked out. After he contacted his office, they called my SA cell phone and I proceeded from the mall to the hotel lobby. It was a smooth 30 min drive to the town of Lanseria - Home of Lesedi, which means "place of light". After check-in, 2 Ndebele
(pronounced N da belly) village women helped with our luggage and led the way to our hut. I was quite happy to be traveling light. I taught my daughter, DeeDee quite well. She packed perfectly for me. My suitcase was 21" x 16"x5", I had 10 outfits, 2 pairs of sandals, 1 pr pumps, 4 nighties, 2 1gallon size zip locks filled with hair products and toiletries. Weight on the airport scales, a mere 28 lbs. Now thats what I'm talking about. Anyway, back to Lesedi. The walk was about 10 mins past replicas of several villages (Zulu, Pedi, Xhosa -pronounced Ko- Sa) finally arriving at Basotho Village. The thatched roof hut accomodations were more than I imagined. It was split level and so beautifully decorated with several wall paintings, 2 nicely made twin beds with colorful blankets at the foot. An unexpected treat was a color tv in an enclosed wood cabinet. The reception and channel access far exceeded my imagination. The moderately sized bathroom was equipped with face basin, toilet and large glass-enclosed shower. They also provided us with several fluffy white bath towels.

We had an hour and a half to relax and roam around before reporting to the Ndebele village theatre where we were given an introduction to the ancient tribal legends and the story of Lesedi. Next our guide (Zulu) took us to each village and explained each culture. Xhosa is on the Eastern Cape, Mandela's tribe where the people are better educated and the women cost more for marriage. After leaving the theatre we made a very quick pit stop at the bar. I was delighted to get a rum and coke. Next was the "Giant Ingoma" which is the traditional dance show of all 5 tribes. In my opinion, the Zulus, direct descendants of the mighty warrior "Shaka Zulu", gave the most powerful, electrifying performance. At the end of the performance all guests were invited to join in. Afterwards, everybody went into this very large dining room where tables were pre-reserved with place names for groups or individuals.. All food items were explained. There was a very large variety of vegetables and meats with a chef standing by to carve up beef, lamb and chicken. My colorful full plate (I had not eaten since the night before) consisted of creamed spinach, mashed pumpkin, mashed maize with a tomato sauce, African fowl, Mozambique fish, mutton, sliced chicken with mushroom sauce, sliced lamb and just to be adventurous - a small piece of crocodile. It was prepared in a sauce that had a hint of lemon flavor. Beverages are not included but can be ordered form the waitresses. There were also several desserts to choose from. I chose a pie that resembled Key Lime with a coconut crust.

By now the rain was coming down moderately, it was pitch black and only God knew how we were going to find our way back to the hut. Luckily, a security guard with a flaslight was nearby and led the way. There are lights along the pathways but not enough for me. Nevertheless, once safely inside my hut I felt safe, watched a few movies and had a restful sleep. Breakfast is served from 7a to 10a. I arrived at 9:20. They again had a very nice spread and the chef is there to prepare your eggs at your request. This dining room is called "Nyama Choma". In a lot of ways one can see the African influences in the Jamaican way. Jamaican patois for "eat" is "nyam".

This was truly an unforgettable experience. Another night here would have been good but I must move on. So much more to see and do.

Blessings,
Kat

En Route to Durban

Our driver Stanley arrived 1 1/2 hrs before schedule. On our way from Lesedi to the Jo'burg airport he recommended we have our checked bags wrapped in plastic to prevent the airport workers from pilfering. Even though I do not travel with valuables in my suitcase I thought it a good idea to take heed as I did not want to arrive in Durban without clothes. When we arrived at "departures" Stanley spoke to a porter in Zulu instructing him to take us to the lower level so we could get our bags wrapped and then to stay with us until we were checked in. The wrap was R25=$3.50. I didnt see any point in keeping the porter beyond that so we tipped him nicely and sent him on his way. The South African Airways flight from Joburg to Durban is just under an hour. Would you believe a meal service?? In-flight service was good and the seating was comfortable. After landing, within an hour we were in the rental car and on our way to Umhlanga Rocks (pronounced: oom shlonga), which is about 19 miles North of Durban on the Indian Ocean. We had great directions and June, the designated driver, did quite well driving on the left side of the road with the steering on the right. As we neared Sylvan Grove Bed & Breakfst, we passed Gateway Mall (monster mall with over 37 acres of shopping). We also passed the most fabulous, jaw-dropping, custom -built homes with panoramic views of the Indian Ocean. Wait until you see the pictures. They sell for approx $400,000. These homes are mainly owned by Indian business owners who have moved from Durban.

Our gracious hosts, owners, Jill and Chris (white Afrikaners) checked us in and showed us around the property. Tandy and Rose, the cook and the housekeeper run the house with that "sisterly flavor and love". Our 2bdrm unit had French doors that opened onto the pool and BBQ area. On a clear day from here, one can see the Indian Ocean.

Dinner tonight was at C.T. Fish Market at the Gateway complex. For appetizers, I had Tempura Prawns and Chicken Spring Rolls with sweet chili sauce. My main course of deep fried calamari with a side of noodles was some of the best I've ever eaten.

Looking forward to exploring tomorrow.

Blessings,
Kat

Umhlanga Rocks on the Indian Ocean

9:00am - Breakfast this morning was prepared by Ms Tandy and served by Jill in the breakfast room.
9:45am: The drive to the Indian Ocean was actually less than 5 mins. We had to park and then hike down to the beach. The thrill of seeing and touching another body of water that God created is something words cannot express.

On the walk down the hill, we met 2 wht boys from Ohio who actually drove 4 hrs from Joburg to Umhlanga Rocks.
They told us we looked like we knew where we were going so they wanted to follow us.They were excited and happy to be in SA and had a bunch of questions about Soweto and who did the tour there for us. They also told us how they got lost for 5 hrs in the dead of night, trying to find their bush lodge. Yes, they were pretty funny. Anyway, they also told us of a friend they have that has traveled to SA at least 12 times and when asked how safe he felt here. His response was, "I have been to SA at least 12 times. I have been mugged twice in my life - once in Cleveland and once in Cincinatti - go figure. We also discussed the way the media portrays the country and the way it really is.

After getting our feet wet in the Indian Ocean, we hit the highway and headed to Durban. My boy, Neil aka Sleuth, loves this place. He lived over here for several months. Well, he is a young brother in the music business so I can see why he likes this kind of mix. Once we hit West St & Russell, it was clear to me why I felt Durban wasn't a place my group would feel comfortable in. I mean, I love Jamaica, lived there for 2 1/2 years, have sent literally thousands there on vacation but ask me if I send them to Kingston? Feel me?
The West St area is in the Town Center and a scene out of (well, just pick the roughest part of the town you live in x 10). I saw at least 4 armed guards on each ATM machine, makeshift barber shops on the freakin' sidewalks. I mean set-up for serious business, hotels advertising by the hour, day or month, everybody selling something or another. Now on a more positive note, Durban is doing big business, has a very large container port and they have the Golden Mile that hugs the coastline. There you will find very nice shops, restaurants and a few moderate hotels.

Well, my friends, that's it for now.

Kat

Cape Town Bound

Greetings! Its been an awesome trip. I did not have computer access for a minute so I'm late getting this one out. I didnt get to tell you about dinner my last night in Umhlanga Rocks. Dinner was at the Royal Palm Cafe in the Gateway Mall complex. For R59 = less than $9, dinner was 5 med grilled prawns, 1 lb (no lie) of perfectly grilled Kingklip fish, saffron rice, creamed spinach, pieces of pumpkin, and a medley of cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. This was by far the best meal yet, considering the low price.

Okay, back on track..... The next morning we said our goodbyes to Jill and Chris and hit the road. We dropped off the rental car, got our checked luggage wrapped in plastic (only R10 at the Durban airport). Our 2 hr flight to Cape Town on SAA was a smooth one. Upon our arrival, Avis point to point was right there in the terminal with my name sign. The sun was shining brightly, the weather warm but very high winds. These are the very winds that can impede the Robben Island tour and the Table Mountain tour. I will be keeping my fingers crossed. The Cape Town International airport is surprisingly small but efficient and they are in the process of expanding. As we drove into town, our driver pointed out areas that were for "the blacks, the whites and the coloreds". I didnt find the "coloreds" in Joburg and I'm finding that is mainly due to most colored live in the Western Cape. Over 300 yrs ago the people came to the Western Cape from Malaysia. Interesting.....
For the next 4 days we are staying at the St. Georges Hotel located in City Center.

Next year the group will be staying at the Commodore in the popular Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Of course, I could not wait to drop off my bags and hurry over to the waterfront to check out the Commodore and the area. I was not disappointed one bit. The nautical themed hotel is lovely and the rooms well appointed. Some rooms have better views than others but hopefully we'll all get lucky next year. A short 2 block walk and you are right in the mix of the lively and vibrant V&A waterfront. You will find tons of shops and all types of eating establishments. I located the highly rated Portugese, seafood restaurant, "Baia" on the second level. The group will dine there next year so of course I will be checking it out tomorrow evening.

After strolling around the waterfront and snapping a few shots of Table Mountain (it is so close) I grabbed some snacks and took a taxi back to St. Georges. It's a decent hotel but the area does not compare to the waterfront. Businesses in this area shut it down by 6p. This is definitely an area one must stay focused and alert. Consider me on lock-down until daylight.

Tomorrow is the Robben Island tour. This is where Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years of the 27. We'll take a taxi to the waterfront to board the ferry to the island. Following in Mr. Mandela's footsteps started for me way back when I was a senior in high school in south central L.A.. I cut school one day to go to a "Free Nelson Mandela" rally in Watts. Stokely Carmichael was the speaker. Mr. Mandela had only been incarcerated 3 years at the time.
The images of the Watts riots were still fresh in my mind and I had taken an interest in Maulana Karenga's US Organization. I didnt have time for senior activities, nor did I want to waste my mother's hard earned money on what I believed to be frivolity. After all I had to get busy with my term paper. It was on the Apartheid System in South Africa. So you see, it has taken me 40 years to come full circle with this.

More, later this evening.....

Kat

Robben Island Cancelled - V&A Waterfront

The winds were high all night long; almost howling, so I had a feeling the tour would be cancelled. We arrived at the waterfront 45 mins before the ferry departure. Inside the office the display read: "All Robben Island tours cancelled until Sunday 10/21 due to high winds". There was no way we could re-schedule since we fly out of Cape Town that day. This tour sells out fast. The irony is that I have had tickets for months so half the battle was won but there is no way to predict the actions of Mother Nature. Nevertheless, I made the most out of the day by taking pictures at the center and purchasing the official Dvd of Robben Island.

Part of the afternoon was spent at the Sheraton Arabella at the convention center. Next month it will be re-named the Westin Grand. The hotel is fabulous but the downside for me is that it is not within walking distance to the waterfront and to me it is very important to be situated where my clients can easily "be in the mix" by walking a couple minutes.

7:00pm - Dinner at Baia was nothing less than spectacular. The house champagne was my favorite, "Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin". I settled for a Kir Royale as an apertif. June had a glass of straight champagne. We started with steamed asparagus spears on a bed of thinly sliced smoked salmon, topped with a light hollandaise sauce. The piece de resistance was a platter of 3 grilled prawns, 3 succulent langoustines, 1 baby lobster tail and a medley of grilled vegetables. The shellfish was accompanied by 3 sauces: garlic, lemon butter and the fiery peri-peri sauce. This evening's tab was R1238 = $180 and it was worth every rand.

The next stop was to check out the Green Dolphin Jazz Club, also located in the V & A Waterfront. One must be prepared to dine there in order to enjoy the jazz or sit at the bar if you are lucky to get a seat. It was too smoky for me and the jazz tonight was not impressive so I had no problem cutting out.

That's it for tonight! Back to St. Georges - back on lock-down - lol
Tomorrow will be a 1/2 day cultural tour of the townships.

Townships & Robben Island Afterall

Today, the weather was unbelieveably beautiful and I was all set for the half day township tour. We started out at The District 6 Museum. This was an area where blacks were forcibly removed and re-located. In the 1800's in this area the Muslims, Christians respected each others religion and actually celebrated each others holidays.In 1966 it was declared a "white area" and by 1982 over 60,000 blacks had been moved and their homes flattened. Some of the blacks light enough to pass for colored tried to stay by changing their names. All black men had to have a pass to travel out of the area.

While we were in the museum and since it was such a beuatiful day, I asked our tour guide, "Mandla" if the weather changes for the better are some lucky enough to re-book even though they were told they had to return on a specific day. Well, the brother hooked it on up. He booked it through his office and after the townships he would drop us off at the waterfront, get our tickets and come back for us. Wow! I was elated!

We visited the townships (informal settlements) of Langa, Gugulethu, Nyanga and Khayelitsha. Mandla was actually from Langa and was so proud as most of these people living in squallor. In Langa, they built men hostels where only working black men were forced to live together (6 in 1 apartment) from 1919 - 1949. No women, no children. The government even did late night raids to see who they could catch breaking the law. After Mandela came into power, the hostels were renovated. Now families live there. We stopped at a "traditional healer". Most local people still rely on him for whatever ails them.There are more than 2 million blacks living in the informal settlements. In 1986 Khayelitsha was created as a result of overcrowding in Langa. We even stopped by Vicky's, the only bed and breakfast in Khayelitsha. No, you would not want to stay there but there are some curious, hippie types that would. Matter of fact, some German man has retired there and now calls it his home.

Words cannot describe all that I saw and felt this morning. You really have to see it for yourself.

Aftrer the townships, we had 2 hrs to kill at the waterfront before the start of our tour. The ferry ride to Robben Island is 11 km and takes about 45 minutes. The boat, the Susan Kruger was actually used to transport the prisoners, however, they were barefoot and shackled and down underneath. The boat had no stabilizers then. This day was a lovely day for a boat ride across Table Bay. Once on the island, we were put on buses and driven around the island. Our guide was a black ex-political prisoner that spent 6 yrs of a 25 yr sentence there with Mandela. He returned in 2003 to be a guide and his family joined him in '05. We saw the Leper graveyard, the isolation cell where Robert Sobukwe was housed.
At some point, he and Mandela no longer had the same thoughts for the struggle so they split and Sobukwe formed the PAC and Mandela continued on with the ANC (African National Congress). Mandela's views were similar to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's and Sobukwe to Malcolm X.
When the prisoners wre processed in; they were given a mat, 4 blankets (no beds at that time), and a bible in Afrikaans. They did not even have windows, just open air with bars. The warders did not care if a prisoner was muslim, christian, hindu or nothing - they got the same bible and ate the same food.

This entire Robben Island experience was something very difficult for me to put into words. It's difficult to comprehend the harsh life and conditions that these men endured. The ferry ride back was nice because the weather was so beautiful but it was also sobering as I reflected on the events of the day.

A quick trip to the hotel to freshen up for dinner, we arrived at the restaurant just in time for our 8pm reservations. There is an Africa Cafe and a Mama Africa Cafe. My earlier inquiries led me to choose Mama Africa. The food and service are about the same but Mama Africa has live music nightly. It's on a very hip street called Long Street. The music was jumpin' and the street was totally alive. We finally found a South African wine that is similar to Zinfandel, It was a rose' by Backsberg. One unique feature at the restuarant is a 500 coca cola bottle chandelier over the very well stocked bar. I ordered the lamb curry which was a rich, spicy stew with carrots and string beans served with steamed rice. It was difficult to leave beacuse the music was so good but the Cape Point and Table Mountain tour is all day and starts at 7:45am.
Good night!

Table Mountain & Cape Point

Today's weather was absolutely gorgeous, just perfect for Table Mountain. The tour company picked us up at 9am. One of the good things about being with a tour operator, you do not have to stand in the long lines to purchase tickets nor do you have to park way down the hill before standing in line to buy tickets.
Being on top of Table Mountain is like being on top of the world. The views are simply breathtaking. Thousands of years ago Cape Town and Table Mountain were under water. Before the mountain got so high, women used to go up and wash clothes there. The cable way was built by the ever so knowledgeable Swiss and from 1929 to present there have been no casualties. What an impressive record! The cable car carries 66 passengers each trip, 900 in 1 hour. There is a restaurant up top and over 1500 species of plant life. You can wander all over, take pictures or just sit and admire the lovely views..
The open-window cable ride down was exhilarating with the South African wind blowing in my face.

After leaving the mountain, we drove through the exclusive area of Camps Bay, also called "Little South Beach". You'll see lots of sidewalk cafes looking out towards the Bay. You may even spot a few celebrities in this area. There is almost no crime in this area. Next stop was Hout's Bay, where some opted for the cruise to Seal Island.. No thanks, no seals for me today. I amused myself by people watching. It was extra special today because SA was playing England for the Rugby championship tonight. Green and Gold fever was HIGH!.

We then made our way to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. It's very beautiful but lots of walking up and down and on cobblestone areas. Not being a flower person, I was happy to be on our way. We passed Muzienberg and saw lots of surfers out doing their thing as well as a kite festival. It's next to St. James, a very colorful beach where the locals go and hang out.

We passed through Kalk Bay. Its a quaint little intimate spot that remided me a lot of Sausalito. It has tons of antique and souvenir shops. As it was getting close to lunch time, we stopped at a place called Fish Hoek. There were 7 in our group plus our guide/driver, Janis. The sister was quite knowledgeable and also an excellent, safe driver. Everybody split up and dined on their own. June and I ate at Bayside Bistro but the owner let me order from the more upscale menu from Drifters, next door.

Next stop was the land-based Penguin colony at Boulder Beach. The Penguins were cool but I especially enjoyed interacting with the vendors selling beautiful pieces of Malachite from Congo and Verdite from Zimbabwe. Not a shopper but couldn't resist picking up a few items.

Almost to Cape Point. I couldn't wait. Its interesting how everybody here has their own view of what the southernmost part of SA is and where the Indian and the Atlantic meet, etc. We passed False Bay, who got its name because mariners often mistook this body of water for the Cape of Good Hope. Also passed a navigational beacon called the "Cross of Vasco de Gama" at the Cape of Good Hope. De Gama tried for 7 days to round the Cape but every time the waves pushed him back. The Cape of Good Hope was first named Cape of Storms by Portuguese explorer, Batholomew Dias. There are 2 lighthouses at Cape Point. The first one was so high up, it was difficult to see, coupled with foggy and misty conditions; thus a alot of shipwrecks occurred back in the day so they built a lower one, which is more visable to the seafarers.
Our guide Janis, says the Indian & Atlantic oceans actually meet at Cape Agulhas BUT the 2 currents meet at Cape Point. Whatever the case may be, its all so very, very interesting and I would suggest, as Oleta Adams says, "Get here if you can".

This concludes my daily blogs for SA 2007 and I hope you all enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed sending them. I look forward to traveling with those of you that will be on the South African Odyssey Oct 2008 tour. 2009?? Well maybe, I don't know

Peace & Many blessings,
Kat