South Africa -- Our favorite port so far!

South Africa, with its friendly people, spectacular scenery, and comforts of home, was our favorite port so far.  Luke has declared that he will live there someday and that it is better the US.  Time will tell, although we would certainly be happy to visit if he decides to spend some time there.  We are not sure what prompted such a definite statement, but we guess it was because he got to go on safari, hang out with cheetahs, climb Table Mountain, visit the aquarium with grandpa and meet many kids in the townships.

The port in Cape Town could not have been a nicer location.  We harbored at the main waterfront with 5-star hotels, restaurants, shops and entertainment right at the end of the pier.  It was very convenient to sleep on the ship and be at a coffee shop within minutes in the morning. 

We spent six days in South Africa and did our best to see the different sides of the country and learn as much as we could.   It is a country of extreme economic disparity and it is confronting an almost overwhelming range of challenges.   One of our friends described it best when he said, “South Africa is like a microcosm of the whole world.  If we can change things here, it will pave the way for the world to change.”

From the photos you can see that part of Cape Town is as advanced and wealthy as any city you’ll find in the world.  The Townships, which were created during the Apartheid-years as places for “blacks” and “colored people”, are a sharp contrast to the wealth of the formerly white areas.  The homes are made of every imaginable material, ranging from sheet metal and wood structures to more permanent concrete dwellings.  The government does a lot to subsidize the poor and has a massive home building program.  Most homes in the Townships have electricity, running water and trash removal.  The Township we visited was the largest in Cape Town and had more than 2 million people living in it.  Despite the size of the Townships, unofficial shantytowns are forming around the edges and in other places as people migrate to the cities from the countryside and other African countries.  Our pictures cannot convey the vastness of these poor settlements.

Through connections that Christy has with the Aspen Institute Global Leadership Network, we arranged a lunch with Karl Flowers and Ralph Freese.  They shared their views of what was happening in South Africa and talked about the NGOs they founded or are part of that are making positive change in the country.  They were so inspiring we wanted to move to South Africa and help them with the many changes they are trying to implement.

In addition to learning about the country, we also had lots of fun on safari at the Inverdoorn Game Preserve and saw lions, giraffes, rhinos and lots of antelopes.  The highlight of the safari was interacting with cheetahs that had been raised by the hotel owner.  They licked and drank from our hands and when we scratched their necks, ears and heads they purred like Harleys.  They are beautiful and awesome creatures.  The drive to and from the Reserve took us through some truly spectacular country, even by the standards of Coloradans!

Towering above Cape Town is Table Mountain.  Everyone we spoke to said Luke and Ryan were too young to climb up to the top and that we should take the cable car instead.  When we got there, the cable car line was very long so we decided to try the hike.  2 hours and 45 minutes later, the whole family arrived on top hungry and happy.  We were so proud of the boys.

We left Cape Town wishing we had more time to take in the natural beauty of the area and continue to learn about the past and bright future of this wonderful country.  We know we will return sometime!