The second week here in Cape Town has been one of adventure and rest:
Day 8. Table Mountain
One of the main reasons I have always felt drawn to Cape Town has been Table Mountain which thrusts into the middle of the city. Hiking on it was a journey I had long waited for, and the experience did not disappoint.
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Day 9. Robben Island
Stepping foot on the soil I had read so much about in Nelson Mandela’s autobiography was surreal. Seeing the garden where he buried his manuscript and the prison cell where he spent 18 years? Indescribable.
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Day 10. Constantia Valley Wine Farms
Apparently the climate in the Western Cape is perfect for growing grapes. A successful industry if I’ve ever seen one, they’ve been commercially producing wine here since 1685.
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Day 11. Nyanga township
The most apparent thing about going to church with Ivy and her family in Nyanga was that little was needed in order to worship together. The least apparent thing was that this was a only Christian service — giving praise for life while seeking a better future was something anyone could relate to.
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Day 12. Beth Uriel Home for Young Men
The greatest gift you can give someone is showing them the gifts they have to give. This is what Beth Uriel does for so many young men looking for what they have never been given.
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Day 13. Waterfront
Cape Town’s waterfront near downtown is a waterfront done right. Of all the places to see, this area is surely one of them.
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Day 14. Slave Lodge
Slavery is a part of South Africa’s history unlike many other African nations with slaves coming into the Western Cape from east Asia. Africans already living here were regarded as trade partners and never enslaved, though they were often treated as indentured servants.
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More to come in the third & final week, including the volunteer experience wrap-up and a weekend trip to Johannesburg.
