Shipwrecked

Ahoy! Although this very awesome outing happened over a week ago, it lingers strongly in my mind--the scent of the sea, the corroded iron (oxidation at its best!) a helipad covered in birds, the maiden's quarters (they were hardly that of a maiden, perhaps deckhands?) the cold, cold atlantic, the breaching whales....

I shall write about it briefly now and share pictures.

In a special place on the Atlantic side near Cape Town is a ship wreck. I found this information on it: The BOS 400 broke loose during a storm while being towed by the Russian tugboat Tigr from Point Noir, Congo to Cape Town, South Africa and ran aground on Duiker Point near Sandy Bay on June 26, 1994.

More than a decade of wreckage has brought a new crew to the ship. birds as I mentioned have capitalized the upper decks while the reefy area where the ship rests is home to fishes and seals.

After an hour of shimmying and crawling and vigorous hiking, we reached the launch site.

from then on, we swam, scrambled on to the ship, explored and jumped off.

Me gusta reggae, me gusta punk rock

A day off of the school grind to play in the waves-- not a bad idea. With exams drawing near, final projects underway, more grey days than springy ones I thought it would be acceptable to hit the beach and leave the books. Surf was small but so excellent for the soul, I enjoy the coasting down the face of wave, touching its glassy features with my extended fingers. Niceee.

What else in Cape Town? A handful of good friends make life here a treat. Surprisingly I feel as though I fit in around campus after just three months of school. I know the ropes well enough, where to get the cheap coffee, which bathrooms generally have no toilet paper, where to find elusive marine minded professors, even certain stairwells that have water heater compartments that are not locked, making for the perfect hiding place before terrifying a passerby. I suppose the weirdo African things I used to find so foreign have lost their alien sheen, overall rendering the surroundings familiar and warm.

Last weekend boasted a delightful festival called Rocking the Daisies. I got the full experience. The venue was up the west coast at a wine estate with lush grass, a reservoir for overheated dancing revelers, hippie vibes and musical fantasia.

Raging all night, watching the most beautiful pink and blue sunset, the boerwvorst rolls, the aging hippies still alongside the neo-eco-hippies, body paint and flowers, and perhaps oddly enough, a concert experience only myself and my two girlfriends had: an awesome game of tag with kids we found in an adjacent field. There is a picture below, the kids were so wonderful, and such a random surprise.

Alas, I must go because I must ready myself for my official scuba certification knighting! I shall receive my official 'scuba stina' card and all the other bells and whistles.

Photos: Rocking the Daisies (left) Field Kids (right)

This photo deserves some explanation. This is Muizenberg, a place where I frequently surf. The reason for this mass amount of surfers is that on this Sunday they were trying to break the world record for most people on a wave at one time. We saw the crew succeed, a joyous and stoked moment indeed.

Scuba lady.

I'm with Sea

The news of the hour is that I have obtained my open water diving certificate! A weekend of 8-5 training in the sea including, but not limited to: a drive to Simonstown, inclement weather (pouring rain) instant coffee, lingering sand grain in my ears, cold and wet wetsuits, super salty locks and dramatic snorkel rescues (a SCUBA skill one must practice. I looked totally awesome, a lot like David Hasselhoff, I imagine as I dragged my drowning diver buddy to shore and resuscitated him). An open water certification means: I can dive with or without a leader up to depths of 18 meters wherever in the world I want whenever I want (could be in the Red Sea when I am 89). Universal and life long, this certification gives me access the life aquatic which I will be vigorously pursuing under the assumed name: Scuba 'Stina.

Primarily I want to see some serious primary productivity-- want to head to those beautiful coral reefs before they are lost. Want to swim with manatees (my favorite underwater grazer!) and witness the most bizarre of animals of shapes and colors and adaptions I cannot begin to conceive of.

Otherwise I had a nice Heritage Day (national holiday last Thursday) went adventure hiking through the forest. Learned that there is a species of tree with a metallic luster that occurs only on the slopes of Table Mountain! I shall post a picture and send one to my botanist colleagues back home. Spent time last week in Kristenbosch gardens-- lush botanic gardens with grassy hillsides, lots of species of Protea, some Carpobrotus edulis (ice plant-- native here invasive in CA) guinea fowl pecking about, birds of paradise and many more things. Additionally I have been attending class, frequenting pubs, scuba diving in the pouring rain, viewing rainbows and attempting to waste less.

I have started eating apple and pear cores to be less wasteful. Also I nibble on banana peels and sample plant life whenever it suits me. Don't worry, I know what they say about mushroom hunters:

There are old mushroom hunters

There are brave mushroom hunters;

but no old, brave mushroom hunters.

So I won't be sampling any death caps or plants with deathly latex (used for poison arrows!)

On all other fronts things are well. Car is well behaved, health is good (so grateful!) homework is under control but that is subject to change.

Looking forward to the week ahead. Here is about life under the sea:

the virgin voyage

underwater

I must play

and touch and grab as a child would

finger enclosed in an anenome's hug

starfish suctioned to my hand

crabs battle with legs flailing, pincers scissoring

fish poking out from within their convenient kelp curtain

jelly fish, nearly planktonic, floating helplessly by

and how do I compare?

aqua lung strapped to my back

fins flailing more uselessly than a dog using a pair of wings

the awkward inflation of my anthropogenic buoyancy control

less do I care to compare

than fixate my stare

on a pair

of rare

cuddle fish mating!

The Phantastic Photo Edition

Let me preface this by noting that below this post is the A-Zed written account which will give more insight into some of these photos. Without further ado: This is a waterfall on the Panorama Route near Kruger National Park in the NE corner of South Africa.
The travelling Tabaccos at Singita Lebombo. Beautiful fork in the river, the site or our bush breakfast and ellies in the back ground!
Our leopard friend I wrote so fondly about in the Leopard Bike Ride incident. Black rossettes as opposed to spots differentiate leopards and cheetahs.
Joe with lionness.
The Tabaccos at Camp Jubalani, site of our elephant backed safaris!

Ok, clearly it has been a long time since I have last posted! An appropriately brief yet comprehensive post is in order. I will compose an A-Z(zed) list of awesome words or phrases that I have encountered here in SA that is themed largely with my vacation to Kruger National Park where I fell in love with the animals, the ruggedness and the sunsets. 

A: Amarula is a fantastic apertif. 

B: baboons-- not just in the cafeteria, also exist in the bush where they frequently pester camps.

C: constellations of the Southern Hemisphere have dazzled me. Partially because I have never set eyes on some before, but also because in the south we gaze towards the galactic center. Compared to the northern hemisphere, the distinct Milky Way and outstanding number of tinkles make the sky seem like "a backlit canopy with holes punched in it"

D: Dungeons. Look it up on youtube or a surf site-- big wave spot that gets HUGE.  A world wide magnet for adrenaline seeking wing nuts. 

E: elephants!!!! Under many circumstances did I see elephants: elephant rides at the wonderful Camp Jubalani (the site of our first bush stay over-- three nights in bush paradise) elephants at the watering hole--joining the family for a little brunch (though ours was omlettes-- they munch tree branches and bark) the view from the land rover (our safari vehichle) and finally at the pool of our lodge. The ellies marched to the side of the pool to nibble on close by fauna, not only terrifying Peg from walking back to her room but also doing significant landscaping (breaking trees in half-- very destructo-deco don't you think?)

F: Fickle weather patterns of Cape Town have left me soaked the past few days. It just doesn't look like rain when there are blue skies and puffy clouds as far as the eye can see. Cape Town is not a place for amateur meteorology I suppose.

G: God's Window. A place high in the the north eastern corner of South Africa. It overlooks a fantastic river valley boasting tremendous granite rock formations, waterfalls and a random microclimate: a petite mountain top rainforest!

H: Hippos-- are very susceptible to dessication (drying out) they have no sweat glands and seek water in the hottest parts of the day and bush cover by night.

I: Islands... I would love a trip to Madagascar or Mauritius but I don't know if will happen.

J: Jerky in South Africa is called Biltong. It is delicious and should be tried by all meat eaters.

K: Kudu is a delicious meat. It is a tender dark meat-- that of an antelope.

L: Leopard bike ride--- although this deserves its very own blog post the essentials of the leopard bike ride are: Peg, Joe and I enthusiastically head into the bush with our guide, James for some mountain biking. We drive the bikes out to a point and plan to ride home. All is going well for 15 minutes or so. I charge ahead down a drainage ditch, and fly ahead of the rest. I get off my bike and retreat towards the family as they make their way down the dirt road. As I walk back across the cement roadway I hear a rustle from the undergrowth about 20ft away. A large male leopard and I lock eyes. I say, "there is a leopard! there is a leopard!" Our guide comes over to see and directs myself and the Tabaccos to s l o w l y get off our bikes and get into the land rover. Aye ya ya! To convey the gravity of this situation you must know that a cross leopard will kill you, it will charge and strike if alarmed or threatened. The rifle was in its case in the car, we were essentially defenseless. But the mood was much more surprise than eminent danger or fear on my part (and perhaps the leopard too). 

Following the initial siting we got in the veichle and followed the leopard around the river bed for 15 minutes... It was awesome, no creature quite so nicely painted as  a leopard.

M: Maladrone. The malaria medicine I have been taking following mosquito exposure in the bush. Some interesting side effects (dreams of children and cabinetry followed by utter disorientation in the mornings)

N: nice balance. On our trip to Kruger we saw women balancing the most amazing things on their head-- big, heavy baskets or boxes that seem utterly impossible!!

O: outrageously delicious tropical fruits grew in the area. Namely: guava, pineapple, bananas galore, gogi berries.

P: giant preying mantis outside hotel room!

Q: A Q or queue is a line. I queue for: school computers, the bus, grocery store (can be up to 15 minutes). 

R: Every ranger has a story about troublesome guests. This was the funniest: Indian visitors to this particular concession could not understand the danger of the bush. On one instance the Inidian man got out of the safari car to approach a dugger boy. A dugger boy is an aged male water buffalo. They hang out alone or in small groups and are notoriously aggressive since they know they are vulnerable away from the herd. The Indian man gets out of the vehicle to, "try and milk the water buffalo. In my country, we do this!" 

Problematic because of the obvious result in injury and because the dugger boys are of course, male. 

S: snails (giant land snails) exist in the bush. They are about 10 times the size of a regular snail. T: Tea. A special kind of tea that Peg took a liking to, Rooibos. It comes from a specific region and is not from leaves. Very popular here.

U: ultimate sunsets. Have you seen the sun glow red before it sinks below the horizon?

V: very dangerous. This pertains to surfing here in Cape Town. With the hectic paddles (to get to where the waves break), the cold, the currents the at times extreme winds you must proceed with caution. Did I mention that several of my friends surfing on the Atlantic coast fled the water after spotting a near by great white shark?

W: white chicks! come to Wynberg! An audio explanation is needed to fully explain what this means... essentially my friend and I get yelled at by "mini-bus" drivers-- a combination of taxi and bus that is a popular form of quasi-public transportation.

X: Xhosa-- a prominent language here (one of the 11 national languages) that involves clicking!

Y: Y, do I have to go home??

Z: Zed is the proper way to say Z here. I asked if when singing the "ABCs" do you end with zed? Indeed they do! 

And I'm spent!

My underwater debut

What a gorgeous Monday it was. The mountain in fine form with not a cloud lingering above it, a magnificent sunset from a balcony table for two setting that could have been a vista from Lake Como, Italy. I spent most of the day inside however, writing about urban agriculture. A 2000 word essay was due, on top of 500 word essay, on top of a 1000 word essay last week, and looking forward to a test friday and more work monday.

I didn't come to Africa to have my waking moments dominated by word documents! But I shall not complain any further, academics here are worth while.

I am getting scuba certified here in South Africa. It is international and life long, so nothing will be lost in translation.

This is a transcript of an email sent just after I returned from the first day of pool training (after my fingers thawed):

Oh my goodness, what I am not paying in $ I am paying for in physical discomfort. 8am, we got our gear and headed to the pool, excuse me, the unheated pool. In order to

begin we had to swim 200m and show that we could tread water for 10
mintues. The pool is about 50 degrees. It is unheated water subject to
little sun and CPT weather. The ocean, yesterday surfing was not that
cold. So, hypothermia set in and somehow myself and everyone else got
through it.
Following that we assembled and disassmebled our kits several times
before heading to the baby pool d to the baby pool (about 4 ft deep)
then we practiced the necessary skills of scuba, how to retrieve your
mask, your regulator, how to clear the mask and hoses. It took a while
in the freezing water (still freezing even with 7mm thick wetsuits and
hoods and boots) because several of the participants had troubles.

But I love the scuba! I enjoyed the underwater sensation of weightlessness and the colors of the light reflecting in the water, walking on ones hands, dolphin kicking as much as my heart desires, making funny faces/signals at fellow scubas... And the best part, my new scuba name: SCUBA'STINA!

Will hopefully post a picture of scuba soon. For now, this is clouds gathering around Table Mountain a view fro the 16th fairway of the Mowbray Golf Club

Women's Day Weekend

Hello Hello! Moora-- in Afrikaans. A few new developments since I have last written: some uniquely South African experiences this weekend including a hike up Lion's Head Mountain, a round of golf with all South African flare (golf carts are not backwards however!) a SA vs. Aussie rugby game, part of the annual tri-nations tournament and, the purchase of a genuine South African automobile!!!

I shall start with the scaling of Lion's Head. This mountain is perched on the Atlantic, dividing several suburbs of Cape Town. It rises steeply into the clouds that pour over the mountain like dry ice. The rock of this mountain is some of the oldest in the world-- this piece of land has been around, unmoved for a very long time. The rocks at the top were spotted like cows sort of, lichens had died and dried on these rocks, giving them a speckled look that I had never seen before. Lion's head was a strenuous hike near the top, lots of navigation underfoot, chains to scale a vertical face at one point, and some bouldering. The pictures are: a view of Camp's Bay and beyond

+ the Atlantic, looking back at Table Mountain,

Kaja (Norwegian friend!) myself and Mary Kate (Bostonian!) and me at the top of the mountain, which was socked in with fog.

Next: The rugby game. It is indeed like a religion here-- from the facepaint, to the flags and the braais (bbq) and the beer something about this rough and tumble sport really resounds in the hearts of SAfricans. We were at field level!

And finally, the car. This fine automobile is born the year of the dragon, 1988, just like myself. It is a rare breed-- an automatic Citigolf antique. I am the proud half-owner with my surfing amigo, Brandon (pictured below).

The hope is for this fine machine to last five months without mechanical failure or theft!!

And finally, your African moment of Zen. This is a sunset from my balcony looking out at a ridge with a pleasing Sarenghetti esq. treeline. Savor, sip and enjoy!

A dance with the seasons, does not a seasoned dancer make!

Aloha one and all. Pronounced Moor-a is an Afrikaans good morning greeting. That is perhaps a bit better suited than Aloha, although I find my thoughts wandering back to that beautiful archipelago, isolated in the pacific and known for its nice warm climates nearly all year round. Nearly all this year I will be chasing winter. So far I have had a winter-spring-sum---cut off! back spin! winter--spring (to come)-- summer and once again my pursuit of sun light will be snatched from me. As a cosmopolitan kind of lady, I consider this to pose no problems, inhibit my life not-at-all because I know that in time I shall chase summer round the globe : )

A few words about Cape Town: As I walked into a mall accompanied by 8 or so of my international commrades I noticed that like America, movie ticket prices were high, concessions (the true source of income from movies, consult The Economist) were through the roof, and commercials played prior to previews offered that Standard Bank was the only bank to help the newly wed couple buy their first flat, to help Cindy-Loo Asian advertise for her small bussiness, to make all these dreams a reality.

Where have I heard that before?

Another commercial featured Japanese manufacture Toyota trucks driving around South Africa--kicking ass in wilderness locations and creating a community of same-truck driving adventure seeking harmless thrill-seekers. Country music played and eventually two South Africans halt their train to let a Toyota Truck cross the tracks.

One (black) says to the other (white): Do you reckon its safe here?

Culture fushion in the third degree!

I love mutton curry and the way they really tenderize meats here. Plus the Dutch, English influence gives rise to fine pastries and tea time.

More pictures to come.

Love, lethargy, and lozenges and canned legumes

from

Ms. Tabacco of Table Mountain

The backwards aquarium

Here are pictures from shark diving. The one below is of the shark attacking the tuna head bate. It is up against the cage, the corner of which you can see. The cage was big enough to accomodate five divers at once.

The rest of the pictures are self explanatory. Sharks are terrifying-- I never want to see a dorsal fin like that whilst I am surfing or in the water not trying to bate sharks. The landscape shot is of Whale Cove, a place we stopped on the way to see the Southern (Bright or Rite, I am not sure) whale. Whales are predictably in this beautiful little cove, hanging out and mating. For some reason all South African tour guides know a lot about whale mating habits... It seems to be a a highlight for them to tell us exactly how many kilograms of ejaculated whale sperm go.... etc. etc.

I wish I had a few more shark pictures-- like me in the suit or something but unfortunately I don't. The little boat we embarked to sea on was rather like a toy duck in a the sea and I felt most sea sick. I lost my lunch several times over, even when I was in the water in the cage waiting to see sharks. Advise: I will not go to the maritime academy, I will take dramamine on next boat excursion.

Aloha!

I thought I would add this picture, it is my window's view. Not only a window though, I have quite a nice balcony as well. I fancy this will be a place for sun bathing when the season is right!

The weather has changed dramatically, kiss 75 degrees good bye and do not be forgotten that we are in the midst of winter. I wasn't privvy to the fact that when it rains in Cape Town, it pours.

Conversation with a South African:

me: oh, so glad I brought my umbrella

native: it won't work here, they go inside out in minutes. I swear the rain comes at you 90 degrees, wind and torrents of rain are more common than a baboon raid.

So on my continuing list of stuff: proper raincoat, surf gear, the skills to drive the car on the other side of the road in manual-- I might like to lease a car.

I need not much else.

The difference between reality and expectation has shrunk. This has quite a pleasing effect. It is much different not to be able to go alone somewhere-- my life in Santa Barbara was quite the opposite, freedom a given. It is quite harnessing to have to walk with a male escort and take taxis when in another country you might walk... At the same time, the things I feel jaded towards are a surprise, the chemistry of this country is greatly entertaining-- crime and poverty, childlike enthusiasm for life: uncanned, two worlds living a street apart, a town unionized by the power of liberalism... The dualities are striking and seem to be endless.

The fringe

Mood: highly stoked

Health: poor

Details: throat closing, headache, uncontrollable amount of snotty goo exiting through left nostril.

Other than that I am fine! Today was a great adventure, we started off quite early, before the sun was up at 7:30. The group was our two neighboring houses, most residents were barely awake and about half were quite unsteady from a night of socializing with the Norweigian discovered phenomenon: crackaling, a cheap sparkling wine which goes flat in about half a minute.

Anyway, away on the bus with an animated tour guide who had quite the background—a South African recruit (unwillingly) to a special armed unit instructed to take out thousands of members of a Communist party in Angola in the 1990’s. Keep an eye out for his book, Zulu Fox Trot, which will reveal previous quiet information about the slaughter.

First stop: Maiden point, a lovely view of the Atlantic. A warm wind blowing off the mountain, a fine day was in the making.

Next: Penguins! At Boulder Point I believe. Cute little guys, charismatic with strikingly human behavior. I should like to be a penguin of this sort—sunshine, swimming, a mate for life, anchovies…

Then: A stop in a township community called Ocean View. A town of colored peoples displaced by the apartheid. The homes were three story buildings. Cinder blocks painted various hues that looked much like Brooklyn projects. Laundry blew on lines and kids stood on the roadside to wave as our tour buses rolled in. We watched a program dedicated to helping kids from this area arise from the slums, stomping drug and gang related activities by dancing and singing. They were quite talented dancers that used American rap to break dance and choreograph dances much like MTV music videos. This was a little shocking for me. Why replicate this American music, idolize values not their own?? The people however are quite open about sexuality, the hostess to us referred to her husband as, “the man I sleep with.” Plus the glow of stardom is bright—strong Western influence exists here and it is quite appealing.

On to Cape Point, the most SW point of land in Africa. There is no way I could describe the awe of this place, pictures will suffice, but a visit to this most wondorous landmark is the only way to serve it justice. It is in a national park and some weird elk-equivalent animals roam as do wild ostrich.

I spoke with a friend about how tangible moving abroad now seems. Being here only a few days has made me understand why a person would move to a place such as this to live their life.

All things African until July 19th, 2009

In the beginning: Day 1, July 14^th, 2009

First times: no cell phone, no form of telling time (aside from my own keen interpretation of the sun’s movement across the sky--- it sets in the west, right?) longest duration away from family! And…. First time I feel the sense of adventure boiling from within me with uncontrollable vigor—on the cusp of a great adventure I am so ready!!

Virgin Atlantic Flight: I have here, in my private flying cubicle, a celebration at hand. I have have turned 21 early, as I venture across the Atlantic (not a virgin trip however) and continue far southward to the bottom of the dark continent. A gin and tonic sits aside its watery companion on a small tray table unfolded near my elbow. I clank them together, cheers. Anthony-John is helping me today. His accent so proper and eyes so blue I cannot help but be disarmed by the professional charm of my, well, servant. Alas, this is the long awaited beginning of a magnificent and defining journey. It is here I shall unravel the tale of my travels in South Africa in real time.

As I read a John Grishamm novel (perfect plane reading!) I drifted away from the captivating romance of a directionless but smart and beautiful bartender and her sucsessful domestication of Jeff/Nicholas into the perfect partner in crime, specifically pursuit of tobacco litigation. Right, I drifted away. And thought of my expectations of South Africa—what do I expect to see and do. Who will I meet? What are some ground rules I can lay for myself now, on the cautious side, before I revise them, possibly more liberally.

I scrawlled a few ground rules but found them to not only sound stupid, but be stupid. For instance, “no surfing with sharks” or “no losing stuff.” Stupid because, they are not, obviously, avoidable by written contract. In good form, I shall vow to use my best judgement and not find myself in a preventable situation too sticky to walk away from.

I must, sady, depart the lap top. Abort mission because food is arriving, in courses. I am not sure where we are, somewhere over the midwest, but in this soaring air tube, I’m as far away as Mars.

Day 2: July 15^th

My condition has worsened slightly since last documentation. The virgin flight seemed to be over before it started, a solid 7+ hours of sleep, followed by nausea on the way down. Which resulted in vomit, which was little more than coffee and water. I landed in Heathrow, went to the virgin club for several hours, took a shower, drank much fluids, ate a decent breakfast and had an amateur judo-chop massage. Since then I have strolled the halls, considered a day trip to london (would have cost me like 80 dollars, just for the transit) bought Day Nurse for my cold, read my John Grisham, looked for my friends, pondered getting wasted numerous times, and enjoyed the multilingual, chaotic airport bustle. Now I sit, on the better side of security, attempting to get online by using user names like: Jsmith with the same password for the hot-spot sites. Sad that it can’t just be free. I suppose I could go to duty free, buy a bottle of Glen Livett and call it a day. Only because the ad caught my eye do I write that, and as Ihave learned , good advertising is supposed to create an instantaneous craving for that product.

My attention wanders, the fact that the laptop is open doesn’t mean much. I scribble here and there, content with my many hours here. The new terminal looks rather like a toy factory. The H-beams are exposed, the electrical components of the elevator are bare, little decoration adorns each floor. As I rode five floors up to arrivals from the underground trolley (Piccadilly Line!) I felt as though I might be Charlie, in the great glass elevator. If I were Charlie, I would wonder what business the Pakistani family riding up with me, had with Willy Wonka. He is a mysterious man, that’s for sure.

Attention wayning further. I am interested in a drink. Trusty nalgene has come with me, it may be time to test the asethetic quality of London airport water. Speaking of water, I was milling aorund doing nothing when I was approached by a woman, clip-board in hand near a 3 metre high water well replica I had failed to notice. The woman launched into her “would you like to donate” speech. This special well had a circular play structure attached to a wheel and pulley that brought ground water up from a well deep bellow ground. It was a device implemented several places in Eastern and Southern Africa operated passively, when children played upon it. That is as exciting as cake being nutritionally equivalent to spinach. A fine invention, playful and integrative. I am sure it has draw backs, limitations for sure, but a good idea non the less!

Day 4 or 5: I flew through so many time zones that I missed large parts of several days, so now I am quite unsure of what day of the trip this is.

Capetown excursion today. With a large group of Ida Cooper’s darlings (Ida being the wonderful caretaker/ take-no-crap grandmotherly coordinator of our housing) I went by train to the city center of Capetown. The crowded and loud streets were not unlike New York—hot dog vendors, flower stands, a wealth of merchants set up under tents, in contrast to all-bronze human statues adorning street corners perhaps, young African children danceed traditionally and sand and played instruments. We walked through a park with beautiful gardens that was also a stretch of government buildings and museums. We passed the church, which could have been mistaken for any in Europe, where Desmond Tu Tu became arch bishop of the Anglican church. After this we had lunch at a café, fresh tasty food served by courteous black waiters and baristas. Finally we piled into mini-van taxis, not a common practice for whites of Capetown at all. Unlike America, the idea is to squish as many people into the car as possible for economy. In true African style we fit 17—not bad, but I saw ones filled with what could have be 25.

Now I sit in my bed, freezing this ice-box chamber on the 8^th floor of this twin tower. Little dazed from the time change, but quite, quite happy to be here. I think already I am adjusting to a different pace of life—laid back, not easily offended, jovial, compassionate—describe the likes of Capetonians.