Cape Town

This past weekend I spent in Cape Town (2 hour flight from Jo'burg) visiting my friends Jackie and Elan (who moved almost three months ago from DC).    I know what you might be thinking, isn't she there for research?  The answer is "yes" but because of the World Cup all the universities as well as the public and private schools closed for 6 weeks rather than the normal 4.  When I originally made my ticket I thought I would be here just as school began but alas I got here right when the entire university was shutting down.  Hence, I decided to take one last trip before I began my research next week.

I caught a late flight out of Jo'burg on Thursday night and arrived in Cape Town around 11pm.  I had planned on making an earlier flight but the student that drove me and another girl to the airport got into a car accident on the way, so there was no way to make the later flight.  The accident was not too bad but two guys on a motorbike were trying to cut us off at a turn signal and the driver didn't realize they were on his left side so we ended up colliding.  I was glad everyone was okay and nothing was serious but even more thankful that I was not driving.

When I was here three years ago, I spent a ton of time (10 days) in and around Cape Town.  So this time I was free to spend time with Jackie and Elan visiting and there was no need to do a ton of sightseeing (which I liked but might have disappointed Elan a bit).  Anyway, I arrived in Cape Town and was greeted by Jackie and Elan.  It was great to see them both. Elan drove us back to his parents house in Hout Bay, which is about 30 minutes outside of the city.  The house is situated in the mountains and the scenery surrounding the house is beautiful.  The road to Hout Bay is very windy and is not the best for someone with a tendency to car sickness but it is a gorgeous drive nonetheless.

Since I was in Cape Town for a couple days the best thing I think of is to give the major happenings that went on while I was there.
Friday:  Jackie and I roamed around Greenmarket Square (the site of a ton of small stalls with cheap paintings, jewelry, t-shirts, or anything African you might want). Lunch was at Eastern Bazaar, which is a restaurant that looks like an alley (see pictures) but has the best Indian food.  One of the best parts about the restaurant (besides the food) was that there were so many different people (race, nationality, etc.) mingling and speaking.  The day ended with Shabbat dinner and an introduction into Elan's extended family.

Saturday:  The morning was easy  with a couple rounds of Scrabble where Elan won them all (he is just that good).  I joined Elan's parents for Fan Walk which leads from the center of Cape Town (the City Bowl) to the stadium.  Everyone begins at Fan Fest, which is an area with a ton of vendors and a massive (and I mean massive) big screen TV for those who don't have tickets to watch, and continues along the street ( that has been closed off) to Greenpoint (aka Cape Town) stadium.  The walk is packed with people, small vendor huts and musicians.  You could feel the excitement and anticipation for the Germany/Argentina game (see pictures)! The day ended with dinner in Sea Point with Elan's friend, his wife, and another couple for Sushi.

Sunday:  Began the day with Elan's mom's birthday brunch (tons of food and friends).  Then after Elan, Jackie and I headed over to Rhodes Memorial, which is a part of the University of Cape Town and overlooks the university as well as part of the city.  It is a huge monument with a great view (see pictures).  Elan gave me a personalized tour of the University of Cape Town and then we all headed back to his parents for a bit of family time.  Right around 5:30 we took a ride over to Chapman's peak for a view of Hout Bay at sunset (see pictures).  Completely gorgeous and breathtaking.

Monday:  Jackie and I rode into Cape Town with Elan because we wanted to get an early start.  Elan dropped us off at a coffee shop where we sat for an hour or so until the Holocaust Museum was open.  The museum is small but it packs an important message for those that have little or no idea about the Holocaust and for those that might not be believers.  We then walked over to the oldest temple in Cape Town, Cape Town Hebrew Congregation.  It is a rather large synagogue with beautiful stain glass windows and a very old world charm.  We then walked over to the Jewish Museum (they are all in the same complex).  The museum is well done and completely informational.  It includes a part about how Jews began in South Africa (as peddlers, miners), where the Jewish communities were formed (Jackie pointed out Elan's great-grand father who was sent to from Britain to be a rabbi in Oudtshoorn), and the connection between Jews and apartheid.  There was another exhibit that was all about the  "The Rugby Minyan." There have been 10 Jewish men that played rugby over the years.  We left and killed some time until Elan met us for lunch.  The rest of the day Jackie and I spent roaming around the Company Gardens (where the government is houses and the fattest squirrel ever was seen- see pics) and Cape Town exploring some new stores and areas. At the end of the day we met up with Elan, who drove us to Signal Hill to see the sunset over Sea Point and the city of Cape Town (see pics).  The sunset was magnificent and the colors were spectacular.  It was great to see and spend time with Jackie and Elan.  I really miss not having them in DC but hopefully I can get one more visit to see their new apartment and the newest addition to their family.

On Tuesday morning I headed back to Potchefstroom to finally settle in and start working! I am officially back here until I can find another reason to go explore without getting behind on my work.  The teachers return on Monday and the research will begin.  Until then, I will spend time working on things that have to get done and exploring a bit more of Potchefstroom!