I started off my vacation going to Johannesburg with my friend Jen, leaving from her site in northern Lesotho. We took a mini-bus, a little concerned about our safety in the Jo'burg taxi rank where we would be dropped off (supposedly the most dangerous area in South Africa). But like so many times before, our Sesotho language skills saved us. We always had the option of paying for a private taxi to pick us up and take us to our hostel, but we are thrifty Peace Corps volunteers and we weren't willing to give up 400ZAR that easily. We made friends with our driver, Ntate Bohloko (Mr. Pain), and he agreed to help us out. Help can come in many forms in Africa so we still weren't totally sure what would happen, but we were confident we'd be okay if a local driver was willing to give us a hand. It turned out Ntate Bohloko was truly willing to go the extra mile for our sorry American asses. He drove us to the huge taxi rank where we would hop on another mini-bus to take us to our hostel. Then, he parked the car in an illegal parking spot, got out of the car with us, walked us another 5 minutes to the mini-buses, then found the exact mini-bus we needed to take, discussed our situation with the driver, double-checked that he was taking us to the exact area we needed to go, and told Jen and I to tell him again just in case. He is a saint and the only reason we didn't get mugged in the Johannesburg taxi rank. The man barely spoke English and didn't know us at all, but he did us a huge favor that day. I can't tell you how many South Africans have helped me out when I really needed it--Ntate Bohloko being a prime example.
Johannesburg is a fabulous city. It reminded me more of LA than any other city in South Africa. Jen and I were only there for a couple days, but we enjoyed the city. We went out with some guys that worked at the hostel. On a Saturday night, they took us to a local bar for drinks and dancing where Jen and I were the only white people--that's always fun. :) The main event that lead us to Jo'burg, though, was the Joburg Art Fair where we could see contemporary art from all over the world, mostly from South Africa. It was a sophisticated art event, and I could not have been happier. Professionalism, paintings, sculpture, prints, art talks, artists, critics--it was paradise for an artist who has been living in an artless environment for so long.
Then, off to Cape Town on a domestic flight--pretty fancy for a PCV. We arrived in the evening, got picked up and were taken to our next hostel. We did some grocery shopping and saw a movie that night. The next day we took the train down to Simon's Town so we could see some African Penguins. The train tracks follow the coastline towards Cape Point so it was a gorgeous view of the beach for the last half of the ride. From Simon's Town, it was another 2 kilometers to Boulder's Beach where the penguins live so we took a stroll down main street. We didn't get very far when we found a patisserie serving delicious pastries and desserts. Lunch for dessert? Sure! We felt a little sick after lunch, but luckily a nice older couple at the patisserie offered us a ride down to Boulder's Beach. The penguins were everywhere, and we could walk right up to them. It was a perfect day trip.
The next day I went to see some art galleries around town, slightly disappointing. I guess I was too picky after the Joburg Art Fair. Then I took a bus to a suburb of Cape Town hoping to learn how to kite surf. Unfortunately the winds disappeared as soon as I got there, and it wasn't possible. Instead I laid on the beach and ate some chicken chow mein--delicious. I didn't swim in the ocean though, it was freezing! Even the sand was cold. I also took a nice 10k run from Green Point to Camps Bay with the beach on my right, and Table Mountain on my left. We also went to Robben Island for a day to see the famous prison where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for many years during the apartheid regime in South Africa. He was released in 1990, and elected South Africa's first democrat President in 1994 after the fall of apartheid. After living in Southern Africa for 2 years, reading about Mandela's life, and hearing chilling stories from people who suffered during the apartheid regime, it's hard to describe the feeling I had being on that island and seeing the prison cells. It was moving to say the least, and I'm proud to say that I've been there. After a few days, a large group of more Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Cape Town. We all stayed on busy Long Street amidst the bustling night life and shops. We ate good food, went to bars, and enjoyed the city life.
Saturday was the big Two Ocean Half Marathon for many people. A bunch of PCVs ran it including Jen and Chris Conz. That night we hit the town after a light nap. The next day, Easter Sunday, a few of us climbed Table Mountain. I was fine, but I was hiking with 3 guys that ran a half marathon the day before. The cable car ride to the top is for wimps. They were a sorry looking bunch, but they did it. Regardless, the view from the top was spectacular... once the wind died down so I could peel my eyes open. I should have tried kite surfing that day.
Before going home I went out to Stellenbosch with Chris Conz. The winelands there are beautiful and scenic, and the wine wasn't so bad either. We did a wine tasting tour, drank good South African wine, and ate good cheese. It was the perfect end to a great vacation.
