Cape Town................De Waterkant

We disembarked from the QM2 at a special berth since the ship was too large for the usual
space. It was hard to leave our familiar home, so comfortable for 3 weeks to this brand new
territory. Would someone be there to greet us and show us the ropes? After struggling with
our luggage in a sprawling tented area at dockside and stepping over a few passengers who
were exhausted from looking, we grabbed our bags and headed through the unending
immigration maze plus security personnel. There he stood, tall, muscular with a cautious
smile. Steve Muller, our man in Africa, holding a large sign with big block printed letters,
Mr. and Mrs. H. Rosenbluth, USA.. He drove us to our digs at 2 Loader St. in Der Waterkant,
a fashionable section of town, high on the hillside near Signal Hill with a view of much of
Cape Town below and Table Mountain in the distance.

Our lodging was in an area similar to the Georgetown section of D.C. We were met there by Mr. Britt and staff, all scurrying about trying to help us get settled. I couldn't believe this place,
a three story structure; 4 bathrooms, 4 bedrooms all with TVs, wine cellar well stocked, a
swimming pool and a kitchen-dining area, 30' by 30', a table seating 10 people plus an
outdoor all tiled veranda with outdoor grill . From there we could sea the ocean while
seagulls soared overhead. Daily maid service was included. There we stood, two oldsters
in a building that could houise at least 10 adults. Liselle of Sunsafaris promised me a
nice place in Cape Town but I think she went too far, however, it became our home for
6 days.

Steve has been taking us on tours for the past few days in his late model VW van, including
a full day journey to the Cape of Good Hope. Annabelle and I stood on the spot where the
Atlantic and Indian Oceans join and was first navigated by the Portuguese in the 1500s.
On the way we stopped to watch a troop of baboons foraging by the side of the road. Infants
in the group were playing alongside just like kids do everywhere.

We also spent a day at the world's oldest botanical garden. The food is wonderful here,
fresh fish in abundance. Pete and John take note. African jazz musicians are always
around in the shopping areas near the waterfront.
Nelson Mandela is the exalted person here in Cape Town and loved by all, black, colored
and white. He and de Klerk were the reason that SA made its peaceful transition from
Apartheid to Democracy. In fact, de Klerk actually deserved more credit since his task
to convince the white gov't to change was far more difficult.

Naturally we took the ferry to Robben Island, named for the Dutch word, "seal".
Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years, most of the time doing hard labor under very
harsh conditions. A remarkable individual who had the courage to overcome this
situation without any bitterness toward his captors. A saintly individual who is an
icon to all South Africans. In fact, President Zuma, in his State of the State speech last
night started his address with homage to 92 year old Mandela.

Incidently, I am taking many photos and will get them to you when we return. SA
has many problems despite its peaceful transition to democracy; high crime rate, an unemployment rate of 23% and difficulty in bringing most black Africans into the modern
society. There are many different official languages. Steve speaks several and is fluent
in Afrikaans a mixture of Dutch-German. These people comprised the Boers of the 18th
and 19th centuries.

We leave for the Wine Country and will pass through Stellanbosch to our lodgings in
Franschhoek or France's Corner which was settled by French Hugenots who were
exiled in the 17th century by the French Catholic gov't.
Before I leave this post, since I'm on a short computer leash, I have to tell you about
our recent lunch at the Baia Restaurant, where Oprah always eats when in SA.
How's this for our menu: Ostrich, Kudu and Springbok. How's that for taking in the
local color?

Next Post I'll tell you about our trip to Robben Island and our trip to the Wine Country.
We boarded a special ferry to the Island, about a 1/2 hour easy sail accross the Bay.
A desolate place indeed. Buses picked us up and we took a hard gravel road arround the
island stopping at various places where guides discussed where the prisoners were put to work.
There were political prisoners, all black, as well as common criminals. We stopped at the
limestone quarry where Mandela served most of his imprisonment, breaking rocks for road
building, etc. Prisoners weren't allowed to wear hats, sunglasses despite the brutal sunshine.They were fed only the minimal calories to keep them alive and fit to work.
The visit was an emotional experience especially when former prisoners, who were part
of the guide staff described their lives under their harsh guards. The tour ended with a
visit to Mandela's cell. I entered the cell and was overwhelmed by its barren condition.
You have to wonder why men would do this to fellow men, but look what Hitler did to
the Jew's of Europe.