Aug 3rd

Today was a travel day. Third world airports are just as bad as the US, except on a smaller scale. They are crowded, disorganized, and people are annoying. You have to pay to get out of Zambia. We asked the porter where we paid, and he said once we go through the metal detector then they will tell us where to go. Once we get inside there are 3 checkin counters w/ no info above them, so of course we chooser the shortest line. Once we finally get to the front of the line, we are told we are at the wrong counter. She can only check us in for the 203 flight not the 205 flight that we are on. When I glance over to the counter they say we need to be at it is probably 10 people long. Since these people do not move very fast, I was like no way we are goin over there. I informed the the lady behind the counter that no one was around to inform us that we were to be in a specific line. Someone instructed her to assist go ahead and check us in. I received my first hand written boarding pass. As we proceed through customs we get to the guy who ensures you have paid your money before you exit the country. Well we had not, and thought we could pay him. OH NO! This should have been done before we had gone through the metal detector. So we have to go out and pay our $30. Then go back in and show him our receipt.

We have been flying Nationwide airlines while traveling within Africa. I have never heard of this airline before. However, I do not recommend traveling with them. Every flight we have flown with them has been late. When we flew to Zambia, there seemed to be plenty of people checking people in, but they kept yelling at one another, and running around with their heads cut off. We made it to the front of the line, because if we did not we have missed it. We had 3 people assisting us, and it still took forever. We finally make it to the gate, and the woman taking the tickets was one of the people in the front helping us check in. Then we have to take a bus to get to the plane. When we get there another girl that was helping us to check in was at the plane to greet people. No wonder they were all disorganized. They are all doing several jobs. I was surprised not to see one them as a flight attendant.

We finally got to Cape Town and our hotel around 9pm. We walk into our room, and it is just 1 double bed. This is not what I requested. I had to share a bed w/ Kyle at Zulu and all he did was kick me. Oddly enough I have several bruises up and down my leg, which I have no idea how I got. However, I am just gonna say it is because Kyle kicked me all nite. When we were in Zambia, we had our own bed, and it was so nice to sprawl out and sleep sideways across the bed like I normally do. All I had to deal with was Kyle snoring. Although he will say he does not snore, and I am making the whole thing up. So we went back down and got another room with 2 beds. Everyone is happy now.

Aug 4th – Cape Town

We had a Walk to Freedom tour scheduled for our first day. Our guide was Craig, and he was from Cape Town. His mother was from India, and father was black. Our first stop was the District Six area. He had a lot of insight on the area, because his family lived there, and was moved out when the whites moved the out to the Cape Flats. The whites decided this area should be just for whites. They moved everyone out, and completely demolished everything. This was back in the 1960’s. Since then nothing has been built except for a few homes. Apparently, the land is very expensive, and not very people can afford to build there. What is interesting about apartheid is just wasn’t the whites being prejudice against the blacks, they were prejudiced about anyone against anyone that was not white. Even if whites dated or married outside their race they were discriminated against as well. We then went to the District Six museum, http://www.districtsix.co.za/frames.htm which gives you a history of the area and the people that lived there.

We then went to the Langa township, http://www.capetown.at/heritage/city/langa.htm which is probably about 20 minutes outside of Cape Town. It is the oldest township in the Cape Town area. We visited what would we could call a community center. They teach people certain skills. They were making pottery in the back, and then they sell them at the center. There were various other artist there selling their goods. They get funding from various organizations, but not the government. Steffi Graff funds a dance program for the children of the township, http://www.stefanie-graf.de/sgm-en.html The Gates Foundation has also donated computers and internet access. Our guide then walked us through the neighborhoods, working class and upper class. Most houses were very small, and constructed of cement. Within the last 20 years electricity and indoor plumbing have reached the townships. Everyone now owns their houses. Some were nicer then others. They can add additions to their house if they want, and some people had done that. While other houses looked like no one had done anything to them in 20 years. We then reached the hostels, that just look like cheap apartments. They used to be men hostels because they would not let women or children live in the township. So the men lived there while they worked. Now families are allowed, and these rooms that were designed for 4 or so men, are now packed w/ families. Needless to say the rooms are cramped and do not have many modern conveniences. They are in the process of remodeling the hostels, which is half way done and so far as taken 5 years to complete this.

We then visited a primary school. The children sang and danced for us. No matter where we go where children are and no matter what age they are, they always want their pic taken and then they want to see it. They were all very cute.

At the people back of the township is shanty town. The people that live here cannot affor a house, and do not want to live in the cramped hostels. So they take any scrap of metal, cardboard, plastic. Wood and whatever else they can find and construct a shack of a house. The government finally put in toilets, but before that there was just a hole. We were able to go into 1 house. It was a portioned into 3 rooms, living room, kitchen, and bedroom. It housed a family 5, 3 children and 2 adults. Kyle looked around, but I felt like such an intruder. However, from what we have been told they are not ashames\d of their living conditions. This is their life. The government has built some new apartments in the area, and plan to build more. However, people can not afford to live in them. So they just move back to Shantytown, because it is free to live there. I can’t even imagine.

We drove through the center area of the township which was the shopping district. There were wood shacks all setup along the road with people selling food and goods. They are also chopping the heads off of chickens, plucking and cleaning them right there in the open. They then just sit out in the open waiting for someone to buy them. I guess salmonella is not in the African language? We did not eat lunch here!

August 6th

The weather was pretty crummy today. It poured rain and was really windy. Kyle wanted to go see The Simpsons, so we went to the movies. I wanted some chocolate, so I went to the concession stand. There were not huge bags of chocolate to be found in anywhere. When I asked if she had something like milk duds or m&m's the girl looked puzzeled. She opened up a cabilet and there were 2 boxes of m&m's. I said I would take 2 bags. She then walks over to another woman, and then returns and says she cannot sell them seperatly. I have to buy a kid combo. I had to buy a small popcorn and coke to get chocholate. Can you believe. The popcorn was horrible. Lesson learned, buy your chocolate before you go to a movie in South Africa.