Capetown

I awoke with the plan to devour Africa in one bite, but of course this could not be done in one lifetime. I was all set to take the bus up through Namibia at 10 a.m. But felt so uncentered and rushed (I have slept only a few hours since arriving here....jet lag or what have you). At the last minute, I decided to just take my Yaschica and head down to see Cape Point (the most south-western tip of the continent and very reknown in sailor lore for being a treacherous area). So I hopped on the train which headed out of the city and along the bay. (Have a look at a map of Capetown if you can!) The train was very empty except for me and a businessman across the way. I later learned that it is very dangerous because it passes through part of the Cape FLats (the ghetto). At the end of the line we arrived at Simon's Town, a little seaside town which was quite lovely. I then tried to hitchike the remaining 12 km. to the Cape Point Natural Reserve, and the remaining 24 km. to the point!!! But nobody was stopping. To deal with the disappointment, I just started singing out loud, and the black African workers really enjoyed this as I passed them: "Isn't It Brother!", this is a phrase alot of the Zimbabweans use who are now living in Capetown because the Zimbabwe has basically collapsed. I walked down the grassy hill to the beach that runs along the road and dipped my feet in False Bay. It was warmer than I thought it would be. There were little African penguins that lived among the rocky cove. When I walked back up to the road I thought I would walk back to town and call it a failed attempt, but forced my mind into one last attempt at the hitchhiking.....and sure enough. Barbara picked me up. She was an older woman with a pot leave tatoo on her arm, but very conventional in appearance. She told me she was visiting her son and his girlfriend to deliver her flowers (The girlfriend had hurt her back). SO off we went to there little magical house up the side of the hill... It was a beautiful little house that looked out over the blue water of the entire bay. Kent was her son, and Landy was his lady. They are both white South Africans, whom grew up along the penninsula there entire lives. In fact, Landy has never been on an airplane! Kent is studying the local plants for medicine and healing, and currently works checking storm water filters that seperate out over filled gasoline from gas stations. The four of us ended up driving out to the point (thank goodness as I would still probably be there). Just in that drive alone, we encounterd baboons, eland, ostriches, and also sorts of birds and neat plants. Kent and I climed to the top of the old lighthouse on the point and watched as a storm front approached bringing magnificent clouds and strong wind. I took a few shots with my Yashica, and Look forward to getting them devolped, as there was beautiful black and white contrast. They then invited me to stay the night in there bungalow, and Landy made a fantastic vegetable sauce and coucous. We chatted for a while, and I slowly drifted off to a well needed rest next to their fireplace with Gaia the cat. I tried a bunch times to take photos of him, as he was a natural model. But finally when I got it all set up, he would walk away. I was giving me good training on exposure and focus though! Today, I drove back into the city with them, but hope to see them again before I leave.
Capetown has been a wonderful landing zone for Africa. So many different languages and people! But there is also a very rough energy that you must never lose your vigilence. I have been thinking of buying a small motorcycle and using that to work my way up the coast to Mozambique rather than the original way I intended (through Namibia and Botswana). It seems like that might have to be a whole trip in itself as it is expanses of land that really need to be traversed by car. Tomorrow I will have a look in the classified...