A Weekend to Remember

I am writing in the wake of the most exciting weekend I have spent in Cape Town thus far. The weekend began on Friday, most of which I spent shopping for climbing gear for my Kilimanjaro trek. While I am really psyched about all of the stuff I bought (especially the high-tech hiking boots made especially for Kilimanjaro climbs), I am having a hard time finding all that I need in one store, so I have been running from store to store. Of course, my main priority as I buy my gear is safety, so I am not cutting any corners. I even went as far as to purchase my own mutlitool (pocket knife with all the bells and whistles) so that I will be well-equipped in the off-chance that I find myself without my guide, who will, I imagine, have all the necessary tools (Mom, I promise this will not happen!). After shopping, I spent the evening at the flat and watched a movie so that I could be well-rested for the busy weekend that was ahead of me.

The entire interstudy group woke up early on Saturday morning to embark on what we thought would be a day-long tour of the District Six Museum, Langa, and Robben Island. Unfortunately, we learned early in the day that we would not be able to go to Robben Island, as the water was too choppy for the ferry to travel. While this was a let-down, we were still able to enjoy the District Six Musuem (although I would have liked to stay there a little longer, so I will have to go back once my parents arrive in Cape Town). The museum was really interesting - the best I've experienced in Cape Town thus far!

After visiting the museum, we traveled out of town to Langa, a nearby black township. We were lucky enough to be able to watch an amazing youth dance troupe perform at the Langa Community Center, which was really impressive considering the young ages of the performers. We explored the township for awhile, and along the way we met all of the children that live in the area. Whenever tourists pass through these townships, the children get very excited, especially because they get to take pictures of themselves on the tourists' digital cameras. For many of these children, it is the only time they are able to see what they look like - hard to imagine, eh? Of all the townships I have visited thus far, Langa has been my favorite. I think that my positive reaction can be attributed to the friendliness of the township's residents. Having the opportunity to tour some of the shanties there, as well as to try their local beer (not very appetizing), was an unforgettable experience. I was excited to learn that Langa is located very close to the high school at which I teach journalism every Monday (more about that later!). As I said in an earlier post, I would like to do a weekend-long homestay in a township, and I think I might choose to do it in Langa.

Because we were unable to visit Robben Island, my roommates and I spent the afternoon in Simonstown, which is located about an hour from Cape Town along the coast. We took the commuter rail to get there, and the views along the way of the ocean and of Table Mountain were breathtaking. I saw quite a few other towns that I would like to visit before I leave here, which is always an exciting discovery. We returned home completely exhausted, but I still mustered up enough energy to go to a braai (BBQ) at a friends' house and to go out to a nightclub where local bands were playing live music. While this was an amazing day, Sunday was even better...

A few of my friends (including the two others that are climbing Kilimanjaro with me) and I woke up early for the second day in a row so that we could begin our climb of Table Mountain. The climb, which is considered the hardest of the innumerable climbs in the area, is ideal because it offers the most spectacular views from the top. I, along with two others, wanted to get a strenuous workout during the climb, so we pushed ourselves the entire way up the mountain, getting to the top an entire hour quicker than we had anticipated - it only took us two hours! Once the others had reached the top, we enjoyed the views over a much-needed lunch. I felt really good about the climb, especially in the sense that it built my confidence regarding Kilimanjaro. The other two climbers did not get up as quickly as I did, but nevertheless I trust that they will be in good shape for the big climb in a few weeks. The descent took about the same amount of time as the ascent, which is great, considering that it often takes people longer to come down. My legs were feeling pretty tired on the way down, but I figure that I was getting tired after having been moving for so long. On top of feeling great about the climb itself, the views from the mountain were out of this world. I am looking forward to my next Sunday climb up Devil's Peak. As you can see, the training is well under way...

The day ended with a celebratory dinner at the comedienne's house. We had a typical Jewish food - bagels, cream cheese, and schnoek, which tasted like whitefish salad. The meal was delicious, and as always, it felt great to be around my surrogate South African family. I hope that my parents will have the opportunity to meet them all for Tracy's birthday, which falls on the Friday that my parents will be here. It is so nice to have a network of South African friends that want to include me in their lives here. I can't think of a better way to end such a memorable weekend.

I will finish by giving a quick summary of my experience with the Media School, the journalism program I will be working with for the semester. Essentially, the program sends UCT volunteers to four different high schools (grades 11 and 12) in some nearby townships. As volunteers, we are responsible for teaching the students a curriculum that eventually culminates in the creation of a full newspaper publication, complete with text and photos. I went into the classroom for the first time yesterday afternoon, and was shocked to find an amazingly high level of interest and devotion on the part of nearly all the students. While many of the students are at grade school reading levels, have never held a camera before, and cannot afford to purchase a newspaper, they are nevertheless interested in media and seem so anxious to learn how to become involved in it. I am sure there will be more to say about the Media School in future posts, so look out for that.

This felt like a long post, so thanks for reading! I hope all is well at home. Enjoy the nice weather! It's getting warmer here, too, but I'm sure not as warm in the States. Hopefully that will change soon!