I wanna be a Capetonian

Cape Town, South Africa, March 2007

You know how sometimes you hear about a place or a band or a movie and it's supposed to be great but then you experience it and it's good but not all that? Well, all I heard before I visited Cape Town, South Africa was how beautiful and cosmopolitan it was, so I had somewhat steeled myself against heightened expactations. However, much to my surprise, Cape Town is as friggin' cool as it's billed. And then some. No lies.

I spent roundabout five days there and could've easily spent another week. Hell, I could live there, yes ma'am. Setting: can't be beat; got the whole mountains and ocean thing. And not no piddly hills, respectable mountains that you can rope up on (alas, I didn't). Weather: well, at least in March, perfect. Sunny, no humidity (big deal coming from Dar), blue skies, 70s in day, a bit cooler at night. People: yup, a happenin' bunch. Lotsa black Africans, Asian Africans (known as "coloured"), White Africans, as well as immigrants from other parts of Africa, Europe, Asia, etc. Food: D-lish, especially the Japanese and Indian (the former non-existent in Dar).

I stayed with a friend of a friend, a Namibian, in a cool part of town, in the hills w/ stunning views. Then at a B and B near the old university. Visited a small black township, hung out with folks from S Africa and Malawi and Burundi, went to awesome museums, saw penguin colonies, hiked a local landmark (Lion's Head), visited Robben Island (where Mandela and many other political prisoners were incarcertated; also featured at end of recent, excellent flick Catch A Fire), the works.

Oh, and I gave a paper on my research (interracial labor unions in early 20th century USA) to a group of history folks at the Univ. of Western Cape. Great fun.

I've never been further South. Probably the worst thing about the trip was that Heather wasn't there. Meaning that I didn't have any sex in Afrika Kusini (Kiswahili for SA). Sigh. Next time...