Feb 1: Pretoria to Nelspruit

I am up early, and my host family has a computer with nobody else waiting to use it! I can't believe my great luck! 

Last night we sang our 10th concert, only the 2nd one for a mostly white audience, all others have been for totally black African audiences; of those 8, six were in churches, two in schools. At every concert, especially the black churches and schools, we have been so welcomed it is overwhelming. People wave their hands at us while we are singing, call out, and often get up to sing and dance with us from the pews. After the concerts, many come up to us to shake our hands (special South African handshake is a 3-part affair, takes longer - invites conversation!) and all of them tell us we sing beautifully, wide smiles all around.

The homestays have run the gambit - upper middle class to a Township house in Soweto (night before last)... some have been gracious, some have been confusing for all (insufficient communication), but the experience has been unbelievable. The night before last, in our host family's house in Soweto, (Southwest Township of Johannesburg, where Nelson Mandela was living, first Apartheid protests began), a man asked me, "Aren't you scared to be here?" The truth is, I have not felt frightened anywhere I've been, as I've always been with gracious, caring hosts, who help us understand the parameters.  In fact, Soweto is the only place I've stayed where there was NO security barbed wire!

Yesterday we went to the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage site where a complete skeleton of Australopithicus africanus, 3 million years old, has been discovered. The caves were amazing - beautiful calcium formations, some scrambling & crawling for us, but mostly high caverns, an underground lake; they showed us where "Mrs. Ples" was discovered in 1947 (at the time the oldest skull of Austraopithicus africanus). We sang a Corsican "Kyrie" in one of the bigger underground caverns... memorable!  The museum was a bit over-the-top glitzy, but the setting was so beautiful¨- the African veldt, rolling hills for as far as you could see. The area is full of limestone caves, the site of quarrying in the late 1800's which may have destroyed some of the fossils - but the area now is magnificent to view and tour in.

Today we will go back to Soweto to experience the Apartheid museum, then a 3-hour drive to Nelspruit, on the eastern side of South Africa (see the map at the right), and then to Pietermaritzburg and Durban. We have 3-4 concerts left, and no homestays. Tonight I  believe we are staying in a tent campground; in Durban it sounds like cottages. We never have complete information very far ahead; since most of us don't know the geography of South Africa well, we tend to forget what we've been told anyway! And... things & circumstances change often!!!

I am experiencing a bit of fatigue and homesickness; it has been a wonderful experience that I will never be able to duplicate, but it is tough travelling for hours in a small van, and we do a great deal of waiting around (ah yes..."African Time"!)  Laundry is hit-and-miss, mostly hand-washing, clothes always wrinkled; sleep is often no more than 6 hours.  But the people have been so warm and gracious. And the folks I'm travelling with are a great mixture of personalities (there are 6 beautiful American girls 19-22 who sing a heart-wrenching "Rock of Ages", and 4 South African singers, three of whom are of 19-22 age group, 2 singers from the UK, 1 from Switzerland, 1 from Norway, and an incredible guy from New Zealand).  We of the older set spend a little time grumbling with each other at the inefficiencies, but once we are done venting for the day we buck up and move on - we're all grateful for this incredible opportunity, despite the inconveniences!

It feels like I'm trying to cram all of the experiences into one blog post, and possibly I am - probably no more internet time until my return on Feb 7. I cannot upload any pictures, as my camera got wet in a sudden downpour 2 weeks ago, and I have been unable to take in pictures.Everyone assures me they will share their pics, though, so I'll have plenty to share when I return.

I think of you all often, and wish I could share more of my trip more often, but I must go now, as I have 30 minutes to rearrange my things, pack, and eat breakfast. I will be home in 6 days.

Day 10: Pretoria

Not much time to post - I'm in Pretoria; flew to Johannesburg, and met up with one van; we went to pick up a cargo van to transport 30 singers' luggage;it took 2 hours at the trucking place; many mixups on the paperwork! We have been joined by Raymond, one of our South African drivers, and Rose, one of the singers in the Polokwone Choir. .

We spent the early evening making dinner and eating at a friend of Ken and Larry's - Americans in Pretoria; really nice folks, great dinner, and first exposure to a dessert: "malva pudding." (Hmmm...custardy and sweet!) Three of us are going to someone else's house to sleep tonight.

We are going back to the airport to pick up some other singers tomorrow morning, and then driving 3 hours to our game reserve!

Day 9 - Last Day in Franschhoek

First I'd like to note that I probably will not be able to post regularly for a while - on the 14th we are flying to Johannesburg, staying in someone's home, and then off to our Game Preserve (see link below). I have heard that there is NO Internet at the Game Preserve at all.  I had hoped to post via my phone, but it may not work either.



 I'm posting early in the morning for yesterday's adventures, as the computer at my guest house was in constant use last night! Yesterday was another wonderful day. We set off for Stellenbosch to try to retrieve Monika's ATM card which got stuck in a machine at a bank (no success so far!). Then we drove in a large loop through the 4 mountain passes - incredible climbs, incredible views. The mountains around Cape Town rise suddenly, and are rugged - no "foothills" to speak of, so the views are amazing once you get up high.

As we came out of one of the passes, we passed through an area of fruit production - a large reservoir allows irrigation...we saw peaches, apples, pears, and apricot trees, many growing close to each other, supported by wires. We pulled over to an estate, and drove up into the estate itself to see if we could purchase some peaches. We were met by an American woman who was staying at the estate, and she was able to radio to the guys in the field, who were just bringing some in. The peaches were yellowish-orange in color, no "blush" that we are used to - flesh was the same color. We bought 2 for each of us - what a treat to see the orchards up close and have fresh peaches!

We continued on our loop, and it was early afternoon before we returned to Franschhoek. We found a restaurant/small vineyard tucked back down a windy road that was still open for lunch, and...what a find! The food was exquisitely prepared - each of us had something different, but it was all memorable. I had a chenin blanc (one of theirs), a swiss chard salad with cous cous, pomegranates, with a surprise dollap of fresh goat cheese (hiding in the cous cous), as a well as a rissotto of truffles and peas (with a "pea mousse" on top). All of this for around $20!!!

After this amazing meal, we strolled over to their "Exotic Plant" greenhouse - they grow, sell, and ship orchids to parts of South Africa.  We rolled into the car, and went off to take a nap prior to our evening hike.




The hike itself was up Mont Rochelle, one of the peaks towering above Mont Rochelle. There are no trees, and the climb was steep. I was still feeling a little stuffed from our meal, so I took it even more slowly than the others - I never did reach the peak, as they did. But...the hike took us through amazing vegetation. At first it was low scrub and wildflowers, but as we rounded the ridge, we came to a microclimate which had the fynbos vegetation at shoulder height - the soft reads brushing our sides as we walked; delicate wildflowers all around. It was a "meadow," unlike any high mountain meadow I have ever hiked in. It was so lovely. I enjoyed being surrounded by so much beauty - for most of the hike I was by myself, and it was peaceful and lovely.

Sunset on Mont Rochelle - Franschhoek in the distance

We hiked down just in time for sunset, and drove home for a light dinner. A beautiful ending to a beautiful day.

Day 8 - Franschhoek & Stellenbosch

Today was a WONDERFUL day. It started with an amazing breakfast at my guest house in Franschhoek (see previous posting for today). We then drove to Stellenbosch, a small city about 20 miles away, where we got on the bus for our 5 hour wine tour. In this time, we visited 4 wine estates, tasted 21 types of wine (wow!), had lunch, and a cheese tasting.

At an estate; you can see the vineyards & mountains in the distance.

Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, 90 miles from Cape Town,  are both known for their wine estates; Stellenbosch was settled by the Dutch, and Franschhoek by the French Hugeunots, in the 17th century. Most of the Hugeunots returned when their persecution ended in France in the 18th century, but French names abound in the village. The terrain is Mediterranean: hot, dry summers, but perfect for growing grapes and olive trees. We have also seen many fruit orchards/espalliered fields: apples, peaches, apricots.  Commanding the whole view, though, are incredible mountains, with craggy peaks - it's a breathtaking sight to have the mountains in the near distance and the fields of vineyards running up the lower sides of the mountains. Temperatures today were in the 80's, with a strong breeze.

Gabriel, our driver and guide, was knowledgeable, and had picked out the wines he recommended for us at each estate, but we were free to actually taste any that were available at each estate. We started our tour with a lesson in how to "taste" a wine; this was informative for me, as in the past I have usually just sipped it down! No, no - you are to swirl it first, then tip the glass to get the "nose" of the wine; then swirl it around in your mouth so all of your taste buds can experience it, and, finally, swallow it for the "finish."

Typical tasting room; this one at Fairview, Stellanbosch

Besides the lesson, I learned today that I actually like some red wines... in the past, I've always wimped out, sticking to whites and roses. The Stellenbosch/ Franschhoek area specializes in a red grape called the "Pinotage" ( a cross between a Pinot Noir and Hermitage), and I  liked some of the wines, especially the blended ones. Nonetheless, my favorites were still the chardonnays which had been aged a little in oak, a Gewürztraminer, and one champagne. My companions were all red wine afficianados. And, although we had 21 opportunities to taste different wines, I did not taste 21 - after a while, I just couldn't do it!  (I almost forgot to mention that at one estate, I purchased a small dark chocolate bar with pink peppercorns, which we enjoyed with the red wines.. a nice break from simply tasting wine after wine!)

Garden in the foreground; vineyards in the back

The wine estates were also all in beautiful settings, with amazing architecture and world class restaurants, to attract the wealthy tourists and South Africans. Art on the walls....friendly pourers... modern logos... beautiful gardens around the buildings... all combined to make a memorable experience.

We also had a "cheese tasting", which consisted mostly of goat cheeses - my favorite was a soft cream cheese with "Chakalaka" spices - I'm really appreciating the Malaysian-influenced South African spices here!


When the wine tour was over, we spent some time walking around Stellenbosch, a charming city with a large university. I took a few pictures of the architecture. Having eaten our way through the day, we returned to our homes with no dinner - but I did purchase a Ginger Beer (yum, tastes like ginger root), and had a small amount of cheese and a mini-baguette to take home for a light snack at my guest house.  I also spent a little time walking around my little touristy village, taking in the architecture there.


            

Typical Dutch architecture - Stellenbosch



School-turned-museum, Dutch architecture, Stellenbosch

                                          

Tomorrow our plans are uncertain, but I know in the late afternoon we are going to try to hike up part of one of the mountains here. All of the terrain is exposed (no trees!), so we have to do it either in early morning or  late afternoon.  One more day in this area, and this part of the adventure will end!

Day 7 - off to Franschhoek!

Tonight I am posting twice: one for yesterday, and one for today.



Fabrics a-plenty at the Mnandi fabric shop

 Yesterday was our final morning in Cape Town. We got up, packed, and I went out shopping to the fabric store - what an amazing place! There were rolls of fabric, but also African clothing, sarongs, and tablecloths, most of which is made in the Observatory section of Cape Town. You can walk into the shop and order an outfit made from a bolt of clothing - if only we were going to be there longer!






Noemi with wire lizard, 33 Backpackers South

After saying good-bye to the wonderful, energetic staff at 33 South Backpackers ("Backpackers" is the word used for hostels in South Africa), we took off for Franschhoek, a village in the wine country about 90 minutes from Cape Town. Most of the day we settled in; we are now separated by 1 mile; the 4 others have a condo outside of the village, and I am in a guest house in the village. I was a little concerned about safety by myself, but my worries were unfounded; Franschhoek is very touristy. I took a walk this morning by myself, but I would not do so after dark.

After staying in the hostel, the guest house is PURE luxury - I have my own DOUBLE bed, my own bathroom, and even a little sitting area! The guest house has a lovely garden with a small pool. This morning I had breakfast around the pool: granola, yoghurt, juice, french-pressed coffee, incredible fruit salad, followed by scrambled eggs (hold the bacon!) And, as the proprietess is English, of course a "tomahto" on the plate. I think I"m going to like it here!

Day 6 in Cape Town

Today was a laid-back day. Monika, from Switzerland, had not had a chance to see the penguins, so we drove back up to see them again. Our intention was to just spend a little time there, but we had so much fun, we spent the better part of the day! As it was cooler today, there were fewer people out on the beaches, which allowed us to actually get out on the rocks and enjoy the beach with the penguins.

The penguins are unfazed by people!

I sat on a rock with my feet in the water, and the penguins dove and swam around me; it was great fun ~ they are amazing swimmers!

Ken, Monika, Karyn on the terrace

After a couple of lazy hours cavorting with the penguins, we went to a restaurant in Simon's Town for a leisurely lunch, something we have never done midday(we usually just pack apples or small sandwiches). We sat up on a terrace overlooking the ocean, people-watching and drinking wine and cappacinos. Such a life!

We drove home a different way, gawking at the wine estates up in Constantia. Tonight we went to a local African restaurant/bar, and sampled some of their food - my favorite was the curry-flavored bobotie, similar to meatloaf, but with a milk/egg custard on top. It was served with two chutneys - can't wait to get home and try making it!

Back at the hostel, we finished off the night with several games of Banagrams; some of the younger adults staying at the hostel played with us. Tomorrow we are off to wine country(on the map above, it is the second marker east of Cape Town near the tip) I'll be staying by myself in a guest house in Franschhoek, 1 mile away from the rest of the group. Now that I have been in South Africa a week, I feel acclimated and perfectly safe; in fact, I think it will be great fun having a little independence!

Day 5 in Cape Town


 Zowie! I LOVED our day today! Our group split up; Larry & Ken went hiking again (even more challenging than yesterday), while Monika, Karyn, and I spent the day at Kirstenbosch Gardens.  When the group reunited, Karyn and I opted to spend even MORE time there; she and I were there for 9 hours!

I'm pretty tired tonight, so I won't spend a lot of time putting up as many pictures as I'd like; instead, I'm going to try to make a separate page with just my botanical pictures...stay tuned for that.  Meanwhile, look below for just a sampling of what we saw:



Protea repens (a fynbos plant)



Leucospermum "Pincushion Plant"



Cape Chestnut blossoms

  



Alan cutting meat in the kitchen for the Braai



When we returned from the Gardens, our hostel had a traditional Cape Town "Braai", which is a traditional barbecue...heavy emphasis on the meat! We had barbecued sausages, beef, and chicken, as well as roasted veggies (they do love their butternut squash!), potatoes baked in the coals, and salad. What a meal!

Day 4 in Cape Town

Today we spent the morning at the "Saturday Neighborhood Goods Market"; to get there, we walked through an older Muslim neighborhood; most of the architecture was vintage 1900-2910. The market itself was an amazing assortment of foods from around the world, fabrics, clothing, jewelry, etc. I would have been happy to stay all day, but nobody else in the group likes to shop, boo-hoo!

After lunch and a short rest, we tackled Lion's Head, which is the rocky precipace across from Table Mountain, a 2195-ft rise! It is called Lion's Head because it is part of a rocky structure that roughly looks like a resting lion, with a raised head. (yes, I know, it doesn't really look like a lion, but the "head" is on the left in this view, and the "tail" is on the right.)

Even though we started the walk at 4 PM, it was hot - 86 when we started, no shade most of the way. The trail started out as a wide path, but evolved into walking on mostly flat rocks, to edging along ledges to scrambling over boulders near the top. There were two 10-foot ladders to climb on the sheerest of the rock faces, and three-fourths of the way up, the trail divided into the "long" way around (more scrambling), OR you could hoist yourself up via chains and handholds. Three of our group chose the chain route, but Karyn and I took the longer way.



Ken, Barb, Karyn on Lion's Head (I'm standing on a rock)



The hike took four hours total, and I lost my gardening hat on the way.  It was grueling - I'm exhausted  tonight, and my calf muscles are killing me. Tomorrow we are going to the Kirstenbosch Gardens (a botanical garden) and  3 of us will tackle another tough hike (not for me - I'll spend the day in the Gardens, perhaps will buy another hat!)

Day 3 in Cape Town

Typical Victorian building (Mexican bistro!) next to 70's building

The newest member of the team, Monika from Switzerland, arrived this morning. We spent the earlier part of the day walking around the center of Cape Town. It is a mixture of architectural styles and neighborhoods; we visited the Malaysian "Bo-Kapp" neighborhood, which is Muslim; many folks walking to the call to prayer. We also spent time in the center of town "City Bowl," admiring the mix of architecture and experiencing the clash of cultures. One of my favorite places we visited was a bookstore, where the proprieter recommended fiction worksus, and I also bought a used book on South African trees (which I'll donate to the last place we go).

We also walked down to St. George's Cathedral, which abuts the section of town where the colonial buildings are (Parliament, courts). There is a long, lovely garden called the "Company's Gardens," which includes a pear tree in cultivation since 1652! This huge garden started by the Dutch East India Company, features South African trees/shrubs/flowers, but also has quite a few North American trees, notably Cypresses and Magnolias. I particularly enjoyed seeing the native South African flowers I recognized from our own gardens in the USA - pentas, geraniums, small everlastings.

View of Cape Town from Gondola

After a lunch of "butternut quiche" (mostly butternut squash and feta, very little egg; gotta make this one when I get home!), we drove up to the gondola station for Table Mountain. Table Mountain looms 3000 ft. over Cape Town, and is so named for its relatively flat top...looks like a table from below. You can either hike up or take the Gondola - we took the Gondola - great fun, as it rotates as it lifts you to the top (only takes about 5 minutes, but it is a thrill!) Once up on the top, you can walk around - there are many trails, but it is quite rocky.  The views are breathtaking, no matter where you look.

Watsonia (pic would not rotate) - so lovely!

I particularly enjoyed the incredible flora up there, in particular the Watsonia (a type of bulb), and the King Proteus (out of bloom, but still very cool - I believe the national flower of South Africa). We spent 3 hours up on Table Mountain, hiking the rocky trails; although the sun was beating down on us, there were cool breezes.

Monika and Karyn enjoying the view

We came down and went back to the hostel, where we feasted on our leftovers (yes, we are all budget minded!) Tomorrow we are planning to visit a huge Saturday open-air market midday, and then hike up Lion's Head, another rocky formation which rises above Cape Town.

I'm also going to try to be braver about taking pictures of some of the South Africans, so I can share them tomorrow.

Hope everyone in Connecticut is enjoying the snow!

Day 2 in Cape Town

Alas, this blog was inoperative for a day; Google shut down my email and blog because of "suspicious activity;" and has asked for my phone number to send a text to for verification purposes. I don't know the correct phone number for South Africa; I typed in what I thought it was, but it didn't "take."  I finally got my account back today - I'm happy Google is so security conscious, but I wish there had been a way for me to simply warn them ahead of time! Oh, well, glad to be back in bidness! Yesterday was a WONDERFUL day in South Africa, though; since it was to be very hot, we decided to tour the southern part of the Cape by air-conditioned auto. We drove down to the Cape of Good Hope via Simon's Town, that is, via the Eastern side of the pennisula. Along the way, we stopped to see the African Penguins (also known as the "Jackass Penguins" because of their braying!). They have a very small roosting area, contained along the southern coast of South Africa. Fortunately, there has been a movement to bring the population back from an endangered level; we saw many numbered plastic "burrows" individual people had purchased to provide a safe burrow for the penguins.  And... they are sooo cute!  At this preserve, we also learned about the "fynbos" floral kingdom, one of the world's 6 distinct kingdoms(fynbos being the smallest). Most of the plants are evergreen, hard-leaved or needled plants, but the flowers are beautiful - some tubular, some like pincushions. One of the plants we was is "sour fig"; looks a lot like an "ice plant," with a large yellow flower; a woman on the trail explained to me that the fruits of this plant are gathered and sold in the Cape Town farmers' markets, and that a sour jam is made from the fruit as well.  A view of the Cape of Good Hope, viewed from Cape Point  We proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope, the southwesternmost point in Africa, and its craggy sister, Cape Point (Dias Point). You can walk or take a funicular up to the top of Cape Point (we walked!), and can walk out on the point almost to the end. It was so windy I had to hold onto my hat, but it was incredibly beautiful; we were up high, an; all around were the craggy peaks of South Africa jutting out into the Indian Ocean, and the ocean itself was an aquamarine color; black cormorants resting on the far rocks. The drive home took us on the Chapman Peak drive, which is on the Western (Atlantic) side; we wound around yet more cliffs; a narrow road with many pulloffs for magnificent views; it ends at Hout Bay, 20 minutes from Cape Town. On the way home, we stopped at a grocery store and bought veggies, rice, and meat for a stir-fry, as well as wine (soooo cheap here!). After a pleasant meal, we lounged in the back, enjoying the balmy breezes on the patio in back of the hostel. We have high hopes for the temperature today ( it was 84 yestoday; every day this week the temperature is supposed to drop a little); our fifth member, Monika, from Switzerland, arrives today. We plan to go into the city itself and ride the gondola up Table Mountain.