We arrived in beautiful Cape Town on a sunny morning at the beginning of the South African autumn. We knew that Table Mountain provided the backdrop for the city, but we were unprepared for how majestic and dominating the mountain actually is.
Our first morning, Steve and another professor co-sponsored a trip called the Three Faiths Pilgrimage. Beyond the colorful Muslim homes, Signal Hill is visible in the background. Each day at noon a cannon fires from Signal Hill, a tradition that was originally designed so that everyone in town could check their watches. We went to a mosque where a Muslim gentleman talked about the Islamic community in Cape Town.
This trip was a walking tour, and we passed a parkbench left as a reminder of the Apartheid past of South Africa. The Apartheid government was dismantled in 1994, making the country of South Africa the same age as Charis! We walked through the Company Gardens in the downtown area. These gardens were started as a vegetable patch for the Dutch East India Company when they arrived in the cape in 1652. The boys were thrilled to be able to run around on the grass. Cecil John Rhodes was a successful South African who founded the Rhodes Scholar program. Although the Rhodes Scholars are open to many different nationalities, Americans receive the most scholarships from this South African-based program.
Our next stop was a Jewish synagogue. With the Passover holiday, we were unable to go inside. Although only 6% of South Africans identify themselves as Jewish, Muslim or Hindu, these groups are all considered to be influential in South African society. Around 75% of the population is Christian, with the Dutch Reform Church and the Zion Christian Church as the larger denominations.
We continued through the Company Gardens, passing the Parliament buildings, including this one that was built in 1885.
Next was the Slave Lodge, one of the oldest buildings in South Africa, built in 1660. Until 1811, this building was used to hold up to 1000 slaves at a time, 20% of which died each year because of the terrible conditions. The Slave Lodge is now home to a museum about the history of slavery in South Africa. A new exhibit about Nelson Mandela recently opened. Born in the rural area of the Eastern Cape, Mandela left village life, went to college and law school, became politically active with the ANC (African National Congress), was jailed on Robben Island as a political prisoner for 18 years, and after his release became President of South Africa from 1994-1997.
Next was the Slave Lodge, one of the oldest buildings in South Africa, built in 1660. Until 1811, this building was used to hold up to 1000 slaves at a time, 20% of which died each year because of the terrible conditions. The Slave Lodge is now home to a museum about the history of slavery in South Africa. A new exhibit about Nelson Mandela recently opened. Born in the rural area of the Eastern Cape, Mandela left village life, went to college and law school, became politically active with the ANC (African National Congress), was jailed on Robben Island as a political prisoner for 18 years, and after his release became President of South Africa from 1994-1997.
Next up we visited the beautiful St George Cathedral, the Anglican Cathedral of South Africa where Archbishop Desmond Tutu presided. Our guide, who remains active in South Africa political issues, as well as world peace issues, worked alongside with Tutu throughout the struggle to end apartheid. Apartheid is the Afrikaans word meaning "the state of being apart" and was put forward as a political platform in 1948 to keep people of different races apart. Those races were defined as White (English, Dutch, other European ancestry), Black (African), and Coloured (with 16 different racial combinations falling under this category including those of Indian, African, European heritage.)
Our ship was docked in the beautiful Cape Town waterfront, filled with shops, restaurants and street performers.
Our interport lecturer, Michael Williams, arranged for a Semester at Sea theatre evening at Artscape, the impressive arts complex that houses his Cape Town Opera and other theatre, music and dance companies. The students were thrilled to go backstage before "Grease" and meet one of the performers. Michael had also arranged for a lovely preshow reception with delicious appetizers and South African wines. Although Grease would not have been my first choice of productions to see(!), it was exciting to see a young energetic South African company produce a classic American musical. And we all loved our spectacular front and center seats. After a long day of touring around the city, this was the perfect event for Charis, Barek and Asher.
Our interport lecturer, Michael Williams, arranged for a Semester at Sea theatre evening at Artscape, the impressive arts complex that houses his Cape Town Opera and other theatre, music and dance companies. The students were thrilled to go backstage before "Grease" and meet one of the performers. Michael had also arranged for a lovely preshow reception with delicious appetizers and South African wines. Although Grease would not have been my first choice of productions to see(!), it was exciting to see a young energetic South African company produce a classic American musical. And we all loved our spectacular front and center seats. After a long day of touring around the city, this was the perfect event for Charis, Barek and Asher.
Here is a short clip of one of the waterfront street performances:
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