First off the last few days have been so packed with good stuff, I haven't found the time to write down everything that's been going on--so here are the highlights.
Day 1
July 05, 2009
The View from our hotel...
On the first day in Cape Town we wasted no time in jumping into South Africa's history... We loaded the buses and traveled to South Africa's oldest township -- Langa.
We've arrived just in time to catch the "HappyFeet" dancers. This type of dance passed down from the mining days. The boys and girls chant in different languages while stomping and slapping their hands on their mining boots.
After watching their performance... we got the chance to learn a few moves... as seen below.
Visiting Langa was eye-opening. The residents live with hardly anything. And they've been living like this since 1929. Even though the Apartheid years are over, many still are 'forced' to stay since they can't afford to live elsewhere. The homes can vary in the townships... they can be from a small house to its extreme opposite-- a shanty town shack.
We took a walking tour of the town. Going from road to dirt road, and around piles of trash which if possible (since there are no environmental laws) get burned at night. Some of our stops along the way ranged from eating Lamb's Cheek to drinking socially from a bucket in a hut--Yay for shots.
One thought constantly flickered in my mind... they may not have much, but it seems that there is such a strong sense of community.
It is funny how technology and a higher standard of living can isolate people from one another.
ReplyDeleteDo townships have hospitals, police stations, courthouses, post offices, etc.located inside the community?