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It's easy to see why South Africa's former tourism slogan was: A world in
one country.
Diversity is its main characteristic: its people, culture, climate,
landscape, and languages - there are 11 official, - all bring something
different to make it an enchanting destination.
My fiancé and I travelled to South Africa to learn the art of polo in
Plettenberg Bay.
Dubbed the polo capital of South Africa, Plett is approximately 400 miles
from Cape Town at the tip of the Eastern Cape.
It provided us with the perfect excuse to rent a car and visit the winelands
and experience the popular Garden Route along the southern coast of South
Africa.
The further east we travelled from Cape Town, the increasingly mountainous,
rugged and green the landscape became.
But we soon noticed the geographical contrasts have little on the social and
cultural differences.
Juxtaposed against the picturesque landscape and stunning riches of South
Africa, are the informal settlements.
These overcrowded, sprawling and impoverished shanty towns on the outskirts
of the major towns and cities, are the remnants of South African apartheid
planners who moved black and mixed-race people to the poor areas in the
1960s as part of a whites-only policy for urban areas.
Dwellings are nothing more than shacks, constructed with corrugated tin, patched with scraps of plastic and cardboard. Most have electricity - a recent development to limit crime - but clean, running water is not a given.
Children walk barefoot on dusty, untarred roads powdered with
broken glass and other debris.
Many of the people living here have come from the Eastern Cape but also
increasingly from other African countries in search of a better life.
But crime is rife; the Townships are home to a high proportion of Cape
Town's 2000 annual murders.
These are pockets of third world poverty in a first world country.
And yet nothing is more life affirming than being welcomed to a township by
those who live there.
We visited the township called Langa, approximately 12 miles north of Cape
Town.
The tour was just three hours in our 14-day trip but it was probably the
most captivating.
Driving to Langa along the N2 highway it's evident that
the effects of apartheid still linger. Despite the stunning riches of South
Africa, here remains an infrastructure where poverty, hunger, and HIV Aids
still exist.
Yet amid their poverty, the township people ooze gaiety, vivacity, and an
infecting energy, particularly the children.
The first black township to be established in 1923 under the Urban Areas
Act, Langa is home to around 250,000 people. Like the other townships in
South Africa, alcohol abuse and dependency are big problems, initiated by
the "tot" system during apartheid in which whites paid their black and
mixed-race employees with low grade wine as an alternative to cash.
The illegal shebeen's - local pub's established as a result of restrictions
on the sale of alcohol to blacks in apartheid South Africa - have irritated
the problem.
There were about six men in the woman-run shebeen we visited in Langa. For
7Rand - approx 50 pence - they sit all day and drink locally brewed beer -
Umqombothi - from a communal alluminium bucket.
Outside we pass a number of local women cooking sheep's head - a local
delicacy - on the way to visit some of the newly constructed flats in the
township.
The new buildings are examples of a drive by the African National Congress
government to improve housing conditions.
Archie, our local Langa guide, says it's a positive programme but admits
discontent is growing because it's moving so slowly.
Only those who can prove they are in employment are eligible for the new
flats.
For those who are, it's common to share a room with nine or 10 adults with
half as many beds.
Archie takes us to one such flat; The walls are barely plastered and there
is water leaking on the floors. One of the children clings to us as we
squeeze into a bedroom. It's a depressing site that has us close to tears.
But these are the lucky ones, Archie tell us. They are no longer afraid that
a night of rain will see their home turn to rubble.
While it's heart rending to witness people living in such conditions, it's
encouraging to meet the teachers who work voluntarily, at the Chris Hani
Community School.
The school specifically targets children of the under employed and
unemployed from rural areas who have moved to Langa. Their purpose is to
transform them into school-ready learners who can be mainstreamed into the
public education system.
Funded by donations from tourists and the odd star who hears about their
work - Oprah Winfrey was a recent donor - the school is able to provide
maths, English and music lessons to children aged 6-16.
When we visit three of the classes we are treated to the sweetest voices and
biggest smiles. It's a heartening image in desperate surroundings.
Highlights
Cape Town, the legislative capital of the Republic is a vibrant,
cosmopolitan city, sandwiched between the mountains and the sea.
One of its most dominant features is Table Mountain. At just over 1,000
metres above sea level, standing at its tip is a magical sight. To get there
you can either hike or take the three minute-long cable care ride. We opted
for the latter, and it was a memorable experience.
The cars can comfortably hold 30 or so people and have a turning mechanism
on the floor which allows all those on board to get a 360 degrees view of
the entire scenery below.
The top of the mountain offers visitors spectacular panoramic views of Cape
Town. But bring a jacket and ear muffs if you want to enjoy it to the
maximum; At almost 3,500 feet, it's windy!
Mount Nelson Hotel for high tea. between 2 and 5pm drink fenglish tea from fine china and sample as many tasty delights as your stomach can manage. yum!
Less than an hour's drive east of Cape Town, our first stop was the
winelands around the quaint historical towns of Paarl, Stellenbosch and
Franschoek.
It's one of the most picturesque regions of the Cape, with vineyards and
large wine estates nestled amid rolling hills. Here, the air is still and
life continues at a much slower pace and there's a real opportunity to
appreciate the Cape's history and traditions.
pictures on my homepage
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