The second half of Cape Town, lasting just under 2 weeks, was a little different than the first half. The biggest change was spending much more time with locals, the most special of which was Barbara.

About 50 years ago, my mom traveled through Greece and met a wonderful and energetic young girl from South Africa. They had a smashing time, and started a long distance pen-pal friendship, first by letter and later by email. Even though they haven’t seen each other in 50 years, my mom’s diligent and constant communication kept the relationship alive and beating strong. So when Barbara learned I was in Cape Town, she immediately sought me out.

I spent several days with her and her extremely knowledgeable husband, Gavin, and they introduced me to their town from a local’s perspective. This included a few scenic day trips, kayaking at their yacht club, visiting her son’s vineyard, trekking along Table Mountain to Kirstenbosh botanical garden, dining at a savoury Ethiopian restaurant and celebrating Christmas at their place with family and friends.

Thank you, mom! Thank you, Barbara!

Aside from many precious moments with them, I visited the township of Lunga, which is the oldest and most dangerous township around Cape Town. A township is basically a settlement with poor, predominantly black or coloured (mixed races) locals and immigrants seeking jobs. They are the remains of the apartheid legislation and shacks are usually constructed by the occupant with random spare materials, with electricity but no running water.

Most townships are self-regulated, so that if someone commits a crime, the entire community punishes the guilty. The inhabitants are surprisingly cheerful and good-natured, which proves you don’t need much to be happy. With a guide, I entered two huts, and was surprised how clean and orderly they were. The owner of one, named Shooter, was ingenious in creating a sky light from a clear plastic sheet and a folding chair.

Veronica is my brother’s friend from Montreal, who moved to Dubai about 9 years ago and met her husband, Tom, several years ago. As New Year’s Eve approached, I thought it would be cool to visit them in Dubai, but they decided to celebrate with me in Cape Town instead. We made reservations at Pasha, an Ibiza-themed evening at a beach hotel along the waterfront, and cheered at midnight with champagne and fireworks. Tom, the thoughtful and generous man that he is, without knowing me for more than 2 minutes, handed over a couple of hundred dollars in cash after learning about my lost wallet. He had been in a similar situation, and appreciated the kindness of strangers to help him along.

Thank you, Tom!

The last week in Cape Town was mostly spent with a local math teacher, Ashley, who showed me even more of a local’s view of Cape Town, including

  • First Thursdays, an monthly event in which downtown art galleries open their doors without admission
  • Biscuit Mill in Woodstock , a weekly event where locals sell food, clothing and trinkets
  • Die Strandloper, a fantastic coastal seafood restaurant with a 10 course meal, and who’s decorations reminded me of a cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and a remote desert island
  • Ceres steam train, a 3 hour ride in a restored steam train along a nature reserve, including a stop for lunch at an organic vineyard
  • Cape Point, the southern most point in the Western Cape province and a World Heritage Site, with lots of hiking trails and panoramic views of the ocean

Thank you, Ashley!

Overall, my mood has brightened considerably since losing my wallet, thanks to kind people and shifting my mindset to realize these kinds of problems aren’t so awful in the grand scheme of things.

Cape Town was a lovely experience, one I wish to repeat in the future. For now though, my journey will head east along the coast to Durban, Johannesburg and then Kruger national park for a safari.