We don't have internet access in our room at Cathbert Country Inn...only via BlackBerry. So...I'll have to go to plan B tomorrow. Sorry!
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
If It's Wednesday, It Must Be Cape Town
Today was spent in town. Chuck and Sarah were up early to return to a gallery to blow their art budget for the trip. (They did that quite well...with a great large-format color photograph by Pieter Hugo...you can see a sample of his work at http://www.pieterhugo.com/.) Rita and I slept in, then visited a photographic gallery, and also saw several prints we liked by South African artists, including Lien Botha (www.lienbotha.co.za/), Brent Meistre (http://www.brentmeistre.com/) and Obie Oberholzer (couldn't find a personal web site for him). We didn't buy any works...but then we don't have any empty walls that need filling!
After souvenir shopping and a quick lunch at an outdoor restaurant close to the National Gallery of Art, we headed to the National Gallery for a private tour of their collection by one of their curators. Their collection dates from 1910 to the present, and includes many works that resemble movements going on in Europe and the US at the time, as well as many original works. An obvious theme in the modern works was Apartheid. The collection included about any media you could think of, including automobile tires and AK-47s. I have included photos of some of my favorite works in another post.
During our trip to the National Gallery, a modern dance group was performing works in various locations that mimicked the nearby art. Here are a few shots at one of the sites in the museum (the three figures seated on the bench are artworks, not people):
Here is a cute sign in the parking lot for the National Gallery:
After the National Gallery, a stop at a coffee shop for rest and java (it's no Starbucks, but what can you do??). After coffee, a drive back to the hotel, with a stop for photos in the Moslem section of Cape Town -- brightly painted well-kept homes:
Out guide told us that the Moslem community does not have any significant conflicts with the rest of the community, primarily because all radical Moslems have been jailed. (Maybe not politically correct, but she said it gets the job done!)
Out guide also mentioned that she is coming to the US, and asked us if it was ok to drink the water everywhere there -- she had heard that you shouldn't drink the water in NYC. We got a chuckle out of that, but probably no more so than she did when we asked the same question about South Africa. (She says the water everywhere in South Africa is OK to drink.)
Back to the hotel to rest and clean up, and then dinner at a great restaurant in the Garden District, Aubergine. Now it's time for a little sleep, packing, and heading to wine country Thursday. Not that we haven't had a little South African grape already! We're looking forward to the countryside, after spending a few days in the city!
After souvenir shopping and a quick lunch at an outdoor restaurant close to the National Gallery of Art, we headed to the National Gallery for a private tour of their collection by one of their curators. Their collection dates from 1910 to the present, and includes many works that resemble movements going on in Europe and the US at the time, as well as many original works. An obvious theme in the modern works was Apartheid. The collection included about any media you could think of, including automobile tires and AK-47s. I have included photos of some of my favorite works in another post.
During our trip to the National Gallery, a modern dance group was performing works in various locations that mimicked the nearby art. Here are a few shots at one of the sites in the museum (the three figures seated on the bench are artworks, not people):
Here is a cute sign in the parking lot for the National Gallery:
After the National Gallery, a stop at a coffee shop for rest and java (it's no Starbucks, but what can you do??). After coffee, a drive back to the hotel, with a stop for photos in the Moslem section of Cape Town -- brightly painted well-kept homes:
Out guide told us that the Moslem community does not have any significant conflicts with the rest of the community, primarily because all radical Moslems have been jailed. (Maybe not politically correct, but she said it gets the job done!)
Out guide also mentioned that she is coming to the US, and asked us if it was ok to drink the water everywhere there -- she had heard that you shouldn't drink the water in NYC. We got a chuckle out of that, but probably no more so than she did when we asked the same question about South Africa. (She says the water everywhere in South Africa is OK to drink.)
Back to the hotel to rest and clean up, and then dinner at a great restaurant in the Garden District, Aubergine. Now it's time for a little sleep, packing, and heading to wine country Thursday. Not that we haven't had a little South African grape already! We're looking forward to the countryside, after spending a few days in the city!
Works from the National Gallery of South Africa
Here are some of my favorite works from our tour of the National Gallery in Cape Town on Wednesday:
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| When Father Comes Back (1997) |
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| The Sacrifice of Isaac (1997) |
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| For Thirty Years Next to His Heart (1990) This is a series of pass books (many more than shown here) that black Africans were required to have on them at all times, to show whenever a demand was made to do so. Failure to have proper documentation for approval to be where a person was could be grounds for jail or other punishment. This requirement was in effect for 30 years, until the end of Apartheid. |
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| Moses and the Burning Bush (1989) |
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| Wooden Parliamentary Mace, Actually Used in Parliament from 1961 to 1963 |
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| From the Interaction Series; at Cap (1982) This work was interesting because the basic drawing of white Africans at leasure was put up, and individuals added their own thoughts to the work. This work was during Apartheid. |
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| Homage to Madame C.J. Walker (I didn't get the date) This work was interesting because I recognized the image as Madame Walker -- an Indianapolis native and the first African-American millionaire -- from manufacture and sale of hair products for black women. Small world, to find her here in South Africa! The "other end" of this work is the photo below. |
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| Peace Wall (1993) |
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| Therapist (1989) |
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| Butcher Boys (1985-1986) |
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| Integration Programme: Man with TV (1995) The other part of this work is shown below. |
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| Bishop Desmond Tutu (I didn't get the date) |
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| Annie Mavata (1956) |
Cape Town Day Two Addendum
We learned a new way to say "Thank you" in South Africa: "Buy a donkey." We thought our guide might have been kidding us when she told us...but we used it at dinner and received a big smile from our server, who seemed happy that we are "learning the language."
Our guide in Cape Town is an interesting woman with an interesting husband. She has worked in government, both under Apartheid and post-Apartheid, and also in television. She is fluent in seven languages. Her husband has had many occupations: college professor, Anglican priest, Catholic monk, and a few others. (He is now retired.) As a Catholic monk in South Africa, he often allowed a friend who was an anti-Apartheid activist, to hide in the monastery when the police were after her. That friend is now married to Ken Follett (yes...the author), and the families spend time together, as schedules and distance permit.
Our guide in Cape Town is an interesting woman with an interesting husband. She has worked in government, both under Apartheid and post-Apartheid, and also in television. She is fluent in seven languages. Her husband has had many occupations: college professor, Anglican priest, Catholic monk, and a few others. (He is now retired.) As a Catholic monk in South Africa, he often allowed a friend who was an anti-Apartheid activist, to hide in the monastery when the police were after her. That friend is now married to Ken Follett (yes...the author), and the families spend time together, as schedules and distance permit.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Cape Town Day Two
Today consisted primarily of travel down the western coast of the Western Cape to the Cape of Good Hope National Park -- described as the most southwestern part of Africa. (Now...think about that one...it isn't the western-most part of Africa, nor is it the southern-most part of Africa...but somehow has been christened the most southwestern part. Likely by the local Chamber of Commerce.) The weather cooperated wonderfully!
One of our early stops was at Camps Bay, which has a lovely beach and a view of the mountains known as the Twelve Apostles:
The plants and other foliage that we saw on our trip today were pretty incredible...but don't ask me what they were...I only photograph them!
There were some wild critters that we saw along the way:
We stopped for a late morning snack in one of the many small towns we passed through. This is a traditional food that the Malaysian slaves (brought to South Africa by the Dutch) made to eat.
And shortly after that sign, there were about a gazillion non-bashful penguins laying around the coastline on the rocks:
Another sign that we don't see much around our place:
PS - We did look!
The last stop before heading back to the hotel was Table Mountain, which overlooks the city of Cape Town. The hike up the mountain (the top is approximately 3,600 feet above sea level) is grueling, which is why we opted for the cable car. Much easier! The cable cars have a rotating floor, so you get a 360 degree panoramic view as you travel each way.
After freshening up a bit, and indecision as to whether we could even take in any more food today, we opted for another restaurant close to our hotel, Emily's. It bills itself as the premier restaurant for South African cuisine, and has many awards on display to prove it. I would best describe it as a teaching restaurant, as all the people there are in school, and all are learning to do many jobs, including food preparation, service, and business. The young people working there were great, and the food was one of the better meals we've enjoyed here. They get an A+!
One of our early stops was at Camps Bay, which has a lovely beach and a view of the mountains known as the Twelve Apostles:
The plants and other foliage that we saw on our trip today were pretty incredible...but don't ask me what they were...I only photograph them!
There were some wild critters that we saw along the way:
We stopped for a late morning snack in one of the many small towns we passed through. This is a traditional food that the Malaysian slaves (brought to South Africa by the Dutch) made to eat.
And here's the proof that we actually made it to the southwestern-most part of Africa:
Since proper etiquette requires regular eating while on vacation, a late lunch stop at a harbor-side restaurant in Kalk Bay followed. This was the second course, following oysters on the half-shell (eat your heart out Gary and Sarah!).
After lunch, we saw a sign that doesn't appear much around Kentucky or Indiana:
And shortly after that sign, there were about a gazillion non-bashful penguins laying around the coastline on the rocks:
Another sign that we don't see much around our place:
The last stop before heading back to the hotel was Table Mountain, which overlooks the city of Cape Town. The hike up the mountain (the top is approximately 3,600 feet above sea level) is grueling, which is why we opted for the cable car. Much easier! The cable cars have a rotating floor, so you get a 360 degree panoramic view as you travel each way.
When we first arrived at the top, an African choir group was waiting in line to come down, and apparently liked to pass the time singing...why waste a moment! Here's a snippet of their song:
The views from the top of Table Mountain were great, although haze in the air impacted photos from the top. Here's just a piece of Cape Town:
I was amused to note that nobody pays any attention to signage in South Africa either:
Monday, September 27, 2010
Views on the Cape Town Waterfront
Dragon boat in Table Bay
Coke carton "man" and clouds over Table MountainThe Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
First Full Day in Cape Town
Had a great first full day in Cape Town...slept until 10:45 a.m. (When was the last time we did that...ok, it was only 4:45 a.m. back home!) The first challenge was figuring out the shower knobs...turns out that only the cold water knob is used to control the water flow. All the hot water knob does is to control the amount of hot water in the cold water flow, but no water comes out if you just turn the hot water knob. Thus the call to housekeeping to tell them the hot water wasn't working, and the repairman to determine that he had another dumb American family visiting. Another highlight was frying an electricity converter...still don't know why that happened.
The rest of the day went much better. Our guide, Acilia, met us at 1:00 p.m., and showed us a little of the city and several galleries. Still can't get used to driving on the wrong side of the street! The most interesting gallery was the Michael Stevenson Gallery, which featured some really great African emerging artists.
A late lunch was at a small tapas restaurant...really tasty small portions, and a good rest in the day! Dinner was at a great seafood restaurant in a shopping center next to our hotel. The waterfront (including our hotel) is a very active area, with lots of tourists and great views of the harbor and surrounding mountains.
Haven't quite gotten used to the exchange rates...dinner was 925 rands per couple (including tip)...which translates to approximately $130...not too bad for a great meal in a touristy area!
The weather today was typical spring weather back home...high in the mid 60s, mostly sunny. The rest of our stay in Cape Town is supposed to be sunny and a little warmer...although Acilia says it is difficult to predict weather here. (Well duh...isn't it everywhere??)
Interesting observation...there were virtually no blacks on our flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town, and we have not seen as many in Cape Town as in the population of South Africa in general. Our guide said that Cape Town has a small black African population because, during Apartheid, they were not permitted to live here. Also, the tourist activity makes the area look more "white" than it actually is.
One of Chuck's observations is that the South Africans we have met will readily discuss race issues, as opposed to the US, where they are often difficult to broach. I'm guessing that's because of the draconian Apartheid laws that were only elimianted in the 1990s...everyone had to deal with race, which tends to eliminate any angst in discussing race once the laws were eliminated. The problem seems to be that equality here is only under the law, while educational equality effectively blunts that. I am happy to note that we have heard of many educational endeavors for Africans which should help the population to achieve true equality, and that we will be visiting two of these efforts during our stay.
Another observation...there are no parking meters in Cape Town. Our guide said that, because the unemployment rate was high, the meters were taken out, and replaced with live people to collect the parking fees! After seeing these people in operation, I'm wondering how much ends up in city coffers. I'm thinking about retiring here and getting one of these jobs!
Photos to come in a later blog!
The rest of the day went much better. Our guide, Acilia, met us at 1:00 p.m., and showed us a little of the city and several galleries. Still can't get used to driving on the wrong side of the street! The most interesting gallery was the Michael Stevenson Gallery, which featured some really great African emerging artists.
A late lunch was at a small tapas restaurant...really tasty small portions, and a good rest in the day! Dinner was at a great seafood restaurant in a shopping center next to our hotel. The waterfront (including our hotel) is a very active area, with lots of tourists and great views of the harbor and surrounding mountains.
Haven't quite gotten used to the exchange rates...dinner was 925 rands per couple (including tip)...which translates to approximately $130...not too bad for a great meal in a touristy area!
The weather today was typical spring weather back home...high in the mid 60s, mostly sunny. The rest of our stay in Cape Town is supposed to be sunny and a little warmer...although Acilia says it is difficult to predict weather here. (Well duh...isn't it everywhere??)
Interesting observation...there were virtually no blacks on our flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town, and we have not seen as many in Cape Town as in the population of South Africa in general. Our guide said that Cape Town has a small black African population because, during Apartheid, they were not permitted to live here. Also, the tourist activity makes the area look more "white" than it actually is.
One of Chuck's observations is that the South Africans we have met will readily discuss race issues, as opposed to the US, where they are often difficult to broach. I'm guessing that's because of the draconian Apartheid laws that were only elimianted in the 1990s...everyone had to deal with race, which tends to eliminate any angst in discussing race once the laws were eliminated. The problem seems to be that equality here is only under the law, while educational equality effectively blunts that. I am happy to note that we have heard of many educational endeavors for Africans which should help the population to achieve true equality, and that we will be visiting two of these efforts during our stay.
Another observation...there are no parking meters in Cape Town. Our guide said that, because the unemployment rate was high, the meters were taken out, and replaced with live people to collect the parking fees! After seeing these people in operation, I'm wondering how much ends up in city coffers. I'm thinking about retiring here and getting one of these jobs!
Photos to come in a later blog!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Cape Town!!
We arrived slightly ahead of schedule tonight, after more than 24 hours of travel time. Even better, all our luggage arrived with us! We're now checked in to the Victoria and Alfred Hotel on the waterfront, with what appears at night to be a beautiful view. Was a little surprised to see that South Africa drives on the wrong side of the street, but I probably shouldn't have been, considering the British influence here. Time for a little sleep now!
By the way, our flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town was on KLM, and they provided outstanding on-board service and a smooth flight. They deserve a gold star for that flight!
By the way, our flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town was on KLM, and they provided outstanding on-board service and a smooth flight. They deserve a gold star for that flight!
Oops...
We panicked when we got on the plane in Minneapolis and Chuck and Sara weren't there. Turns out that there were two Delta flights to Amsterdam within an hour or so of each other...they were on the earlier one, and also panicked! All's well now...we're together on the flight to Cape Town. Who knew!!??
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Travel our First Day
I just figured out what our cumulative flight distance will be on our first day: Roughly 10,000 miles. Since the circumference of the Earth is 24,901 miles, I guess you could say we're traveling almost half-way around the world for this trip! (Lots of frequent flier miles!!) The trip is a full 24 hours from wheels up to landing. The strange part will be the last leg, from Amsterdam to Cape Town, which is roungly 11 hours, with no change in time zone, but a change in season, from Fall to Spring. I guess that last leg will give us time to recover from jet-lag. Will we need time to recover from season-lag??
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
What can we carry on the airlines in South Africa???
We are noticing that there is some confusion over carry-on baggage limitations on our flights between locations within South Africa...the airline's web site says one thing, their customer service personnel (by phone) another. I guess we'll just go prepared for the worst case scenario! Also, one section of our flight is on British Airways, between Johannesburg and Victoria Falls, and that route is subcontracted to Comair! So we are flying out of Cincinnati to Africa, then taking a Cincinnati-based airline once there. Go figure.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
T Minus 20 Days and Counting
We've had all our shots, bought any needed gear (and likely some that isn't), performed dry runs with our photography equipment, confirmed our reservations, created checklists, etc., etc. Soon we're headed to our adventure in southern Africa, which will include South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. City life and wild life. A lot of interaction with local adults and children. And lots of photographs!
We're going with good friends from Louisville, Chuck and Sarah O'Koon. We managed not to kill each other in our trip to Italy a few years ago, so we thought we'd see if we could accomplish the same on a more demnding trip!
We hope you enjoy our posts. While we will definitely have Internet access in Cape Town at the start of our adventure, I'm not sure of the availability as we get into the rural areas and the game preserves. Only time will tell!
We're going with good friends from Louisville, Chuck and Sarah O'Koon. We managed not to kill each other in our trip to Italy a few years ago, so we thought we'd see if we could accomplish the same on a more demnding trip!
We hope you enjoy our posts. While we will definitely have Internet access in Cape Town at the start of our adventure, I'm not sure of the availability as we get into the rural areas and the game preserves. Only time will tell!
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