One popular attraction in South Africa is Shark diving. The last morning in Cape Town I had a lot of friends that wanted to do this activity. Well, if you know me, you know that I freak out from just snorkeling, so this didn't seem like the most appealing activity to me. Still, I decided to wake up at 5am and go and decide once we got there if I would go. When we got there it turns out they didn't have enough room for all of us to go that morning…great! Here's my out! So, I decided to step back and spend my morning not hanging around in an unstable cage with lots of sharks. Where we had gone that morning is an area called Simon's Town and it is about 45 minutes out of Cape Town. So, Gregg, Michael and I walked into Simon's Town and got some good early breakfast. After breakfast, Gregg decided to retire to his very enticing van and take a nap. So, Michael and I wandered around Simon's Town which turns out to be a very cute little town. We also made our way to Boulder's Beach (the penguin beach I was at on Day 1) for an hour or two. As I've mentioned, I find penguins super cute so I was very pleased to get to see them again. At one point on the beach I was sitting up on a rock and heard a noise behind me. I turned around to see what it was and found a penguin just a few feet behind me soaking up the sun as well.
We met up with the shark diving group as they got back and they showed me pictures or sharks that were much closer than I ever desire to get to them. Truthfully though, they had a great time and I was glad to see it. We spent a little more time walking around Simon's Town where my friend Adolfo purchased shark meat. Obviously, I did not desire to try it, but he told me it was very "fishy" tasting. Then, he joked about bringing it back on the ship to show to our marine biology professor on the ship who is a huge animal activist and would probably sit shiva for that shark. I also got to buy some post-cards and send them out. We left around noon to head back towards the waterfront area of Cape Town (we needed to be back on the ship by 5 which really means 4).
The previous day I had spoken on the phone with our new friend Zahava, who told us to come by her shop the next day and say hello and possibly grab some lunch. When we got there she was super excited to see us. We talked and joked for a while. I typically wear one necklace everyday, but it had broken a few days before that. Well, I noticed that she had the same one, so I asked how much is this one? In true Israeli fashion she answered bishveilech? ("for you")… and she gave me a much un-needed but also much appreciated reduced price. Then, she asked us if we were coming over for Shabbat on Friday. I guess she didn't remember that we told her we were leaving Wednesday because she was so bummed about the fact that we couldn't make it. She told us that she'd told her sons that were also in their twenties and they were so excited to meet us…Obviously you can't befriend a Jewish mother without her trying to set you up with her son…seriously, at one point she told me I could have been her daughter-in-law.
Since we couldn't do Shabbat dinner, Zahava decided to take an earlier than planned lunch break and have lunch with us. Two of her friends joined us. One was also Israeli and had been living in South Africa for 40 years. The other was a Jew from Congo that happened to speak Hebrew. The one from Congo was very interesting and knowledgeable, she explained that the Jews of Cape Town and the synagogue originated from a Greek island called Rhodos…ironically an island that I went to for spring break with some friends during my gap year in Israel. She explained that they went south from there to Congo, and then eventually settled in Cape Town. The Sephardic Jewish community in Cape Town is pretty thriving now, but we learned that they did not even have a rabbi for their synagogue until the early nineties. When it came time to pay for lunch Zahava shooed our money away and called us crazy, this was on her. Zahava really made me feel at home for a couple of hours…I really wished we'd have the time to go to her home and have a nice home-cooked meal, maybe even meet her sons J and spend more time there. But, we took down each other's information and I promised her to contact her the next time I'm in Cape Town…and, although I have no plans in the near future to go back, I certainly have the desire, so you never know!
After an awesome lunch we had only about 30 minutes until we needed to be back on the ship, so we bought some snacks, got ice-cream and sat outside taking in the last of the South African sun we would experience.
South Africa was a place of mixed feelings and emotions. During the optional reflection session that we have after every port, we start by going around and saying our names and one word that sums up our feelings of the port…my word was complex. I chose this word because this place evokes so many conflicting feelings. South Africa has a very troubling past…a past that only become the past less than 20 years ago. While the country has made drastic progress, apartheid is still very much alive in certain places. Racism is so taboo and completely unacceptable at home. I have always been raised to feel this way, so when certain cab drivers just came out and said things like the black people are the problem or the white people are the problem I found myself taken a-back, confused, and unsure of how to proceed. One thing I found among all though, is that they are a proud people with determination to continue this journey to a better country they are currently on. South Africa is a beauuuutiful country that I will definitely be re-visiting one day.
Now that we have officially left the continent of Africa, I must say, this continent is a really amazing one. It may not be as obviously prosperous, or established as the west, but the people are something else. The people I've met and experienced in my time in Africa have been some of the most welcoming and warm people I have ever encountered. And, the thing that I find the most admirable is that in spite of all the problems in their respected countries; they have so much pride in their culture and land. This is something that I think we all need to remember to have more, myself especially. My goal for upcoming countries: when asked where I'm from, say the US with pride and as an American, leave a good impression on the people I meet.
See you in May, Atlantic ocean!
HELLLLLO INDIAN OCEAN!
Steph
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