AH, SOUTH AFRICA.

March 16, 2023 Holly Cohen

Off

I have been in Cape Town, South Africa for more then two weeks or so and boy time is flying by. There is so much to do here and so much to see, that you can stay here for months and not pack it all in. We are spending our time in Cape Town with a great group of “digital nomads.” It is a mature, intelligent and inclusive group and we all get along so well. What a breath of fresh air!

A bunch of us went to an African Drum Circle in the park and it was fabulous! An old African drummer taught us all how to play the drums that they supplied to each of us. They also taught us to sing a traditional song in Xhosa, a native tribal language spoken by most of the indigenous population of Cape Town, with the drumming. I’m sure the locals found us to be a sight to behold! But what made it so much fun and delightful, was the fact that there were all these elementary school age children, hundreds of them from various schools, in the park on a school outing and they all gathered around when they heard our drumming and singing. They got so into it, they sang, danced and were having so much fun. They made the experience magical.

Did you know that there are Penguins in South Africa? Well there are. Three different kinds live on the coastline from Cape Town to the Cape of Good Hope. You can get real close to these guys, sometime too close, because even though they cannot bite, they can use the hook in their beak to grab at you. There were many nesting penguins and chicks on the ground, on rocks and in the water. It was a sight to see.

We took a tour of another Township called Khayelitsha where we met up with a local entrepreneur who partners with a winery to have wine made to his specifications and labeled under the Townships name. We had a wine tasting of his wines in an area much like a garage. The wine was good, but his enthusiasm was what sold the wine. This township is extremely poor, but all of the inhabitants were cool with us being in their hood. We then went to one of their local BBQ places to eat Braai, which was served with pap and chakalaka. Not bad. Then off to their daily block party. We went to the neighborhood clubs in the Township, drank, some partook of the Hookah and listened to their various DJ’s. We were all welcomed and accepted. This is what makes South Africa great! The willingness to accept all people without question.