Cape Town Day 4

On Friday we drove along the coast of False Bay from our B&B in Fish Hoek to Philippi, a very large township in the Cape Flats area.  We saw a mixture of affordable, middle class starter homes close to the beach.  Further inland there is a sea of small, concrete block houses.  Our guide, Raymond, explained that most families in the area have taken in relatives who build shacks like we saw in Masiphumelele in the tiny back yards. 

Laura posted about the Lutheran mission we visited there, iThemba Labantu, where they do everything from serve food to take care of AIDS patients.  It is a great example of practical, person-to-person ministry where everything, large and small, is done with excellence.  This ministry is very deserving of your support.

In the afternoon we had a chance to meet Keith Vermeulen, who is the director of the South African Council of Churches Parliamentary Office.

Notes:

1. Finally had an opportunity to try some local seafood.  The fish and chips is very good here, as you would expect.

2. Kansas City vs. Cape Town:

Some locals say it's always windy.  Others say the southeaster is unusual for this time of year.  My hat has been blown off my head at least 5 times.  I almost lost it twice.

I need the hat to protect my balding head from the sun.  When they say you need sunscreen here, they aren't just a kiddin'.

3. Our hosts are Peter and Solveig Kjeseth.  Both are Lutherans originally from Minnesota.  Peter is a retired seminary professor of New Testament who at one time was a colleague of Shannon Jung, the Saint Paul professor leading our trip, at Dubuque University seminary.  How did Peter and Solveig come to spend their retirement in Cape Town?  Part of the answer becomes clear in this excerpt featuring them from the book No Easy Victories: African Liberation and American Activists over a Half Century, 1950-2000.  Better hosts we could never hope for, but I wish their WiFi was better.  ;-)

4. Yes, water going down a drain rotates counter-clockwise.  Can I get some video demonstrating it?  I think I would need food coloring or something.  Hmmm ...

5. On Tuesday, our first day here, I noticed the sun near mid-day was to our north.  In all my 45 years of life, I've never seen the sun to my north.

6. I will post separately about the electrical plugs for any of you considering a trip here.  It was challenging as I expected.  Now that I've finally figured it out, it's almost time to leave.  Heh.

7. The drive along the Hout Bay coast road is the most spectacular I've seen anywhere in the world, including Maui, California, Cape Cod, and Puerto Rico.  The Cape Town area is simply beautiful.

8. Several days we have enjoyed the hospitality of Raymond, who I mentioned in a previous post.  If you ever come to Cape Town with a group, get on Raymond's calendar months in advance.  His knowledge of the city is invaluable for a group of first-time visitors.