Cape Town Mission Field 

24 March 2018
Day 105
Saturday


Today we got up early and headed for the Tram at Table Mountain. It was overcast but the top of the mountain looked clear so we took a chance. There was hardly any people compared to other times we made the attempt. There really was little to no queue (line). We took a guided walk then continued on the upper trail over to the Plattekloof gap (where people hike up the trail to the top bypassing the tram). There's a Gap Challenge where people go up the gap take the tram down then repeat the process in a 12 time limit. The record is 17 runs. We then headed back to the tram while walking through the mist as a cloud rolled in. So we timed the morning just right.

We then met Andile (our trail guide we met several weeks ago) and he took us on a township tour. We drove through Nyanga (the Moon), which is across the freeway from Langa (the Sun) which was the first township settlement after the blacks were bull-dozed out of District 6 in downtown Cape Town. Then followed Nyanga. After these two townships were overgrown then Khaylitsha (new Home) was built up. Andile took us to an eating place next to the taxi terminal. We had samp with veg and freshly cooked chicken (fresh as in they butchered it that morning). These building are steel sheds with most of the "homes" in the area are made from corrugated metal. There's no running water. Along the sides of the roads there are vendors selling popular items like grilled chicken gizzards and chicken feet. A popular item we saw was a couple of shopping carts full of sheep heads that have had all the wool burned off their heads in an outdoor fire. The people then boil the head and eat off what meat there is. They are called "smileys" because the tendon's pull the face back into a "smile" as it is being cooked. We skipped that delicacy this time around. 
Andile then took us through Samora, a township where he grew up with an aunt and uncle. We drove by the High School he attended. We then ran into one of Andile's former students so we stopped and talked with him for awhile. Sister Courtright gave him a Book of Mormon and encouraged him to continue with his education. 
Andile then took us to his home where we met his wife, Alice, and 3 year old daughter Axie. They are wonderful people and Andile is working hard to make a difference in the school system for those struggling in the townships where he grew up.

The Twelve Apostles looking south towards the Cape of Good Hope
Upper Cable Car Station, Lion's Head, Cape Town, and Robin Island (Nelson Mandela's prison)
Devil's Peak in the distance (exactly 1000 meters high)

Some friends that joined us for lunch
The trail coming up the gap
Overlooking the gap
Panorama
Nyanga Cafe
Samora Township




Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 25, 2018 at 12:28 PM

    Fabulous pictures of all the scenery and vistas from the top of Table Mountain. I loved the panoramic one. I sure hope you are saving these pictures. I hope you can get a guide book to the birds that are there. So you can learn which ones they are.

    ReplyDelete

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