Cape Town, Early April 2014, some weekday evening.
Okay. 80 minutes of music – Act 1 of Bellini’s La Sonnambula, as sung by a young Joan Sutherland- plenty of listening fuel for a nice, long run. Get loose, get loose, shake it up, yeah, shake it up.
Let’s lock the gate, make sure it’s locked – its locked. Should I hide the key again? Let’s not tempt fate… someone might see me. I’ll take it along. Okay. Let’s hit the road!
One week in early April, as the warmth of summer in Cape Town began to drift away and the rainy, cloudy days of autumn began to appear with more frequency, the UConn in Cape Town students headed north to Gauteng Province for an excursion to the heart of South Africa.
This week long trip would take us out of the Cape Town milieu for the first time and thrust us knee-deep into South Africa’s bustling capital, home to so much history and cultural vibrancy. Reflecting upon this excursion, I remember how it challenged my understanding of modern South African society, which had been formed exclusively through my experiences in and around Cape Town, a city that I would come to learn did not begin to represent the whole of South Africa at all. In such a large, varied, and complex country, this should not have been a surprise.
As I sit here in my room at UConn, I am almost entirely preoccupied with present concerns: trying to rearrange my class schedule for my last semester of college, facing down an overwhelming workload for my two jobs, putting in the face time to build connections with all 31 of my new residents (most of them 1st year students), reuniting with old friends, trying to train for a half marathon, and contemplating my post college game plan. I’m stressed and fried already and it’s only the first day of classes! Right now I’m task oriented, I’m stretched across multiple demanding occupations, I have Chrome, Firefox, Finder, iCal, Spotify, Wunderlist and Word open on my laptop and I keep forgetting what I’m supposed to be working on. I’m hot and my body is shaking for some reason- it’s likely I’m dehydrated.
This morning was a little wet and rainy, and the house was very quiet when I woke up and took my laptop into the front room to check my email. It was then that I saw an email from the San Francisco Department of Public Health, unfortunately updating me that I had not been selected to progress further in the interview process for the Summer HIV/AIDS Research Program. I was crestfallen and a little surprised, and just sat there and breathed for a while. I knew I was shooting high with this opportunity, but after my first interview I came away feeling pretty good. After processing this for a few minutes, I realized it meant my indecision/uncertainty about the summer was ended: I was going to stay in South Africa.
What a weekend this was. On Friday morning, I had signed up to do a 5k run with Melanie, Katrina, and Savannah out near Tygerberg, in Cape Town’s northern suburbs. Mel and Katrina were running a half marathon, so in order for them to be there on time we got up around 5:00am to take a taxi out there. Given the planned physical exertion of the day, I should have probably made wiser decisions the previous night. Here’s that story.
Hey folks! As some may know, I have decided to extend my stay in South Africa through the month of July. My UConn program ends on April 27th, and on Monday April 28th I will be leaving Cape Town to begin backpacking around SA (and possibly to an adjacent country). I anticipate returning to Cape Town for the months of June and July, though that is certainly open to change.
Will I have a great time? Absolutely. Will I be safe? Yes. Do I understand that my family members may have reason to worry? Also yes. In order to somewhat quell your worries, I will attempt to provide consistent updates on twitter, though internet access is not always reliable or accessible. I will be communicating regularly with family members as well. When I return to Cape Town communication will no longer be a challenge.
I will be leaving Cape Town on Monday, April 28th, heading out along the Garden Route. I will be staying at backpackers (hostels) along the way, and using the Baz Bus for transportation.
My travels will take me from Cape Town along the Garden Route to the Tsitsikamma National Park. There I will hike the 5-day Otter Trail from May 3rd to 7th. I will then continue to Port Elizabeth, and then through the Eastern Cape up to Durban.
From Durban, I may travel to the Drakensberg Mountains for another multi-day hike, and then continue on to Johannesburg or elsewhere in the country. Mozambique remains an option, though the logistics (and language barrier) pose difficulties.
I’m excited for this next month, and also a little intimidated. Mostly because I’m just scrambling to get my life together before I embark in… less than 48 hours. Best wishes from South Africa, y’all!
Safety is complex topic here. I believe that as a person in Cape Town, I experience safety in different shades, in different places, at different times, in different ways. There are an infinite number of ways to be exposed to danger or risk in Cape Town: by walking down the street, by climbing Lion’s Head, by taking the train, or by eating a sandwich. I will share my impressions about safety as it relates to a recent experience.
What David Does 