Stellenbosch and Other Tales of the Cape

After finally settling in (buying a car freeing us from combis, taxis, and other annoying forms of transportation, beginning my research at Groote Schuur hospital, getting internet, car insurance, and finally doing a load of laundry given that the rain graced us with a day of sunshine- no driers, only clothes lines) we took some time to enjoy the cape.

On Saturday we drove to Stellenbosch for a day of wine tasting. Stellenbosch, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful places in the Cape...I daresay every girl fantasizes about topics unspoken of the minute they set foot on one of the hundreds of estates and wineries. I was adamant about making our first stop at Neethlingshoff, my favorite winery in Stellenbosch. Jeff was eager to begin our satiary adventure and turned off the next road we passed. As fate would have it (or as Jeff would insist, pure chance) we happened to turn into Neethlingshoff. "This is definitely going to be a good day," I thought, but then again when is a day in Stellenbosch ever bad??Our plan was to spend the weekend in Stellenbosch camping out on the foothills, but a day of sunshine was apparently too much to ask, so we were forced to return to Cape Town later that evening due to unforseen thunderstorms.

During out free time outside of my meetings at Groote Schuur, MCATS, and Jeff's neverending application process, we have been exploring the colorful and bustling area known as the city bowl; a dip of buildings and skyscrapers that sits inbetween the lions head, devils peak, and table mountain. One of my personal favorites is Greenmarket Square. Formerly a vegetable market, Greenmarket Square serves as a central melting pot of African crafts and cultures. Surrounded by restaurants and coffee shops, Greenmarket is a perfect location to sip a cappuciano and take in the music of the markets colorful vendors, while picking up a selection of Malachite jewelry for next to nothing before you leave. Below is a young Senegalese boy dancing to the rhythyms of his fathers drum group.
Another favorite of mine is Trafalgar Square, the most impressive flower market I have ever seen boasting a wide selection of Irises, Zinnias, Daisies, pincushions, proteas, daisies, roses, and exotic flowers I have never seen before. For R20 ($3) you can buy more flowers than your house can handle; the flowers are sold in bunches that are equivalent to about 4 in the U.S. The waterfront is another one of our favorites and a hot spot for most Cape Townians on the weekend. The waterfront is always bustling with music, film festivals (Over the past 3 weeks the warerfront has hosted Out in Africa; the South African gay and lesbian film festival as well as the Tricontinental Documentary Film Festival), fishermen, ferries to Robben Island, and deeeelicious prawns!

But when the bustling city bowl has worn you out, nothing feels better than reitiring to the windy peaks of Vredehoek where the sounds of the city just melt away, and the sound of the wind takes over as you doze off to sleep.

The view from our kitchen window

After searching online and visiting a bunch of places in Cape Town, we signed a 6-month lease at our new home. These pictures are taken right from our kitchen, no joke!

A beautiful rainbow following a morning rainstorm.

Soweto and Barragwanath Government Hospital

Today we drove into Soweto, to visit Barragwanath, the largest hospital in Southern Africa. The property was formally used as army barracks so the hospital is spread out as a series of small buildings and huts surrounding the main hospital center. We were invited by Marilyn Bassin, a physical therapist who works with squatter camp children severely affected by cerebral palsy. Many of these children have HIV and live in tin shanties located in the back yards of Soweto houses. Malnourishment is a constant issue and many of these children appear emaciated due to their inability to chew and swallow. Marilyn is a full time volunteer and also takes care of a sangoma village nearby. We sat in on a few of the morning sessions and talked to many of the mothers about the stigmas they deal with raising a disabled child in traditional African communities.

We also had an opportunity to tour the rest of the facility; our first stop was at the Harriet Shezie Clinic for Pediatric HIV. Bara is a microcosm of South Africa in that its infrastructure provides modern medical care for just about every infectious disease plaguing southern Africa today, yet the magnitude of people requiring medical care leaves the facility unable to operate as a hospital that meets global standards. Patients are accomodated in beds, on chairs, and on the floor depending on the severity of the patient's condition. Patients are also required to bring their own linen as the hospital cannot provide bed sheets for such a large number of people. Children in the CP clinic receive one therapy session per month and are not able to acquire a wheelchair or stander. As a result many of these children are severely contorted.

Every cloud, however, has a silver lining and in this time of dire need you find people like Marilyn and her staff raising funds to purchase shona buggies (wheel chairs) and provide free care to the children who need it most.

The Malamulele Project is the second branch of Marilyns work; this project entails holding weeklong intensive therapy sessions for CP kids living in very rural parts of South Africa.
The Landscape: Grandmothers with young babies strapped tight onto their backs carrying CP equipment across rivers to their huts.
(Please see the website: http://www.cpchildren.org/)

We spent the rest of the afternoon touring the Soweto area. Once a dangerous township, Soweto has blossomed into a cultural mecca colored by a growing chain of urban renewal and development while still shaded with the character of an old South Africa. Such a concept is well exemplified by the Soweto Stadium above, which is being built for the 2010 World Cup.

Welcome to our blog!

Hi All!

Welcome to our Blog! After what seemed like an eternal 17 hour flight, we are in Johannesburg, relaxing and getting revved up for our upcoming roadtrip to Cape Town. As I write this blog, Jeff is out with my childhood friend Doron (initial meeting circa 1987) learning how to drive a stick shift. Tonight it will be my turn to bombard Jeffrey with 50+ family members and close friends who will be coming over for dinner; this blog is currently excusing me from my duty as salad maker for tonight.

Please join our blog and check back every few days or so for news and pictures!

Lots of love from the southern tip of Africa!

Gabi and Jeff