The Cape of Good Hope
A year ago, I had the fortune of spending a month in Cape Town, South Africa. Before you think I’m independently wealthy and can afford to spend a month in Cape Town, let me and Sallie Mae assure you I am not. For some Americans, Africa conjures up images of big game safaris, violence and genocide, or famine and poverty. While some consider Africa a homogeneous “country,” Africa is an extraordinarily diverse continent. It is also a continent of diverse cuisines and flavors. And good wine.
For tourists and visitors, it is easy to romanticize Cape Town or focus in on one aspect of the city. On one hand, it can feel like a small European coastal town with perfect weather and lovely weather. On the other hand, Cape Town’s extreme (I mean e-x-t-r-e-m-e) economic and social gap between the have and the have-nots is a constant reminder of South Africa’s tumultuous racial history.
It is a city of contradictions and juxtaposition, and it is nearly impossible to ignore its inherent beauty.
Cape Town is home to District 6, once a thriving Black South African community and now desolate tract of land when the Black South Africans were forcibly displaced in the early part of the 20th century, and to Robbins Island, where Nelson Mandela spent decades in prison.
There are also many townships, typically underdeveloped areas on the outskirts of towns and cities reserved for working-class non-Whites. While some of these townships have homes with clay walls, many are made with corrugated cardboard and recycled tin.
Extreme poverty is a reality for the majority of people in Cape Town. However, for others, it is a place to enjoy pristine beaches and its increasingly famous wine country. One day during my time here, I went with a few friends, both South Africans and Americans, on a road trip to several of these vineyards outside of Cape Town through the wine countries of Stellenbosch and Franshhoek.
A favorite was Boschendal, one of the oldest and most famous wine estates in Cape Town. Stately trees lined the understated estate and luscious groves danced in harmony with the absolutely perfect weather.
I had called ahead to reserve a picnic basket for lunch before the actual wine tasting. Under a canopy of bended trees, a picnic basket waited for us. The basket was filled with freshly-baked breads with delicate crusts, homemade fruit spreads, prosciutto, fresh goat-cheeses, light chicken salad, rich chocolate desserts….
Afterwards, we went for the tasting; its wine list was endless and all made and bottled from their vineyards. I wish I could speak more to the taste and flavor of wines; alas, I am no expert. Based on my friends’ reactions, however, it is clear that South African wines deserve far more attention that they currently receive.
Another favorite was visiting a Moi Estate. This was less a traditionally pure vineyard, as it also was a gorgously designed restaurant-outdoor club place. Along with its own wines, I found my favorite couch in the world – tucked underneath a most awesomely beautiful, gigantic happy tree.
As I sat underneath the tree, I realized how easy it seemed to ignore reality outside the gates of the estate. On the way back from the vineyards (full of wine and good food), we stopped for coffee and tea at one of many stands set up along the side of the road. As I paid for my tea, which was priced less than one-tenth of what a glass of wine cost, I was reminded how fortunate we were to be able to experience the vineyards.
A twinge of guilt–did we just spoil ourselves with a day of wine and food while others were just looking for someone to buy a cup of coffee or a biscuit to make it through another day? Why me and not them? Why them and not me? Are we not one and the same?
As we continued back to Cape Town, we talked and talked…what is our role and our personal responsibilty in making the world a more perfect place, where people are not separated by the gates of a vineyard. As we drove by the ever-changing, but ever-beautiful, landscape with perfect weather, beautiful friends, and dynamic conversation, each of us felt the hope that these questions would not always be questions. Even Bob Marley blared from the CD player, “don’t worry, ‘bout a thing, cuz everything little thing gonna be alright…”
Category: Africa, Featured Articles: Food Politics, Food Politics, Travel & Culture
Belinda, thank you! I feel that with each of your entries, I am traveling along side you. I feel as though I am there. Eating with you, drinking wine with you, sharing these experiences. If there is quiet, I can close my eyes and feel the sun and taste the food. As a stay-at-home mother of two, I immensely enjoy living vicariously through your travels. Bless you and thank you for your contributions to Zomppa.
Belinda:
My eyes and ears of the world
I was one of the women that shared this spectacular adventure with B. Her description of the vineyards are on point. I will never forget that day as long as I live. Maybe it was the country itself, maybe it was the vineyard, maybe it was Moi. Whatever it was, the memory of driving down winding roads with Bob Marley blasting in the background and people of all different nationalities haveing a dialogue that was all too familiar…”what can we do about the poverty that exists in the world.”
keep on being my eyes and ears B. People like yourself are greatly appreciated.
Love you always,
sheron
Thank you both for your wonderful, thoughtful comments. We are so grateful for your readership – it gives us joy to share!