– From the journal of Sir Francis Drake, on seeing the Cape for the first time, 1580
I left Corsicana at noon on Thursday, May 20, 2010 and checked in at my hotel at 22:15 22 May 2010. From Houston I flew a United flight to D.C., where I changed terminals but did not have to collect my bags. The flight to Johannesburg was really two flights on one plane. I was sitting on a row of four behind a row of three; which placed my legs of the seats in front of me in direct conflict with my own. After 8 hours, we landed in Dakar for an hour, where the equally kind and rotund Senegalese woman to my left was replaced by a young, grinning geologist from Guinea. French was his tongue, but he knew enough English to inform me that he was going to a conference in Joburg. I realized that this would be the extent of our communication when I asked him which team he was supporting in the World Cup since Guinea did not qualify, and he kindly replied that there were three other geologists of the twenty-five at his firm that were on his project. To my right for both legs was a beautiful young woman from Harare, Zimbabwe who was returning home for the first time since August after spending her freshman year studying accounting at Kent State (of all places). There were also a pack of University of Maryland Business-school students beginning a 10-day, 4 credit-hour course in Cape Town. As I heard them hatching their plans for bar-hopping when they landed, I was reassured that the fratbrosphere surrounding business schools is not diminished when exported.
Saasveld lodge is a small hotel on Kloof street, the southern part of Long Street. Long Street is the center of the bar and club scene in Cape Town. For my Memphian readers, it would be equivalent to the apartments on the west side of the Saucer. For my Boston readers, it would be the South End. For my Corsicana readers, it would be the total opposite of everything in any way connected to Corsicana. The staff is very nice. The bed in the room adjoining mine has been replaced with a couch, settee, and coffee table for my stay. In that room last night, I heard 'Boys of Summer' followed by 'Fortunate Son' drift in through the open window and realized that I would be just fine. My windows face West, and I can see the sun set over Signal Hill at around 5PM.
I went and explored the Waterfront development today. The complex is extensive, including restaurants, shopping, and resort hotels. Just a few blocks away from the brand-new stadium, it was clearly designed with the World Cup in mind, but will certainly be a centerpiece for a long time.
I thought I was being wise by leaving my passport in the safety of my room, but it is required for both currency exchange and to purchase a cellular phone. My trip to the mall being a bit of a failure, I went exploring along the beach. The condominiums and hotels along the cape are not overshadowing as they are in Mexico. I assume there are height-restrictions, as I did not see any over ten stories. The conservation aspect of the whole cape development is quite apparent. Signage indicates the use restrictions for the beach in multiple languages. The Stadium itself is incredible. It towers over the developed and natural surroundings, augmenting and centering the area without dwarfing or distracting .
Of all the cities I have been to, it reminds me the most of Lisbon, Portugal. Both cities are developed with the coast and the mountains defining the city. The people are extremely friendly and welcoming of tourists. Also not unlike Lisbon, I did almost get mugged today. I attempted to walk down the reputedly-busy Long Street without realizing that the strip would be dead on a Sunday afternoon. A beggar started following me asking for spare change. I had just overpaid on the street for a magazine, so I did not have any Rands in my pocket to make him leave me alone. Eventually pleas became increasingly less-veiled threats, but it was broad daylight and there were hotel security guards all over the place, so I just sped up and jumped into a Taxi. He began shouting threats after me into the cab, causing the driver and the doormen at the nearby hotels and restaurants to laugh at him. Lesson learned, money retained.
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