Cape Town-Day 1

Today's blog is written by Group 1---Brittany and Cara (Lauren is in Amsterdam)


The Marist contingent embarked on day 1 of our journey. Today was about breaking preconceived notions! Our first group meal in Cape Town, South Africa was of Indian food, and the waterfront mimics the South Street Seaport (Manhattan) and WOW!

Upon landing, the ten students from Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York (there were two more but our fellow comrades are stuck in Amsterdam after a lost passport incident) thought Cape Town appeared as if it was like any other small, booming metropolis. The media, history books, and public opinions lead us to believe this developing country were something to be feared. We were expecting dirt roads; extreme poverty as far as the eye can see and total anarchy. What we found was that of a rich cultural tradition, pride, and many of the same luxuries that we all enjoy. Far from the chaos we imagined, an advanced infrastructure society, with historical appreciation and an eye on the future. There is still a huge influence from the Dutch and British culture although this relatively young society has begun to carve out a niche and culture of their own. Thanks to Toni, Magdalene & Shareen (our tour guides) we have seen so much already. Even in our brief time here thus far the progress since the post-Apartheid regime is astounding in how community members truly understand the word “community” and have broken down borders and began uniting. The FIFA world cup is seen in every crevice of the city and it is inspirational to see how excited individuals are! Encourage by the progress and love of the Country, we've noticed that most people were wearing South African colors and they appeared psyched to cheer for their teams in the upcoming games!

We also walked through the Dutch East India Company Gardens which although beautiful, showed the influence of the former monarchies that exploited and ruled this country. After the walk we tour Bo Kaap, which is the Cape Malay community. Each house was painted a different color. This community represents a true community that honors the term 'I am my brothers and sisters keepers." Following the tour of the Cape Malay Quarters we ended our official tour and educational programing with a visit to the District 6 Museum which displays artifacts from the former vibrant area. During apartheid the residents of district 6 were forced to relocate and “separate” because it was a multiracial and ethnic community that worked, that co-existed during a time in which the minority group did not want groups of people who were different to interact, live, work, play, and live productive lives. (To see more from the museum chick here: http://www.districtsix.co.za/ ). While today was the first day of our experience in South Africa we look forward to the rest of the week and what it has to offer. (Pictures to be loaded soon---unfortunately the internet is not working well today).