Because we didn't have project today, Brian organized for five of us to go on a township town at one of South Africa's largest townships, called Langa. Langa is about 45 minutes from Fish Hoek and not too far from the airport in Cape Town. Some of the other girls said they could see Langa from their planes on the way into Cape Town.
Remi drove us to Langa for a tour that was booked at 2:30pm. On the drive over, Remi gave us a talk about the history of South Africa. When we got to Langa there was a group of locals who were dancing and singing while wearing traditional clothing. They were celebrating Freedom Day before going inside the community centre for a lively prayer service for the upcoming federal elections.
Our tour guide, MC, met us outside the arena where we started the tour. Remi drove us through the township while MC spoke about the history and pointed out notable buildings and areas around the township.
Our first stop on the tour was at a building where local people/artisans make and sell their arts and crafts. There is also a computer lab with internet that was donated by Microsoft. We went to see a person making pottery and another person who frames pictures and mirrors. After we left the centre we drove to MC's house. He said his house is pretty big in comparison to most and it was 6x7meters. MC said when it was at its most full, there were 27 people living in it; 19 kids on the floor with only 17 blankets to go around. MC said the house was built in 1927 and they got electricity in 1938. Ironically, the shack-like house had a flat screen TV with a satellite dish. We were told that not everyone lives in a township because they can't afford to live elsewhere, but because it is part of their culture to live in the family home. MC's family was the original owner of their house and four generations of their family have lived and been born there.
After leaving MC's house, we walked down to a little market and a bunch of kids ran up to us to play and have their picture taken. They just ran up and started posing without even having our cameras out.
MC led us through the hostel area, which is where migrant workers use to stay when they came to South Africa from other countries looking for work. Now these hostels have been turned into family housing. The rooms are nothing more than a cement slab coming out from the wall to be used as a bed and an entire family can be living in there.
We walked over to where they cook sheep heads-- a local delicacy. The heads, once cooked, are called Smilies because skin and muscles all pull back tightly to reveal a somewhat menacing grin, akin to a smile. The smoke from burning the meat was so strong. We were told we could eat the meat but no one offered it to us once we got there. I don't know if I could have actually stomached eating this but it would have been all part of the experience.
After looking at the Smilies we walked to a Shebeen. A Shebeen is like a bar inside a really dirty looking shack. Shebeens were an alternative to a traditional bar during the apartheid because black men we unable to enter bars which were designated for white men only. The men we met all sat around and drank homemade beer out of a communal metal container. Each of the GVI voluneers tried the beer and it tasted to me like beer, milk and metal with a terribly strong aftertaste.
When we left the Shebeen we got back in the van and drove through the richest part and then the poorest part of the township. We stopped to visit a traditional healer. This man was actually a witch doctor. The witch doctor put a racoon fur on his head while giving his talk about the different remedies he used. There were animal furs, flies and liquid potions all over the very small shack, creating a rather...unique...aroma. When we left the witch doctor, we drove around the township a little more and dropped MC off near the primary school by his home.
Remi drove us back to Kinrae via a different route we'd taken to Langa that morning but the same route Mary had taken Iris and I along to get to our house from the airport. There were fewer surfers at Muizenberg this time around but because it's nicknamed Surfer's Paradise, it's no wonder there were still some diehards out.
When we got back to the house we ate dinner and had our first social night. We played a variety of games including pictionary, name that tune and a riddle competition. We were on teams and I played with Jane, Shelly and Kate on the winning team. Everyone celebrated with ice cream and we watched a movie to end a great and very busy day.
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