Port Elizabeth

During Wednesday night we reached the southernmost point of our trip while rounding the Cape of Good Hope.  This was at a latitude of about 35^o south, comparable to the latitude of Wilmington, North Carolina in the northern hemisphere.  Incidentally, the Cape of Good Hope landmark at the end of the Cape Peninsula is not the southernmost part of Africa.  L’Aquihas 90 miles to the east and just a bit further south holds that honor. 

Geography quiz:  Where do the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Oceans intersect

Thursday (February 11) we awoke to some gentle movement as the ship cruised slightly north of east about twenty-five miles of the South African coast.  Morning clouds burned off and by noon the temperature was in the mid-seventies, returning to cloudy and foggy by sunset.

Friday, (February 12), we arrived in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.  We were docked by 8:00 AM.

Many of our fellow passengers were off to one of several game preserves hoping to view the wildlife Pam & I were fortunate to see in abundance during our last visit to South Africa.

We opted for a tour of Port Elizabeth and some of its surrounding townships.  Departing the ship, our bus drove through downtown Port Elizabeth.  [Click on link for facts about the city.]

As we traveled through its neighboring townships, we saw vast differences in the residential areas, such as poor, undeveloped Missionvale and middle-class Kwadwesi. We had a photo stop at a viewpoint in Kwa Magxaki before proceeding on through several other townships. 

 

Cricket anyone?

First generation "Mandela Home"

The areas of open land or natural boundaries between townships was the apartheid version of urban planning.  These spaces were a no-man’s land to keep racial groups segregated; blacks-from-colored, colored-from-mixed, mixed-from-white and so on.

Stopping in Rhamaphosa Village, a squatter camp, we visited a small Arts and Crafts Center.  It was a one room tin shack with no electricity for artificial lighting and only the light from the doorway and some grungy windows for natural lighting.  The camp is not eligible for any public utilities or other government-funded improvements because it is built on a dump. 

Do you know what you get if you order a “Smiley” from one of the outdoor vendors cooking over an open fire?  Meat from the head of a cow.  It is called a “Smiley” because the head is cooked whole in the fire.  As the heat tightens the skin the lips are drawn back revealing the cow’s teeth forming a macabre smile.  Let’s see how long it takes you to forget that mental image. 

Our last stop was a grade school.  In addition to looking into some classrooms and admiring their new library, made by welding two shipping containers together, we had some refreshment and entertainment.  The children were not required to wear uniforms today as a special treat.

Both the vocal group and percussion group were quite good.  What a surprise, they had CD’s of their music for sale.

From the school we returned to the ship where we had lunch and waited for the ship to head out to sea on route to East London.

These taxis are seen everywhere and the single biggest means of transportation.

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Internet speed is currently terrible, perhaps because of reduced satellite coverage at this southern latitude.  Whatever the reason, it is impacting my ability to write, edit and add pictures to posts.  Bear with me.