Cape-Town

Johanna and I had one full day in Cape-Town before heading back to Namibia to meet the truck again. We stayed in a fantastic hostel called "Penthouse on Long" that was right in the center of the city and close to a " city sightseeing" bus stop. We decided to go on the red double-decker hop on hop off bus tour of the city and were surprised by how good it was! We made many stops along the way. Those stops included "District six," a thriving area of Cape-Town that was evacuated under apartheid when the races were separated. Houses were demolished and residents were relocated. The area remains a scar on the landscape as very little rebuild occurred. Vacant lots stretch over a large area, a reminder of the city's unpleasant past.

We also passed the balcony from which, Nelson Mandela addressed South Africans after his release from prison.

Under apartheid law, black south Africans were not really allowed to use colorful paint. Imagine! Such a simple thing to be denied! When the laws changed, in one area of town many of the residents painted their houses brightly...because they could. In comparison to district six, this area seemed a symbol of change and hope for a better future.

Camps bay is one of the nice stretches of beach in Cape-town. In fact many areas had magnificent beaches.... Oh I could live in this city!