Sunset over the Mountain Tonight

The sunset was breathtaking tonight.

Umqombothi: "This is Our Amstel!"

Last week, I arranged for Erik, Jana, and I to visit Nyanga Township. I had gone there for a braai at the beginning of the semester and have since been volunteering somewhere else. A friend of mine, Andrew, works for our landlord and was kind enough to show us around a bit more. While I've already posted many of the pictures with my slideshow, I wanted to recount one of the more interesting moments of the day.

We had just gotten off the interstate, and were driving right into Nyanga. More specifically, I was driving into Nyanga, on my newfound right side of the car and left side of the road! I had Andrew on the phone, and was looking for him while entering an area I certainly didn't know my way around. I suddenly saw him, darted to the side of the road, and he got in.

We did introductions, and the day had begun. "Our first stop will be one of the hostels in the area," he said. We went a few blocks and stopped in front of what looked like a chicken coop (to my untrained eye?). We went in, and were met with about 15 mostly older men sitting around on benches talking. Feeling quite white and out of place, we began by just standing and looking around. They quickly offered their seats, which was really nice, and they insisted.

One man introduced himself as Bishop. With a laugh, he carefully made sure that I didn't think he was the Archbishop Desmond Tutu. I think I had that much figured. Anyway, a woman that had a thick sun cream of some sort all over her face was running the hostel, and had homemade beer for us to try.

Here we go...

It is called Umqombothi. Be careful to pronounce the "q" as a tongue drop click. It is brewed from maize and sorghum, and while a little chunky from the ingredients, was actually sort of good. However, all three of us were really unnerved about drinking out of what looked like a used paint can with styrofoam on top, as it was passed around the circle. Actually, I think we were all a bit freaked out when we saw it. Jana really didn't want to, but smiled and participated. My favorite part was when someone shouted to us, "This is our Amstel!" Andrew also explained that it is used in Xhosa ceremonies, rituals, and if someone were to contact the ancestors.

Down the hatch.

Andrew demonstrates.

Outside the hostel.

It was a good experience though. Also, there is a song that was made many years ago with the same name, since it is about the beer. Here is the YouTube video... it's hilarious, seriously. It will also help you learn to say Umqombothi.


Bonus: Here is the Wikipedia entry on how to make it, if you're interested. After reading, I didn't like seeing the bad health effects that may be associated with it.

Cape Town Marks Earth Hour 2009

I just got back from the Earth Hour ceremony and concert downtown in Cape Town. It was held at the V&A Waterfront, and one of the big parts of the evening was when the mayor shut down the large flood lights that illuminate Table Mountain. They also had the philharmonic orchestra, who performed a concern during the "dark" hour.

First, let me just say that Cape Town, in general, is quite spoiled. Many cities struggle to find ways of spicing up their events, or making them picturesque. This comes quite naturally here, since all you need to do is plan the event... the rest is already there. Looking to your left is the large harbor, and situated right behind the concert venue was the towering Table Mountain. Everything here is strikingly beautiful, so they didn't have to try very hard...

Picturesque Table Mountain Backdrop.  No big.

Later in the night, candles and cars.
Click to enlarge.

They also brought in a children's choir who, during the candlelight ceremony, sang "We Are The World" by USA for Africa. You may remember the song from the 80s, with Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, etc. I really love that song, so while it may not have fit perfectly, it was a great touch. They followed that up with South Africa's national anthem, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika. It was really neat.

On the topic of turning off lights, it was a bit awkward that the market or whatever, situated right behind the amphitheater did not turn theirs off. Ahemm... you are behind a prominent Earth Hour concert... turn off your lights. As for the downtown area, I saw that the large ABSA building turned their lights off (Bravo!), yet the FNB and LG buildings did not (awkward). Generally, there didn't appear to be overwhelming support in Cape Town, but my view was limited.  All in all, the event lasted several hours and had great music and some good speakers.

Here are a few more photos:

They had a stationary bikes for creating power. Apparently the whole concert was powered by solar energy and what was produced by the bicyclists! Neato, although I'm not sure where they were storing it.

The had the World Wildlife Fund pandas.  I thought of the YouTube video where the panda sneezes.

The lights on Table Mountain that would be turned off.

Drumming!

Lastly, Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille gives her speech. She's also a candidate for provincial premier in next months elections. (Things look good.)

I hope you observe it in the US from 8:30-9:30pm local time.

A Week With Family!

As you know, I spent last week with my older brother Erik and his wife Jana. It felt like we had a packed week of doing things, but we also took it easy. They were on the last leg of a Spring Break through Europe as well, and all three of us felt sick at some point of the week. It retrospect, we visited lots of restaurants, but they were all delicious and varied.

For a change of pace, I made a video slideshow to show what we did over this week of relaxation. Make sure you watch it in HD, since the photos will be much better. I also love the song!

Click here to watch in HD!
For those desiring the back story on the photos, here's a list of things we did:

• Started out at the V&A Waterfront with sightseeing and seafood.
• A tour of my house and neighborhood, Observatory, as well as a stop at a nearby restaurant. This was followed by pool at a local bar (the billiard balls are much smaller here, like Snooker balls).
• Dinner at Mama Africa! It is a popular restaurant on Long Street, downtown, featuring African cuisine and game. Our dishes included crocodile, ostrich, Springbok, and chicken curry. This was followed by hanging out with the live Marimba band.
• A visit to the Stellenbosch vineyards. We went back to some of the wine farms that I toured and posted about. We had an intimate tasting with the actual winemaker of Hoopenburg Wines. After a day of visiting, we had a Cuban dinner and walked around in the town of Stellenbosch.
• Cape Point. Erik and Jana went to the Cape of Good Hope while I was in class one day. They saw the baboons... fighting, being monkeys, doing how they do.
• Fork Restaurant. This was another unique restaurant, that served only small Tapas dishes. Some of the best food I've had since arriving though (and most expensive, unfortunately). We had fried goats cheese, kudu, prawns, ostrich fillet on spiced potatoes, fondue, yellow tail, among other things. Yumm! (Great mojitos, too)
• Surfing at Muizenberg. As I mentioned on Twitter, we were hoping for good weather and waves. Amazingly, both were delivered, and Erik and I hit some waves while Jana lived in the sun.
• Took the train to Kalk Bay. It is a unique ocean-side town further down the coast, with a beautiful view and a fishing industry. We had fish and chips at Kalkies, and then saw all the fresh fish laid out by some of the local fisherman. A very drunk guy, claiming to be the skipper of a boat) had large seals hanging out, while he threw them chunks of bloody fish and told them to do things for the tourists. I had no idea that seals here spoke Afrikaans. At Kalkies, I got the prawns... they were too graphic for me, all the pieces and body parts and such.
• Another night of dinner and Long Street. This time we enjoyed a large sushi dinner before meandering over to Long Street for another night at Mama Africa. The marimba band was so good before, we decided to just hang out at the bar and enjoy the music. Things got a little out of control when I had a few drinks and was invited up with the band to play. I was fearless at the time, and also thought I had the best rhythm in the world. Honestly, in my head, I thought I was on fire. After seeing the video, not so much. I would later be asked out by two prostitutes, and not knowing their profession and thinking they just wanted to party, started talking to them until Erik took me away. Too many cocktails. "They were just being nice!"
  
• Beach Bums! We spent a few hours the next day at Clifton Beach, one of the most beautiful and popping beaches in the area. It was gorgeous, except for the few leathery-skinned, old, bronze men that were sitting out naked with their damaged, bleached hair. Eeek, go inside and let your skin heal! I wanted to buy them aloe vera and a fire blanket.
  
• Addis in Cape. This traditional Ethiopian restaurant is similar to Buraka in Madison, but a bit more beefed up (as you could expect in Africa). We got a fixed menu, three course meal, trying lots of different entrees and a few appetizers. Dessert followed, with a coffee ceremony where they burned Frankincense.
• Hemisphere. We got dressed up and visited Hemisphere, a posh club on the 31st floor of the ABSA building, which towers over the center of downtown Cape Town. It was a bit odd, but a fun experience. I'm not sure how the strict "dress code" exempted the overweight lady in the red "Jeep" t-shirt with Crocs on. She must have been super-VIP.
  
• The township tour. You can't very well visit Cape Town without visiting a township to see the other side of life here. My friend Andrew brought us through Nyanga for a few hours, which was really nice. I might post more about it later. Highlights included visiting a huge braai, a community gardening project, drinking homemade beer, seeing a bed and breakfast, and lunch at Andrew's.

Enjoy the video!

Addis in Cape Ethiopian restaurant.

The Cost of Studying Abroad

You are asked constantly, "How did you find yourself here?" A standard response is generated, linked to disjointed thoughts of "I like Africa", "I wanted to go somewhere exciting", "South Africa doesn't imprison gay people", "I wanted to learn about the post-apartheid society."

But, I ask myself, what's the real sequence of events under which I find myself, on March 23rd, in Cape Town? It seems distant, the planning, and almost automated and laced with expectation. Yet being here is more than just choosing a destination, applying, and completing a checklist of plane tickets, visas, fees, and registration. Rather, it is a conscious decision to uproot yourself and go seeking discomfort and transformation.

A mentor of mine once told me, in high school, that it is far easier to live with pain that you're used to than to go through the agony of fixing things. That people will continue on with problems, addictions, and dysfunctional patterns that evoke a familiar, dull pain before seeking out and throwing themselves into change, which can be much harder to deal with.

It is insane really, and so very true. In regard to studying abroad, it must be similar. I knew what I was choosing, but why do people? I've read countless stories of how students feel uprooted, and unable to find "home" once they go abroad. They feel culture shock once arriving, they struggle to belong and understand, only to eventually get things and after finally feeling adjusted and comfortable, they are ripped back home to do it all over again. The books even say that most people find reverse culture shock, or the return back home, more difficult to deal with than the initial adjustment abroad. Relationships have changed, home has changed, and more importantly you've changed. What if I like who I am? Even more, once they are home, many people start planning their expensive returns to the foreign country, or get that unsettled traveler's itch where they must continue seeking new places and new cultures. And I knew I was in for this. So why do people choose to leave the comfortable and opt into this cycle?

Well, I have some ideas on that. For me, at least, I needed to.. There is this small voice, hints everywhere, that there is more out there. I felt uninformed about the world by sitting in one country, by knowing only my current realities. Yet that doesn't make it easier, and it certainly isn't a reason for most people to go, and there is nothing wrong with that. It is perfectly fine to live your life, in your setting. There are costs to both, I suppose.

In January, I remember laying in bed at night thinking that I had just one or two weeks left before departure, and that this could be the last week that I had my wonderful boyfriend and my TLC manager job. Two of the things that I cared about the very most, the two things that practically define me, would very likely not be waiting for me upon return because of circumstance. Who chooses that? Matt just held me as I fell asleep crying, neither of us having the words for each other or ourselves. "People do this and it is worth it" was the best mantra.

That's just leaving. The abroad experience itself is a time of enormous transformation. I'm walking around the city with my eyes open all the time, being challenged and being affirmed, learning and growing. At times I'm adventurous and running around with my camera and my mental notebook, seeking out new things and planning new escapades. "I should blog about this, they would be amused." Other times I go to my bedroom, listening to music for who cares how long to find my bearings again, and to remind myself where I fit in this big new story and setting. Once comfortable and rooted, I can walk back out the front door with some degree of confidence. Ready to re-confront the ever-present contrast between squalor and luxury that is Cape Town.

I know that I've already fallen victim to the textbook stages of culture shock, and will continue to, and I'm fine with that. Read any student's blog, and you'll identify the stages of euphoria and honeymoon, annoyance, and adjustment. There is nothing wrong with that, who doesn't? And I know perfectly well, also, that I'll be very excited in the weeks leading up to leaving. I'll be excited to go home, to see friends and reconnect, then sad and hurt that I'm leaving. I'll be thrilled to see everyone, and probably soon complain about how I miss Cape Town, that I need to go back and feel "at home." I'll be missing my South Africanisms, everyone will drive on the wrong side of the road again, and all that jazz. It comes with the territory, I suppose, and anticipating it probably won't make it easier.

I remember receiving the itemized cost sheet for the program, eyeing it up and down, "This is doable." The real cost, though, includes feeling isolated and alienated at times, with mismatched expectations and an utterly broken relationship. It includes missing a full semester of friends and family, and having limited luck negotiating time zones, voice mail, and messages that don't get responded to for whatever reason. Feeling so distant from even the closest of friends. It includes expensive internet, sleepless nights, weird dreams, dirty bathrooms, being sick, diarrhea, losing jobs, and cell phone bills that keep going because AT&T is the antichrist. It includes losing debit cards, fighting with UW Credit Union because my replacement still doesn't work almost two months later, and the constant discomfort at how much money you're spending. It includes missing a full, important semester of WASB and all the rewards of friends and events that go hand-in-hand. Missed opportunities because University Housing doesn't value or accommodate employees abroad. It includes questioning how you view the world, how true knowledge and fact can be, and constant vigilance for your personal safety.

And, of course, there are rewards. One invaluable reward is knowing that Africa is not as dark, scary, or distant as so many believe. Others include beautiful scenery, new friends, and enough stories for 20 years without repeating. Scuba certification, vacations at Mozambique, neato photos of mountains on fire, and finding more than just shacks and disease in townships, but also friendships, people, hope and benevolence. Certainly there are countless others, which will show themselves at unexpected times, and will pop up in my blog over the next few months.

Yet so it is... the cost of studying abroad must surely be greater than a $12,000 student loan. Is it worth it? There's no doubt in my mind, I get that. I'm loving my time here, and I'm acutely aware of the incredible opportunities before me, and the amazing experiences I'm having. Yet it is more complicated than a simple yes, and it bears mention.

Beaches are a plus, too.

Black Simpsons

I found this somewhere near Green Point, I think on Regent Street.

At first, it struck me as racist, in an American context. After some curious researching, I found that the design is also a popular, sold out t-shirt in South Africa. And I also found some online discussion of the t-shirt, where South Africans chimed in and gave many reasons why it is not, but rather a celebration of S. African culture.

Either way, I like it.

Remnants of the Struggle on Human Rights Day

In South Africa today, it is Human Rights Day. The below picture was taken right off Main Road by Groote Schuur Hospital, a remnant of the struggle to end Apartheid here.

Since so many human rights abuses took place during Apartheid, this holiday is meant to "ensure that the people of South Africa are aware of their human rights and to ensure that such abuses never occur again." It also commemorates a large protest at Sharpeville in 1960, where 69 people were killed by the police while protesting the government mandated pass books. The event also lead to the banning of black political organizations.

Indeed, South Africa has come a long way in that regard. But it isn't enough! Despite their very inclusive constitution, it does little to protect people in most of the country's areas. From my time here, I know that South Africa has way more to do more for women's rights and gay and lesbian rights.

It is interesting to think that class plays such a strong role in 'insulating' LGBT people from homophobic discrimination, but it is certainly true here. There is same-sex marriage, anti-discrimination laws, and a vibrant gay scene in Cape Town (or so I hear). Despite this, it is still taboo to be gay in the townships, so much so that lesbians are being brutally gang raped by men to "correct them." One advocacy group reports they see 10 new cases per week in Cape Town alone. There have been 31 reported cases of murdered lesbians since 1998, and without hate crimes distinctions in this country or an aggressive judicial system, only one conviction has been made. See this article.

Last April, South Africa's only out lesbian football player, Eudy Simelane, was gang raped by five men and stabbed in the face, chest, and legs 25 times.... left to die in a creek. As a gay man, that type of hate makes me sick to my stomach. There is so much that needs to be done here. That's not even mentioning how far they have to go in the rights of women and gender relations.

Happy Human Rights Day.

Cape Town News

This is how the news outlets reach out to Cape Town, and I suppose partly how the city gets its news (or at least headlines):

I chose that headline, because a lot of the time they are very funny to me. Maybe it is the odd juxtaposition of a frivolous article with the in-your-face advertising techniques of the Cape Times and the Cape Argus, but they can be amusing.

Two of my favorites were "CORPSE FLOWN TO WRONG FUNERAL" (I laughed forever) and "RIHANNA: I WAS BEATEN" (not that the concept is funny, but it is so matter of fact). Of course, they have headlines about the upcoming election, party politics, and city news, too... but I focus on the amusing in the morning. They are very regular about putting them up though, at like 3am everyday, and on every other street pole (different headlines), all the way down both sides of Main Road.

Since I'm a news fiend, I get furious when I read about a big headline on the street pole before I notice it on Google News or some other online news source (it makes me feel like they've won). I was so upset when I read that Obama set a withdrawal date from Iraq on Main Road.

They were a bit late to the punch on this one, though. I left them in the dust:

Today, Erik, Jana, and I are hoping to go back to Muizenberg Beach to surf. Hoping for good conditions! It has warmed up to the upper 70's today, and will again be in the lower 80's the next two days. I also hope it lasts!

Devil's Peak Is Still Burning. And UCT Fails!

An update on the Devil's Peak Fire

We awoke this morning with the mountain still on fire. With much less wind, though, and no darkness to show the glow of fire... Devil's Peak looked more like a smokey fire pit than a majestic mountain. I again climbed onto the roof, and got a photo to share.

From our Observatory roof this morning.

With light this morning, however, we heard the familiar hum of several helicopters circling around the mountain dropping water. I immediately checked for more news, and learned that one person has died, and a few others were injured, including some firefighters with minor injuries.  Very sad, though.  Contrary to reports, it seems no houses have been reported damaged, though? I'm still not entirely confident about that. Partly because the news articles I've read are shoddy at best, and basically state that the mountain is on fire, there are helicopters helping, when it started, and that people are fighting it. Yes... thank you traditional media.

From the UCT campus, I climbed to Rhodes Memorial, which is reportedly near the start of the fire. I'm surprised nobody stopped me, but I just followed the emergency vehicles and a trail (please don't worry, I stayed safe). But I approached the tactical command of sorts, and was able to get some photos from right on the mountain, as well as the helicopters that were taking water from the University of Cape Town reservoir. I will post the rest  of the photos at the bottom (in higher res with captions).

The University of Cape Town Fails! No communication.

Also from this morning, UCT totally failed. I'm very unhappy with them. You'd think that they would issue some sort of communication to students regarding the events of last night, but no. We woke up, wondering if it was safe to go to campus, wondering how much smoke there would be now that the winds changed, and wondering if the helicopters would interfere with classes. I checked the UCT web site, I checked my course web site, I checked my email, I checked many different things... and nothing. Irritated, I began calling numbers to get some information, since Kara and Gabby had already not gone to their early morning classes because they were unsure. I ended up calling the Welcome Desk, Student Services, the Faculty of Humanities, my professor, the department office for my gender course, as well as the communications office. Many of the numbers yielded no response, but I did get through to someone at the information line, as well as my course's office.

"Yes, I'm wondering if there will be classes this morning?"
"Um... yes, I'm not sure why there would not be?"
"The huge fire that is still happening? Isn't it near Upper Campus?"
"I'm not sure, I'm on Middle Campus."
"And surely you represent the university, how could they not have a statement about what has happened?"
"You'll need to call your faculty department, son."

Dumbfounded, I made more calls. To more incredulous people, one of which noted, "Oh yes, there is a bit of smoke and the helicopters are overhead. I can't say about class though, you'll have to contact your professor."

I will first say this very clearly: UCT has an inadequate system for contacting and notifying students of important situations. The disorganization to me seems sort of dangerous, but then again, I was having a hard time finding people that shared the sentiments. So, we went, and once my professor arrived, she told the class that a few people called in today to ask if her class would be canceled because of the fire, and most of the class laughed. I was so many different types of pissed off. So many different types. Just incredulous.

So, for all of you people, my professor included, I'm going to present a list of reasons as to why one might think it possible for classes to be interrupted, or at least wonder enough to want an official correspondence from the university, or anything:

1. Your campus is built into the side of a mountain that was completely in flames last night. The fire and smoke could be seen for miles, from anywhere in the city. Surely one must wonder.
   
2. It was reported to have started just a few hundred feet from the UCT campus.
   
3. This morning, it was literally a five minute walk from campus to the flames.
   
4. There was a fire truck stationed on Upper Campus, next to a UCT building, supplying water at hose length to the front line. Yea.
   
5. One student said to the professor in class that he was evacuated last night. When students at your university are evacuated, no matter if they live with you or not, you should probably care and respond in some way.
   
6. There are now four helicopters flying near the campus, one of which belongs to the South African military, and they are drawing their water from the campus reservoir, and not flying very far to dump it.
   
7. Said helicopters are very loud, and the professor and students put energy into speaking over the whirring of the helicopter blades in class.
   
8. The mountain is still on fire.
   
9. Two UCT residence halls in Observatory were in the path of the wind and smoke, with Clarinus across the highway from the flames. These students live with you, you're responsible for them.
   
10. There is smoke directly up the mountain from Jameson Hall, with helicopters flying to drop water on it.
    
11. Even news sites speculated about the fire danger to UCT's campus, including reporting how close the fire had gotten. Students might wonder about this...
    
12. There's still tons of smoke to be seen from miles away.
    
13. The professor that said this was 10 minutes late to class because she had to drive across town, partly through smoke, and even changed her shirt when she arrived because it smelled of smoke.  Unaffected?
    
14. 20% of your students are international students, and may not inherently understand whatever it is I don't get about "Mountain on fire, go to class anyway to smell like smoke and talk over helicopters.  We're used to fire."

Maybe I'm missing something here, but this just doesn't seem like business as usual.  And it's not funny.

Despite these things:

• No press release, not even a mention on the web site.
  
• No email to students. (This should be easy.)
  
• No answers at many of the numbers I called on campus.
  
• The Humanities Faculty reception, especially, did not pick up.
  
• Communications office didn't answer.
  
• Information center acted dumb when I called, partly agreeing that one could be wondering, yet they had nothing to provide.
  
• No contact from the professor or answer at their office.
  
• AND the professor laughed at the idea of people calling the office to check if classes were still on. Then ended class with "Don't get burnt, don't get smoke inhalation."
  

So, we just went to class. And, again, I was so many different types of pissed off. Perhaps we overreact in the states about these things? But I don't think so. And 24 hours later, the mountain is still glowing a fiery red in the dark.  Devil's Peak, indeed.

And now for the rest of the photos:

Devil's Peak in Cape Town is Burning

When I first arrived in Cape Town, I did a post showing the awesome view of Devil's Peak that I have out my window. Tonight the view looks very different, since the whole mountain is on fire.

It has been burning now for about 5 hours, and has literally consumed nearly the entire mountain. Erik, Jana, Kara, and I were having dinner downtown when I got text messages about it. Upon returning home, we saw the flames and the smoke from miles away. With how much is burning, it seriously looks like lava, and at first I didn't really understand. But, yes, it is on fire.

Cape Town and the Western Cape is used to fires, but this isn't the same. As a local put it in his blog post:

"You know, most of us grow up in such a way that when we see a fire on a mountain, we don’t really think too much into it, but I can promise you that as I look at the mountain this time, I can feel a sense of fear and adrenaline running through me, this feels too close to home :| "

Most of the city smells like smoke, and the wind is taking it pretty far. Luckily, the wind is heading in the opposite direction of the UCT Upper Campus (remember? My campus is built into the side of this mountain!), so the wind is currently keeping it away. That being said, Erik drove us up to Upper Campus, and the fire isn't so very far away.

Here is panorama from our front yard (click to enlarge):

From our roof.

From UCT Upper Campus

It is quite eery outside. I climbed onto the roof to get some photos, and you can constantly hear all the emergency vehicles rushing around the city, and as we were driving before we saw fire trucks barreling down the Main Road without their sirens on. The whole city's fire and police teams must be out tonight, yet you don't see many people, or hear much else.

I suppose it didn't seem so close to the city before, because it was just on the mountain. When we got home, Kara said, "I want to go to bed, but I don't want to go to bed and wake up and be, like, on fire." Which I thought was funny at the time, but after hearing more, it seems that it's getting worse.

Key word here is seems. None of the Cape Town online news outlets have reported a thing yet, five hours into the huge fire. It seems so weird for me, because as an American, this would be everywhere. The campus hasn't posted anything either, and I'm not sure if we have class tomorrow. In fact, I've turned to Google Blog searches, and Twitter searches to get information (which have actually been quite reliable).

The fire has started to come down off the mountain, and they have evacuated certain parts of Observatory. One guy said that the fire was like three blocks from his house, and they were being evacuated. A later update shows that he feels like the house will go up.

Then Gabby, Laura, and Mick got home. They took the interstate and actually saw houses on fire. I'm not sure how bad it is, but you'd think there would be more news reports? We even turned on the TV, and couldn't find anything. Looking for information here!

You can see emergency vehicles and flashing lights on the side of the mountain, which is not to be confused with the rest of it, because it seems as if almost the entire side that is facing me is glowing red, and I know the other side is burning, too, because of the glow through the smoke.

I don't think there is need to worry about us, though. Our house is several blocks from the main road, and some 3,000 feet from the mountain. We will also have plenty of time to react if things change. I do worry about campus, though... and Table Mountain. It is now almost 3am in the morning, but I'll be monitoring it.

Here are some more photos:

Looking over Observatory.

The glow from the other side.

Groote Schuur Hospital in blue.

Taken from that hospital.

Trees that I think are near UCT Upper Campus.

The peak.

Update: It looks like News24 has posted an article about it.  It was started pretty close to here.

Update 2 (4:02am):  It is still burning, further around and away though.   There is much more smoke, especially since the wind has died down.  The whole neighborhood smells of it.

Some posts on Twitter:

kerry_anne: Cape Town is sad tonight, Rest Of The World. Our mountain is on fire in a BIG way. Houses are under threat and people have been evacuated.

kerry_anne: Trust me, I've lived in Cape Town all my life, but I've never seen the mountain on fire quite like this

MarkH: Fire raging in Cape Town's Vredehoek CBD neighborhood just below Table Mountain. Police evacuating. Hope friends are ok!

The Shift? 100 Days Remain.

I hope it hasn't arrived, but I think it may have. Today is the first day since I've arrived that the high temperature in Wisconsin is warmer than in Cape Town. It also rained for the third time here yesterday, and I'm starting to get the feeling that we may be headed into the winter rainy season. Coincidentally, today marks 100 days remaining until my journey comes to an end, and I find myself back in the homeland. One hundred days remaining of weather getting cooler and cooler. Nice. If anything, though, it will mean another summer to look forward to as the semester wraps up.

I feel a little bit bad though, my oldest brother Erik and his wife Jana arrived yesterday to visit for a week. I think they missed the hot weather by like a day. Oh well, Cape Town doesn't stop being beautiful or fascinating without the 90 degree weather (though, admittedly, it sure helps).

Erik and Jana at the V&A Waterfront.

We spent yesterday walking around by the V&A Waterfront, and had a nice lunch at the wharf. After a stop back at the hotel, we headed off to my place in Observatory for the house introduction, sightseeing, and a nice dinner with some local wine. Yummy! We also called brothers Tyler and Krisjan, who both had birthdays yesterday. As we walked around afterward, Jana held Erik's hand pretty tightly, probably because of my calm recollections of the crime and such... but she didn't have much to worry about. We were fine!

They are here for a week, and should be hiking Table Mountain while I'm at class. I'm between lectures right now, killing time in the computer lab (while looking at two huge promotional posters for Microsoft Office Professional for Windows 95. UCT needs to get with it. They do, however, have 2007 on even their older computers. Interior design hasn't followed. Or the upgrading of the many beige PC towers and CRT monitors in this room.

Get with the program, UCT.

In other new news (if you haven't been watching my Twitter feed on the side), I'm SCUBA Open Water certified! I did my last two certifying dives last Sunday in Simonstown. We did some more advanced skills like underwater compass navigation, hovering at depth, free descents, controlled emergency swimming ascents, how to retrieve and bring a tired or distressed diver back to shore or a boat, and mask removal and clearing underwater (which really can sting in the saltwater, all while breathing from the regulator). Fun!

I'm hoping to use my newfound Scuba skills over Spring Break, when I travel to Mozambique! That's right, I'm in the process of arranging an 11-day trip to Mozambique for my Spring Break in April. It will include traveling to Johannesburg, Maputo, and Tofo. The great thing is that I'll be doing four ocean dives in Moz, which I've heard to have some of the best diving in the world. Very warm water, visibility for over a hundred feet, and huge manta rays and other aquatic animals. I'm getting very excited.

My trip.

Along with the limited time left on our program, there is pressure to get out and do as much as possible. I don't think anybody wants to leave in June or July feeling like they didn't see enough, or really get to know Cape Town. I'm sure it will all come in time, as more opportunities become available, especially as classes end, but it's still a bit stressful! Around this time in the semester, everyone has set into their routines of class, volunteering, sleep, homework, etc. I'm soo over the Jammie bus drivers on campus, by the way. Just so over them.

Also, this last weekend I went downtown to a restaurant and had my first ostrich burger. There are a number of ostrich farms around, and it comes recommended, so I had to do it! It was very good, but nothing too special. I was sort of just thinking why ostrich is so special, like, considered a delicacy? I don't know. I just reminded myself that it is a very dumb bird and it helped me along.

With the colder temperatures, I'm going to need to get out my Snuggie™ soon! As it gets breezy and I turn to blankets, I will decreasingly want to reach for things and lose my heat bubble.

Soaring Over Cape Town - From Lion's Head

Off to save the day! I would save so much on cab fare.

I've been putting this post off for nearly a week. I sat down to sort through photos and write it up, but gave up when Photoshop quit, taking three of my panoramas with it. After sulking for a few days, it seems like a nice Saturday afternoon has been the cure for this. Take two...

I mentioned a few days ago that I'd be hiking Lion's Head Mountain. Well, here is the deal: You may remember that Lion's Head is one of the features that can be seen from Table Mountain, as you overlook the city. It is far smaller, and much more isolated, coming to more of a peak than a plateau. It is a very popular Cape Town pastime to hike to top for sunset, but especially around full moon, because of this...

On the night of a full moon, a look to the west from atop Lion's Head will have a beautiful sunset over the ocean. And at the same time, a look to the east will have a full moon rising above the city of Cape Town, among all of the blues and purples on the opposite horizon of a sunset. And since this is the cape, a look to the other directions offers mountains, Robben Island, the shipyard, and more ocean. I had to see for myself.

After an hour ascent, the first thing I noticed upon reaching the top was that the excellent view of Table Mountain really shows the distance from the top to the bottom. You'll remember from when I hiked Table Mountain, we got stranded on the top, without a running cable car, around sunset. We then descended down thousands of feet as quick as we could, ending the last half hour of the hike in the dark with cell phone lights. Well, here is where we started and where we ended, for a bit more perspective:

Our frantic starting and ending points.

Back to Lion's Head. Luckily, Kara and I chose to do the hike the night before the "official" full moon, and we couldn't tell a difference. There weren't that many people, only about 50. Most of them were students from a local high school Geography class. I made friends with them. They attempted to repeat where I am from, something like Winsconskin (it was even on my shirt!).

My fears about how many people would show up were for naught. Things were way more hectic the next night, though, when my roommates went to find hundreds of others. After a few random photos, I posted up my tripod along with a photographer (trying to act like I was in the big leagues).

The sun began to set:

Time for the panoramas. In the opposite direction:

The moon rising over the city.

A look to the north.

And now the money shots:

The full view. Nearly 360º.

From full moon to sunset. This is 21 different photos, so they didn't blend perfectly. Still worth it.

And night falls over Cape Town.

The full moon helped offer enough light for most of the hike down, until we got on the dark side (dun dun dunnn!), and the trusty Nokia 1200 came back out. There is also a general caution for crime in the area, since it is nighttime, and there are mostly tourists with cameras and cell phones, etc. But there was a policeman on a four wheeler that came down with us for a bit, so we didn't get stabbed or otherwise maimed. All in all, it was incredible.