The Bergemans Do Tanzania!

I couldn’t ask for a better way to close out my month long holiday than having my family visit me.  After three and a half action–packed and busy weeks of traveling in Tanzania and across the continent, seeing my family for the first time in almost a half year was the perfect way to transition back into my usual daily routine here in Tanzania.

My family arrived Monday evening for exactly a week, leaving on the same flight they flew to Tanzania on.  As it turns out, Susanne, the wife of the director of the Mailisita Foundation, the foundation the built Stella Maris School and Lodge, made a last minute visit to Tanzania the same week my family came and ended up on the same flights both coming and going from America.  What are the odds?! When my family finally cleared customs, the first person I saw was my mom. She happened to spot me outside at the same moment that I saw her.  We exchanged huge grins and waved, probably as if our arms were about to fall off.   I was so happy that she and the rest of my family were on the continent – that I had not just been imagining for the past several months that they were coming to visit.  I was so excited to show them my second home and help them to understand where my deep love for Tanzania comes. 

Since my family was only here for a week, we had a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time.  Keeping that and the likely jet lag that they would have in mind, I scheduled our four day safari for Wednesday, their second full day in country.  We used Tuesday to adjust to the time change, sleep in, finalize our safari plans with the same great company I climbed Kilimanjaro with, and visit Teddy and her family at her home.  The highlight of Tuesday for my family was definitely meeting and spending time with all of Teddy’s children, which of course my mom brought presents for. For me, this was the most special moment of my family’s trip because it brought both of my ‘families’, the most important people in America and in Tanzania, together.  It was so touching and meaningful to me.

The first of the three parks that we visited. 

Bright and early Wednesday morning, Evarist, our guide, and his colleague, Dixon, our cook, arrived at Stella Maris to pick us up for safari.  Although I was sad that my family would be away from my Tanzanian family for a chunk of their visit, I also wanted them to have an inclusive ‘African experience’, which when you are in East Africa must include a safari.  About twenty five minutes into our drive towards the parks, I realized I forgot my passport, after I told everyone the night before to make sure they had theirs. 

This guy was just hanging out on the side of the road. 

Thankfully Evarist was a quick thinker and solved this predicament without returning to the hotel to retrieve my passport.  Three hours later, we arrived at Lake Manyara. We ate a quick lunch and made our way to Lake Manyara’s park entrane, the first of the three parks we visited over the four days: Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.  We were greeted in the park by a troop of monkeys strolling in the street, making it impossible for us to pass.  After some time, they cleared a big enough space that we were able to drive between them.  The goal of any safari in East Africa is to see all of the animals that have been dubbed the "Big Five", elephant, giraffe, leopard, lion and rhino.  We were so lucky to see all five throughout our three days! On our first day, we

My first time seeing a giraffe in its natural habitat!

saw two out of the Big Five, the leopard and elephants. The elephants were so close to our car, as we came across them as they were crossing the road we were driving on.  Seeing them up close was super cool AND there was  a baby elephant with the rest of the herd and seeing him, or her, just warmed my heart.  In addition to the monkeys and the three Big Five animals, we saw some hippos submerged in water, giraffes, antelopes and zebras. All four of us were thrilled about seeing such a variety of animals! To top it all off, on the way out of the park, less than a tenth of a mile from the entrance, Evarist spotted a leopard lurking on the floor of the forest.  Each of us only saw the leopard for about ten seconds, but that is ten more seconds than a lot of people get, especially at this time of year.  Our rare leopard spotting was the perfect way to end our first day of safari.

Approaching the road, about to cross directly in front of our car.  

Beautiful!

Just a little mother/daughter (or son) bonding time.  So precious!

It may not look like much, but this was pure luxury!

I was a little worried about Mama and how she would handle sleeping in tents (and what Tanzania would do to her hair).  However, my worries were significantly reduced when Evarist showed us our tents for the first night, and third as it turned out.  Unlike the tents from my Kilimanjaro climb in which you could not stand straight up, these tents had BEDS, yes, actual beds, inside of them AND the massive tent was positioned a roof.  This is the Ritz of camping, folks! 

Our evening on our first day of safari was just as great as the rest of the day: we enjoyed a delicious dinner, especially delicious given the cooking restraints of a safari and we, the four of us and Evarist, played cards after dinner.  It was so awesome seeing Evarist learn how to play cards and enjoy the game so much that he was acting like a little kid in a candy shop.  On the last night, we even got Dixon, our cook, to join us for games!

The next morning, we drove from Lake Manyara to the Serengeti.  In order to get to the Serengeti, you have to drive through/past the Ngorongoro Crater.  Although our plan was to do the Ngorongoro Crater on the last day, the view as we were driving past was so captivating that had to stop.  So, we took a quick pit stop at the crater to admire the fishbowl view from the rim and took a bunch of beautiful pictures before we continued on our way. 

This year's Christmas card?

Our young, fearless guide, Evarist (left) and our fabulous cook, Dixon (right). 

Hardly home but always repping! Go X!

Serengeti, as compared to Manyara's landscape (above). 

The landscape of the Serengeti is tremendously different from that of Lake Manyara (and Ngorongoro as well).  Half of Lake Manyara is rainforest-esque and the other half is flatter land, but it has a great deal of vegetation.  The Serengeti, on the other hand, is flat as a pancake, very dry, sand colored and so vast that there is no end in sight.   Although I have not yet had the fortune of seeing the Sahara Desert for myself, the Serengeti is the most similar of the three parks to that sort landscape. 

The national bird of Uganda.

In the Serengeti, we saw buffalos, lions!! (the third and fourth Big Five animals we saw), the national bird of Uganda (Grey Crowned Crane), hyenas and gazelles, in addition to a ton more elephants and monkeys!  Our car had a little mechanical issue towards the end of the day while still in the middle of no-man’s land when our engine unexpectedly turned off and wouldn’t turn back on, which I think made my mom pretty nervous.  But, after getting a strong nudge from another 4X4, that was the first time I had ever seen a car ‘hit’ and push another car to ignite the engine, we were able to continue on our way to our new campsite for the evening.   Our tent arrangements on the second night were not as fancy as the first, but they sufficed, and we called it a night early anyway because of the next day's sunrise game on our way out of the Serengeti. 

Originally, our third day was supposed to be a full day's game drive in the Serengeti.  Before bed on the second night, while missing Teddy and Inno and feeling the time of my family’s visit slowly slipping away, we decided that we would prefer to go to the Ngorongoro Crater right after our sunrise Serengeti drive, hence skipping the afternoon Serengeti game drive. This would allow us to get back to Moshi in the early afternoon the next day, instead of late at night.  We did just that.  We enjoyed a brisk, beautiful sunrise drive where animals were much more active than they had been the previous two days

in the afternoon.   Then, we returned to the rim of crater and actually drove into it.  In the crater, in addition to most of the animals we saw in Manyara and the Serengeti, we saw four rhinos!  The rhinos, the only remaining animal of the Big Five that we had yet to see, made it so that we saw all five Big Five animals - a small miracle for this time of year.  Although the animals in the crater were just as cool as the rest of the animals we saw, the crater itself is so majestic and breath-taking even without seeing any animals.  Fortunately for us, we got to see the amazing backdrop that is the crater and many animals.

Inside the crater.  

We returned for the final night of our safari to the same campsite as the first night – with the fancy tents.  The next morning, we headed back to Moshi and arrived in the early afternoon.  We had originally planned to take Teddy and Inno out to dinner to this special restaurant, special because it serves authentic TexMex in Tanzania; however, when we arrived back at Stella Maris, we learned that the night before, the restaurant had lost power, and all of their refrigerated food to the outage.  As such, they were not able to accommodate us for that evening, so we rescheduled for the following evening.  Instead, we headed into town for some souvenir shopping and then enjoyed a relaxing evening at the hotel. 

Mama wearing her Mother's Day dress. 

Sunday was a special day.  It was special because I was able to celebrate Mother’s Day with my most fabulous mama in this country I love so dearly.  I was so happy that it worked out that my family's visit included Mother’s Day weekend so that our whole family could be together to celebrate Mama.   We began Mother’s Day by attending the children’s mass that I attend each week. The Bergemans were troopers yet again as this mass is entirely in Swahili.  We then enjoyed a lovely brunch back at the hotel where Mama read her cards and opened her gifts.  My most gracious brother bought and brought the most perfect card for me to give to Mama. In addition to her cards, we gave her a dress that I had made for her here in Tanzania, a MSU visor and a couple of small items she found since she had arrived that she had her eye on.  I was thrilled that she liked her dress, as I had picked out the fabric especially for her, and I was even happier that it fit nicely, as I had to do my best to estimate and explain my mama’s tiny frame to the seamstress. I then took my family to the beautiful waterfalls about which I blogged and shared pictures back in January.  The splendor of the waterfalls did not disappoint; however, Nick was bummed that we could not swim in the pool at the base of the waterfall this time due to rough waters and rocks that had been falling recently from the top.  Just as Inno looked out for my safety during my first visit to the waterfalls, he watched after my mama so sweetly for the entire trip.  I wouldn’t have expected anything less from him, but I still appreciated it and it left a lasting impression with Mama.

Finally, on Monday, my family’s last day in Tanzania, they joined me at school for the entire day.  They met the teaching staff, the kids, and even led small guided reading groups with my P5 class.  I am glad my family was able to experience a safari, it being their first time in Africa and all, but I was much more excited that they were able to go through my daily routine and meet the kids who stole my heart.  The day they spent with me at Stella Maris allowed them to have a taste of my life here in Tanzania, while the safari was not representative of my experiences at all. Since they have been here now and seen my daily routine, when I have the urge to share stories about Tanzania and Stella Maris, they will have an authentic point of reference that will hopefully make it easier to understand whatever story I am a telling.

So glad they experienced Tanzania and all its beauty for themselves!

It was hard to say good-bye for now.  I kept joking that Delta called and delayed/ cancelled their flight, as I was secretly praying that would actually happen.  Although the week went way too fast, I couldn’t really feel sad when I watched them disappear into the Kilimanjaro airport because I felt so blessed to have had them here, even if for just a short time.  I appreciate the sacrifices each of them made, especially Nick for taking his finals a week early, to be able to come and share something so near and dear to my heart.  I was so happy to hear my mama say, “I understand why you love it here” because I know many people wonder why.  Yet, not many people truly understand why.  No matter how many stories one tells, the love, happiness, kindness, warmth and joy of the continent cannot be explained - only felt.  Now, knowing that feeling for themselves, it is something we can share for the rest of our lives. 

Hotels and Hot Chocolate

As hard as it may be to believe, amidst my frequent feelings of guilt and the like, JoJo and I were able to squeeze in many laughs and a great deal of fun while in South Africa.  Even with an analytical mind and heavy heart, it is easy to find joy and happiness when you are amongst your closest friends. Although there were lots of memorable and comedic moments during our trip, two particular moments stand out amongst the rest.

The first moment occurred while JoJo and I were traveling from Johannesburg to Cape Town.  We unfortunately were not able to get on the same flight –we actually were supposed to take the train instead of airplane, but that is a whole other story. Nevertheless, we traveled to the airport together and after we went our separate ways in the airport, I decided to stop for a hot chocolate once I got through security.  I made my way to a very European-looking café, and ordered a hot chocolate with whipped cream.  After almost leaving my wallet at the counter, I patiently waited for my drink.  A few minutes later, ‘hot chocolate!’ was called from behind the counter and I went up to retrieve my drink.  In addition to the steaming hot to-go cup, the man serving me handed me a small chocolate piece of candy.  I walked away thinking what a nice touch that was – adding a little piece of candy with the drinks.  I thought it was so precious that I took a picture

My hot chocolate, before mixing in the chocolate.

of my hot chocolate and little complimentary sweet before heading to my gate.  When I got to my gate, I sat down, and took my first sip of what I hoped would be delicious hot chocolate.  It was absolutely horrible.  It was literally the worst hot chocolate I had ever tasted in my entire life.  While sitting there in disbelief at how someone could mess up hot chocolate so badly, I remembered that when the man handed me my cup, he had asked me if I wanted some sugar.  I realized now why he did and wished I had taken him up on the offer.  I tried another sip, and it was so bland and tasteless that I decided I needed to walk back to the café and get some sugar if I had any chance of reviving this disappointing drink.  I did just that.  As I opened up the lid of my cup, I was surprised to see white liquid inside.  Where was the chocolate?  Why wasn’t my hot chocolate a brownish color of some sort?  I, personally, would like to blame this on the color of my hair, but a few seconds later I realized the ‘problem’ with my hot chocolate: it wasn’t hot chocolate at all.  It was hot MILK, without any added sugar or chocolate.  My genius self was holding the chocolate part of my ‘hot chocolate’ in my hand.  I am so used to America’s powered, hot cocoa mix that it never crossed my mind that that piece of candy that I thought was such a nice touch was actually how my warm milk was going to transform into hot chocolate.  Of course the disappointing taste of my earlier sip now made perfect sense.  I added the chocolate piece, stirred my drink and was amazed at what a difference real chocolate in hot chocolate makes on the deliciousness scale.  I drank every last drop.  Oh, the things you learn while traveling.

JoJo and I made it safely to Cape Town.  Because we flew and did not take the train, totally my fault by the way, we arrived to Cape Town one night early.  As such, we had to make additional arrangements for that extra night because the hotel that JoJo had already booked for the duration of our stay could not accommodate a day early. For that first night, we stayed at a hotel that had fairly decent reviews on TripAdvisor as we awaited our actual reservation. The hotel turned out to be just fine and was a short ten minute walk from what we later learned to be the ‘prime’ location for eating, shopping, etc in Cape Town. Once we finished checking in, we decided to head out for dinner and explore Cape Town a bit. We kicked off our weeklong mission of trying as many restaurants as we could at a Mexican restaurant on Long Street, the main drag in Cape Town, where we found and proceeded to take advantage of 50 cent shots. :)

Dinner was good, and since it was not completely dark yet, we began to wander around. We were hoping to stumble across the Greenmarket Square, which we had read transformed into a massive, outdoor market with the best souvenir deals.While walking, we talked about every-and-anything, including if we should just stay at the hotel we were currently because of ease and location.  After a bunch of twists and turns, we stopped on a particular corner because we came across the side of a hotel that looked very quaint and inviting. Since hotels were on our mind, I jokingly said that we should stop in to this hotel so that JoJo could watch me maneuver my way to the best deal of the century– since my bartering skills just are/have become that good.  After such a strong comment, JoJo of course wanted to see me put my money where my mouth was. 

We walked around to the front of the hotel, and stopped DEAD in our tracks once the entire front of the building was visible.  It was absolutely grandeur. It was a beautiful cream color, with a hint of blue - simply elegant from top to bottom.   I pulled my foot from in my mouth and humbly recanted my previous statement that I could get us the deal of the century at this establishment.  We made our way back to our hotel for the night, ohhhh and ahhhing about that hotel, and laughing at my premature confidence. Luckily for us, while we were admiring the stunning hotel, we found Greenmarket Square, as it stood with its entrance directly facing the Square.

After returning to our hotel, we continued our hotel conversation from earlier, trying to decide it was wise to move to our originally booked hotel tomorrow, which was a fair distance from the most ideal part of town.  We hopped back onto TripAdvisor and started looking at additional hotel options as well.  We came across this super awesome, modern yet charming hotel with a rooftop pool!, sauna, and dope looking rooms that JoJo hadn’t even entertained the first time around because it was wayyyy out of our price range.  However, for whatever reason, the price had been reduced by TWO–THIRDS of the original price at the time we were looking!  It looked TOO good to be true!!! The only problem was: from the map provided and our limited knowledge of Cape Town, we couldn’t figure out exactly where the hotel was located. As fabulous as it seemed, JoJo and I agreed that location was an important part of our ability to make the most of our week in South Africa.  But this hotel was just too good to pass up! After much debate, and down to the last ten minutes of eligibility of cancelling our other reservation, we decided to move to the stellar-steal-of-a-price-with-an-unknown-location hotel.

View from the top of our hotel!

The next morning, after leaving our bags at the desk, we enjoyed the complimentary breakfast our first hotel provided – you already how much I enjoyed this breakfast from the ‘before’ and ‘after’ breakfast pictures in my most recent most post, which were of this meal.  We made our way back to Greenmarket Square, excited to see it in its full glory. In retrospect, it was really cool to see the open space of the market at night, without all of the stands, before actually seeing it transformed into the market it becomes during the day.  We did some serious damage in that market. As it turns out, nearly ALL of the ‘South African’ souvenirs found in the market, and throughout the rest of the country, were made in East and Central Africa.  It was very difficult to find anything truly South African, as there is such a high rate of immigrants from other African countries bringing their countries’ token souvenirs and selling them in South Africa for a much higher price.  We decided all of our purchases and skillful bartering of those items deserved a meal to refuel. We sat down at one of the many outdoor restaurants right on the Square. 

View from our room of the market and surrounding square. 

As we waited for our meal, we admired the majestic hotel from the evening before that we could see from where we sat on the other side of the square.  JoJo went to take a picture of the hotel, and as she zoomed in with her camera, she caught the name of the hotel, which we hadn't even bothered to learn the night before. As it turns out, that hotel from the night before that we had just been drooling over and the hotel we had booked last night online was one in the same! We couldn’t believe our luck!! It had literally the most ideal location, and, if the interior lived up to the pictures from the website, the inside of the hotel was just as perfect.  We couldn’t contain our excitement.  We ate our lunch and rushed as coolly as we could pretend to be over the check the place out…before going back to the first hotel to get our bags – we just couldn’t wait!

Another shot of the rooftop view!

It was everything the pictures made it to be and more! All of the travel related stress slipped from our memory.  Being able to stay in that hotel in that location made up everything up to that point totally worth it!!  Coming ‘home’ every night to the Inn on the Square was the icing on the cake for our Cape Town adventures!

Hotels and hot chocolate aside, the remaining highlights of our trip are too many to count.  However, I would be remiss in sharing any of our trip without mentioning and including pictures of a few particular stops. 

JoJo and I visited Table Mountain, a must do in Cape Town.  We made the smart choice of planning to take the last cable car up to the top, which allowed us to have a bird's eye view of the beautiful sunset. 

We also took a day trip to the Cape of Good Hope, the most southern part of Africa and the world, excluding Antarctica.  We drove down the coast from Cape Town to the Cape, stopping at Boulders’ Beach, see pictures below for the appropriateness of the name, famous for the penguins that inhabit this beach.

We also made a quick stop, well okay, we went once and it was so good we made our driver stop on our way to the airport at the end of our trip for one last taste, at the famous Charly's Bakery.

Although there is really no way to sum South Africa up in a few words, sentences or even stories, it was surely a trip that I will cherish for a long time.  South Africa showed me some of our globe's finest natural beauty, gave me a great deal to think about and allowed me to experience all that with one of my best friends.  That makes me quite a lucky girl, in my book.  

Is This Really Africa?

View of Johannesburg from JoJo's aunt's apartment.

That thought crossed my mind countless times while we were in South Africa.  I would not have believed the degree to which South Africa is westernized if I had not seen it for myself.  It is so very different than my experiences in Ghana and Tanzania– so much so that I felt as if I had been teleported back home to the States, or Europe even. 

Both Johannesburg and Cape Town are big cities in the same way that Atlanta and Chicago are big cities in America.  Most other ‘cities’ in Africa would not be considered cities in the States, but towns at best.  And, they are both full of Western amenities.  I was in shock, real shock – just ask JoJo.  I expected South Africa to be more advanced, but I was not ready for the stark difference between South Africa and other African countries.

Cape Town as the last bit of sun is setting.

I became upset with myself for continuing to think: ‘this is not Africa’.  Why did I feel that way? Did I not think Africa was capable of being this developed? Did I subconsciously expect less from countries in Africa? Did I only view Africa as a continent full of unpaved roads, traditional garb and lots of exotic, wild animals? No, this is not my opinion of Africa.  I love this continent.  I love the people. I love the warmth and hospitality and acceptance of its people.  I love the rich, vibrant traditions. I love the simplicity of life and the way that family, friends and faith are valued.  I have such respect for the work that is done here and the way that people live.  So why, then, did I have such a visceral and negative reaction to the progress of South Africa?

The answer to that question lies not so much in South Africa’s progress itself but in where on the continent the progress is.  It is not a secret that the white population of South Africa is the largest of any country on the continent – 10%, in comparison to the 1% of other countries.  Interestingly enough, South Africa’s white population percentage is the same percentage of Americans of African descent.  But that is another conversation for another day.  So, in simplest terms, South Africa is the whitest country in Africa.  And it is one of the most, if not the most, advanced.  Why? Why is this the case? The people of color of the continent deserve the same access to clean water, the same level of health care, the same amount of paved roads, the same dependable internet, the same plumbing, dishwashers, washers, dryers and on and on that is available to the (white) citizens of South Africa.  Progress and advancement is not a reflection of and should not be attributed to color.  However, when you compare South Africa with other countries, it seems as though this is the case, or at least a strong argument could be made to support such a claim.  The success/progress of South Africa cannot even combat stereotype of Africa as primitive, unclean, etc because so many struggle to accept it as really Africa.  How can I blame the people of color of Africa for buying into and believing the nonsense of this stereotype, because sadly many really do? They know what is available to them, in their countries, and they watch the media show how differently South Africans live.  It really struck a cord to see that this injustice exists within the continent, even though I am painfully aware that it exists outside of the country too.

I could not contain my excitement for my first American
breakfast since 2013, especially the things that are virtually
non-existent in TZ: yogurt with granola, CHEESE and bacon!

So, visiting South Africa was difficult for me to say the least.  I struggled to enjoy the luxuries that South Africa offered.  I couldn’t turn my brain off.  I felt bad for eating tuna fish as well as several, several other western foods and loving every bite.  I felt bad for not having any roller-coasteresque, bumpy rides during our two weeks because all of the roads are paved.  I felt bad for showering in the absolute best shower I have ever showered in.  I felt bad for taking the elevator, do you know how much power it takes to operate an elevator, to our room on the second floor. 

Before and after pictures do all the explaining necessary. 

I didn’t feel bad because these things were available in South Africa, but I felt because they were not available throughout the rest of the continent.  Like others, I didn’t feel like I was ‘in Africa’ – and I felt sick to my stomach that I felt that way.  It made me feel like I, or my perspective, was part of the problem that Africa as a continent battles against each day.  And, if all that wasn’t enough, I felt like the biggest tourist there ever was.  Without knowing any traditions or the language, I felt more out of place in South Africa, where at least some people physically resembled me, than I have during my entire time in Tanzania – where I stand out like a sore thumb.

I am working on embracing South Africa and its current condition.  I am excited to see development and advancement on the continent as a whole, and I am still trying to figure out how to balance the benefits of progress in South Africa with the bigger, racially charged message it sends to the rest of the continent and world alike.  I don’t think I am going to reach a resolution anytime soon, but I will keep processing.  That being said, at the end of our two weeks in South Africa, I couldn’t have been happier to return to Tanzania, my home away from home.  

Political Influence

The massive wooden doors to the court building
at Constitution Hill. 

I have wanted to visit South Africa for quite some time.  I cannot even count the number of people to whom I have said that exact sentence, or something close to it, before I realized how untrue it was.  I actually have never had a desire to visit South Africa – rather, I have felt an obligation to visit.  I felt an obligation to visit the country in Africa with the largest population of white citizens, making it the most racially diverse country on the continent as far as the black–white ratio goes.  I felt the obligation to visit the country whose apartheid history parallels the brutality of America’s pre-civil rights movement history.  I felt an obligation to visit the country that kept one of my heroes hostage for twenty seven years of his adult life to later embrace him as president of that same land.  If you know me and you know my passions, it is no surprise to you that I wanted, or felt obliged, to visit South Africa.

Inside of the court building. 

It seems illogical to be as invested in racial equality as I am and not have experienced South Africa for myself – even if just for two weeks. Also, as someone who has previously lived in West Africa and is now currently residing in East Africa, I was looking forward to experiencing another ‘directional section’ of the continent.  Of course within these ‘sections’, each country it unique and has its own rich culture.  That being said, it means something to me to have visited at least one country in each part of the continent.  And, I could not have been luckier to experience South Africa with the girl my mom calls her ‘other daughter’: my dear friend JoJo.  JoJo is someone who has accepted and embraced and all of the ways that I ‘defy’ the expectations society has for me.  She has supported my passion for race relations and has listened to far more than her fair share of my often-lengthy rants/reflections/outrages on the current state of race relations both in our country and around the world.

Since South Africa’s historical and political influence was the real reason behind my interest in visiting, we intentionally planned several politically and/or historically significant stops into our agenda. These stops included Constitution Hill, Soweto, the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, the Slave Museum in Cape Town and Robben Island. 

Soweto is the town, not far from Johannesburg, where Nelson Mandela’s family home is.  I felt so very honored to not only visit his neighborhood but also step inside his former home.   Mandela’s street has become a hot spot for tourists, lined with vendors selling ‘African’ souvenirs and tourist–friendly restaurants inviting you in for a savory bite.  I would imagine that the touristy Soweto that we experienced is nothing like the Soweto where Mandela actually lived.  The new feel of Soweto made it less appealing to me because it did not feel authentic – although I am still glad to have been able to see it for myself.  While we were roaming the streets being tourists, I learned that Desmund Tutu has a home on the same street of Mandela, which was very exciting news to me, as I am a huge support of the bishop.

Quotes painted on Mandela's street, and me sitting in front of his home. 

After walking around Soweto and enjoying a delicious lunch there, we headed to the Apartheid Museum, which impacted me more than any of the other stops of this nature– even more than Robben Island, which was the stop I expected to impact me the most.  I learned a great deal while touring the museum and felt the discouraged, fearful and outraged spirits of South Africa’s citizens of color as I read more and more about the hardships people of color experienced during apartheid.  I have only had such an strong, overpowering reaction like this twice before: while standing in the slave castles in Ghana and while touring the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.  I guess it is part of the human condition to feel disgusted when reading about government sanctioned courses of action resulting in the hanging of its citizens, the open firing and killing 69 people in one afternoon and the like.  I honestly felt numb as I walked through the Apartheid Museum, reading about such inhumane and brutal actions.

Preparing to enter through the proper entrance based upon
the card we were randomly given 'to be' for our tour. 

Jo and I were fortunate enough to tour the museum with a native South African woman named Fulufhelo, a close friend of JoJo's aunt who had been traveling around with us for the day.  While we walked, Fulufhelo shared her personal experiences during apartheid and the years directly following.  Her accounts brought the facts and and stories of the museum to life in such a powerful way. Her perspective of Mandela, his release from prison and his presidency was much less flowery and supportive than I would have imagined. Since all of my knowledge of Mandela and apartheid had

One of the eight pillars outside museum; a few 
others are responsibility, freedom, equality, respect.

been from second hand sources and the often biased media, I took great heed to hearing her first hand account and honest reflections about this time in South African history.  One of Fulufhelo’s comments that really stuck with me was that she shared that many South African people of color felt that Mandela sold out on his people when he was released from prison. She explained that after decades of brutal, harsh, and inhumane treatment, by oppressive white leaders, which regularly ended in death, people of color were told by Mandela to forget those actions and embrace unity and moving forward together.  Now I don’t know about you, but I’d be damned if I would just up and forgive, forget, hold hands and skip happily into the future less than a decade after being brutalized, harassed and dehumanized.  And, as Fulufhelo explained it, that is more of these what people of color were asked to do in South Africa once Mandela became president.  Of course I am oversimplifying a very complex situation, but this perspective was not one I had previously considered when evaluating Mandela’s contributions to South Africa’s history.

Method in which many ANC supporters were murdered, to be later recorded as suicides. 

My favorite image from the museum.  My sentiments exactly!

Finally, in terms of politically significant points of interest, we visited Robben Island, the home of the prison where Mandela was held for 18 of his 27 years in prison.  We took the chilly boat ride to the island, visited the prison and toured the rest of the island.   Each tour on Robben Island is led by a former inmate, who shares the history and former daily operations of the prison as well as his personal story.  Being guided around by a former inmate, many of whom were imprisoned for activism during apartheid, added a very sincere dimension to the tour.  Additionally, we saw the cell where Mandela spent 18 years and learned a lot about the history of the island, including where politically active inmates met to discuss sensitive issues without the guards knowing and about some of the other notorious inmates, besides Mandela.

The cell where Mandela lived for 18 years. 

Did I have a moment of englightment about the topic of racial equality during my time in South Africa? Not exactly. It is really quite challenging to sum up my experiences in and feelings about South Africa in a few sentences.  However, at the very least, I can say that visiting South Africa for myself, feeling the residual effects of apartheid decades later and talking with both black and white native South African people was an experience unlike any that I have had in other countries.  The trip definitely confirmed many assumptions that I had about South Africa and it also offered me a great deal of new information to consider as I continue to work in the realm of race relations.
For that, South Africa, I thank you.