Days 2 and 3

The First Day:
The day started bright and early, as our group assembled outside of the house. We were immediately struck with the beauty of our surroundings, which had been covered by the darkness of the previous night. Table mountain dominated the view, and everyone was amazed by the sight. In the photo, you can see everyone together in front of table mountain.
During the rest of the day we were introduced to the University of Cape Town campus by our friends at Interstudy, and we were oriented in some issues and themes for our trip. The campus was beautiful, with a weathered yet modern feel that hinted at its English heritage.

University of Cape Town:














After our tour we went down to the water front and had a delicious dinner compliments of Interstudy (Thanks!). This trip included a period of delightful meandering around the water front and some shopping in the mall nearby. All in all it was a pretty fun day.















Day 2:
Our second day in South Africa marked the beginning of class, as our morning began immediately with a lecture from a University of Cape Town political scientist. He briefed us on the recent history of apartheid in South Africa, describing the political factions involved and their roles in shaping the current structure of South African culture, politics, and economics. I particularly appreciated his objective perspectives on a politically heated topic. As the history is so recent, many of the events are still open to great interpretation, and the perceptions of the events are immediately relevant to the development of a racially and socioeconomically united future for South Africa.

Our Morning Lecture was followed by lunch at the cafeteria at the University of Cape Town. Following this, we went to the District 6 museum, which documented the forced removal of colored and black people from their homes by the apartheid regime. This sad tale was brought to life by relics from the area and photographs of the residents. The exhibits included a very detailed account of South Africa's history, beginning with its colonization all the way to the present. It highlighted the development of apartheid, its evolution, and its eventual dissolution during the 20th century. It was wonderful to see the first-hand relics of the age, and the great number of photographs brought the reality of the situation to life. Our tour guide also brought the points home with personal anecdotes and a passionate advocacy for the destruction of racial barriers in South Africa.















Above and Right: two pictures from the district six museum.

After visiting the museum, we explored downtown Cape Town a little bit and then returned to our house in Mowbray. We got dinner at a delicious chicken place called Nando's, which is apparently a favorite among the local people. It was a wonderful day altogether, and I feel like I learned a lot from the lecture and museum alike. I certainly enhanced my understanding of South African life from the day's activities.