Cape Town

We arrived in Capetown on Saturday after 16 hours of traveling (a direct flight would have taken 7 hours, but since we are cheap we flew all over Africa..). Luisa picked us up from the airport and it was amazing to see her after 3 years! Wow.
We noticed right when landing in Capetown, that this is different to the Africa we have seen and experienced so far. Here people have money, are dressed and styled like in any Metropole and there are even some fat people here. Not obese but definitely fat. Coming from Tanzania and Ethiopia we were used to the extremely poor and tiny people, with torn clothes and most of them without shoes. Here I felt shabby in my old t-shirt and dirty hiking boots.
After 2 days of discovering Capetown I have come to the conclusion that the level of poverty is the same here, but it is hidden away in the townships so that the extremely rich (there are a good amount of those here) don't have to look at the hardship and deprivation and not feel bad. The contrast of wealth and overflow with utter despair and poverty is unspeakable. It touches me more than just seeing poverty. This is sick!
It is not surprising that the level of crime and violence in this place is through the roof, where people are being shot every day for 5 Dollars or a cellphone. Every house has extensive alarm systems, huge barbwire fences and walls, iron gates, cameras, and private security guards. It is upsetting. Luisa told us that after a few years you don't notice them anymore. It just becomes normal that you can't walk the streets after dark and that your car gets broken into three times a month.

We went to the Cape of good hope yesterday which was amazing. We saw a pair of Southern Right Whales playing right before us. Such graceful and beautiful animals!
It was great to be standing at the most southern point of Africa, where the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean meet after having been to the highest point of this fascinating continent.

We are going to try some Zebra meat for dinner tonight. I am excited about it!