South Africa Pt 2- Cape Town | 南非第二部分 – 開普敦

So after our safari, we headed down to Cape Town for a few days. Although this was my 5th trip to South Africa, I had never been there before. One thing that was apparent immediately getting off the plane was the mix of cultures. The places I'd been before we're pretty much white and black but in Cape Town, there is a large population of what they call Malays, people who were brought over by the Dutch from places in South East Asia, like Indonesia and Malaysia, to work as cheap labor, some claim as slaves. So because of the origins of the Malays, the Muslim culture is also very prevalent here.

On our first day, we took a Cape Point tour. Which included a stop at the Cape of Good Hope. Now if you all remember your grade school geography this is the southern most point of the African continent.

If you jump in the water and swim, you might make it to Antartica from here. It's also the point where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. The Cape is extremely beautiful terrain, with crazy rocky flat topped mountains to one side and the ocean at the other.

A key feature of the Cape of Good Hope are the penguins. Thousands of them everywhere. I'm not really sure why they congregate here because it's not very cold but I guess if they want cooler weather they just take the swim to Antarctica. They are very cute but very smelly also.

There are also Baboons everywhere as well. An unlikely place for them to live but they seem to do well. They seem survive mostly by stealing food from the tourists. We were constantly warned not to carry anything edible on our bodies otherwise we might get jacked by one. Our guide had to chase after a baboon once who stole a woman's purse with her passport, credit cards and plane tickets inside.

On our second day, we did a cultural tour of Cape Town itself. Cape Town looks and feels like a combination of San Francisco(4 seasons in one day weather) and Barcelona( beach city)but it has a vastly different history than either. We checked out the Malay Quarter first, the colorful part of town that the Malays settled.

.The amazing thing about Cape Town is that no matter where you are you can see the famous Table Mountain. Named because of it's flat top, the mountain looks different at all times of the day. Sometimes it is covered with a cascading blanket of fog, known as the table cloth, or sometimes it's totally clear. At sunset, it reflects the rays of the setting sun and it becomes this glowing orange color.

We also went to District Six, which was a Malay and Coloured part of town that got wiped out so the Whites could take over during the 60's, one of the most ruthless times of the Apartheid era. It was during the 60's that Cape Town was being developed as a major international city. Part of the city planning was to relocate all non-Whites outside of the city center. Although they were cleared out, the residents resisted in their own way by disrupting any attempt at the whites of redeveloping the area. So to to this day, District Six reamains a wasteland.

This is Noos, he works at the District Six museum. He grew up in District Six and wrote this book about life there before it got destroyed.

Afterwards, we headed out to the townships. Most tourists don't usually go out here because these are the dangerous ghettos of South Africa but I felt it was necessary element to understanding this country. The townships are where poor Blacks who can't afford proper housing settle in their ramshackle wood and corrugated steel boxes, a stark contrast to the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the Cape Town City center itself.

People with jobs in the city spend over 70% of their monthly income just traveling to and from work, making it impossible to save enough money to get out. Along with the poverty, comes violence as as drug running gangs and other criminals rule the streets.

Although Apartheid was abolished in 1994. The effects of it still present a very real problem to the South Africans of today. Only now economics is the excuse used to explain the racial divide. Although life here in the townships is poor and impoverished, somehow there is a vibrance and vitality in the air despite . Cape Town is an amazing city. Beautiful and rich in it's history and culture. I will definitely look for a chance to go back!

狩獵旅行後，我們前往開普敦，停留了數天。雖然這已是我第5次到訪南非，但從沒到過這兒。下飛機後感受最明顯的就是文化混雜，我以前呆的地方很多白人和黑人，但開普敦有大量人口是他們叫作的馬來人，他們的祖先是荷蘭殖民者從東南亞國家如印尼、馬來西亞等國販賣過來、作為廉價勞動力甚至奴隸勞作的人口。因為源於馬來，穆斯林文化在這裏非常普遍。PREFIX = O /

 我們到的第一天參觀了開普敦的主要景點，包括好望角。如果你中學地理知識記得牢，會知道這是非洲大陸南端最著名的地方。

 如果你跳進水裏，就能遊到南極洲。這兒同時也是大西洋和印度洋的交匯點。海角極其美麗，一邊是嶙峋高聳的巖石峭壁，另一邊卻是無盡的海洋。

  好望角的主要看點是企鵝，成千上萬的企鵝。不知道它們為什麽聚居於此，因為這裏天氣還不夠冷，但我猜想若它們想要更冷的氣候，只需遊到南極洲。它們很可愛，但也很臭。

 狒狒也四處都是。這裏並非適合它們居住的地區，但它們看來呆得挺好。狒狒們主要靠偷吃遊客的食物生存。我們被警告身上不要藏帶任何食品，以免被襲擊。我們的導遊就不得不追逐一只狒狒，它偷了一位女士的錢包，裏面裝著她的護照、信用卡和機票。

  第二天我們遊覽了開普敦的文化勝地。開普敦就象舊金山(一天中能出現四季的天氣)和巴塞羅納(海濱城市)的混合體，但比他們任何一個都具有廣闊、與眾不同的歷史。我們先去了Malay Quarter，欣賞馬來人建造的色彩鮮艷的城市景觀。

 在開普敦很奇妙的是，無論你身在何處都能望到著名的桌山。名字來源於平坦的山頂，這座山每天都隨著時間更叠變換形象：有時它被層層迷霧象毯子一樣覆蓋，也就是著名的桌布；有時又空無一物。日落時，它反射著夕陽的余暉，呈現出熾熱的橙色光芒。

 我們還到了District Six，白人在60年代 種族隔離最殘忍的時期占領了這個地方，馬來人和有色人種被強制驅逐出去。60年代，開普敦被發展成為主要的國際化城市，城市規劃的一部分是重新安置所有的非白種人到城市中心之外。雖然被驅逐，居民們還是用自己的方式抵制白人發展這裏。因此直到今天，District Six仍保持著蠻荒狀態。

這是Noos，在District Six博物館工作。他在District Six長大，寫了這本講述District Six被破壞前生活的書。

之後我們還去了鎮區。大部分遊客不會來這裏，因為這是南非最危險的猶太區。但我認為要懂得這個國家就必須看看這裏。鎮區是窮困到無法負擔房屋的黑人居住的地方，他們住在搖搖欲墜的木頭和起皺的鐵皮做成的盒子裏，與開普敦城中心的全球化氛圍形成鮮明對比。

城裏有工作的人70%的月工資花在來往工作的路途上，想存下足夠的錢走出去。貧窮的衍生品是暴力、毒品泛濫和其他街頭犯罪。

雖然種族隔離政策已在1994年被廢止，但其帶來的影響至今還是南非的嚴峻現實問題。種族隔離的唯一托詞只有經濟。雖然鎮區的生活窮困潦倒，但空氣中還是彌漫著振動和活力。開普敦是個迷人的城市，歷史和文化如此美麗和豐富。我一定會找機會再來!

 狩猎旅行后，我们前往开普敦，停留了数天。虽然这已是我第5次到访南非，但从没到过这儿。下飞机后感受最明显的就是文化混杂，我以前呆的地方很多白人和黑人，但开普敦有大量人口是他们叫作的马来人，他们的祖先是荷兰殖民者从东南亚国家如印尼、马来西亚等国贩卖过来、作为廉价劳动力甚至奴隶劳作的人口。因为源于马来，穆斯林文化在这里非常普遍。

我们到的第一天参观了开普敦的主要景点，包括好望角。如果你中学地理知识记得牢，会知道这是非洲大陆南端最著名的地方。如果你跳进水里，就能游到南极洲。这儿同时也是大西洋和印度洋的交汇点。海角极其美丽，一边是嶙峋高耸的岩石峭壁，另一边却是无尽的海洋。 好望角的主要看点是企鹅，成千上万的企鹅。不知道它们为什么聚居于此，因为这里天气还不够冷，但我猜想若它们想要更冷的气候，只需游到南极洲。它们很可爱，但也很臭。 狒狒也四处都是。这里并非适合它们居住的地区，但它们看来呆得挺好。狒狒们主要靠偷吃游客的食物生存。我们被警告身上不要藏带任何食品，以免被袭击。我们的导游就不得不追逐一只狒狒，它偷了一位女士的钱包，里面装着她的护照、信用卡和机票。 第二天我们游览了开普敦的文化胜地。开普敦就象旧金山(一天中能出现四季的天气)和巴塞罗纳(海滨城市)的混合体，但比他们任何一个都具有广阔、与众不同的历史。我们先去了Malay Quarter，欣赏马来人建造的色彩鲜艳的城市景观。在开普敦很奇妙的是，无论你身在何处都能望到著名的桌山。名字来源于平坦的山顶，这座山每天都随着时间更迭变换形象：有时它被层层迷雾象毯子一样覆盖，也就是著名的桌布；有时又空无一物。日落时，它反射着夕阳的余晖，呈现出炽热的橙色光芒。我们还到了District Six，白人在60年代 种族隔离最残忍的时期占领了这个地方，马来人和有色人种被强制驱逐出去。60年代，开普敦被发展成为主要的国际化城市，城市规划的一部分是重新安置所有的非白种人到城市中心之外。虽然被驱逐，居民们还是用自己的方式抵制白人发展这里。因此直到今天，District Six仍保持着蛮荒状态。这是Noos，在District Six博物馆工作。他在District Six长大，写了这本讲述District Six被破坏前生活的书。之后我们还去了镇区。大部分游客不会来这里，因为这是南非最危险的犹太区。但我认为要懂得这个国家就必须看看这里。镇区是穷困到无法负担房屋的黑人居住的地方，他们住在摇摇欲坠的木头和起皱的铁皮做成的盒子里，与开普敦城中心的全球化氛围形成鲜明对比。城里有工作的人70%的月工资花在来往工作的路途上，想存下足够的钱走出去。贫穷的衍生品是暴力、毒品泛滥和其他街头犯罪。虽然种族隔离政策已在1994年被废止，但其带来的影响至今还是南非的严峻现实问题。种族隔离的唯一托词只有经济。虽然镇区的生活穷困潦倒，但空气中还是弥漫着振动和活力。开普敦是个迷人的城市，历史和文化如此美丽和丰富。我一定会找机会再来!