Dr. King’s dream

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Image via Wikipedia

It took 15 years for the third Monday in January to be designated the day we would remember and honor civil rights activist, Martin Luther King, Jr.

The first year we celebrated, I remember the euphoria, the sense of pride, the feeling of hope. I also remember an older gentleman in the building I lived at the time saying that if we didn’t remain true, the day would become like any other, meaning, we’d forget, we’d lose focus or we’d see it as one more day to shop. And I thought then, with all the hardships, all the sacrifice Dr. King and the other activists went through? Never!

Yet, today, I found myself at home doing everyday activities, like laundry. Not in a million years did I think this would ever happen.

I feel guilty. Dr. King’s efforts paved the way for me and countless others. But I’m not sure anymore what the best way is to honor his life, his work and his sacrifice. It is something I’ll have to think about for next year. If you have any ideas, please let me know.

In the meantime, please enjoy this tribute by Nina Simone that a friend shared with me.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Uy8cyVWU2A]

Cape Town: Kissing Table Mountain

Ian was right. Under a dazzling sunshine and with hardly a cloud in the sky when we arrived, Table Mountain was spectacularly alluring.

It seemed to rise straight up out of the ground, then stop abruptly as if something, or someone, had blunted its ascent.

We got our tickets and boarded the funicular that would take us the nearly 3,600 feet to the top of the mountain. Watching the buildings and cars below as they got smaller and smaller, I felt my ears pop in reaction to the change in altitude.

Climbing the mountain
Cable car
Table Mountain welcome
Mapping the mountain
View from the Table
We’re far from home!
Table Mountain flower
More Table Mountain flowers
City view
Mountain view
More views
More mountain views
Cape coastline
Robben Island seen from Table Mountain
Cape Town Stadium seen from the Mountain
Mountain dassie (rodent)
Enjoying the mountain
About the table cloth
Stone monument
Kissing the mountain

I spoke with my Aunt Connie, before I left for South Africa. It had been her dream, she told me, to visit Table Mountain. She was so thrilled I was going, she asked that I kiss it for her. After I laid this stone, I remembered the promise I made Aunt Connie. I’m glad I was able to “kiss the mountain” for her. It was a great way to end our first day in Cape Town.

 

Robben Island – “We’re all on this journey together”

We knew from the outset that one of our Cape Town ‘must-sees’ would be Robben Island so we purchased our tickets before we even left the U.S.

Despite being walking distance from our accommodations at the V&A Waterfront to the Nelson Mandela Gateway, if our guide, Ian, hadn’t shown up when he did, we would have missed the boat – we were so late getting ready!

Seeing Cape Town on our first morning, bathed in the sparkling golden sunlight, was breathtaking. But shortly after leaving our temporary apartment, we were at the ferry terminal.

Getting on the ferry

Continue reading “Robben Island – “We’re all on this journey together””

Cape Town in Photographs

Since I began the postaday2011 challenge, I’ve not missed a day. But writing about our visit to Robben Island took a lot longer than I imagined.

So, enjoy these photos of Cape Town.

Cape Town Coke Man

I know these look like Lego blocks but they are actually empty Coca Cola crates.

Nobel Square

South Africa’s four Nobel Peace prize winners: Alfred Luthuli, Desmond Tutu, F. W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela.

Nobel Square – Statues

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Cape Town, the Pearl of South Africa

When I told my 80 year-old aunt that I was going to Cape Town, she replied excitedly, “I’ve always wanted to see Table Mountain but never made it. Please kiss the mountain for me!”

After hearing that, if Table Mountain had not been on my list, it soon would be.

We arrived in Cape Town on a Thursday night, after three amazing days watching game in Hwange National Park and making friends with the team at Makalolo Plains in Zimbabwe.

Now we were about to begin the third leg of our trip in beautiful Cape Town. Ian, our guide, met us at the airport and took us to our accommodation at the Victoria & Alfred waterfront.

Cape Town Waterfront

As we entered the apartment, we were greeted by the most spectacular view of Cape Town harbor. But since we were holding tickets for the 11 o’clock ferry to Robben Island the next morning, we knew we had to get to bed early.

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Next post: Robben Island

Three Black Girlz on Safari: Leaving Makalolo Plains

When the alarm went off on our last morning at Makalolo Plains, none of us wanted to get out of bed. The hot water bottles that had kept us warm when we snuggled under the covers the night before were no match for the cold that had now permeated our tent.

I buried my head under the covers, lifting it just long enough to peek at the clock to figure out how long I had before I had to get ready for breakfast.

It wasn’t long. Soon, we could hear footsteps on the boardwalk and Godfrey’s knock on our door.

We dressed quickly. Cynthia and Tracey were in the Main Hall and greeted us as we arrived. Following breakfast, we said tearful goodbyes while Godfrey and Emmanuel loaded our suitcases into the jeep.

Leaving Makalolo Plains
Leaving Makalolo Plains

The previous day, one of the Makalolo team had offered to fly us to the airport but we had too much luggage – 6 pieces among us – to accept. Gosh, it would have been lovely to fly back instead of being bundled up as we were. As even with the fleece ponchos and several layers of warm clothes, scarves and gloves we had on were no match for the bone chilling cold.

By the time we arrived at the Main Camp, Sandra said she couldn’t feel her face. None of us could. We were frozen. Thankfully Godfrey had brought tea and biscuits as usual which we ate while he and Reason, our new driver, loaded up our suitcases into his van.

Leaving Makalolo had been emotional but more experiences awaited us in Cape Town and Durban.

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60 Minutes to Live?

So after I scream and pick my jaw from off the ground, I’d put on my best outfit and gather all my loved ones together for a blowout beach party. No tears, no recriminations, no sadness – just pure, unadulterated fun.

There’d be lots of seafood and fish  –  steamed or fried crispy dry or escoveitched; lobster – jerked or curried; lots of beer and tropical drinks and all of my favorite dance music – from reggae to soca to Latin to R&B to African. I’d even line dance to the Electric Slide!

Actually, I’d dance for the whole sixty minutes. I never sit when there’s fabulous music playing, even if I have to dance by myself. That’s how I’d spend my last hour!

Sixty Minutes of Dance

How would you spend your last hour?

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What do I want to be remembered for?

When I saw this question, my first thought was to ignore it. It made me feel uneasy. I’m not near retirement, and I hope, not near ready to kick the bucket.

But when I thought about it a second time, I decided to think of it as a challenge. I also realized I could try to have a little fun with it. After all, the way I see myself is definitely different from the way others – friends, relatives, co-workers – see me.

So what do I want to be remembered for?

  1. No matter how simple a joke is, I always forget the punchline.
  2. I hate sushi and asparagus.
  3. A whiff of chocolate can turn my stomach.
  4. If I had to rely on my math skills to make a living, I would starve.
  5. I stayed home from school the day we were supposed to dissect the rat in science class.
  6. I’m very athletic – in my mind!
  7. I dream mostly in color.
  8. I don’t always do the right thing.
  9. I only buy the lottery when it’s more than $100 million.
  10. I’m not indecisive. I just like to cover all angles.

What about you? What do you want to be remembered for?

Three Black Girlz on Safari: Hippo!

The day before we left Makalolo Plains was bittersweet. The team had made us feel very welcome and we knew we had made friends. On top of that, we had spent many hours watching animals at close range, and that was better than the best episode of a nature program.

Towards the end of our morning drive, Godfrey spotted this hippo that appeared to sleeping at the edge of a watering hole. We were fortunate as hippos tend to spend most of their time in water to keep their skin from drying out.

Hippo!
Hwange Hippo

Continue reading “Three Black Girlz on Safari: Hippo!”