Robben Island

Exploring Cape Town: A trip for all ages

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In March 2017, I was given the opportunity to travel to a work-sponsored event in Cape Town, South Africa — a place I had been dreaming of visiting for several years after exploring the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established by Nelson Mandela and led by Desmond Tutu. My parents (who are in their 70s) and my sister decided to accompany me, allowing me to bring my son, who was 6 years old at the time.

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After getting a long list of recommendations from my dear South African friends who now live in Boston, we planned an amazing 2-week adventure around Cape Town, which I have shared below. Cape Town is incredibly kid-friendly and my 6-year-old accompanied us for every part of the journey, even the wine-tasting tours, and had an absolute blast! As someone who has traveled to nearly 40 countries, I can honestly say that Cape Town is one of the most magical places on earth. It holds many of my all-time favorites for food, adventure, and natural beauty. I apologize in advance for the many superlatives in this post, but you can trust that they reflect my sincere thoughts about this city in comparison with many other cities in the world.

Lastly, if you are traveling with your child to South Africa, you MUST have their birth certificate. If you are traveling with only one parent, you must follow the rules outlined here. Unfortunately, we were detained in Dubai for 48 hours until a flight attendant could bring my son’s birth certificate over to us, but we made the most of it. Perhaps a story for another blog…

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Our top 10 favorite things we did in Cape Town:

Robben Island — Perfect for taking in the historical significance, spectacular views of Cape Town, and the vibrant wild life. (Tip: Buy fairy tickets in advance. Also, plan to do this at the beginning of your trip, as inclement weather can cause cancellations of tours, pushing you to reschedule for the next day.)

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Table Mountain — We took the cable car up and hiked around at the top. By far, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen in the world. (Tip: Use Uber when traveling to and from Table Mountain, or anywhere in Cape Town. The taxis are 3x more expensive.)

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Truth Coffee — A steampunk coffee shop featuring a delicious brunch with some of the best coffee I’ve ever tasted.

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Lions Head Mountain — We did the full 4 hour hike (roundtrip) at sunrise and it was absolutely breathtaking. There are some steep parts, but keep in mind that my 75-year-old father and 6-year-old son did just fine. (Although some may argue that they are more agile than others in their respective age groups.)

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Stellenbosch Wine Tour — We booked a fabulous tour through Wine Flies, allowing us to visit 5 wine estates. The guide was extremely interesting and informative. He picked us up and dropped us off at our AirBNB. Each vineyard had animals and/or swimming pools and the hosts allowed my son to run around like a free range chicken. He absolutely loved it, and so did we!

Cape of Good Hope and Boulders Beach — This drive down to the southern part of the peninsula was unbelievably beautiful. I would strongly encourage anyone traveling to Cape Town to make it down to the Cape of Good Hope. It’s worth every minute. We hired a driver, Ash, to take us down to the Cape of Good Hope, stopping at Boulders Beach along the way. Ash instantly felt like a member of our family with his candor and ease. He also punctuated our trip with a deep and thoughtful knowledge of the country’s political and historical landscape. We ended up having Ash drive us around to many places during our holiday. (If you are interested in having him as your driver, reach out to me and I can send you his contact info. Since our trip, he’s met several of my friends in Cape Town and served as their driver/tour guide.)

Aquila Private Game Reserve — This game park, located approximately 2 hours away from Cape Town, was a perfect place for my son to experience a small taste of an African safari. The animals were extremely docile and the tour took place in an open air jeep, unlike the armored cars you find during safaris in Kenya. A definite step up from a zoo experience, my son was absolutely delighted to see animals “in the wild.” The tour provided a buffet lunch and adult beverages.

Camps Bay Beach and the Potluck Club — We spent a day at Camps Bay Beach, mesmerized by the dazzling blue water and white sand, then headed down to the Old Biscuit Mill to eat at the Potluck Club. This restaurant is known for its delicious cuisine, edgy vibe, and relaxed atmosphere. (Tip: Make reservations several weeks in advance. I made mine at least two months ahead of our trip and was only able to get a lunch spot. Well worth it!)

In closing, I would strongly recommend reading Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton and Born a Crime by Trevor Noah to get you in the mood for your travel to South Africa. Although very different in nature and style, both of these books provide a poignant take on the history of this complex and beautiful country.

 

A Letter to Mr. Mandela

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Mandela

Dear Mr. Mandela,

I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to write.  I’ve intended to write you for ages and I am sorry that it took a glimpse of your mortality to remind me that I must seize this moment and not put it off any longer.

Mr. Mandela, when I read your book six years ago, I could not put it down.  I was completely mesmerized by your story and your heart.  I would read your words on the bus to and from work, frustrated by the lack of privacy that public transportation offered; trying unsuccessfully to hide my tears as they fell freely onto the pages.  I was moved by the mere fact that you existed – a man so wholeheartedly and single-mindedly devoted to a cause that it would enable him to lead an entire revolution from behind bars.  You, who were not free in the natural, had the ability to set others free because you knew where freedom existed in the first place.  And you held to this ideal even though it was rejected for years, and is still often rejected today.

“As a leader, one must sometimes take actions that are unpopular, or whose results will not be known for years to come.  There are victories whose glory lies only in the fact that they are known to those who win them.  This is particularly true of prison, where one must find consolation in being true to one’s ideals, even if no one else knows of it.  Even in prison, I was assured that I would survive, for any man or institution that tries to rob me of my dignity will lose because I will not part with it at any price or under any pressure.”

You humbly acknowledged that your strength did not come solely from some secret place within yourself, but that it poured forth from the strength of the collective identity that you had with your fellow man.  You wrote:

“It would be very hard, if not impossible, for one man alone to resist.  I do not know that I could have done it had I been alone.  But the authorities’ greatest mistake was keeping us together, for together our determination was reinforced.  We supported each other and gained strength from each other.  Whatever we knew, whatever we learned, we shared, and by sharing we multiplied whatever courage we had individually.”

Mr. Mandela, the profundity of your legacy is staggering.  It leaves me speechless, breathless, hungry, full of wonder and hope.  In order to lead a revolution of freedom, re-designing human thought, you had to know the life of a prisoner and the mind of the enemy who put you in chains.  Your entire platform of change was built on not only your vision, but your solidarity with those whom you were trying to set free.

“Freedom is indivisible; the chains on any one of my people were the chains on all of them, the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.”

Mr. Mandela, I’m so sorry that you are sick and that your tired body is finally giving out.  I’m sorry that I can’t sit by your bedside and sing you songs to usher you in to the other side, where you will finally shed this skin and be clothed in radiance.  And even now, I am weeping while writing this.  My heart is broken that I will never get to look into your warrior eyes and hug you and whisper words of gratitude.  But, I am confident that you are passing over peacefully and without fear.  You lived well.  You wasted yourself for the sake of others.  You achieved true vengeance over your enemies by bringing the fullness of life to those who were oppressed.  You sacrificed being a father to your own children in order to be a father to an entire nation.  I am honored to have lived on this earth while you walked and laughed and bled and wept.  Someday, I will visit Robben Island and touch the walls of your cell and cry and remember everything you did for our people and the price you paid to do it well.

May you go in peace,

Emily R. George