Cape Town FF Day 6, "Where There is Tea, There is Hope", Tuesday, March 26, WTRD 10

Where there is Tea, There is Hope

Cape Town FF Day 6, Tuesday, March 26, WTRD 10

One of our host gifts to Margi, our wonderful home host, was a quilted cloth holder for small bowls used in the microwave.    The Sacramento Friendship Force craft group makes these bowl holders and sells them as a fund raiser.  They have become one of my favorite gifts because I love mine and use it all of the time.  The four corners make a great grip to pull out a hot bowl from the microwave and set it directly on a table.  It's great for cooking oatmeal, soup, and scrambled eggs, and if there is a spill over, the bowl holder is easily washed in the kitchen sink.

Margi had never made scrambled eggs in the microwave.  We planned this morning to cook breakfast together so that I could demonstrate.

We scrambled three eggs with a little milk, salt pepper, pat of butter, and shredded cheese in a small bowl, placed the bowl in holder, and popped it in the microwave.  In my microwave at home, it takes two minutes.  Margi's took about five minutes.  There's a big difference for busy women between two minutes and five minutes.  The eggs were delicious, but Margi thought that frying them would be faster for her than using her microwave.  It was a great shared experience.


After breakfast it was time to hit the trail.

Our trip to Robben Island on the previous Sunday was rescheduled for today, Tuesday. When we reached the bus pickup at Norm and Liz’s house on Tuesday morning, we were informed that the Robben Island Ferry had been canceled because of high winds.  Foiled again!

We reverted to the original schedule for Tuesday which was a tour of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, a visit to a Tea Bag factory, and lunch at Mariner’s Wharf.  Several of us were disappointed not to go to Robben Island, and curious about visiting a Tea Bag factory???.  What was that all about.  Didn't sound very interesting, but as it turned out, we were delighted with the change of plans.

KIRSTENBOSCH GARDEN

Kirstenbosch Garden was beautiful and is considered one of the top seven gardens in the world.  The scenery

Dinosaur Sculptures

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and specialized vegetation were of African native plants, most of which are drought resistant.  The one most interesting plant was the “Elephant Bush” , a relative of the Jade Plant, ground cover.

The succulent, unlike most vegetation that absorbs CO2 only during the day this plant absorbs CO2 24 hours a day. There is much promise for this ground cover to combat climate change.  I want to get some for our similar climate in California.  Our only regret in this garden, was the time allocated for our visit was too short.



We boarded our bus and moved on to the TEA BAG “factory”.  None of us knew what to expect, but it turned out that we weren’t going to watch tea being stuffed into bags.  Turns out this is a repurposed Tea Bag Design and Art Studio, not a factory, located near one of the immigrant shanty towns in Cape Town.

Tea Bag Designs

The studio was started about years back by a Jill Heyes who wanted to provide a business opportunity for the shanty town women to earn a living. She assisted a band of women working as domestics, the only job poor educated women could hold, to make crafts to sell.

Her own housekeeper was enlisted to help.  Nothing seemed unqiue enough to compete on the market.  While drinking a cup of tea one day with a friend they were discussing the problem, when she said it was too bad they couldn’t just do something with all the old tea bags every one dumped.  Well, turns out they did!

By drying old tea bags and emptying out the dried contents, the tea stained papers which https://tbagdesigns.co.za/ are very strong and durable became the canvas for all sorts of repurposed tea bag arts and crafts.

Making Christmas Ornaments.  T-Bag Angel Wings.

The Studio Director explains how people from around the world donate their dried, empty tea bags to the design studio and become a part of a solution to help these shanty town families.

The studio started with greeting cards

and progressed to numerous other artistic products

Tea light candle holders

Table Center Piece

The business has become so successful, that one of the women has purchased her own home by painting designs on the little squares in the evening after work and selling them to the T-Bag studio for craft production (where she also works during the day).  Another young woman is now selling her designer bags with T-Bag art in a Paris design studio.  There are 17 full time employees working at the production studio, while others at home artistically paint designs on the papers from home.  The quality of the work is first rate.

This was an exceptionally wonderful and inspirational success story.  I now know what to do with all of my discarded tea bags and am going to encourage our Friendship Force Club to start drying, emptying, and contributing to this cause in South Africa.

After our visit to the studio, we went to Mariners’ Cove on Hout Bay.  Where we ate fish and chips by the bay on a beautiful afternoon and walked the wharf looking at fishing trawlers, derelict sailboats, and power boats and cruising boats.

We returned back at Margi’s around 5:15 and had about 1/2 an hour to start packing and another 15 minutes to dress before our farewell dinner.  It is hard to believe we leave tomorrow.  what a wonderful week this has been.  Friendship Force of the Cape of Good Hope has shown us so much of their beautiful city and surrounding area and extended their hospitality in so many generous and kind ways, that we  are sad to say goodbye to our new friends.

Russ, Helen (Day Host), Roz, Margi (Home Host)

The farewell dinner is in a community hall that has been beautifully decorated and catered for the occasion.  Margi’s friend Roderick is the DJ and entertains us with his rich voice singing Frank Sinatra classics and plays music for us to dance.

There is food to eat, wine to drink, stories to tell, magic tricks, speeches made, presentations given, photos to take, songs to sing, feet to dance, and finally many hugs of gratitude, thanks and farewell.

Verna (Host Coordinator), Mary (Ambassador Coordinator), Margi (Club President)

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A week ago we were strangers - tonight we are friends!

Farewell Dance!

We return home to finish packing.  Our bags are now definitely overweight with gifts we have been given and a few purchases.  We bundle about 10 lbs  (22 kilos) up of clothing (heavier jackets, pants, shoes), to send to our hotel in Johannesburg where we will pick them up when we return from Madagascar in a few weeks. Our home host Margi will oversee the shipment of treasures to Johannesburg.  Goodbyes said, bags, packed, seven us will depart in the morning for the next leg of our adventure...a safari in Botswana!

All is Well with the Worrall Travel R's in Cape Town, South Africa 

Cape Town Shanties and Wineries - FF Day 5, March 25, WTRD 9

     Shanties and Wineries

Day 5, Monday, March 25, WTRD 9 

Today is a day of visual contrast between the "Have Nots" and the "Haves".  Those who are poor, uneducated, migrants stuck in sub-standard living conditions, and those who are privileged enough through birth and opportunity to own cars, eat three meals a day, travel the world, and drink fine wine.    But I am personally agonizing between the extremes. Life is not fair, and the stark contrast fills my glass with guilt and empathy for those less fortunate.  Where does one begin with such a huge problem?  How does one stem the tide of class and racial divide?

Our FF travelers drive to the  wine country along sandy-vegetation-covered-dunes. The land is dry, sandy, windblown, and not suitable for life, but this is where the South African poor live.  

Khayelitsha housing developments began in the 1950's,  segregated housing for various racial/economic groups and if you were of a particular class you were forcibly moved into segregated housing developments.  By 1985 with the influx of African immigrants with no jobs or casual work, flooding into South Africa, and overcrowding of the cities, squator "Shanty Towns" of corrugated metal shacks sprang up, covering the inhospitable land outside of the cities and near the Khayelitsha developments for poor Africans for as far as the eye can see.

These people are  crammed into poverty housing with a single shared toilet with five or more families.  Most are without electricity, but some do have minimal electric.  There are also medium type houses for those with a bit more resources, and expensive homes with high security fences to keep out everyone else.  Income and educational  gaps between Have Nots and Haves are wide, and there is no real plan to close the gap.  

The government that was once affluent has been riddled with corruption, overpopulation, dwindling resources, and deteriorating infrastructure and social services, appears to be more of a hindrance than a help.   The contrast is stark and the gap continues to grow between hope and hopelessness. Poverty encourages deviant behavior from those who have no legitimate livelihood.  Drugs and theft are prevalent, and those who can afford to do so build walls around their homes.

We stop at the Spier Winery for wine tasting.  We stroll the manicured grounds to the tasting room and conference facility.  

Along the way, we pass through a lawn gallery of Interactive sound sculpture that hums when you bring your hands up to the sculpture.

Rita from Montana

Helen and Harriet from Cape of Good Hope Friendship Force

When we arrive at the tasting center, we are given several wines to taste with an explanation of each.  Some folks buy bottles of wine.  It is tempting, but too bulky and heavy to go on safari with us, so we give it a pass, but we do buy some silicone re-useable straws.

 Love the Repurposed Plastic Bottle Succulent Sculpture

Conference Center Facilities

Outside of the conference center there is an art an craft market.  We were fascinated by the intricate bead work of some of the sculptures.

Beautiful but too big for our luggage!

Back on the bus we we go to Stellenbosch, second oldest Dutch city where we have time to walk about before lunch.

Robbed in Stellenbosch !!

When we stopped for our walk about, Russ and I wanted to get some local currency.  We went to the bank to get some Rand.  There was a security guard standing by the ATM machines.  Good, it looked safe enough.   We checked the machine to make sure the scanner was attached.  I hovered near Russ on his left side to conceal our transaction and the Security Guard, a short young woman, stood on his right. 

A big burly well dressed guy pushed in between Russ and the security guard and grabbed at our credit card as if he wanted to help us. He looked like he shoved the card into the scanner, and punched a button,  but he had very discreetly palmed the card.   Not knowing this, we nudged him back and told him to go away, the security guard tried to thrust her arms between him and Russ and told him to move away.

Whatever button he pushed disabled the screen, and he was gone with our debit card.  Another security officer came out and told us to call our bank immediately and stop the card. We called our bank within two minutes and cancelled the card.  Bummer!  An incident like this really put a damper on our walkabout and demonstrated how the HAVE NOTS create their own conditions to make a living. The security guard standing outside the bank was either incompetent or in on the scheme.


After our walk and robbed-about, we went to the Spice Route Winery where we enjoyed a terrific meal, and a leisurely stroll around the property visiting the ice cream shop and chocolate shop. 

It was time to go home.  We arrived back in Cape Town about 5:30.  Margi picked us up at the end of our bus ride and drove us home to participate in a dinner party she was hosting.

On our way to Margi’s, Helen needed to stop at her daughter’s home to pick up her potluck contribution. Helen wanted us to meet her daughter and son-in-law.  We went into her home, but only stayed a few minutes for an introduction then had to leave to get to Margi’s. The guests had a arrived before us.   The table was laden with traditional African foods including lamb curry and bobotie, a minced meat dish.

Our Host Margi (Right), and her Sister Anne, (Left)

There were a dozen of us sitting around the table enjoying traditional dishes and enjoying one another’s company.  I was seated in the far corner on a long bench.  I think the party would have gone on longer, but I needed to use the bathroom which required musical chairs.  We pulled the table forward so the opposite side could file out, then pushed the table forward, to give our side time to file out.  Russ and I were the last out.  

By now several others were already in line for the toilet.  Margi led me to the back of the house, and across the courtyard to Anne’s apartment.  By the time I returned, some had sat back down at the table or living room and others were preparing to leave. (10:30 or so).  

It was quite late by the time the house had quieted down and we prepared for bed.

All is Well with the Worrall Travel Rs in Cape Town, South Africa