Because we had just returned from our safari the day before and the ship offered a complimentary shuttle to the Hemmingway's Shopping Center, we decided to take it. We wrongly assumed that the shopping center would be in the center of the city because that was where anything of any interest was. After leaving the port, we were soon on an expressway to an upscale mall where the prices were expensive. Sara gave the mall experience about 45 minutes before we decided to find a cab to take us to Queen's Park that offered a small zoo and botanical gardens. When we went to the basement of the mall to use the restrooms, Ken started a conversation with a couple who had brought their young son to the mall to target shoot. When we asked what would be best to do in East London, the woman told us that the beaches on the other side of the river where they lived were beautiful. She also warned us not to take a cab because the cabs were "dark." It took us several beats to realize what she was trying to tell us was the cab drivers were black, and they spendtmore money on the cab's stereo equipment than they did on the cab. The couple offered to drive us to Queen's Park but they were not sure how we would get back to the dock. Because the route seemed to be out of their way, we graciously declined their offer.
Not sure what to do, we saw Audrey waiting for Mel to come out of the restroom. When we told her we planned to take a cab to the park, she suggested that we all go together because we had enjoyed our experience in the Seychelles so much. Mel said he would like to use the computer in the Internet Cafe to confirm their plans for when they would leave the ship in Cape Town. So the three of us went up to a cafe on the ground level where we ordered a bucket of six Castle beers and French fries. When Mel joined us and we finished our refreshments, he asked for 20 minutes to look for a shirt. When he had not returned in a half-hour, Audrey said that he would have to pay for that. Five minutes later Mel approached us asking for Audrey's opinion on a shirt he liked but that needed alternations. So we all followed Mel to Truworth's Department Store, similar to Macy's in the U.S., and agreed he should buy the shirt. Then we asked a clerk at the information center where we could get a taxi.
When we exited the mall where the clerk directed us, we were in a parking garage. Mel approached a man, who was getting ready to load groceries in his car, who basically told us that we could not get to the cabs from where we were and asked us where we wanted to go. He told us that he could take us to Queen's Park because it was on his way home so we accepted his offer. Etieene van Rensburg, manager of the ASAP Properties with four employees, has a father who lives with his second wife and three children 10 miles from where Audrey and Mel live in Vancouver--small world. He earned a master's degree in religion in Durban, but now calls himself an agnostic because he learned too much, before he returned to East London where his mother lived. As we entered the expressway, he suggested that we not go to the park but rather let him give a tour of what makes East London East London. Sounded good to us.
First we drove through some neighborhoods where the wealthy people live. Then we toured middle-class and lower-class neighborhoods. After that we saw a black neighborhood and Etieene explained to us the difference between black and colored, with the colored people being of mixed origin when the Dutch came to South Africa in 1662 and intermingled with the native tribe. Then he drove us through the neighborhood that we know no one else from the ship visited, Duncan Village, a squatters' settlement of people from the less developed areas who lived in make-shift shacks with tin roofs. Two or three families live in each shack, which is one of the reasons for the high rate of HIV. When Ken asked about where the squatters went to the toilet, Etieene explained that there was a communal bathroom for about every 10 shacks. Unfortunately, the last president of South Africa did not think that the treatment of HIV-AIDs was necessary. Some claim his lack of action was a form of genocide.
Under the Apartheid government, whites and blacks were separated for education, and this system has not yet been corrected. The blacks with money have moved into the white school districts so their children receive a good education. Etieene related that the black teachers in the black schools send their children to the white schools. While a lot of money is being spent on education, it's not going to the schools but into someone's pocket. The educators have the biggest union in the country but the literacy rate is low. While many changes are taking place in South Africa, a few at the top are the ones who are receiving the benefits.
Etieene then drove us into the center city where we thought all the tourist attractions would be. At the markets, lots of life was going on but the four of us would have stuck our like the proverbial sore thumb. Our impromptu tour guide told us no one should walk around there with cellphones, jewelry or cameras. Later, we learned that a passenger from the ship was waiting downtown while his wife was looking at jewelry when he sensed something behind him. When he put his hand in his pocket to check for his wallet, he felt another hand there--not a good feeling. Fortunately, the would-be mugger ran away. There was a reason why the Pacific Princess wanted its passengers at the safe, upscale, lily-white, suburban mall. Etieene had an interesting theory on way the crime rate was high, especially in Johannesburg, South Africa's wealthiest city that we are now not sure that we would want to visit. He thinks that once people have tasted wealth, they want it and are willing to steal and kill for it. People who have never experienced what money can buy do not know what they might be missing.
When we asked Etieene about the city's cultural activities, he explained that until recently the city lacked academic institutions but now several black universities, including the University of Fort Hare, were creating campuses there, which should lead to more theater and art. Our tour of the main street in downtown East London, Oxford Road, included City Hall, which is very British in design; the building that houses the local newspaper, the Dispatch, which looks like it could be in New Orleans; and a former Pontiac dealership that had maintained its Indian head sign. The stores on Oxford Road had closed at 1 p.m. because it was Saturday. Off the main street was the bright yellow ASAP building of Etieene's company.
East London is heavily dependent on Mercedes Benz that built it first plant outside of Germany there. This plant has earned the highest level of quality from the company. Etieene pointed out that the ship next to the Pacific Princess in the port was a ship loaded with Mercedes Benz for export. Unfortunately, the city's residents do not receive a discount should they buy a vehicle,
After two hours of acting as our personal tour guide, Etieene returned us to the port so we could walk to the ship. When we tried to pay him, he refused. We gave him our business cards and invited him to visit us. Audrey promised to contact his father when they returned to Vancouver. Etieene, who has never visited his father in British Columbia, told us that he would really like to travel to Cuba to see the world's smallest bird, the bee hummingbird, before he dies or it dies. We told him that we hoped to be able to visit Cuba someday because its only 90 miles from Key West.
Once on the ship, Ken decided to spend time at the pool while Sara started working on the blog. At about 4 p.m., she heard music coming from outside. In front of the ship was a band with horns and drums that entertained the passengers. Once again, a day that we thought would be ordinary turned into extraordinary. Mel believes that he has angels watching over him because things like this happen to him frequently. Maybe we are pretty lucky, too. We are really going to miss Audrey and Mel when disembark in Cape Town.
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