I fulfilled a childhood fantasy today. I took a charter boat out to Shark Alley off the Cape and saw Great White sharks up close. The afternoon trip was not everything it might have been – only a few sharks and lots of waiting – but I did see sharks of 12-15 feet long thrusting their jaws out to capture the bait.
When we went into the shark cage, unfortunately no sharks came. They seemed to know when we were in the boat and when we weren’t. I think we got some good snapshots, though. I’ll post them when I’ve developed them and can get to a scanner.
Lest you think that all I’m doing is touring, that’s not (completely) true. We have met with a couple of women that deal with AIDS support groups and nutritional counseling as well as a retired coloured farm hand and his family ( The Old Man ). He had a smile from ear to ear, deep smile wrinkles, and not a tooth in his head. He is a fabulous gardener, but never had the opportunity under Apartheid to own any of the land he farmed.
We’ve also visited a couple of townships, and will be seeing many more. My biggest surprise is the range of different types of townships and the different lifestyles of the people. In general, they are incredibly poor communities, making do the best they can. They are quite orderly, if not safe. Alcoholism and rape are common problems, but there is a quiet, desperate dignity to much of it.
