I have never been surrounded by so much contrast in my life. The five star hotels next to the crumbling shacks, the expensive bars and the poorest beggars, the cleanest streets and the saddest homeless men, the preppiest school children and the skinniest starving kids. As the beautiful structures and grand entrances of buildings amaze me, within seconds I am taken back to the reality of the world that is still Cape Town. For example, during my walk near the market by long street, directly behind a five star hotel, within a few hundred feet, lie shacks built of scrap material most likely obtained from someone else’s garbage.
From dawn till dusk, we are in contradicting worlds. As we wave goodbye to the security guard of our cozy and comfortable apartments in the mornings, within seconds we pass homeless men and women peeking from underneath their blankets due to the beautiful sunrise behind Table Mountain. During our first pass by- a women was peeling away a cast on her leg, piece by piece. Here I am complaining that I have a soar throat because the heat could of been higher..
In the evenings, we may go dancing at a club. I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between any of the clubs here and any of the clubs at home. The ones here are sometimes even nicer. The same frat-boy music is often blasting, the same vodka and red bull cocktails, the same creepy men, and of course dance moves make me feel as though I am home again. As we leave the club to go home, within seconds of us stepping out of the venue, beggers of all ages (as young as 14 or 15) are standing there asking for coins. Within minutes of flashy lights and Lady Gaga, we find ourselves amongst 100 pound boys that are begging for pocket change, obviously looking ill from hunger or drugs or both.
As my adventures in Cape Town begin, I’m excited to explore and understand this world in South Africa.
