Changing our plans on the fly has been something we have quickly realized will be a regular occurrence. We knew it, expected it, but it still a bit difficult to manage when it happens in real time. There are a long list of things we would like to see and do in various place, but sometimes the timing and the situation doesn't allow for plans to be carried out as designed. Here in South Africa it is easy to be a tourist. The people are friendly, public transportation runs on time, and of course everyone speaks English, at least in the touristy areas we have visited. The countries and sites we are traveling to this upcoming year will not quite be as welcoming.
In the morning, we headed over to the Gardens Shul (the Yiddish word for synagogue), the first ever synagogue in South Africa to learn a bit about how and when the community began in SA, as well as what it looks like today. On the grounds of the synagogue sits the Jewish Museum and the Holocaust, which we decided not to enter. The museum presented the southbound migration of Ashkenazi Jews from Germany and England in the early 1800's followed by the Lithuanian and Latvian Jews a century later. There were entire sections dedicated to the Jews who helped mine and excavate diamonds and gold from regions all over southern Africa. We were not previously aware that De Beers was actually founded by two Jews who had changed their last names to assimilate into South African society.
Also there were wooden shacks that showed what life was like for Jewish immigrants who recently moved to South Africa in the 19th century. We had a good ol' time playing dress up like characters from Fiddler on the Roof.
From the museum we walked a mile towards a colorful neighborhood by the name of Bo Kaap. Originally built for Malaysian and Indonesia Muslim slaves, the neighborhood has transformed over the years into a tourist destination. Following the liberation from slavery, the homeowners painted their newly acquired permanent homes in a variety of colors as form of expression, as they were only allowed to wear drab colored clothing prior as slaves.
At this point the day threw us a curveball. We had a bit of a late start, and our plans for visiting certain places were falling apart. Conveniently next to Bo Kaap is Avis car rentals, and by chance, we were able to pick up our car one day earlier than booked. It is interesting to note that due to the water crisis in South Africa, specifically the Cape Town area, Avis will not wash the exteriors of their cars.
On almost all of our travels, Nadine is usually the driver. She loves driving. Also she can drive stick. Aside from brushing up against a curb in Cyprus, love tapping a bumper in Sicily, and killing two birds in Greece, we are incident free! As in Cyprus, Malta and all formed British colonies, South African drives on the left side of the road, right side of the car. It takes a while to getting adjusted to the changes. To turn left, it's a sharp left, while turning to the right requires driving around the lane immediately to the right.
However, on this trip, there is no time to practice. Immediately upon receiving the car, we headed off for a beautiful two hours drive to the Cape Peninsula. Regarded as arguably the most beautiful drive in the world, Nadine delicately yet masterfully winded her way through Chapman's Peak.
Midway down the peninsula we stopped to visit the Boulders Penguin Colony!!
Finally we arrived at the Cape of Good Hope...but we are cheap and didn't want to pay nearly 50 bucks to get in. Next time.
On the side of the road we saw one of the strangest road signs...followed by a visit from a friendly local.
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