Tourist Destination Cape Town

For those of you who haven’t had the chance to visit Cape Town: It’s an amazing tourist destination! It offers something for everyone. Below are the activities that I have participated in:

Robben Island – Not very exciting, but a “historical must”. The island houses the prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in imprisonment and many other political prisoners were held there as well. One of them gave us the tour of the prison.

Cage Diving – This is very likely "the" highlight of this trip. Being inches away from great white sharks is just amazing. In one case, one of the sharks even bit the cage, and I’m very happy not to have been in the cage at that time ;) Unfortunately, I took several pictures with an under-water camera, and have not developed the film yet (when was the last time you had to develop a film???) so the pictures I am sharing are a few of the ones I took from the boat.

Table Mountain – Breathtaking views from the top of the mountain! Given that the table is “flat” on top, one can walk around and get pretty close to a 360 degree view.

Canal Walk & Tyger Valley – Both malls are serious competition for any mall in the US. I still think the Galleria in Houston is #1, but I find these malls are more “modern”.

Garden Route – Due to bad weather and plenty of construction, we spent a whole day driving. Views are nice (here and there “spectacular”), but overall, I feel it’s overrated. However, if we wouldn’t have made the trip out here, we would have missed out on the following:

Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Center – They house different types of cats, but for me the highlights were the Cheetahs. We were allowed to play with two of them… We had the option of also going on a walk with Cheetahs, but decided against it, given other priorities. Handling Cheetahs was another major highlight of this trip!

Monkeyland – Not quite up to expectations, as they didn’t have “big monkeys”, but something to do nonetheless.

Please note that these activities are just a “fraction” of what there is to do around here.

Enjoy the pictures:

The former political prisoner that gave us the tour of the prison at Robben Island

Cage Diving among Great White Sharks

We were told that on average they were roughly 4 meters, which is more than double my size

A view of Table Mountain and part of the city from the way to Robben Island

Views from the top

Pointing out where I'd like to be next year - inside the stadium :)

Canal Walk food court with huge TV

Canal Walk from the outside

A fully grown Cheetah at Tenikwa

Azadeh petting a Cheetah - I'm proud of her :)

A cat nibbling on me

Monkeyland

Mom taking care of baby

King Julien

South Africa - First Impression

So we finally made it to South Africa, with our expectations through the roof. They were so high, that S.A. was bound to disappoint us, and sure enough … it did … at least initially.

Not So Good Start

Days before the trip, Interlink Airlines cancelled our flight, which caused us to have to spend a day in Jo’burg, and also caused us to spend roughly $300 more on a hotel in Cape Town for spending one night less. Note to self – Do NOT book with Interlink ever again – After this happened to us, I heard similar stories from others about their Interlink experiences in South Africa. Second note to self: Don’t trust that the Hotels.com agent knows what s/he is doing. If he (in this case it was a guy) was following proper procedures, we wouldn’t have had to pay $300 more. However, we couldn’t “prove” that the agent didn’t follow procedures (I assume I need to start recording conversations to ensure proper customer service), and hence we had the option of cancelling our booking free of charge, which would cost us significantly more on another hotel, or we could accept the offer of roughly $300 in different forms of discounts and an apology, but still pay $300 more than originally planned for staying a night less. Hotels.com – Usually, they are pretty good, if not excellent, but this time they did BAD, REALLY BAD.

Awesome Scenery & Good Food

Now, to the bright side – From what we’ve seen, Johannesburg and Cape Town are not really Africa as I would have imagined. These two cities (not sure what the rest of the country is like) are extremely developed, and seem to be a cross between Europe and the US. Cape Town, in particular, reminds me of a cross between San Diego (La Jolla in particular) and Laguna Beach. It offers absolutely breathtaking views, especially because Table Mountain is on one side, and amazing beaches on the other.

We plan on participating in several activities, and hopefully I’ll be able to write about them in my next post. So far, I can tell you that it felt good visiting good restaurants after a looong time:

Zorba’s: Nice Steak and Seafood House – After the appetizer (Great calamari - likely the best I’ve had), I enjoyed a 400g steak with potatoes and Mushroom sauce. It’s been a long time, and it was NICE.

Quay 4: Nice Fish & chips and nice location – Usually fish & chips are nothing to write home about, but in this case it is J

Next on the list is sushi – likely tomorrow night.

Lessons Of Zambia

I must say that I miss Zambia very much, and I can tell that Zambia has taught me several lessons. Here are a few of them:

Appreciation for food – I take special care not to waste food after seeing and spending time with people who are unable to eat “regularly”.

Patience – We planned on visiting Robben Island yesterday – the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for the great majority of his imprisonment – and the company cancelled the trip due to “wind”, which resulted in several hundred people forming a line to either reschedule or to get a refund. “Pre-Zambia” I would have gone through the roof – We wasted a few hours waiting for the trip, then standing in line for an hour or so to go on the trip, and finally standing in line for another hour or so to get a refund. I was quite amazed at myself of how I have become much more patient.

Appreciation for luxuries in life – Let’s face it – although I am disappointed with the “logistical parts of the trip” – flight, hotel & rental car – I am more than grateful for being able to enjoy such a vacation. Further, I actually appreciate the “little things in life” such as freeways and smooth roads for example.

I Miss Zambia!

From what we have seen so far, I must say that I find the people of Zambia MUCH more friendly, relaxed, open and hospitable. I wonder whether that has to do with the fact that South Africa is a more developed nation, or with historic events, or...

Further, we have been told that South Africa is “the” place to go shopping in Africa, and Azadeh got very excited about that. Once we arrived, we noticed that a lot of similar and sometimes even the same items (clothes, books, arts & crafts,…) are much more expensive than in Zambia. From bookstores in malls to arts and crafts markets, the difference in price is tremendous, often double or more (especially for arts and crafts, but also for books). However, the one benefit of having visited the arts and crafts market here in Cape Town is seeing the “Egg Man” in Green Market Square. He is a guy from Benin that I read about on the plane. He is one of the attractions not unlike the naked cowboy is in New York. Rather than being naked, this guy is known for his headwear – 22 pounds from what I remember.

Here are some pictures we took in the last few days:

The view from our original hotel room

Me & The Chief

Beauty in a beautiful place!!

Nice Scenery

Does this remind you of Laguna Beach?

Getting ready for 2010!!!

Mr. Egg Man in Cape Town

Freedom vs. Law & Order

Based on my limited experience, many people, from all over, and especially from the US, think that the US is the “freest” country in the world. In certain ways this may be true, but I certainly feel “freer” here.

Although different examples come to mind, for simplicity’s sake, I will use traffic regulation: It is not unheard of that American police officers, only “warn” certain individuals, and “cite” others for the same offense. However, I have yet to hear of anybody offering a bribe to an officer for driving offenses. As a contrast, from what I hear (thankfully not experienced), this is a “standard” way of life here. I have been told that it generally costs 50 pin (50,000 Kwacha, at the current exchange rate, a little over $10) to get out of a citation. Keep in mind that 50 pin is quite a bit of money for most of the population, especially if one person were to receive 50 pin from several people on a daily basis. The key is that the same amount of money is worth a lot more to one party than it does to another.

In a similar way, traffic light and speeding cameras are quite common in the States, although different States have different laws in that respect. Here, these cameras don’t exist. Therefore, it is not unusual for people to run red lights, and much less to stop for stop signs.

As a result, yes, I am “freer” here, because I feel that I can do anything I want to, and if I have trouble I can either pay my way out of it, or see if I know people who know people. The obvious concern, however, is that this same “freedom” can lead to plenty of accidents and cause hardship not only for the person causing the accident, but (mainly) for the victims and their loved ones.

Also, the freedom that I experience here, the majority of locals cannot enjoy. Not many people can pay 50 pin on a regular basis in order to be able to drive the way they want to. As a result, it is not only not right to be “free”, but it’s also not “fair”.

In order for “fairness” to exist, a big effort has to be made to support the desired behavior through proper systems, and then, more importantly, the system has to be properly enforced, in a way that no one individual can bypass it.

In conclusion, do I feel “freer” here, than anywhere else I have lived? Yes. Is that a good thing? No! That is because laws and regulations are needed and should be applied to everyone equally in order for a society to flourish. For example, I strongly believe that in the US anyone with a good idea can start a business and become tremendously successful. One significant reason for that is the existence of plenty of laws and regulations with respect to fairness; Businesses are controlled in different ways: from their size (antitrust) to “basic rights” of employees (anti discrimination policies or minimum wage for example). Further, corruption of the system is a minor concern (at least at the lower level that I see on a day to day basis).

The main purpose of this post is to emphasize what we already know. Too much of anything is not good, including too much freedom. The key in life remains moderation in everything!

I noticed that I haven’t shared any pictures lately, so here are a few. Please note that they are unrelated to the post above. Enjoy!

Entrance to my favorite Chinese Restaurant in Lusaka - It's inside a warehouse, literally

PowerDeepening Lusaka - Color Theme: Black & White

Pretty - the "guard" dog - As one of my coworkers would say: "How i'm going to do without her?"

My first farm experience - it was quite educational!

The field

The water hose

The product

The packaged product - waiting to be sowed up

After a hard day's work... steak dinner...

... for everyone!

Safety of Zambia

Update on us:

We officially pushed our departure date forward by about three weeks. Initially, we were supposed to be here in Lusaka until December 1, but then British Airways cancelled our flight. Even though I used to work for an airline, I am getting worried about our return trip. I have a feeling that they are going to find some sort of excuse to give us trouble and charge us for something. They already charged us $190 because the return date that THEY selected for us did not work for us.

Topic of the week:

On Tuesday I published a post sharing my views about the current Aid system. However, influential loved ones have asked me to remove that post. Although I am a strong believer in consultation and sharing of opinions, I decided to replace that post to make certain people happy. So here is the replacement:

While doing research about life in Lusaka, before my arrival, I read about certain guidelines related to safety. Some of them advised not to be out when it’s dark. Others advised not to be flashy. I also made sure that I have at least a hundred pin (100,000 Kwacha, which is now a little over $20) on me in the beginning, so I am “prepared” in case I were to be mugged. The theory goes that if you give them what they are looking for, they’ll be happy and leave you alone. If, on the other hand, you don’t have money, they may think that you are hiding money, and hurt you (or worse) in an effort to collect that money. I was also advised to keep some money at home, so in case of a burglary we could keep the robbers happy. In the London airport, I even took off my watch and a ring in an effort not to stand out upon arrival.

Hopefully, I am not jinxing myself with this post, but to date, I have yet to hear about any significant crimes not to mention falling victim to any. I stopped carrying significant amounts of money with me, and I stopped keeping money at the house within days of arrival. Thinking back on what I did in the London airport is now a perfect example of prejudgment, and falling into the fear trap.

I must say that I feel extremely comfortable here with respect to safety, maybe even too comfortable. I feel perfectly fine being out at night, even though it was a big adjustment in the beginning, given the almost non-existent lighting. I also feel perfectly comfortable walking (almost) anywhere during the day. The only time I was somewhat uncomfortable, and would have been very uncomfortable if I were on my own, was the day we took a field trip to see street children in the inner city. However, even that was very safe and comfortable comparing to similar areas in the US. Other than that, I feel pretty secure pretty much anywhere, including compounds where most of the locals live.

Also, with respect to a lot of diseases, the story is similar. Azadeh and I spent around $500 getting various vaccines, and to date we take malaria medication for peace of mind. Do I feel more at risk of Hepatitis here than in the States? No. Do I feel at risk of getting malaria? No. Am I taking medication for it? Yes, but only because it is very inexpensive here- roughly $2 per pill to be taken once a week, compared to $40 (!!!!) per pill in the US. I am still at risk of malaria, even though I am taking medication, but the theory is that if I were to get it, it will likely be milder than normal.

I am trying to think why many publications want to inflict fear. Is it because that sells? Is it so they rid themselves of responsibilities if something were to happen? Do they not want us to travel?

Of course I did not know what to expect before arriving, so I fell prey to a lot of the negativity, and made some decisions based on that. Disclaimer: Common sense applies here as much as it does anywhere else! :)

I hope that all loved ones are more comfortable with this post, and I hope that, at the same time, this post was interesting to you, the readers.

A Good Week for "Mr. Sam"

Last week (and a half) was quite eventful, in different ways. It started out with an introduction to Ultimate Frisbee. When a friend invited me, I thought that it would be fun to try something new. Well, it was fun. I met a good group of people, and learned a new game. However, it was also disappointing. It clearly showed how out of shape I really am, despite my claims of “exercising”. That prompted me to get serious about my weight and my health again. Needless to say, I started to exercise more intensely, and I started to watch what I eat again. In a way it feels good, but it’s also hard, as my “switch” means that I won’t be able to continue to “spoil my belly” (that means that I can’t enjoy the catered food at work anymore).

As I am writing this, I am feeling very sore. On Saturday, I went for a run and worked out in the morning, and played quite a bit of ping pong in the evening. Playing table tennis was fun, as I haven’t done that in ages. For those of you who haven’t played: You’d be surprised how much you sweat once you get into it.

Last week was also a week of firsts. Surprise, surprise, I put in a solid week at work. I worked from 8-6 with an hour break for lunch, and no access to my own laptop. I hope to be able to write more about this at a later date. Next, it was the first time I got a shave at the salon. My “rough look” prompted my “stylist” to attempt to up-sell me. For 10 pin (a little over $2) extra, I could not resist. Finally, (Mom, I think someone is ringing the door bell) I rode a motorcycle for the first time in my life. (Mom, don’t worry, I’m OK). I must admit, it was FUN!

Finally, another month is coming to an end, as is evidenced by the monthly market at the Dutch Reform Church. I learned that the market dates back to the 1930s. Amazing, isn’t it? What’s also amazing is that several of the vendors know me by name now. Everywhere I go, I hear “Mr. Sam, Mr. Sam”. It’s interesting that they actually pronounce it more like the Austrians than the Americans. I’m not sure that the vendors’ knowing me is a good thing. I’ve been buying too much stuff. It has gotten to the point where I get mbasela ("bonuses"). I look at it as another way of supporting the local economy. A couple of weeks ago I went to a place where some of these crafts are made. Watching these pieces of art in the process, makes it hard to “negotiate”, especially when one knows that the few dollars difference makes a much bigger difference in the life of the vendor, than in the purchaser’s life.

Detachment - The Hidden Lesson

Living in Lusaka has taught me a LOT. First and foremost, as I described in the last post, I have seen the life of economically less fortunate people, which has been a true eye opener. On a more positive note, I am experiencing a different lifestyle, I am experiencing a new culture, I am making new friends, and I am part of an NGO that helps people in need. I am having fun going on trips, and seeing lots of “stuff” such as wild animals, the Victoria Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in the world (largest per water volume I believe), Lake Kariba, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world and much, much more. To top it off, my “current” level of responsibility reminds me of my childhood. Not only do I not have to worry about how to put bread on the table, I barely have to worry about dishes, as we have a maid that comes three times a week. Life couldn’t get any better than this, right?

Well, being here also has a “hidden benefit”, a test of detachment. The longer I stay here, the more difficult the test becomes, showing my “addiction” to the material world that I am “used to”. Although the paragraph above makes this country sound like the place to be, life here is very different from life in the US, especially from Orange County, California.

First and foremost, I miss family and friends. I miss a good internet connection, where checking email does not take 45 min. I miss our home – I told myself that I am NOT going to write about electricity and water this week :). Believe it or not, I actually miss work! I miss making money, and feeling productive. I do work every now and then here, but the definition of “productive” in Zambia is not even close to being the same as the definition of “productive” in a struggling industry in California. I miss “regular” things to do ("regular" as in excluding trips), especially on weekends. From what I see, everything other than night clubs, shuts down around 10:00 pm. Even for a “non-party animal” like me, having a 10:00 pm curfew seems somewhat odd. Azadeh and I have been watching a lot of movies lately. I miss good restaurants - no offense to the restaurant owners here, but there’s just no comparison, no sushi bars, no Mexican food, no good seafood, and most importantly, no Persian restaurants. I miss my car. Finally, I miss…. ROCKPORT!!!

For the Orange County readers: Of course I miss the following as well: I miss being minutes away from Laguna Beach, Super Irvine, and Wholesome Choice. I miss “malls” such as the Spectrum or South Coast Plaza (wonder when Cartier or Versace will open branches in Lusaka ?!) I miss being within driving distance of Mexico, San Diego, LA and Vegas (think shows and concerts and not gambling :) ). I miss my banker (believe it or not, I sent him an email last week).

I realize that most of the items I listed above fall under the materialistic category of life, and that has made me conscious of my “attachment” to the material world. If I wouldn’t be here (for a significant amount of time), I would have never noticed this condition, and would have continued to think that I am “pretty detached” from the material world. Now my eyes are open (at least not completely closed anymore), and I am actively trying to combat this challenge. I hope to be able to live a detached life in moderation when I get back to the US. I hope to be able to appreciate the privileges of my life more, without forgetting the less privileged people I have seen here.

Living On A Dollar A Day - What a LUXURY!

A few weeks after experiencing what is likely to be our “touristy highlight” in South Luangwa, I believe it is safe to say that last week we experienced our “emotional highlight”. A small group of us had the privilege of going on a trip to visit the beneficiaries of PCI and PCI-partner programs. We had several stops, and below is a summary of the three most memorable visits. Unfortunately, words can only describe the situation, they cannot transfer feelings, but I’ll try.

As most of you know, the HIV/AIDS rate is rampant around here. Some estimates put areas of Lusaka at 20% and even above – That means 1 in 5 people is infected. Let’s assume that is extremely exaggerated, and reduce that rate by 50%, even then, 1 in 10 people is infected. Of course that is not the only killer. Healthcare is a serious problem here, and there are more problems all over…

Family #1

I was busy playing with the kids when our guide described the situation, but what I got out of it is that 10 people – 9 kids and 1 adult - live in a room that is about 10 feet x 10 feet (assumption: 1 foot = the size of my shoe) without any windows, without electricity, without running water – just a room made of 4 brick walls, a roof, and a door. In 2002, I shared a 5 bedroom house in San Diego with 4 other people (temporarily 5 other people). I cannot imagine living with double the number of people in less than 1/20th of the space. I can’t speak from experience, but I assume living in a US jail would be considered luxury when compared to living around here.

Family #2

To a parent, I assume the most hurtful tragedy that can happen is the death of a child. Now, assume that you had 6 children, and that out of those 4 died, and 1 is critically ill. Further, assume that before they passed, each of the now dead children had children of their own, and that you and your spouse are now 100% responsible for your grandchildren. That is precisely what happened to a grandmother we visited. The youngest child she cares for is an infant, and it is HIV positive. Of course grandma, grandpa and (I believe 6) grandkids live in a very small home. For some grandmas out there, taking care of children would be fun, and for others it’s a reality. However, I hope that none of you grandparents out there have to “break rocks” for a living. This grandma does that for the family’s sole income. She goes out, finds big pieces of rocks, and then breaks them into small pieces. She mentioned that she sells a wheel barrel full of those rocks for 4 pin (=4,000 Kwacha = approximately $0.80). It has happened before that she only sells one wheel barrel per month, we’re told. Imagine what a “luxury” a dollar a day means to her. Meanwhile, I used to belong to a gym in Southern California, where I paid over $4 a day. This grandmother is one of the true heroes of this world.

Family #3

The word “family” is somewhat misleading here, but given that the people we visited don’t have anyone else, I still find it appropriate. We visited inner city street children. Our “guides” for this trip were a large group of outreach workers, who are helping these kids to get off the streets. Many of these helpers previously lived on the streets themselves, and have come a very long way. On the way to the beneficiaries, we had to pass through areas of town that I would certainly not cross by myself, and therefore, I did not dare to take out my camera – sorry!

Some of the kids (mostly teens) were high (I believe from sniffing glue) and all of them were dirty. We heard that some of the kids are sometimes violent, but my experience was that they are nice, and very excited to talk to us. In conversation with them, I found that a couple of them seemed smart, and a couple even seemed somewhat educated. The stories of how they ended up on the streets and why they are still on the streets are not very pleasant – obviously. One particular kid lost both parents and lived with his uncle, who regularly threatened to poison the boy. At one point the teen couldn’t handle it anymore and ran away.

Going on these trips was a true eye-opener for me, especially, when I compare it with life in Orange County, California. A good friend of mine lives in a nice condo in Irvine, and in the parking lot of his towers are several (!!!) Ferraris, Bentleys, and even a couple of Rolls Royces. I wonder how many people here can be helped with just the money it costs to insure these cars.

I hope that when I return to the States, I will not forget these trips. I hope to be able to keep these experiences with me for the rest of my life.



It's not unusual to see kids taking care of kids


A home for 10 people!!



Hero Grandmother



Goods the grandmother sells - broken rocks