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In and around Cape Town, we
also explore beyond the urban setting and into the biologically diverse
Cape Floral Kingdom
(one of six in the world) and the
Cape Point Peninsula,
which brings you to the very edge of the continent where fantastic cliffs
split the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Highlights also include a cable car
to the top of Table Mountain and
a ferry to Robben Island,
where Nelson Mandela and other black activists were held for years during
the Apartheid era.
Second Segment
At the end of our time in Cape Town, we fly to Johannesburg and drive about
5 hours into the rural northern
part of the country. The next 6 days of our trip will be based out of
Lajuma Mountain Retreat in the
Soutpansberg area
of the Northern Province (now known as the Limpopo Province) of South
Africa. Located in the northeastern most part of South Africa, most of the
areas that we will be visiting during this time were part of the former
independent homeland of Venda. The area includes many different cultural
groups, such as the Venda, Sotho and Tsonga peoples. The Venda speaking
people, with whom we will be interacting, are rich in history, culture,
language, and religion, and today life is still largely rural, poor, and
centered on tribal traditions. The geographic and biological diversity of
the area is truly unique, with a number of different biomes coming together
in a small area. See
http://www.places.co.za/html/limpopo.html
Our hosts at Lajuma are university professors (one is a biologist, the other
a sociologist with a focus on community health) and owners of a mountainous
area of land that they are helping to protect in cooperation with other
adjacent private reserves. The weather can be dry and hot in the
surrounding areas but often cool and rainy in the mountainous areas, so be
prepared for variable weather. Our accommodations will be basic and rustic,
but clean and safe. See the Lajuma Mountain Retreat web site at the
following URL, but do not expect to be staying in the luxurious chalets that
are pictured:
www.lajuma.com
Through meetings with guest speakers from nearby University of Venda and
other universities, and through site visits, meetings with local cooperative
managers, park officials, traditional healers, community leaders, and a
range of other individuals and groups, students learn about the culture, the
history, the policies, the challenges, and the opportunities that these
people face. This segment of the trip will include a family homestay (just
one night), where two students are paired up with a particular family, and
small group projects. Conditions may vary significantly from family to
family, but be prepared for some new emotional and physical challenges, as
conditions will not be nearly as comfortable and familiar as you are
accustomed to. Your home, for example, may not have electricity and may
have a variety of crawling creatures that come and go as they please.
Special dietary needs will be taken into consideration, but be prepared for
some unusual food.
Please note that destinations and itineraries are likely to change from year
to year, and with our plans to spend 8 to 10 days in Botswana in 2006, we
are likely to cut out some of the Limpopo province travel that we have done
on past trips. |
