Guguletu and Nyanga by Mike

During the time in which South Africa was governed with the policies enforced through apartheid, blacks and coloreds were forcefully removed from their homes in major city-centers to townships located further away from downtown areas. In Cape Town, two specific townships that we have spent time in on our trip have been Nyanga and Guguletu.

The first township that we visited was Nyanga. We had lunch one of our first days in Cape Town prepared by Ivy at her brother, Andrew's house. While in Nyanga, the first thing that I noticed about the neighborhood was the sense of community that hovered over the area. We saw kids playing in the streets and adults sitting nearby conversing. This is a stark difference from neighborhoods in the suburbs where families tend to keep to themselves. The kids were quick to run up and want to play games with us and everyone was extremely welcoming.

In Guguletu, we had dinner at a well-known meat restaurant, Mzoli's. The way that it was set up was that there was a butcher shop in the front where you could pick out what meat you wanted to eat and then as you walked through, there were numerous grills before hitting the patio area where everyone was dining. The setting was very informal, comfortable. Loud music blasted from the DJ booth and families and friends gathered around large tables to accommodate guests. In my opinion, the meat was no less than stellar; it was rich in traditional South African seasonings and extremely filling.

Emily with one of the little girls who came to greet us at lunch in Nyanga.

Meat on the grill at Mzoli's.

-Mike