Experiencing Cape Town on Foot

Spending a week in Cape Town in a rather dingy hotel that had seen better days in its history was a little of a 'blast from the past' seeing as I went to school there at Wynberg Girls High around 42 years ago. I tried without success to teach the serving staff - if you serve ribs and chips each person at the table needs a steak knife and a bowl with hot water and lemons in it, and no - a communion dunk and wash finger bowl will not do. By the way have you heard of toothpicks? We could use some. Honestly what do they teach waitrons today - poor tourists they must think this is Africa.

The first thing I noticed was the mountain looked the same but the people had changed. I have never in my entire life been approached by so many beggars - and seeing as Cape Town has a lot less humans than Pretoria and Johannesburg leaving one feeling open, relaxed and out of the rat-race, I got the feeling the beggars made up the bulk of the population.

There is a security presence everywhere with their little yellow shirts which should already have rung warning bells for me - who needs to keep on a massive municipal security force to keep the non-beggars safe - if its safe. Ha - but being grey and over 60 means I am also a slow learner at times. These security persons stand around on corners, chatting to each other and texing. My word! - we are raising a nation of people who will never look at the sky again - leaving the beggars free to harass who they liked - and I was a prime target.

Popped into shop to get some cutlery seeing as my self-catering suite had a bread knife, soup ladle and whisk in the drawer - that is all I kid you not. As I headed for the exit I saw a beggar squinting in my direction. He started to go lower and more turned - by the time I got to him he was a total cripple. "Please ma'am help me I am hungry" - "Get away" I yelled out and miracles of miracles he stood up and walked off mumbling under his breath - cured.  

That was not the only healing I saw - sitting on the station waiting for the train and next to me are two girls. One must be around 16 and the other fatter one in her 20's. Laughing and joking and eating sweets and chips.  The train arrives and I get on. A minute later I hear the sound of voices singing an unheard of church hymn - and the next minute here comes the thin girl with a plastic mug leading her 'now blind' friend behind - eyes rolled back and the white showing. I nearly burst out laughing but gave them ten rand for the act. Then as they stepped out of the train - she was healed "hallelujah sister".

However the best was when I walked down Adderly street to the Conference Centre CTICC.
I had this feeling I was being followed. No matter where I walked this girl with a old pants, and army type hat followed me. Eventually she approached me, "Leave me alone" I yelled out. She nearly burst into tears, "I thought you were a Librarian and going to the Conference, I am lost".  I felt so bad, gave her a hug and showed her the way. You never know when the next beggar is an angel.