Snapshots of Cape Town 1

Snapshots of Cape Town 1. 11/05/10
From our window, we see a big ship which has been grounded for months. The waves are busy about the stern and we wonder how much longer it will remain afloat.
The tugboat emerges from the harbour and pulls alongside a container ship. We see how big the container ship is by the perspective of the smaller vessel.
We look again and the smaller boat has gone.
‘It’s tuggered-off, Beverly,’ says. I laugh a long time at this one.
This morning, the traffic to the church was slowed to a crawl as a bus had broken down on the main road reducing the traffic to one lane. This gives us time to see a couple of cars decorated with South African flags for the football. They are stretchy flags over the external mirrors and we want some immediately. Beverly christens them: ‘mirror snoods.’
After Bible class, we drive with Andre to his house and have tea with Nola and Graham, newly landed from England. It’s so lovely to see him. We sit alongside spiritual giants.
We navigate our careful way to Canal Walk. The route is lovely with the mixtures of Cape Town: traffic, colour, palm trees, beautiful buildings, Mercedes building with its big logo on the roof and Table, closer here, but hiding in the clouds today.
We go in the mirrored lift to the top floor of the shopping centre. There are six people, but it’s like being with a football crowd.
In the offices of Iburst, the internet provider, the helpful lady lets me use her computer to download a bank statement from First Direct which we need to prove our credit worthiness. She is happy to accept our Luddendenfoot address in England as our main place of residence.
Coffees at Mugg and Bean. Woolworths. Checkers for chakalaka. (Tomato and onion dressing.) Yum! Hot and spicy. Nicey!
We go looking for mirror snoods, but they have sold out. We find instead some very long postcards for sending home and a key ring.
The manager of the Christian bookshop in Canal Walk goes to Hillsongs, Cape Town. They are dreaming of having the football stadium after the world cup for services. It is a dramatic venue.
We sit in traffic behind an estate car with its rear window up. A group of Africans share a cigarette inside. Next to us is a pick-up with another group of road workers in the back. Hooded and cold, they joke with one another, swap insults and pretend to start a fight with the group in the car. They vie for position with one another as the traffic shuffles down to Paddocks.
Home and a Michael Douglas film you’d expect to see screened at 10pm is on at 5.30pm.
Sky News and the sound is not lip-synched for some reason. It gives the hung parliament a special quality of delay.
I go to post the blog in the hotel lobby. It’s decorated now with flags of every country. The South African one is on the wall behind reception, the receptionist in yellow jersey. Not long now until kick-off.