Somerset West

This weekend Lane and I had the ability for a completely new experience in Africa. It seems like around every corner there is always something new. While I am ready to come home, I love the fact that I am not done here. I have only scratched the surface on the complexities of life here in South Africa and now that I understand the basics, a completely new world is available. Anyways, this weekend was great. We went to visit a white Afrikaans speaking family. My dad has a coworker that was originally from South Africa. He volunteered his family if we needed anything while in Africa. Well I contacted them about some suggestions for travel. After that, we stayed in contact and asked us to come and spend a weekend with them. They live in a suburb of Cape Town called Somerset West. It is primarily a Afrikaans area. The scenery is spectacular and the area hosts some of the biggest wine country for the whole of South Africa.

Yolanda, her husband Jaque, and their three year-old daughter Lia came to meet us on Saturday morning. They were kind enough to pick us up from our residence and take us all over the greater Cape Town area. They wanted to show us what they considered the must see events in the area. They first took us to a winery called Fairview, that also had goats and made their own cheese. It was really funny because Lane had just been complaining about the cheese that they had in the supermarket. We don’t really shop at the high end supermarkets and all the cheese that isn’t imported is cleverly named cheese. I many ways it sort of resembles plastic. Needless to say, when the West’s said that real goat cheese was involved, Lane was all in. The cheese was very good and we got to look at the goats. Lia would run around and look at the fish in the pond. She was very cute. She only spoke Afrikaans so I did not know what she was saying most of the time but it was fun to watch her run around and look at the fish and the goats and things. She is an active little girl. Also, quite awkward, at the same place I ran into my professor for my last final in African studies. It was really awkward because he is a very …interesting guy…and it just seemed like hypocrisy. He talked a lot about privilege so it seemed weird that he was spending his weekend in a place of lots of privilege. For sure it was a pleasant time for the most part and the weather couldn’t be better.

Next on our tour of the greater Cape Town area was a Lion Park (really a sanctuary). They rescue lions from game parks and zoos or wherever they are being mistreated. They are very clear to say that they don’t believe in domestic breeding of lions of hand-held captivity. It was great. Who knew places like that existed. Anyways we saw a whole bunch of lions lazing about in the sun. Though I did learn that they eat 3-8 chickens a week (dead of course) but they eat more when it is cold and less when it is hot. Interesting little tid-bit. But probably the most exciting adrenaline rush of the lion park was when Lia spotted a snake. It was probably some sort of mole snake because it soon disappeared in a hole. However, I don’t much like snakes so I wasn’t too thrilled. Lane and I hadn’t seen lion in Africa yet so it was great to check off another of the Big 5. I guess 3 out of 5 is not so bad.

By this time is was getting to be late afternoon so we made it back to the West residence. They had moved in about two years and at that point it was a major fixer upper. Jaque told me that it took him 6 months to clear all the foliage so that he could get to all parts of his property. They pretty much gutted the house and added a little addition to the bottom. So now they live in a beautiful house and in the basement is a flat for Yolanda’s parents. It works out well for both sides. Yolanda’s parents are able to watch after Lia and have the company. Anyways, we met the entire household. Everyone was very nice. Sas (Yolanda’s dad) made a big filet of fish and we ate the best meal we have had in Africa. A home cooked meal is somehow always the best. Maybe it is the shear amount of butter but maybe it is the company and the love that goes into each bite. Either way it was absolutely delectable. Fien (Yolanda’s mom) made a traditional South African dessert called Milk Tart. She translated the recipe so I am going to attempt it when I get home. I can’t really explain what it is. I mean it is sort of a mix between a custard and a pie…mild in flavor but still really good. As a good gesture I also brought some dessert. It was the chocolate peanut pretzel clusters that have saved my butt on many occasions. My aunt Karen sent me the recipe when I didn’t have the best of baking locations in the res. People have loved them and so Yolanda insisted that I gave her the recipe to that.

Interesting we learned that they like to camp. They leave for the weekend and just enjoy being free from the house and such. Well Jaque had made some hot cocoa with a giant marshmallow. He has a real sweet tooth and is the first to admit it. So he was talking about his love for marshmallows and then I realized camping…marshmallows…wow I would really like a smore. Well of course the West’s don’t know what that is. Apparently it is an American tradition. Who knew! Anyways, I had to send the directions for one of those as well. It sounds comical but it is amazing how little things so engrained in your head are different among peoples. They told me that they like to dip their roasted marshmallows in melted chocolate and chopped nuts. Maybe I will try it that way sometime.

It really was a great weekend. It was nice to get away from Cape Town central and nice to see a new perspective. It makes me realize how much I am persuaded by a particular perspective because of the people that I interact with on a normal basis and because of where I live. What a way to spend your last weekend in Cape Town!