Happy Valentine's Day!

Under normal circumstances, I tend to despise Valentine's Day. I think it's pretty bullshit that someone somewhere decided when we should all show our love. It just seems forced and phony; it's a ploy for Hallmark and Hershey to make some money. And really, who is this person that decided that Valentine's Day should be in the dead of winter for us New Englanders? Snow and slush isn't too romantic.

But then there was college and The Vagina Monologues, which gave me a new and different appreciation for the "holiday". Women's empowerment, speaking out against violence, telling our stories are all definitely worth celebrating.

And then there was today! I think I had the coolest fuckin' (and oddly romantic) Valentine's Day ever. Marita, Lee Anne, and I -- along with our trusty Elite Taxi driver, and friend, Romeo (yep, I spent V'Day with a man named Romeo) -- all went up to Stellenbosch. Stellenbosch = beautiful winelands of South Africa.

Before the wine and romance, there was the long, sad drive. To get to Stellenbosch you have to take the N2, which is the highway that cuts through most of the townships. We drove past Khayelitsha (which is Xhosa for "our new home"), Lunga, Manenberg, Gugeleto - to name a few. The poverty is extreme and vast, and vastly extreme. Khayelitsha is home to over a million people. While sitting in traffic on the N2, there was so much to see and to absorb: children being chased down dirt alleyways by their elders; an emaciated horse drinking murky water; men hitchhiking; a billboard reading "from shacklands to dignity", as if to brazenly imply that the 3 million residents of the Cape Flats have no dignity; a group of young African boys kicking a deflated soccer ball on the side of the highway; dilapidated shacks made of wood, tin, plastic garbage bags, and cardboard that were decorated with spray paint and looked as though they may crumble if a strong enough wind swept through. And then there were the fences. Strong, defined, rigid fences. I'm not sure if they are intended to keep the resident's enclosed, or the outsiders from seeing the way of life of those who call the Cape Flats home. But either way, the presence of said fences could not be mistaken for anything but a clear divide. The irony of the whole thing is that the traffic we were sitting in was due to construction. The N2 is being expanded; lanes are being added to the highway to accommodate the volume of traffic during the World Cup in June of 2010. The governments' priorities are to build roads and stadiums and hotels. For the tourists, for the rest of the world. Meanwhile, the townships and the people continue to desperately and simply remain. It happens in every country, and it's happening here.



After the traffic let up we continued to Stellenbosch and I made a conscious decision to shut my brain off, disconnect, and enjoy.

Wine country is beautiful. The rolling hills and vineyards reminded me of the patchwork quilt landscape of Ireland. We spent our day taking in the beauty of the Spier Wine Estate, with its endless vineyards, small ponds, and the peaks of the Jonkershoek Mountains and Great Drakenstein Mountains scraping the sky. We ate lunch at Moyo, a unique outdoor restaurant with tables in the trees, traditional African dancers, and a buffet featuring delicious African dishes. The servers sing while they pour warm water over your hands as you wash them; they also gently paint the faces of all the patrons with creative designs.












After a wonderful and entertaining lunch, Lee Anne and I wandered over to Cheetah Outreach, which is a project that aims to raise awareness about the diminishing number of free range cheetahs in the world (7,500), ensure the survival of cheetahs, and when possible, breed the beautiful cats. We paid R90 to sit with, pet, learn about, and feel breathe Joseph, a 6 year old cheetah. It was pretty surreal; such a beautiful animal - so strong and muscular, and soft to the touch.




All in all, we spent about 4 hours at Spier: enjoying the beauty and breeze, wandering around, talking with the crafts sellers, drinking Pinotage, shopping, and sharing great conversation.

Tonight Romeo, Lee Anne, and I headed up Signal Hill to watch the sun set over the ocean. The drive up was a bit tense - the road was narrow and the drop was sharp. But the views of the city and ocean and mountains eased any and all anxiety. Signal Hill was a popular viewing spot - because of its breathtaking views and because it was Valentine's Day. There were lots of people and excitement and languages and noise. I had hoped it would be a bit more peaceful and quiet, but it was special and utterly stunning nonetheless. Inch by inch, the sun lowered itself into the clouds and sea. The colors were kaleidoscopic and take-your-breath-away therapeutic.









So I think I'll chock this V'Day up to a success. I hung out with a cheetah named Joe, and was taken to see a memorable African sunset by a man named Romeo. Chances of a repeat are pretty slim, so I can't help but enjoy it.