While in Cape Town I had the opportunity to climb Table Mountain, one of the many mountains in the area. Myself and a group of 9 of my other housemates trekked up what we assumed to be a steep dirt path with the intention of reaching the top of the mountain. The vegetation around us was gorgeous and although we had to crawl on our hands and knees at times to keep ourselves from falling down the mountain, the experience of being immersed in creation and away from things made by the hands of man and reveling in things made by the hand of God made the hour and a half hike more than worth the effort.
I'm sure by now you're probably wondering what else I did on this trip, well here come the details. Because this was a study abroad trip the main purpose was academically focused. My class was centered around the affects of globalization and inequality, more specifically we looked at housing inequality during the Apartheid era in South Africa and compared it to housing inequalities now. We visited a Temporary Resettlement Area called Blikkiesdorp (Afrikaans for tin town) located in a township right outside of the city. Many of the people living in this area were placed there by the government, which uses the area as what the local residents call a "human dumping ground". This area is out side of the city making it difficult for residents to get to and from work, it is also built on an area with sand rather than usable soil. This means there is no grass and the residents can not grow food or other vegetation in their community. In preparation for the 2010 World Cup Soccer tournament which was held in Cape Town, the government did a sort of clean up and took the homes of certain residents and relocated them to the TRA promising to build them new homes. The way people get their new home is by signing a waiting list of thousands of names and waiting for their number to come up. The residents living there told us that some people have been on the list for over 20 years waiting for their house to be built, and have yet to receive what was promised to them. This leaves little hope for the most recent arrivals that they will leave the area anytime soon.
In spite of the seemingly hopeless situation, the residents of Blikkiesdorp refuse to give up the fight for justice. They have grassroots organized and began making their fight known. We had the opportunity to speak with the leaders of the organization and their fire and passion for justice for not only themselves but all people made me wonder what people in my own country would fight for in the same way today. My class designed and lead a volunteer project for the children in the community, which ended up being a major success. We painted faces (every one wanted the South African flag), passed out food, set up coloring stations, played games, danced, and more, it was a blast. 
I was dubbed the official photographer for the event and because we had a group both outdoors and indoors I decided to go without shoes for the day as shoes were not allowed to be worn in the home we were utilizing. I know this was not the smartest idea as it was dangerous and I could have stepped on a nail or something (already had this lecture three times, already knew the hazards before I did it), but I'm glad I had the experience. The overwhelming majority of the children who came had no shoes, and walked on sand barefoot in upwards of 80 degree heat. I watched as 1 and 2 year olds walked on scorching sand that my own feet were too sensitive to stand the temperature of. I understand that eventually you grow accustomed to such things and your body becomes less sensitive, but it still left me wondering why these children are forced to become accustomed to scorching sand beneath their feet in the first place.
Overall I had an amazing time in Cape Town. I got to swim with penguins, go surfing (something I never imagined doing), I almost went cliff diving into the ocean (I ended up at the top of the rock watching everyone else do it), and I encountered a personal question of identity brought about by the politics of that very segregated landscape. I hope to find time to further elaborate on some of these topics and give more of the details of my revelations and experiences on the trip. One big thing which was on my mind for much of the trip was God's definition of justice and how we as people here on earth play a role in that. 
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