Cape Town: Tuesday, Dec. 1

Day 2: An experience

This was an amazing day. Let me relive it for you.

Raising Awareness

10:00am: Arrived in a poorer area of Cape Town and met YMCA staff and volunteers on the street in front of a pharmacy blaring music and chanting/singing into a microphone about HIV. All were incredibly enthusiastic.

10:15am: Broke into groups of four and was given a stack of HIV informational flyers and a box of condoms. We walked down the street to an area with about 30 people waiting outside to get a job for the day. Handed out flyers, told people it was world AIDS awareness day and handed out condoms (packs of 10).

10:25am: Handed a man the flyer and condoms and he asks, "Can I use it on you?" Got freaked out, turned around and walked back to my trip leader who asked if I was OK. I was. Handed out the rest of my flyers and went back to the YMCA booth.

What a beautiful city

1:00pm: Arrive at the beach, which looks like South Beach in Miami apparently. Looked just like "Laguna Beach" to me. Big houses, expensive restaurants, fashionable europeans, and white sand beaches.

1:15pm: Decided on lunch at a pretty hot cafe. Had a delicious prawn and avocado salad.

2:20pm: Walked on the beach, got my toes in the water and took some pix with Susan and Tabitha.

Is this the same city?

2:30pm: Got in YMCA van and headed to Athlone YMCA, which is situated in the saddest neighborhood I've ever seen (up to this point). There was no grass. It was concrete slabs with three or four story apartments. Kids were just hanging out on the side of the road, on concrete. There was nowhere for them to play. Appreciated my 2.1 acres more than I ever have before.

Lost track of time: Rushed to the YMCA van with destination unknown.

Still lost track of time: Pulled onto a dirt road lined with "houses" made of scrap metal and cardboard, a township called Gugulethu. Passed a "grocery story" that consisted of scrap metal on three sides and food inside that didn't look edible for animals. Passed a "bar" with men drinking beer and their children sitting on their laps. Passed hundreds of "houses" made of leftover materials. Appreciated my home more than ever before.

Time is of no importance: Pulled up to two large metal containers, one holding dozens of children, the other a place where youth classes are taking place, including a boxing class. Met a gentleman who lives in this shanti town and shared his story. He is afraid for his life every single day. He lives like royalty in a two-bedroom house made of scrap metal, no running water, no bathroom and holes in the roof. He gets a small amount of electricity to use each month, very small. "In the summer, it is OK, but when winter comes, life gets hard," he says. "When you leave the house, you must have something that you can give the robbers otherwise they will stab you. If you don't have money or food to give them, just take off your shoes and give them to them if you want to live."

Time goes by: Kids are released from the container and rush to play with these strange guests in their town, aka the Americans. Susan brought beach balls for them to play with, which was great. The camp directors in our group led games. I got overwhelmed and frustrated staring at these children with no shoes, dirty skin, rotting teeth and crusted snot on their face, knowing there was nothing I could do once I left to improve their lives. It was a glimpse for me, but a life for them. Ryan later told me he saw several kids pee on the ground as soon as they walked out of the containers.