Formalwear on the Beach?

When many people think of “Africa” they think of the wildlife. Lions. . .hippos. . .rhinos. . .elephants. . . and . . . penguins?

There is one species of penguin that breeds in Africa – the African penguin. They are only found on the coastline of southern Africa.

One of the best places to see the African penguin is on Boulders Beach (named for the huge rocks that pepper the beach) just 30km south of Cape Town on the Cape Peninsula.

The Table Mountain National Park at Boulders Beach is one of the few protected sites where these birds can be observed at close range.

Unfortunately, African penguins are on the list of endangered species. In 1910 there were 1.5 million birds on the southern coast of Africa. By the end of the 20^th century, only 10% of these remained due to overfishing (their source of food) and egg harvesting (for human consumption). On Boulders Beach in 1982, only two breeding pairs remained. However, due to the reduction of fishing in False Bay (the bay around the beach), the colony grew and now numbers between 2000 and 3000 birds!

African penguins mate for life. Each year, they meet their mate on the beach in January during breeding season. The penguins then nest until around August each year until their young are born and ready to enter the water. During this time, both parents take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the young. The entire colony stays close to defend the area around the nests as a group.

I noticed many of the penguins sitting in nests right on the beach.

However, some preferred a little privacy for their nests and waddled back into the trees just off the beach to nest among the roots.

African penguins also gather as a group before setting off to hunt.

Although they seem uncoordinated on land, when they get into the water they are immediately comfortable and graceful! They can stay submerged for up to two minutes and swim at speeds of 12½ mph when chasing fish!

Penguins’ feathers (once they lose their “baby feathers”) are waterproof. However, once a year, the old feathers are replaced when they molt. During this period, they lose their waterproofing and accordingly are confined to land. Prior to the annual molt, the birds fatten up in anticipation of 21 days without food while they wait for their new feathers.

Several penguins in various stages of their molt.

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Testing. . .Testing. . .

It’s a beautiful sunny day in Cape Town, South Africa – what could be more fun than heading to a sports match? Why not learn about a new sport while I’m at it? It was this thinking that brought me to my first cricket match.

 This wasn’t just any cricket match, but a cricket test match – the longest form of cricket. I got to the stadium on the morning of day three of Sri Lanka versus South Africa. 

Nice backdrop for a sports match!

I looked at the scoreboard and was immediately confused.

It’s the third inning with six (of the ten) outs remaining. What??? It’s day three and it’s only in the third inning? The score is 580 to 239? There are two batters on the field at a time? What’s a wicket? And why is there a zamboni on the field? Although a bat and a ball are involved, this game is a bit different than the baseball I’m used to!

A Cricket Zamboni?

I watched for a few minutes with absolutely no idea what was happening and then turned to the group behind me and asked what was going on. Thank God for Greg, an infinitely patient South African from Johannesburg who thoroughly explained the game and put up with all of my questions!

“Coach” Greg, Nicky, Genevieve, and a fellow American cricket fan!

So, here’s a little history of test cricket:

A test match is played between two international teams (eleven players) over a period of up to five days. It was originally called a “test” match because the length of the match is considered a test of the endurance and strength of the two teams.

There are currently only 10 teams with “test status,” meaning that they are allowed to play official test matches: England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh.

A test match consists of four innings. Unlike in American baseball, an “inning” consists of just one team batting, when the other team comes up to bat, it is considered a new inning. Therefore, in a test match, each team bats twice and bowls (pitches) twice.

During your inning, the goal is to make as many runs as possible. A run is earned by hitting the ball to the wall, over the wall, or by running from one end of the pitch to the other before the other team hits one of your wickets with the ball. Makes total sense, eh?

"The Pitch" where the bowling, batting, and running back and forth happen

Each inning allows for 10 outs (wickets) for the team at bat. One inning can take more than a day of play. For example, one Sri Lankan batter was at bat nearly the entire day I was there – he scored 114 runs that day!

Each day consists of roughly three two-hour sessions with a break for lunch and an afternoon break for tea. Cricket is so civilized! I’m not sure a baseball or football game breaking for tea would be accepted in the U.S!

Speaking of civilized, I was impressed when South African fans stood up and clapped when a Sri Lankan batter made a milestone of 100 runs in a game (unlike baseball, this is quite possible) and when the other team’s ball hit the wall (worth 4 points, along the lines of a home run). I can’t think of many examples in sports in the U.S. when fans clap for their opponents’ accomplishments!

After a general explanation of what was happening, I understood what was going on and became a vocal supporter of the home team!

Of course, I continued to pepper Greg with questions. For example: “What happens if the ball hits the batter?” Greg immediately replied: “It hurts!” Nice. I guess there aren’t "walks" in cricket!

During the lunch break, they allow fans to come onto the field (although the pitch is roped off to protect the playing area).

Many of the young fans bring a bat and ball onto the field and play for a bit.

Our day of cricket ended around 2:30 with South Africa winning by a score of 582 to 581! No need for a fourth or fifth day for this test match!

I really enjoyed cricket – especially after I knew what was going on. I love how international sporting events bring out such patriotism and spirit! It's a shame that international sports aren't more popular in the U.S.!

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Welkom in Afrika!

That’s “Welcome to Africa” in Afrikaans, one of eleven official languages in South Africa – where my African journey began.

I saw my first large African animal before even leaving the airport – although he was made entirely of tiny glass beads!

Cape Town is located in the southwestern tip of Africa near where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.

Modern Cape Town was founded by the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie – “VOC”) in 1652 to provide a spot for Dutch ships traveling between Europe and the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent) to find shelter and to restock for the long journey ahead.

A few years later, in 1658, the Dutch decided to create a colony in Cape Town and with the hard work of a significant Indian Ocean slave labor force (the first slaves brought to the African continent), built much of the foundation of modern Cape Town. Many of the early colonial buildings remain (including a castle built by the VOC for defense), alongside modern skyscrapers.

Castle built by the VOC

Some of the more recent buildings have plenty of character as well – such as the colorful homes that make up the primarily Muslim neighborhood of Bo-Kaap.

Today, Cape Town is home to more than 3 1/2 million people. The city boundaries have expanded from the waterfront to the base of nearby Table Mountain which forms a stunning backdrop to the city and the bay.

In fact, some of the best views of the city and the Cape can be had from the top of Table Mountain.

While wandering through the city, I noticed this sculpture – an interesting combination of traditional African and modern western influences:

Cape Town, like all cities, is concerned with public safety. I particularly liked this sign by the train station considering the diverse cultures that make up the South African population: an automatic weapon, a tomahawk (or a lumberjack’s axe), a ridiculously large knife, and a sceptre or magic wand(??).

Speaking of different cultures, train etiquette is completely different in South Africa. Despite signs forbidding walking on the train tracks, it seems to be the norm when you need to change from one train line to another.

Although bringing your belongings sometimes requires help.

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