Sunshine, Shosholoza & the Truth (Café and Commission)

Cape Town: Day One

By Eryn (Nursing, ’27)

Sanibonani!

After a good night's rest, we headed to breakfast and dished up our own exquisite cuisine from Hotel Verde. It was buffet style and included many options such as bacon, cereal, fruits, mackerel, salmon, pastries of all kinds, and of course, coffee and select juices. The majority of our group ate outside on the patio and enjoyed the sunshine and beautiful garden landscape. After conversing for a bit and enjoying our food, we explored the small path that circled the gardens. We discovered an outdoor swimming pond, select workout equipment, a picnic area, and a compact green house, all while taking in the fresh air and glimpsing at the delicate flora.

Our trip leader, Matthew, and current student, Gwen, found the music corner in the lobby and played a few tunes while nearby patrons stopped to listen. They sung popular hits such as Lean on Me, Hallelujah, and our class favorite, Shosholoza. We got all packed and met in the lobby to go to our next destination.

On the way to our new accommodation, we were able to get more of a glimpse of Cape Town and a distant view of Table Mountain, which we will visit on our last day in Cape Town.

We arrived at Scalabrini Centre and were introduced to Fred who helped us settle in to our new rooms. Unfortunately Sabrina's (a recent Viterbo graduate) bed decided to break shortly after arriving, but luckily got fixed. After settling in for a bit we decided to head to lunch and Matthew guided us to one of his favorite spots, the Truth Cafè, known for their coffee and homemade bread. With endless menu options, everyone was able to enjoy different foods and share.

Afterwards, we took another short walk to the Desmond Tutu Museum where we engaged in learning about his life and background. We explored the major influence he had on ending Apartheid and the lasting friendships he made with Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. There was a central focus on the church prohibiting black South Africans from worshipping with whites. Desmond Tutu was one of the many black leaders who put a strong emphasis on black theology. There are a multitude of other historic actions that Archbishop Desmond Tutu partook in. Another central focus was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which Desmond Tutu was appointed to be the chair of. The purpose of this commission was to uncover Apartheid-era human rights violations and promote reconciliation between victims and perpetrators of Apartheid.

After being there for some time (and the Museum closing at 3:30), we worked our way back to the Scalabrini Center and had some downtime and freshened up before dinner.