Ocean View

This past weekend, I experienced some real South African hospitality during my home stay in Ocean View. Ocean View is a township that is a 10-15 minute drive from Fishhoek and Simons Town--two beautiful beach neighborhoods. In the 1960's-1970's the coloured residents of Fishoek and Simons Town were forced to relocate to Ocean View when these areas were classified as white-only. Today the community is almost all coloured (that is what mixed race people or Cape Malays are called in South Africa) and most people speak both English and Afrikaans.

Although many people will tell you that Ocean View is dangerous, I really enjoyed my time in the community. My host parents and their two children went all-out to make sure that we were able to experience the area. My host dad, Neville, is a commercial fisherman, which I thought was fascinating. He fishes using nets and fishing lines, but also free dives to catch prawn and lobster. He told me that he can hold his breath for about four and a half minutes! He alternates between fishing and running a tyre repair shop from his home during the week.

Luzanne, my host mother, and Neville took us to a fish market on the coast and on a tour of the peninsula. It was BEAUTIFUL, but unfortunately I forgot to bring my camera. We also visited a farm where we saw camels (they are huge!!!) and watched the Cape Argus bike tour, a 110 km race that is one of the biggest in the world.

Luzanne was an amazing chef. She and Neville treated us to an awesome seafood dinner with snoek, calamari, prawn, and other fresh seafood that Neville caught himself. Luzanne also taught me how to cook lamb and gave me a special baked vegetable recipe.

My time in Ocean View was an amazing experience, and it was hard to say goodbye. I learned so much about the culture and history of Ocean View, which gave me so much appreciation for Cape Town as a whole. I can't wait to continue my explorations!