Birthday Weekend

Last Sunday was my birthday - this year I'm the same age as the last two digits of the year I was born!

I had expected to spend this birthday in Zambia, but we're still in Cape Town, so I looked through the tourist information leaflets to find a different way to celebrate the day.

The San Culture and Education Centre, called !Khwa ttu (the ! is a click made with the tongue) only an hour's drive away, sounded just the thing. As this was primarily to be an outdoor visit I decided to check the weather forecast: Thunder storms were expected on Sunday, but Saturday would be fine and very hot. Deciding that sunscreen was better than waterproofs, we packed a small rucksack with sunhats, binoculars and lots of water and headed off up the West Coast again.

!Khwa ttu is a living, San-owned project, preserving the 10,000 year old culture of the San people, who were hunter-gathers throughout the vast area of Southern Africa, long before international borders and Europeans established the different countries. Like many indigenous groups the San culture has been marginalised and this piece of land was purchased and given to the San by a Swiss foundation.

The land is bush spreading from this hill down to a valley, which becomes a waterhole in the winter rainy season.

Different kinds of buck, birds and other wildlife live on the land; these are springbok:

Our three-hour tour took us on a trail viewing the landscape and game from this interestingly decorated, tractor-drawn truck:

It included a nature walk where we learned how to identify the different animal spoor (tracks):

Our guide had plaster casts of each animal's footprint, which he demonstrated in some loose earth. This is the track of a porcupine:

However, it was one thing to see it demonstrated and quite another to identify them in the bush! A handout showing the differences would have been helpful here with more time to ponder the tracks found crossing the path.

The next skill we were shown was trapping. This was a trap for a guinea fowl:

We then walked to a replica traditional village where we sat round the (unlit) fire listening to stories and watching demonstrations of ancient skills connected with the San lifestyle.



Here the guides are showing how the animal skills were worn as clothes for men, women and children:

Two different methods of making fire, by friction, were demonstrated:

The one woman guide showed how the shell of an ostrich egg was fashioned into jewellry and explained that the women were responsible for the gathering of berries and herbs, whilst the men did the hunting:

We then moved to a part of the village which was the domain of the (San) men only and shown how they prepared for a hunt, their tools and the place where the meat was dried to make biltong (dried meat). The eland is a special buck for the San people and many of their rituals are connected to ancestral worship.

Here, Andy is holding an arrow, the tip of which was first made from bone and later made of metal. The poison was applied to the base of the tip, which separated from the main shaft of the arrow, upon entering the animal's hide. The shaft could then be recovered from the track and the tip recovered when the animal succumbed to the effects of the poison:

These photos of San rock art were taken in the Iziko museum:

This was the rock art at !Khwa ttu:

...with this explanation:

...a kind of San graffiti!

At one point we were taken to a boma, which is a word used in many parts of Africa for an enclosure or camp. In this case it was a place with rough bench tables, where we had refreshments and escaped from the hot sun for 30 minutes.

During this time we had a lesson in the four main languages of the different San tribes. Our four guides represented these tribes and languages, only one of whom could speak good English. However, he translated for the other three. There are four main clicks which typify the different tribes, which we tried to replicate, placing our tongue in a particular position and following the instructions. Andy was much better at it than me, as I have difficulty even whistling! Nevertheless it was fascinating to learn about and amusing to try.

Another light hearted event was visiting the 'bush toilet':

Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised:

As you can see there was even toilet paper and hot water (heated by the sun) for hand washing. The panoramic views of the bush were a bit of a surprise, until I realised I couldn't be overlooked!

The whole trip to !Khwa ttu was fascinating and added much to our South African experience.

On my actual birthday, I had a surprise breakfast brought to the flat by Hendriette and the family:

A basket filled with muesli, yoghurt and fruit (my favourite breakfast food) together with a really creative calendar for 2008:

The title photo was taken at the Sciencentre and shows me standing in Swaziland!

Each month is based around one of the activites or places we have visited together:

I discovered that Jaco and Helena have been working on this for the last few weeks, in preparation for my birthday. It is a very special memory, reminding me of the places and people who have made our time in Cape Town such a blessing.