In the meantime:
Saturday was a layback, fun day of visiting two very different wineries.
First the family owned and operated Altydgedacht Estate, one of the historic farms established in 1698 on the fertile slopes of the Tygerberg.
Altydgedacht has been in the Parker family since 1852 and UCT student, Richard Parker, son of the owners, did an excellent job of first providing an overview of the history of the farm and then explaining the wine making process itself. Contrasting the ways in which wine making is done on this family farm with how it is done on the large commercial farms was an informative overview. 
He and his father provided each of us who cared to try a taste of their five most popular wines and clear explanation of criteria by which wine is judged. Following that they encouraged us to rate each wine based on the same scales used in official competition—as a group we apparently rated very closely to that at their recent competition –not bad considering none of us had any idea how to evaluate wine prior to their explanation.Following the wine tasting students were allowed to board a special truck for a ride around their vineyards (adding to that experience-- the truck broke down and a large pickup truck was sent to fetch the students).
Then on to Moyo at Stellenbosch and Spiers Winery. “Under the starlight African sky, set in a garden in the Western Cape Wine lands, this unlike any other restaurant.” An African buffet of Afriwith food galore for everyone, entertainment, beautiful setting between the trees.
After lunch some checked out the gift stores, wine shop, and craft market. A warm breezy day provided the perfect backdrop for our final touristy orientation day.
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Sunday morning we drove to the township of Guguletu, Xhosa word meaning “our pride.” There we were welcomed as we attended church services at the Sivuyile National Baptist Church. Sivuyile means “joy” and attending that two hour service certainly provided a glimpse of the unbridled joy that radiates from the folks singing, dancing and praising the Lord.
From there we drove to Vangate Mall for lunch and then back to Guguletu to begin a short tour of the townships. Dr. Guma (Tops) rode with us to provide a historical perspective on many of the places we visited, beginning at the Gugulethu Seven Memorial:l“Built to commemorate the death of seven young black activists from the Cape township Gugulethu on 3 March 1986, the Gugulethu Seven Memorial consists of seven solid and powerful granite statue-like constructions, sculpted by the South African artists Donovan Ward and Paul Hendricks.”
Walking a short distance we arrived at the Amy Biel and heard the story of the foundation her parents established to carry on her work in South Africa, yet another profound story of reconciliation in a country where the evidence of hope and healing continue to inspire.One of the high points of my visit to Guguletu was that I was able to reconnect with a young woman I had met last year. Noluyanda and I have been able to stay in touch through facebook and email but it was wonderful to have a chance to see her and her son Lonwabo again.
She was able to join us for our ride to Khayelitsha , which is the largest township in the Cape Flats (estimate over 800,000 people though there is no way of knowing since there are large informal settlements that encompasses much of the area. 
This is one of areas where the legacy of apartheid, and the Group Areas Act, is sorrowfully evident in the Cape Town area.There will be time throughout our time here to get to know many of the amazing people who live and work in Khayelitsha, but for today, we heard stories from Dr. Guma and climbed to the top of Lookout Hill for a view of the vast area of this township where Table Mountain provides an amazing backdrop.
The contrast between the breathtaking beauty and painful reality for so many is something that never gets easier for me to comprehend. Perhaps for students, seeing this for the firsttime, will begin a process of grappling with the enormity of the challenges here. Fortunately for all of us, having spent a few hours with the folks in Guguletu, we can build on the joy, hope, and commitment to building a better world.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
