Township tours in StyleTownship - our American tourists will be familiar with this word but where they use it as a term to describe geographic and political subdivisions of a county, we use it as an overall term for naming some of our previously disadvantaged suburbs.
Back in the bad old days of apartheid in South Africa, when the wool was pulled over everybody’s eyes by an iniquitous governing party, we were lead to believe that these townships were hotbeds of traitors and criminals only. But alas...like ghettos all over the world (and which great city doesn’t have one) they are the heartbeat and soul of a vibrant exciting and alternative culture! Take a drive through Langa - Cape Town’s oldest township dating back to pre-apartheid days – encounter the tasty aromas of “inyama” (the Xhosa word for meat) being cooked alfresco on the sidewalk barbecues, taste the unique flavour of locally brewed African beer in one of the shebeens (home run bars), listen to the funky sounds of African styled jazz pouring from the doorways and just savour the uniqueness of South African culture as it swirls and shimmers around you. Or head off to Gugulethi, to the famous Mzoli’s open air “shack” restaurant, aka Gugulethu’s church of meat, a veritable sacrifice to the gods of all things carnivorous. Plastic chairs and tables do not even pretend at sophistication as tray upon enormous try of meat gets “braai’d” to perfection in their secret sauce. This is a township experience like no other - sunshine, cold beer, cool vibes, a dance floor where colourful locals hobnob with suited business men and meat, meat and more meat, these are the flavours of Mzoli’s, not to be missed at any cost! |
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