|
Sunday
We
arrived in
Cape Town
to a beautiful African dawn and a temperature warmer than the one we
left behind in
London
– despite the fact that it is winter in South Africa
.
|
|
|
 
 
 |
The
first afternoon was spent up
Table
Mountain
.
Flowers, Rock Hyraxes (a small furry, friendly relative of the elephant!)
and great views made a spectacular start to our visit.
|
| Our
hotel, the Lady Hamilton, nestles against
Table
Mountain
in the Gardens
district of Cape Town. Night
time gave us our first view of the southern skies. Many of us could
see the Southern Cross
and Centaurus hanging over Table
Mountain from from our bedroom windows
.
|
|
|
|
Monday
Work
began with our first School Visit.
Mkhize
High School
is in the heart of a
township on
Cape
Flats.
The students and their teachers gave us a great welcome.
|
| The
telescopes and other kit that was shipped out of
Europe
and the
US
by our supporters and
suppliers arrived half way through the morning. Everything
worked and was eagerly used by everyrone. |
|
|
|
In
the afternoon we went to
Hermanus
Bay
to be shown around the
Hermanus Magnetic Observatory www.hmo.ac.za. Here they can use sensitive
magnetic instruments to study the interaction between the Earth’s
magnetic filed and solar wind. We
particularly liked their educational centre.
|
| We finished the day watching whales breaching (jumping
into the air) in Hermanus Bay. We saw both Humpback and Southern
Right and a few sea lions. |
|
|
|
Tuesday
In
the morning we went to iThemba
Labs. Here they do research using particle accelerators.
A hospital is attached t the lab so that the particle streams can also be
used to treat cancer patients www.tlabs.ac.za
|
| In
the afternoon we went to
Sinethemba
High School
. A sunnier
day also made the solar telescopes a great hit. We spent the evening at
the Cape Town Planetarium learning the southern constellations. |
|
| |
|
|
|
Wednesday
We received a wonderful musical welcome at Langa
High School
. Boy, can these
kids sing! Listen to an 850kB
mp3 recording or watch a 8MB
WMA movie. More sun, so there was lots of solar observing.
|
| In the afternoon we traveled to Boulders
beach to see the penguin colony. Raised walkways meant that
you could walk through the colony without disturbing the birds so that you
could see a wide range of behavior. |
|
|
|
Thursday
In the morning we went to the Centre
of Science and
Technology in Kayelitsha township. These students are some of the
brightest youngsters in South Africa, specially selected to go to this
well resourced institution. |
| Every day this week we have driven
through townships to get to the schools. Despite the outwardly
shocking nature of these living conditions to our, family's ensure that their
children are well turned out. The standards of dress and cleanliness
would put many UK students to shame. |
|
|
|
Friday
Our
final township school in Cape Town was Thembelihle
High School
Another sunny day for the solar telescopes and a lesson on how to shake
hands in a township. On our way out of the
township we came across a protest.
The protesters were understandably upset that one part of the
township had four functioning toilets for two thousand inhabitants. |
| In
the afternoon we took part in a workshop for teachers; finding out what
they thought of the week’s activities and what further support they
would like. It was also a chance to meet Thebe Medupe - our adviser
on African star heritage and one of only three black South African
astronomers. Our experience with township learners
indicates that there are many talented and ambitious youngsters who will
help ensure that in the future the country's scientists will better
reflect its ethnic diversity. It's enough to make you jump for joy - so
some of us did! |
|
