What better way to end our visit to Cape Town, S. Africa than with a vibrant celebration! January 2nd is the celebrated Kaapse Klopse, or Carnival. Capetonians acknowledge this historical event as the day enslaved people celebrated the new year with festive, colorful clothes, song and dance. Downtown streets are blocked off giving way to a sea of bright oranges, reds, yellows, and purples. Various “klopse”, or troupes, stroll through with dancing, music, and singing from about noon to 1:00 am! Our host Soreya’s sister welcomed us into her tent along with the rest of their family. They even had family members participating in the parade! We had an up close and personal spot right along the street, giving Sebastian the perfect opportunity to hone his video taking skills (see below).
Unfortunately, we could only stay for a couple of hours as we had to catch our flight back to the US. What a learning experience for the boys! In addition to the first-hand experiences we were able to discuss and focus on the following to continue our Road Trip Learning:
- Civics – comparing and contrasting government structure
- History – comparing and contrasting slave trade routes, origins, and outcomes
- Literature – reading more about Nelson Mandela and his writings
- Science – Boulders penguin migration (why are there penguins in hot S. Africa?)
