April 9th:
The MS Pacific Princess sailed into Buffalo River from the Indian Ocean this morning and docked at East London’s cruise terminal. We decided to see the city on our own.
We shared a cab with friends to the post office and then to a shopping center. The cab ride ended up giving us a mini tour with a private guide. When we arrived at the post office, we were in for a surprise. We couldn’t enter. The door was locked and we had to be buzzed in by the clerk on duty an example of the extra security needed.
Our cab driver told us he was having problems earning a living since he had two strikes against him. He was white and over 50. We were told there was no “safety net” for all South African residents; no unemployment benefits, retirement pension, or government supported healthcare.
The city looked like any western city. Modern buildings, good roads, and modern infrastructure, but our port lecturer told us they are saddled with 30% + unemployment and 25% of the black community (blacks are 80% of the population) were diagnosed with AIDS. He indicated the actual percentage is higher since there are a lot of South Africans who carry or have the disease but have not yet been diagnosed. We only took a few photographs as the ship departed East London.
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