The hardest thing to get used to about Cape Town is nightfall.
At home in New Jersey, the transition from late afternoon to evening is just another one of those vestigial natural phenomena: thanks to headlights, street lamps, and indoor lighting, it's rarely more than a minor inconvenience for those of us who are still out and about.
Here, depending on where you are in the city, the sunset can be really spectacular since Cape Town is spread out right in front of the ocean, with the picturesque and oft-advertised Table Mountain looming moodily at its back. But sunset also means that it is about to become a lot more dangerous to be out on the street. Finding your way back home suddenly becomes no trivial endeavor - taxis are sketchier, flagging down a minibus is generally not recommendable, and going on foot is just downright stupid under a lot of circumstances.
It's hard to tell how many of the rumours - especially when they come from upper-middle class white international academics - can be taken seriously. Still, better not to take any chances, right?
To be sure, it isn't hard to get around safely if you just take some basic precautions. And it certainly isn't hard to find advice, if you just ask. But I can't help wishing that it were easier to know whose advice to take.
Of note: I went on a long run today, in spite of the pouring rain and the onset of night! A dubious milestone. And an excuse to eat more avocado, brie, bread, chocolate, peanut butter... It is winter here, after all, and therefore necessary to eat more rich, fatty foods to maintain body heat.
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