Hello Stellenbosch

The days are long, hot, dry and windy. By night Orion stands on his head and the dry wind does not relent. Some evenings routine power-cuts allow me the pleasure of reading by candlelight.

Jacaranda, Oak, and Sycamore trees line the streets of campus and provide shade from the scorching southern-hemisphere sun. Cicadas serenade their lovers from the street-canopy as we walk to class. We are here for a three-month biodiversity and conservation program at the University of Stellenbosch.

I'm staying in a fenced-fortress called International Student Housing. To enter my room I must pass through four layers of security. First, security guards protect the gate of a ten foot high, spiked metal fence, which surrounding the complex, and is lined with concertina wire. Second, my student card allows me to enter my building and pass onto the other side of yet another ten foot high spiked metal fence, again, lined with concertina wire. Finally, I crack a 6 digit code to enter my apartment and another three digit code to enter my room.

Stellenbosch is an affluent university town in the center of wine country. The official population of 120,000 does not include the impoverished thousands living in shanties in the north-west part of town.

After a six kilometer rolling-hills bike ride to the east the pavement ends at the entrance to Jonkershoek Valley Nature Reserve. In this narrow east-west valley, pine plantations give way to undisturbed mountain fynbos. Blankets of clouds spill continuously over steep green mountains that form the eastern boundary of the valley. Waterfalls and mountain streams feed the Eerste River, which makes its way west, down-valley to the town of Stellenbosch. Past the pine plantations on the northern side of the valley restios and ericas are reclaiming a small spur off the main trail. A short steep push up the spur and through the restios a rushing mountain stream is interrupted by a small damn. Bullrush and Cape-gum grow on the banks of the pool and fish swim by my feet.