Postcard from Bo-Kaap
Out of all the places we went in South Africa, I don’t think any singular place gave me more joy than the Bo-Kaap neighborhood in Cape Town. As soon as I got out of the car and saw all the blue skies and array of colorful houses, I was practically beside myself with happiness! Photo opportunities aside, there’s something so rejuvenating about a neighborhood that just exudes exhilaration. 
Home to Cape Town’s Muslim population and the oldest mosque in South Africa, the area is populated by descendants of slaves from Malaysia and Indonesia who were imported by the Dutch in 16th and 17th centuries. Although it was a white-washed and working-class township for many years, it exploded into color after apartheid ended: the rental properties of low-wage labor transferred ownership to the families who had lived in them for generations. And they decided to make a bold statement about their freedom through color!
What’s your favorite photo of Bo-Kaap?
p.s. if you like Bo-Kaap, you’d love Pietermaai and Rue Cremieux!
