Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth and colloquially referred to as PE, is the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
The city is a major seaport, with the most significant car loading facilities in the southern hemisphere, with expanded port facilities at Coega.
Port Elizabeth was renamed Gqeberha in 2021, after the Xhosa and Southern Khoe name for the Baakens River that flows through the city. It is the cultural, economic, and financial hub of the Eastern Cape.
The city's warm oceanic climate ranks it among the top cities in the world for pleasant year-round weather. The city is known for many blue-flag beaches along the city's urban coastline; its popularity as an international and local holiday destination.
From the ship a shuttle bus ran half-hourly to Baywest Mall, the largest shopping centre in the Eastern Cape, located on the western outskirts of the city. It was a pleasant drive alongside sandy beaches fronted by attractive up-market hotels and apartments.
As in Durban, this Mall is in a better suburb, populated by wealthier people, appropriately protecting their property and personal security with electric fences.
This time Wendy and I determined to see more than a generic shopping centre or another beach. Taxi cabs are not safe for tourists to use in South Africa. One might not go to the place requested and the price might depend on your skin colour. But Uber is fine.
We decided to take an Uber to Prince Alfred's Guard Museum, as according to our phones, the other museums in the city were closed. The driver dropped us and sped off.
As advertised on the website, the building, is a National Monument, having been extensively restored. The Victorian Drill Hall, in which the museum is housed, is said to be one of the finest surviving examples of its type. The Prince Alfred’s Guard was founded in 1856 as the Port Elizabeth Volunteer Rifle Corps. Its name changed by Royal assent after it provided a Royal Guard for Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, on his visit to the City in 1860. The present building was opened in 1880 and has been the regimental (now renamed the Chief Maqoma Regiment) headquarters ever since. We were able to look inside the foyer and see their battle honours and so on but we were advised by the soldiers on duty that the museum guide was not there to escort us, so we could not look around inside. We should have made an appointment. The soldiers, both black, then became concerned for our wellbeing saying that this is not a safe area for people like us. One of them, very kindly, insisted on accompanying us down the hill. "You should be safe from here." There were a lot more people around.
I was confronted with my own racism. It's hard not to be when you find yourself in a minority in a place where race is so fundamental to everyone's lives. As the South African comedian Trevor Noah says, when asked why he doesn't go back to South Africa to escape racism: "Hell no, that's where you go to stock-up on racism".
We were now in the square in front of the City Hall, also a museum, also not functioning. Across the road and down the street is the equally historic Post Office, complete with a statue of Queen Victoria.
As Wikipedia tells us:
"As a British colonial town, it had a strongly British character, and the central area retains that to this day. The colonial City Hall is a national monument, as well as the Opera House, the oldest theatre in Africa. The main public library is an excellent example of Victorian Gothic architecture. The city could be considered to be the country's leading centre of Art Deco style architecture due to its European heritage. Many buildings display the intricate stonework, wrought iron and stained glass of that era which are prominently visible in the Central Historical areas of the city. Combinations of Art Nouveau and Colonial styles are seen in residences along Cape Road. The area also boasts a collection of Cape Dutch style architecture as well as the Victorian and Edwardian styles, resulting from the arrival of the 1820 British settlers. Although influenced by Dutch architecture, the Cape Dutch style is unique to South Africa and examples can be seen all over the Eastern and Western Cape.
A Campanile was erected to commemorate the landing of the 1820 Settlers and is situated at the entrance to the railway station and docks in Strand Street, the spot where it is said the settlers landed in Port Elizabeth. The architects were Jones & McWilliams with construction starting in 1920 and it was completed in 1922."
It might be interesting? I looked it up:
"The 50m high Campanile Memorial has a climb of 204 steps that takes one to the Observation Room, offering a magnificent view of the harbor and surroundings, more than 52m above the city. A lift has been installed with a harbour viewing window so if you are not up for the climb you do not have to miss out. The Campanile contains one of the largest carillon of bells in the country in addition to its chiming clock. When it's song time, the tower tops ring out with a carillon of the original 23 bells, conjuring nostalgic cries of history. A special computerised, purpose built electro-mechanical bell ringing system has been installed that will ensure that each bell is pitch perfect and can play any melody which it gets programmed to play. Some of the bells have received new inscriptions in Afrikaans and isiXhosa and rededicated to celebrate amongst others the deceased crew of the SS Mendi. A new installation of "ghost" clocks visible to viewers light up when the bells ring so that one is able to identify which bell is sounding. A new interactive organ also allows one to play the bells to any melody and that also lights up the corresponding ghost bell. The addition of various art galleries also add an additional interest and space to tell the democratic stories and showcase the arts and culture of Nelson Mandela Bay. Also keep an eye out for the silver plaque on the 67th step that represents the start of Route 67 and Nelson Mandela's 67 years of service of democracy in South Africa. Route 67 starts at the Campanile and there has since been new art additions added around the tower to include the history leading up to the settlers arrival and up to South Africa's democratic dawn. Motto: In meliora spera - Hope for better things."
It was closed for repairs. In meliora spera indeed.
Now we were in town we decided to go for a walk along the main street. As we expected there were a lot of black people. What we didn't expect was that with the exception of a Chinese girl recruiting support for Falun Gong, we were the only white people in the city, even in the shops and banks, that for some reason, each had long queues, both inside and at the ATMs. It was fine. We felt quite safe.
Now how to get back? It was not safe to walk to the ship. So, we got another Uber, all the way back to the shopping mall.
That night we dressed for an "AzAmazing Evening" to be held in the historic Feather Market Centre, another colonial remnant, directly opposite the Uber pick-up place that we'd left earlier.
These evenings substitute for the big spectaculars featured onboard larger cruise ships and they put a lot into them.
This was another display of gymnastics, similar to the one on White Night, featuring mock battles and different African peoples, differentiated by dance routines and attire. It was colourful, energetic and highly skilled. For me, the Feather Market Centre itself was a star of the evening. Does the organ still work?
In Italy, and even in Australia, they go to the Opera. Examples can be seen on the Azamara website, along with this quote: "Our favorite AzAmazing Evening was our first! It began with an after hours tour of The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart, Tasmania, followed by beverages and canapés. We then had a concert with Australia's #1 tenor, Mark Vincent. This was without question one of the best concerts we have ever attended. Three standing ovations!" Of course, the beverages and canapés were fine. Yet, given the choice, I might have preferred Innocent Masuku, South Africa's world acclaimed tenor, perhaps singing 'Nessun Dorma' and/or other arias from Puccini. I'm not a great fan of athletic dancing, no matter how energetic.
