Journal #52 - South Africa
Sanibonani, Molweni, and Hallo from South Africa!
This state has eleven official languages and even more dialects, so those are only a few of the ways to say hello here in the Rainbow Nation. There is a lot to see in this country twice the size of France. We only had time for a few spots, but we appreciated the opportunity to visit. We began with a stay in Johannesburg, using that as a launching pad for our road trip, and then landed ourselves in Cape Town to wrap up the visit.
In Johannesburg, the most impactful sight we visited was the Apartheid Museum. As many others can tell you, when you arrive at the entrance and are issued a ticket, your stub assigns you a race. This determines which door you enter the museum through and sets the tone for your visit. The whole exhibition clearly lays out the legislation that was harmful to South African society, the history of the many tribes in the land that is now considered South Africa, and how tensions escalated. There were poetic documentaries displaying how intense the situation became and outlining the greater international community's responses.
The museum has an entire room dedicated to Nelson Mandela and his political party to understand what steps they took to bring the nation together. This work and exhibition were also done alongside content on Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his work on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in their newly reformed nation. There is a lot of history and some incredibly impactful imagery. I would think that this is an important place for anyone traveling near this area to be sure to visit. To supplement. Our South African book was A Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela's autobiography whose content also covered many of these same topics.
Just outside of Johannesburg, we drove up to the Cradle of Humankind. It was fascinating to see what has been dug up and discovered of the pre-human species even since Mr. Wanderer and I have left school. Things that were hypotheses when we were taught them have been endorsed or, even more interestingly, debunked – without a word of it passing through the news we consume. Their displays were laid out clearly and the museum included several interactive exhibits that would keep children interested as well including an underground boat ride,
When we left Johannesburg, we took a road trip swinging by two other countries (which is journal post #53) this let us take in large swaths of the South African countryside. It was a thrill to get out of the city and to see more of the landscape. One of the places we ended up was the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. You could not miss this park if you tried. The highway wove directly through it. We used many of the pull-off opportunities to take it in. Nestled at the foot of the Maluti mountain range, this park boasts some brightly colored peaks that have centuries of rainbow sediment deposits. We happened to catch our visit right at golden hour. The sun was beginning to set so everything held a warm hue. We slept nearby in Clarens for an idyllic evening after a long day on the road.
The Wanderers
When we had concluded our road trip we traveled south to Cape Town. This city has many of the perks you would look for in an urban development. It rests directly on the coast, so there is easy access to the beach and water sports. There are mountains cradling the city (including Table Mountain and Lion’s Head) giving ample room for hikes and quick access to nature. The city itself holds many quality restaurants and everywhere you go the views are delightful. Plus, the weather is pretty mild year-round.
We did our best to take advantage of our time here. For starters we traveled to the southernmost tip of the continent, the Cape of Good Hope, visiting Boulder’s Beach on that peninsula. This is the first time we have gotten the chance to see penguins in the wild. Typically my mental image of these birds is snowy land and cold air, but because of the ocean currents, they can reside here, which was a thrill for us. Our visit was supplemented by education on the conservation of these cute African Penguins.
The most adventurous thing we did during our time here, was go paragliding. This involved driving up Lion’s Head Mountain and then literally running off the side of it. We did our jumps in tandem, so there were experienced fliers up there with us; but, it gave us a stunning view of the mountains behind us and the ocean in front of us as we looked down over the seaside. I had anticipated the endeavor being more adrenaline-fueled; however, once you got over the initial hurdle of running until your feet lost the ground, the glide was surprisingly peaceful. We floated up along the mountainside and my partner gave us some twists for a mini-thrill. But overall, drifting gently in mid-air was a truly serene way to see the city and surrounding landscape.
The last key part of our time in Cape Town was our visit to Table Mountain. There is a cable car that brings you up (if you are not interested in hiking it). We got lucky when we first arrived at the top, because the weather was clear, and we could see the surrounding area. It was abundantly evident to us how lucky we were though, because not fifteen minutes after we had arrived the clouds swarmed around us. Rather quickly our visibility dropped from sea level to barely twenty yards ahead of us - we had been swallowed by water vapor. It was fun to walk around the paths during that time, as it made you feel like you were in a science fiction movie and experiencing plant life on a completely deserted planet covered in mist. Eventually, the clouds cleared and we went into the café at the top to enjoy a milk tart with the local rooibos tea to round out our South African food for The List.
That only begins to scratch the surface of what we did and felt during our time here. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to visit; but, are excited for our next stops. We went on a road trip to two new nations. The first is home to the oldest mine in the world (Iron Ore) and the second is the only country in the world to exist completely above 1,000m above sea level (its nickname is the Kingdom in the Sky). Any guesses where we are off to next?
