South Africa!

I went to South Africa after Christmas for two weeks and it was an amazing trip. One of the really cool things about being here for a longer period is that it gives us some time to travel around and see different countries and cultures. South Africa, even just in terms of landscape, is incredibly different from Botswana (at least where I live in the middle of the desert!).

Cody arrived just after Christmas in Johannesburg and we starting our trip from there. First, we went on a four day Safari in Kruger National Park. We slept in tree houses set up within the park and went on various game drives and bush walks. The tree houses were really cool because you can hear animals around the area all night.  The park is massive so it is possible to go for hours without really seeing anything, but there was still plenty of wildlife to see. I think my favourite part of the safari was seeing white rhinos up close. We were able to get about 4 metres from a group of them and they were incredible.

After the safari, we flew to Cape Town and it was absolutely beautiful. We stayed in a hostel near the waterfront so we were within walking distance of many different shops, restaurants, pubs, and attractions. Just roaming around the city, you are surrounded by breathtaking views of the ocean and mountains.  

One thing that I definitely noticed about South Africa in general is the very clear and easily visible contrast between rich and poor (which is not so visible, although still existent, in Botswana). In some areas, there were multi-million Rand mansions across from squatter settlements.

Among the many things we did throughout the week, I’m just going to highlight some of my favourites.

We visited Robbin Island, where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner during apartheid (the picture is of the cell which he was held in). It was a very interesting and educational experience as the tour of the prison is given by an ex-political prisoner. Our guide, Jama, was imprisoned on Robbin Island for 5 years after helping to organize student rebellions as a high school student.

We met up with Sarah and Jessica for a sunset cruise. While the free wine was great and the view was beautiful, a lot of people felt sea sick due to the massive waves and we were happy to be back on land again!

 We went hiking on Table Mountain to Maclear’s Beacon, Table Mountain’s highest point.  I only wish we had more time to hike up the whole mountain. However, the views from the top were incredible and you could see the entire city. There were also some really cool plants and flowers!

We visited Groot Constantia, one of South Africa’s oldest wineries. The vineyards were gorgeous and it was just really pretty to roam around the grounds.

One afternoon, we went sand boarding. It is very similar to snowboarding, only much slower due to the friction of the sand. It’s also a much bigger work out because once you’re at the bottom of the sand dune; you then have to run back to the top!

On the last day of our trip, we did a tour of the Cape Peninsula and hiked to Cape Point, the most southwestern point on the African continent. This was by far my favourite day of the trip as it allowed us to see many different areas and a lot of the country side. We stopped at Boulders Beach to see the penguins basking in the sun, walked along the beach at Houts Bay (in the freezing cold water) and cycled through Cape of Good Hope.

It was an amazing way to spend the Christmas holidays and I am looking forward to the next travelling adventure. Sarah and I still have lots of exciting travel plans before we leave with Namibia and Malawi on our list of places to still see! 

Dana