South African Trail
Entering South Africa from Namibia, the first noticeable difference is significantly better road infrastructure — from dirt roads (that cover pretty much the majority of Namibia) to paved highways of South Africa. As it was a tenth African country I have entered during this trip, the inequality among its people has become even more evident to me having got the comparison of other countries. The difference between the poor and the rich is so vast — agglomeration of wealth I haven’t seen in any other African country (on my route) clashed against extreme poverty. Two worlds living side by side.
The Apartheid was abolished between 1990 and 1993, but whether the racial discrimination has truly ended is still debatable, especially by the white minority that lost their wealth and position in the aftermath of the changes and nowadays complain about the government limiting their access to opportunities for the benefit of black citizens.
SA is famous for its stunning scenery, Table Mountains, Cape of Good Hope, Stellenbosch vinyards, Kruger National Park and being home of the Big Five (the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo). Familiarity of South Africa, place which I visited once before was heart-warming and as it was a conclusion of four months I spent on the continent I was trying to soak up in its ever surrounding beauty and wildness and yearned to keep as much Africa as I could within me.
On the contrary it is also infamous for its high homicide rates — an estimated number of 50 people die EVERY DAY as a result of murderer; the metropolitan city of Johannesburg has been titled ‘the knife capital of the world’ and it is also estimated that 40% of women in SA will be raped a least once in their lifetime… The security is the biggest money making sector in the country with all wealthier households as well as all establishments being surrounded by high electric fences, security staff and CCTV cameras.
Orange River is a natural boarder between Namibia and South Africa. To my disappointment, the river was not at all orange, but on the bright side it is perfectly swimmable and free from crocks and hippos and other river monsters.
Stellenbosch is a university town surrounded by world-famous vineyards. Not being a wine-drinker I gave the vineyards a pass and instead headed to the Stellenbosch town which looks pretty much like London’s Hampstead Heath (minus the table mountains in the background).
Cape Town is one of the most visited cities in South Africa and indeed the town is very tourist friendly with buzzing high streets, Mediterranean climate and numerous opportunities for outdoor activities in the town and nearby. It was the first city outside Europe to get Blue Flag status due to its high water quality (unlike many other places in Africa tap water is safe to drink), fantastic facilities, cleanliness and safety. In my own experience, the city indeed seems safe but only during the day time. Although there are frequent street patrols at night (normally a group of eight policemen would march together up and down the main streets)— on one hand made me feel safer but on the other made me question why there actually is a need for as many as eight…
South African Table mountains are argued to be the oldest mountains in the world. There is a number of hiking routes to get to the top of table mountains surrounding the city — the Cape Floral Kingdom is home to 7000 plants found nowhere else in the world.
The trek up the mountain is a whole day’s activity but for those who prefer lazier options there are cable cars available. It might seem like a fantastic idea, only what you need to know is that you will share this fantastic idea with around 8 thousand other people (not even kidding, data re daily number of visitors from their website), effectively will queue for some 3 hours in scorching sun to get on a packed car with other 60 people and get in a matter of seconds to the top of the mountain as crowded as London’s Hyde Park on the first sunny day of the year, the memory which still gives me cringes… So if you’d rather happily hop around smelling lovely flowers in colour of your choice, listen to pretty birdies sing and admire cute little butterflies on your way up through blissful forests far away from noisy human beings and their screaming children you know what to choose (though on the downside, muggings at knife-point sometimes happen on the mountain, so perhaps going completely alone is not a great idea either).
Not all penguins fancy freezing snow-lands. This penguin colony prefers warm waters of Boulders Beach on the outskirts of Simon’s Town south of Cape Town. Sandy beaches don’t exactly seem to be their right inhabitant yet those funny walking birds are in their element in South Africa!
