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Published: December 15th 2007
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Cape Town
Table Mountain and Signal Hill The "Rainbow Nation", as Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela describe South Africa, is a country rich in culture, ethnicity, minerals, agriculture, economic wealth, and beauty. They have the largest Caucasian (9.2%), Indian (2.5%) and mixed races (8.9%) population in Africa, and the Black South African community (79.5%) is comprised over 9 ethnic groups, the majority of which being Zulu, Xhosa, and Basotho. There are 11 official languages (English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, and 7 other tribal African languages) as well as 8 non-official languages. It is argued that there is no single culture in South Africa due to its ethnic diversity. South Africa's land is full of diamonds and gold! It is the world's leader in gold production, headquartered in Johannesburg. Jo'burg is home to the largest diamond ever found, the Cullinan Diamond, a mere 3,106 carats. SA is also home to the 2 time (in the last 4) Rugby World Cup winners, the Springboks!
Oh, and did I mention ... South Africa is my home.
Home to my father's ancestry, to my mother's family, and home to my young family (back in the day)
So boys, knowing a bit about my homeland, you know now to shower me with gifts
Cape Town
Fish Hoek Beach, where Indian, African and White children play in the freezing waters! of gold and diamonds 😊 (totally kidding ... )
Cape Town My mum joined me in South Africa to see our beautiful country and visit our family. We started our trip with our friends in Cape Town, the oldest city in SA, founded almost 400 years ago by the Dutch as a shipping port on the way to the East. The Cape Peninsula has some of the world's most beautiful geography, vast oceans with crashing waves upon the rocky shores of Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope, quaint fishing towns up on the waterfront, and steep cliffs leading up to Table Mountain, Devils Peak and Lion's Head. The architecture is characteristically European, being settled by the Dutch and later on home to British immigrants. The Cape of Good Hope, formerly known as the Cape of Storms because of all the shipwrecked ships on its rocks, is the most southern point of Africa, and in this area the Indian and the Atlantic oceans collide, creating cascading waves. These waters are home to wales, seals, and penguins, all of which we were lucky enough to see! Driving along the oceanside roads is breathtaking, the endless waters out one
Cape Town
Fish Hoek Whale waving hello!! side in which we spotted a number of marine life out of the windows, and the tall rocky walls out the other side, dotted with greenery and flowers. We drove up into the hills and got amazing views of the small harbor towns on either side of the Cape, divided by geology.
The next day, we visited Kirstenbosch!! Beautiful botanical gardens which compliment the beautiful name 😊 South Africa is one of the few countries in the world known to be megadiverse, rich in biological diversity, and Kirstenbosch houses many of these exotic and unique flowers. The backdrop of the steep hills against the soft, rolling hills covered in flowers and trees is gorgeous. Kirstenbosch also had a garden of plant remedies, with all sorts of various plants and flowers and signs explaining what they are used for.
Our next stop was the top of Table Mountain. We rode in a rotating cable car to the top of the mountain, which is just amazing!! As you look around the mountain top, you'd never guess you were on top of a mountain, but as you gaze down upon the cities and ocean below, as far as your eyes can see, you
Cape Town
Fish Hoek seal waving hello!! :) know that the view is impeccible and unique. The winds can get pretty fierce up there, but it was absolutely still when we were there, and about 8*C cooler than below!
The Cape is home to a plethora of award winning vineyards and winerys. We drove through the vineyards of Stellenbosch, and visited a few winerys for tasting and delicious meals. I love seeing grapes growing on the vines, the elaborate driveways up to the manor houses, the history behind the winery and eating the delicious food, always perfectly complimented with a home-made wine. Nummy!!
As well as culturally rich, the country is economically rich - in certain areas. Major urban areas are considered that of a developed country, with well-developed infrastructure, financial, legal, communication and energy sectors, and the JSE Limited stock exchange that ranks among the top 20 in the world. However, the spread of wealth is not even throughout the country. People seem to have a biased view of South Africa, of how apartheid characterizes the country as a whole, as if the history of SA is racist. Little do they know, that apartheid was only instituted after 1948 by the Nationalist Party, which were Nazi
Cape Town
Cape Point sympathsizers. It was during this era that the Blacks were stripped of their rights. Before the Nationalists, there was no defined segregation in SA. The fall of apartheid and the emergence of the ANC (African National Congress) in 1994 have given the Black South African community more opportunities, and the past decade of continual economic growth has helped to lower unemployment. Today, after the fall of apartheid, the country suffers from crime and extreme reverse racism. However, all races are targeted by the blind violent acts of criminals. It must be recognized that this is the act of criminals, and it targets any and every race. I saw blacks and whites working together, going to school together, playing together. I ask you to look at the history of your country, or that of any country in the world, and try to claim that it is free of ignorance and discrimination. South Africa is fighting the battles of racism, crime, poverty and disease, and continues to shine with the eternal beauty which is so uniquely South African.
After Cape Town, my mum and I went to Durban to see our family. I remembered Durban as paradise, as beautiful green hills
Cape Town
Cape Point and valleys showered with flowers and palm trees, and it still is. I can't believe my family lives in such a gorgeous place!! Here, its normal to see monkeys jumping around the back yard, to experience temperatures up to 40*C in summer, and have thick, moist mists covering the town with humidity. It was absolutely wonderful seeing my family here. My grandmother is the owner of an interior design school called Birthe's Studio, and has helped teach design to students for over 20 years.
Our last stop was in Pilanesberg National Park, for a safari in style. We traveled with our friends in their absolutely fabulous camper names Millie. We traveled in luxury, enjoying steak and champagne as we spotted all sorts of wild animals through her windows. I have about a thousand safari pics, between Tanzania and South Africa, and I really don't have time to go through them yet, so if you're interested, send me a message and I'll either get them online once I get home or you can come and see them!
As for the rest of my trip in SA, alot of it was spending time with my friends and family. I love Cape Town
View from Cape Point this country, I see so much beauty, humor, diversity and potential here, and I can't wait to return - anyone down for the Soccer World Cup in 2010?!? 😊
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Susanne
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Spring Time in South Africa
Hello dear daughter Once again , I love reading your blog. It's like being there with you all over again. Mummy