Stories from South Africa
A trip to an inspirational, stirring, thought-provoking country on a continent far, far away.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Amazing Views from Table Mountain
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Beacon View Primary School in Cape Town
Robben Island
African Penguins
Our tour of the Cape Peninsula and Table Mountain National Park on Saturday also led us to an African Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach. Here in this sheltered cove in a magnificent setting, these endangered birds are thriving. We were thrilled to spot them nesting and "holding hands" as we strolled along the special boardwalk that allows them to remain protected in their natural environment.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Cape Point, South Africa (!!!!!)
Views from the coach windows began to be spectacular as soon as we neared the shore going out of Cape Town heading south on the M6 with Table Mountain in its splendid glory dominating the skyline to our left. I kept snapping photos from the moving bus and finally we stopped at the Clifton Beaches for a photo op with the Twelve Apostles peaks in the background.
As we continued on, we drove by boys playing beach rugby, the Misty Cliffs where a steady sea breeze causes a continual surreal mist, and several picturesque harbor towns nestled near the ocean. In these villages, baboons often break into houses and cause a mess, but residents can’t do anything about it because the animals are protected.
We headed inland just a bit on the M65 and entered Table Mountain National Park where we saw baboons and ostriches along the the road as we traveled across the peninsula to join the M4 which led all the way down to the end of the continent.
At Cape Point we hiked 20 minutes up a steep incline to reach the Cape Point Lighthouse for a spectacular view of where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. Ah, yes! Now this just might be unsurpassed grandeur. I am blessed.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Giddily Gliding into Cape Town
I think we finally had some time for several realizations to set in:
1) We're in AFRICA!
2) Those rivers and the bush below us is truly AFRICA!
3) The gorgeous sun setting in the horizon turning the sky bright red is in AFRICA!
4) We are just two hours from the end of a continent that we never thought we'd ever visit!!
5) We are truly on our way to legendary Cape Town, South Africa!
When we arrived in Cape Town at about 8 p.m. we scooted through the airport, collected our bags, climbed aboard our buses, and headed for our hotel - all in the dark. We believe that Table Mountain is right outside the hotel room window, but it will be morning before we find out for sure.
What a trip!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Apartheid Museum
Friday morning's visit to the Apartheid Museum in southern Johannesburg was a heartrending, thought-provoking, moving look at South Africa's era of segregation and oppression. How ugly and dreadfully sad to see how this gorgeous country was once spoiled and degraded by man's inhumanity to man. I'm grateful to have visited here no matter my sorrow as I viewed the exhibits.
The beauty of this awful story is that hope emerges out of the abyss. "Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another. Let freedom reign. God bless Africa." These are the famous words of Nelson Mandela in 1994 during his inauguration as president of the new South Africa.