The Many Facets of An African Nation

by Ruhaani Mahadeva, Junior 1 Higgs, Class of 2015

When I first heard that I was traveling to South Africa for my holidays, the first few things that came to my mind was ‘apartheid’ and ‘segregation’ because that was all I used to hear about the country. To be very honest, with those keywords in my mind, I wasn’t exactly jumping out of my seat. 

However, the minute we touched down in Cape Town, I was proven wrong. Never had I realized how remarkable it was until I actually stepped onto Cape Town soil. When we arrived at the airport, the attendants welcomed us with uttermost respect. One man thought we had come back from a holiday; apparently we looked like one of them! The friendliness and warmth of the first few locals we met already made us feel accepted and comfortable. We stayed right in the heart of the city, so it was quite convenient for us to do lots of sight-seeing. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad trip after all.

Photo Credit : Ruhaani Mahadeva

On the first day, we decided to ride on a ‘Hop-On-Hop-Off’ bus to get a little tour of the magnificent city. When I saw how stunning the beaches looked, I couldn’t help but run out of the bus and sink my feet in warm sand and clear waters. The soft sand surrounding my feet and the soothing sound of crashing waves created an ethereal scene. The crashing waves were practically calling out to me and reeling me in; I couldn’t wait to go swimming. However, I learnt looks are deceiving because I felt as if I was dipping my feet into a bucket full of ice; it was unbelievably cold!  

Photo Credit : Ruhaani Mahadeva

If you’re really into wildlife, Africa is definitely the place to be. My family and I set off at 5 a.m in the morning and took a three hour drive to a safari. As early as it was, I couldn’t contain my excitement. The tour guide for the day took us out on a jeep to see the animals. I saw so many animals - lions, cheetahs, giraffes, elephants, hyenas, wildebeests, I could go on forever! You wouldn’t believe it if I told you, but we took a drive to penguin island where I could be an inch apart with an adorable penguin! Though it was indeed a joyful experience, seeing these animals roaming around freely also made me realise how suffocated animals who are caged up in the zoo must feel.

Photo Credit : Ruhaani Mahadeva

On our way back to the apartment, my father almost crashed the car. I thought I was dreaming when I opened my eyes to a giant hippopotamus right in front of us, casually walking across the road. I saw a documentary about hippos and how they are the second most dangerous animals in the world! You could imagine how terrified I was. Luckily, it didn’t seem to care about us so we were safe. 

We decided to end our holiday in Cape Town by visiting one of the natural wonders of the world, Table Mountain. Its name is given to it because the mountain is flat at the top, just like an ordinary table. It was so high up that we had to take a cable car up, although some adventurous hikers made the brave decision to climb! The top of Table Mountain seemed like a whole different country altogether. The atmosphere was cold and misty; the clouds were passing through us as fast as lightning. I finally got to experience what clouds felt like and don’t worry, the answer is they feels like nothing!

Photo Credit : Ruhaani Mahadeva

On our final day in Cape Town, I was more than upset to leave this aesthetic country. It was funny how I’d started this trip so pessimistically but I had practically gone through a complete 180 degree turn by the end of it. I knew I was leaving with great memories and fun stories to tell, to change the minds of people who thought of South Africa the same as I once did.