Ignorance Meets Beauty

TDA Days 115 to 120
South Africa

Born and raised in a Communist country I grew up with lots of misconceptions. Political and economic factors contributed to limiting access or visibility to much of the beauty that Romania has to offer. Furthermore, my views of places got tainted by the flavour of the political and social situation. Having said that I can only confess my ignorance regarding South Africa. A country plagued by racism and social problems - how could that ever attract me as a travel destination ? And yet here I am today: startled, fascinated and excited: ready to review my thinking and learn some more. My ignorance has finally met the beauty of South Africa.

South Africa: more hills after crossing the border. And wind and rain and mist blocking visibility and concealing the beauty of the rugged landscape. Beautiful succulents on the roadside offering so many opportunities for exploration and discovery: tiny pink and yellow flowers; large yellow flowers similar to water lilies in shape. And white kale along the highway and pink geraniums. A whole new universe of plants. The vineyards covering rolling hills. The flat red desert interrupted by steep funny shaped hills and ridges.

We traversed a now bare Namaqualand and the wine country and reached the shores of the Atlantic in Lambert's Bay. The sound of the ocean had been audible for a while now. It was going to accompany us for the remaining 3 misty chilly days into Cape Town. And we had another camping experience in Elandsbay and Yzerfontein: camping next to the beach, in mist and wind and the ever louder sound of the waves breaking on the shore.
A few of us dipped into the ocean but we all enjoyed the heat and warm light offered by the campfire in the evening hours. Those were days we wanted to stretch out more as the awareness of the imminent tour end grew. Those were days of thinking ahead and trying to adjust to the coming change. Long walks on the beach in the late afternoon and evening watching the waves and the clouds metamorphose continuously. That's what this was all about: metamorphosis, whether individual or as a group.

In a way we all said good bye to the tour before hitting Cape Town on the ocean shore at Kleeft Beach. From there a convoy led us safely into the city where we were cheered by crowds next to the downtown waterfront. The ride was officially over.