South Africa

When I moved to Europe for the year, I never imagined I would have the opportunity to see Africa.

My host family has strong ties to South Africa; my host dad was born in Cape Town. So, the family has a house there and makes frequent holidays. For five weeks I got to see why they loved South Africa so much. I was blown away. Not only was it neat to drive down the highway and see mountains and green fields for miles, the people were so friendly.

It was such a different culture in South Africa. People selling their handmade items at stoplights, and even working for tips to help you get a parking spot. I also enjoyed being able to speak English too. 🙂

We stayed just outside of Cape Town, in Strand. Stellenbosch wasn’t too far away-it’s known for its wineries. Since there wasn’t WiFi at the house, every couple of days I would walk to a cafe across from the beach. I got to know the two sweet ladies who owned it. They were always so interested in my life, and would even let me stay after closing time to catch up on my What’sApp messages.

Walking home I would be able to catch a glimpse of the sunset over the beach, which can’t be put into words.

For five days, I took my first trip alone without my host family. It was an amazing experience. I took a guided bus tour through the Garden Route with other travelers- from Singapore and India. Wow, it was one of the best experiences of my life.

I went on a real safari to see The Big Five. I felt like I was in Taylor Swift’s Wildest Dreams music video when we first got to the Big Five Game Lodge.

Something else I never imagined I would do? Walk along a suspension bridge across the Indian Ocean. Amazing. This was at Tsitskamma National Park. We did a 4-5km hike through the park, and wow! What a sight.

Seeing Table Mountain was also an unbelievable experience. It’s something that can’t be put into words. You see the mountain on photos, but in real life it’s something else.

 

On my trip I also got to check a few things off my bucket list. Like, walking and feeding elephants. Tourists are invited to the elephant sanctuary I made a stop at, to see rescued elephants. The elephants need to walk miles (or kilometers, as the rest of the world says) in order to be ready to live in the wild again. My elephant was named Tandy. She was sweet and a little shy, but it didn’t take long for her to warm up to me. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

It was spring in South Africa, so the weather was perfect. Some days a little chilly, but some days were perfect to lounge on the beach. I even got to take a stab at surfing-which is a little harder than it looks. Luckily, I had a pretty great 10-year-old coach.

Visiting the Ostrich Capital of the World and the Cango Caves were also two exciting stops on the trip. And yes, I’m standing on Ostrich eggs.

I’m so grateful for all of the amazing people I’ve met on this journey so far. With a shy and reserved personality, a few years ago I would have never traveled alone and stayed in hostels and backpacker’s lodges. Stepping out of my comfort zones has been one of the most rewarding decisions I have made.

I never imagined I would go to Africa, and I would love to plan another trip there!