Coming face to face with a predator.

by Kathryn Brazier (United States of America)

A leap into the unknown South Africa

I got my first passport at the age of 2 1/2 and have traveled all over the world and have been loving travel ever since. My first trip south of the Equator was to South Africa in July 1999, I was nineteen and traveling with my mother. The flight from Miami to Cape Town was long but very comfortable. The first day of Cape Town was wonderful. We toured the highlights of Cape Town and I was surprised to see how beautiful the city was and how friendly the people were. The next day we visited Table Mountain and also visited a local winery. I got to ride on a tram to the top of Table Mountain and it was an incredible experience. Walking around the top of Table Mountain was the closest I got to being in Heaven while I was alive and conscious, plus the views were incredible. Later in the day, we went to a local winery for local wine tasting. The wine tasting was OK but someone told me an another member of our group that there were cheetahs at the winery and you could pet them. My eyes lit up I was shocked, I was excited, I was curious and so I went (along with another member of the tour group) to the gated area to where the cheetahs were. We arrived in the gated area and stood still as the a caregivers got the cheetahs. My heart pounding as this wild animal approached us on a leash. As the cheetah approached us, she growled and I immediately stepped away. She was nervous being around us because we were strangers to her. I was nervous too because I knew cheetahs were the fastest mammals on land and were feisty predators. As soon as the cheetah was calm, we approached her. She was very calm and quiet as we took turns petting her. It's hard to describe this experience. Your heart is racing yet you feel so relaxed sitting next to this wild animal that can be calm and quiet one minute and then run very fast the next. We stayed with the cheetah for no more than 10 minutes but it was an unforgettable experience. We then hurried to the bus and we headed back to our hotel. We got a scolding from the tour director because we came back a little late but it was worth it.