Discovering the Splendour of Home

by Renata Du Toit (South Africa)

Making a local connection South Africa

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Often times I find myself staring up into the sky at a plane flying over, wondering where those people are going and if an exciting venture awaits them. Or, when I’m at the ocean I find myself staring at the horizon, wondering if I’ll ever get to the other side where “life is happening!”. I live the city life in South Africa where you spend at least two hours a day on the road, together with thousands of other cars to get to work and back and mostly what you see is buildings, buildings and… cars. Recently, I made a trip down to Cape Town for the very first time in my 32 years of living. It’s a mere 2 hour flight from Johannesburg, yet I have never been there, whilst tourists flock from all over the world to experience it. I feel ashamed even typing that! Nevertheless, I went and my soul was awakened. Cape Town has a lot to offer and every day will be jam-packed with activities, so I can assure you that a trip like this must be planned and an itinerary put together before you go, otherwise you risk missing out on so much. You have to make a list of ‘must do’ things and one for ‘if we have time to do’ things. Part of our itinerary included visiting the south of Cape Town. We started in Simon’s Town, which I discovered to be so rich in history; a part of my South African heritage I didn’t even know about. But the stories don't end inside the museum walls - as we walked the streets, the buildings took me back in time and I felt hungry for more knowledge and facts about this place. We had to press on and drove further down to Boulder’s Beach, a popular place to see penguins up close, waddling around with you on the soft beach sand. I attempted to dip my toes in the ocean, but very quickly retracted from the icy cold! Delving deeper into the adventure, we drove out even further to Cape Point (the southernmost point of Africa) where one has to walk a distance up the mountain. The trip is arduous as the sun beats down on you and the steep incline makes you wonder if the burn you feel in your legs and chest is worth it… Persevere, because when you do get to the lookout point, you will be left in awe of the view. It forces you to stand dead still, drink it in with your eyes and capture the sounds - a truly mesmerising experience that will make you feel like you’ve arrived in Heaven. The ocean presents the deepest shades of blue and the whitest waves; it captivates you with a calmness that no yoga class can ever do. On the other side of the spectrum, what is Cape Town without its wine? One simply has to do the wine route and Franschhoek holds a particular web of magic with its art galleries, restaurants and wine farms. You’ll have to get started early to ensure a healthy number of wine farms are visited. Everyone tries to tell you things like “there are hints of berries and spices and fleshy tannins…” , but my favourite piece of advice was from a lady who told us to forget all of what you’re supposed to taste and enjoy the wine for what it is. Wine tastes like wine - some of it you’ll like and others you won’t. (My advice and spoken from experience - or lack thereof at the time - be sure to have a hearty breakfast before you go). As we set out to do sight-seeing every day, becoming entwined with groups of people, I would listen to everyone speak and realised that the majority were from other countries - China, America, Germany - all of these people came to my native country to experience its beauty and splendour. I was just as much of a tourist as they were, taking as many photos, buying gifts to take home and experiencing South Africa through different eyes. I felt proud to have my feet on local soil and calling it home.