It's Friday morning, I'm supposed to leave with Mariska at 13:00 to Hoedspruit from Sandton for Zander, my best friends birthday.... Zander phones to let me know he wants to drive with his car (beautiful white BMW 3series) and I'm leaving with him at 11:00 just because he says...since we're best friends I have no choice, obviously.... Right? As we're leaving Pretoria and the epic road trip Playlist is blasting Zander confess to needing some alone time with me and wanting to take the scenic route to show me how beautiful our country really is.... It is beautiful! Beautiful, rolling green hills, meadows filled with purple, yellow and white wildflowers and ponds. That I can tell you, the actual road... Not worthy of being called that... The front and back tyres, as well as the brand new BMW black series rims on the left side of the car gets written off after hitting a pothole the size of the Northern Cape * we're OK... That's all that matters... 3km outside of Lydenburg we chill by the side of the road assessing what our options are... Zander starts fitting the spare Tyre on the front wheel, since it's been damaged most... In the span of the next 45min we are assailed /bombarded by friendly Afrikaans farm people from all sides, having a friend here and there in town who can come and save us, eventually we let them.. What's the price for all this hospitality? Do you have a lighter for me? Let's have smoke? Hi-Q and the towing truck will be here soon-ish! Uncomfortable but willing to accept the help we bond with the good people from Lydenburg who has the car towed, new tyres and mags ordered by the time Mariska arrives to pick us up and take us to Hoedspruit, while the car is being taken care off... Free etc Finally arriving in Hoedspruit and getting to the farm of darling Eduard (Zanders boyfriend), we finally get to relax and say we made it. We had a proper Afrikaans braai by the only non Afrikaans speaking guy there, seeing as we had stage 2 loadshedding, it was great nonetheless... Dark, braai was the only light... Us 8 city folks joining the farm vibes with JBL speakers on sync.... We had the best time.... We were about 16 people that evening, taking something from each other, a smile here, a compliment there, Shazam a Playlist.... Who knows... We were all enriched and nourished. Ready for the next mornings adventure... At 9am we left for the "berg", not sure what to expect the 8 of us followed the 4 of the locals, Eduard, Ludwig and the other 2 into two vehicles, after packing extensively for every occasion we might encounter - we had mimosas on our way up the mountain, the most beautiful scenery - tropical greenery and boulders that looked like quartz everywhere... Finally on top of the mountain you looked down onto the world like it was a distant, remote place you were never really part off.... Calm, content and curious we roamed about on top on foot, we couldn't believe our eyes.... It does exist, serene views from on top of the world (that's how I felt, at least) in our very own country.... Wow!! As it was a 40 degree day we decided to do the trek down to the river to cool down, we were not disappointed.... I got lost for a moment while swimming in the river, between falls, transported to Thailand and swimming between the floating mountains, as that was exactly what I was looking at... Dreaming? No.... It just looks exactly the same.... Beautiful, magestic, otherworldly....completely untouched, undisturbed - just natural. Moss and trees, coral beds and boulders just growing inside, on top and along the river bed. While inside the river and looking up, the connection to Thailand is even more pronounced, taking me back to simpler times.... And it was here all along, and I didn't know.... Feeling the connection between such different countries and finally connecting to my own, seeing the likeness but also the difference, exploring the most beautiful part of South Africa I have ever seen.... #worthit I immediately start writing, without fear of judgement from my friends... They know me by now.... Only good vibes