Greetings from Durban, South Africa! I am now on day 12 of my 96 day journey through Southern and Eastern Africa. My friend Melanie and I have already seen so much, but know there is much more in store as well.
It all began with 3 days in Johannesburg. Nothing too exciting as it is very similar to life in the United States. Very modern and fast-paced. Then we headed south to Cape Town where we spent 4 fabulous days with Melanie's extended family. It was wonderful being around an English-speaking family again after all this time. While there, we visited Robben Island, the place where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for most of his 27 years behind bars during the apartheid era. We also took a cable car up to Table Mountain and hiked around for a while. At 1000 meters high, the mountain provides an incredible view of Cape Town and the point where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. Saw penguins, whales, and dolphins! Then it was off to the Company Gardens where we had lunch with an old work colleague of mine who is the senior judge on the High Court of South Africa. First time I have eaten strawberries in over 2 years so quite the highlight for me.
Of course, the in-depth conversations we had on life, law, politics, and racism in South Africa were also a great highlight. Speaking to so many locals has completely broadened our ideas on the reality of living in a nation that is at once first world and also third world. Seeing such riches while also seeing the townships and informal settlements some are forced to live in is quite disturbing. Knowing that so many people have so much while others are relegated to living in shacks with no food or clothing to keep them warm is heartbreaking. It makes me wonder how a country that is so wealthy can let its citizens live such different lives. While poverty exists in the US as well, it is nothing like it is here. As I said earlier, it truly is the intersection of the developed and the developing worlds.
Anyway, getting back to our travels. We next spent 2 days hiking in parks and viewing waterfalls in Wildnerness, a small town along the coast. Then, it was on to Port Elizabeth where it appears we spent the night in a boy scout camp unbenownest to us. The signs in the bathrooms warning the boys to flush should have been a sign, right? The last 3 nights we have been in Durban, enjoying the lively Indian markets, beaches, and nightlife.
Next stop is another beach town on the coast called St. Lucia where we hope to play with hippos. Then we are off to Swaziland for 3 days and then on to the aqua waters of Mozambique where we will hopefully snorkel among the coral reef animals.
Janine
Table Mountain