“So, where are you from?” asked a friendly traveler.
“I’m from South Africa.”
“South Africa! Cool! Which country?”
“Ummm, South Africa, you know, that country right at the bottom of Africa?”
“Oh ok,” he replies slowly, sounding a little confused. At this moment I realize that to some people Africa is split into two areas: North Africa, and South Africa (which is just open bush with tribesmen running around with spears trying to hunt buffalo). For those who had such an unfortunate education and think that South Africa only consists of wild animals and people living in huts wearing a loin cloth, I hope to re-educate you about this beautiful country.
I want to get something straight right off the bat: Yes there are white people in South Africa. Many, actually. So stop asking: “But you are white, how is that possible? Are your parents black?” A quick lesson in history: South Africa was colonized by both England and The Netherlands. Wars were fought, battles won and lost. In the end, we have English and Afrikaans (derived from Dutch) and 9 other indigenous languages; we are the only country in the world to have 11 official languages.
Our culture is not one definite one, but rather a mix of the world. We have the biggest Indian population outside of India. You can find Chinese, Japanese, Korean and other Asian communities and our cities are filled with European, Lebanese and Arabic lifestyles and religions. You can eat food from Brazil, Israel, Mozambique, Greece, Mexico and more. You can dance to the rhythms of African and Latin American music, European Techno, Jamaican Reggae, North American rock and British pop.
Why should you travel all the way from Colombia to South Africa with the stopover in Sao Paulo? Visiting South Africa is like nothing you will have ever experienced before and your experience will be unique compared to someone else’s. Deciding where to go and what to do will be your most difficult choice because we have everything. I’m not kidding.
You can hike in all kinds of terrain, swim in two oceans, explore deserts or the tropics, scuba dive, shark cage dive, surf, kite surf, windsurf, sky dive, paraglide, bungee jump (Bloukrans Bridge being the highest bungee jump in the world), play with wild animals, bird watch, ride in a cable car, water ski, ski, snowboard and ice climb (in Lesotho – the mountainous country within our country), ride bicycles, ride motorbikes, ride a camel, ride a horse, white river raft, abseil, climb, attend music festivals, wine festivals, meat festivals and much more.
Start your trip in Johannesburg; a city pulsating with energy and action all amassed together in vibrant, cultural chaos. It’s trendy, it’s happening and don’t be slow or you will be left behind. Take a day trip to The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site and discover the beginning of Man or have a picnic in our Botanical gardens while live music plays in the background. For a chance to understand South Africa’s history, visit the Apartheid or Hector Peterson Museums or Constitution Hill. Just a few hours’ drive from the city is the famous Kruger National Park. Here you have the opportunity to see the Big 5 (soon to be Big 4 if Rhino poaching continues); hear lions hunting at night, birds twittering at dawn and breathe in the fresh, dry air of the African outback.
Perfectly positioned on the coast, Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with Table Mountain standing tall behind in her splendor, her arms and back falling gracefully into the great Atlantic Ocean. You can spend your days lazing on beaches, sipping cocktails as the sun goes down or, for an outdoor adventure you can hike up Table Mountain on one of the several paths to discover magnificent views of the ocean, the mountain and the city throbbing below. Take a boat and visit Seal Is- land or visit Boulders Beach where you will find colonies of penguins. Spend a leisurely day strolling through the Two Oceans Aquarium or buying souvenirs on the waterfront.
Nearby you can experience the openness and wildness of the African sky and landscape in the Karoo desert and attend the AfrikaBurn festival. This week long festival brings to life the artistic expression of South Africans in art, music, costumes and performances. More international acts are now playing in my country, SA is on the music map. Craft beer festivals are popping up as well and café’s are taking advantage of the artistic abilities of locals and offer a whole new art- café experience.
South Africa has its own unique tasty treats as well. You cannot leave without trying our famous milktart, koeksisters or chocolate crunchies accompanied with a cup of Rooibos tea with rugby/cricket playing in the background, beers flow- ing, meat braaing (try our famous boerewors) and people chilling. Another reason to visit is to have the chance to carry animals in your pocket, as a Colombian friend once commented. South Africa is actually the only country that has animals printed on their banknotes.
Colombia is my new home, not only because I love the people, the nature and the Latin passion, but also because of how much it reminds me of South Africa. In both SA and Colombia you can find friendly, warm and hospitable people who will go out of their way to make you feel at home. These countries both share two seas overflowing with marine life and both are in the top ten for having the most biodiversity (plants, birds, mammals) in the world.
Here in Colombia I can find the same beat that moves and drives people; music is the soul and life is for dancing. South Africans love dancing so much that employees dance and sing to show how unhappy they are with their employers. Taxi drivers in both SA and Colombia went to the same driving school where lessons such as “stop at red lights” and “use your brakes” were advised against. At ‘robots’ (traffic lights) one can find the homeless and poor trying to make their daily bread offering, with a huge smile they approach your car to clean your windscreen or per- suade you to buy some useless item. Colombia and SA share the same slowness at the cashiers; customers’ having a fat chat while the queue gets longer and longer behind them. “Now now” can mean anything from a minute to a month and in Colombian lingo “I’m on my way” can mean anything from I just woke up to I’m actually on the bus.
SA and Colombia have their problems with drugs, crime and corruption, but despite what the media drills into us, beneath the ugly mess you will find the most remarkable and spirited people, amazing natural beauty and the dream of a nation to move out of poverty, out of underdevelopment and to build a new life; a new community of prosperity and strength.
