Hi, my name is Igor, I'm 26 years old, and this is my story, about the country im staying at. Republic of South Africa, a nation of visceral culture and breath-taking landscapes; once you here it engulfs you with its natural beauty, human friendliness and cultural heritage. A country that shares eleven languages, which belong to various social groupings and each together have shared hardships and victories - truly a rainbow nation.
I began my travels in Cape Town, also known as Kaap Stad in local ‘ Afrikaans’ tongue. This city is laid-out around one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the unforgettable plateau known for its flatness that resembles a table, hence the name Table Mountain. I was able to experience this town literally from top to bottom, as it is positioned between the two, Atlantic and Indian, oceans which means that the city is placed on a hilly landscape that drops and rises from the ocean level to the peak of Table Mountain.
Cape Town boasts satellite dorpies (towns) that for a foreigner may feel as though they are part of the city however they all form different districts and some even possess their own rules and regulations, as for example Fish Hoek, a coastal town, has no alcohol stores to prevent alcoholism in their region. Such measures are ironic as other towns that surround Fish Hoek allow alcohol purchase, still South Africa is known for its delicious wines and beer brewing and Cape Town harnesses some of the loveliest wine-farms that are accessible for a visit. Cape Town by itself is incredibly diverse not only due to the people but also due to various historical implications that have affected the growth and development of the town over decades.
Here, many tourist destinations await you but Cape Town is not only known for tourist pleasures, the city dwellers were able to fill this town with many pleasures and fun activities which means that Cape Town should never bore any individual. Such activities range from restaurants of diverse cosine, to bars and clubs and other ventures that may bring pleasure to many, such as sharing a beach with penguins or playing put-put (mini-golf) by the sea and many stunning hiking destinations.
I was lucky to be able to spoil myself with Cape Town’s beauty and along with that make great friends. Many stories were told and many drinks were spilled over the sound of ‘cheers’ in the air. I had the pleasure of trying many delicious foods on offer, and travelling all over the city experiencing Cape Town from all its angles. However Cape Town is known to be unique in comparison to the rest of South Africa, some even tend to label it as a separate state within a state. Although Cape Town does hold certain differences to the rest of South Africa it does not mean that South Africa is meaningless without Cape Town. Of course with European influence springing to South Africa starting in Cape Town harbours with the, VOC, in the 1600s, Cape Town is considered to be the founding city but leaving Cape Town one may find a totally new side of South Africa which may differ as an alter-ego to Cape Town, yet still holding immense beauty and unforgettable atmosphere.
This is where the agricultural aspect of South Africa is much more vivid and farms tend to pave most of the distances throughout the Karoo-lands. Farms vary from wine to animal to agricultural and most of them are always available for visits and even accommodation if needed. To add to that South Africa was blessed with British and Dutch infrastructure so South African roads and buildings are mostly top quality and allow for consistent comfortable travel. To end this short introduction which does little justice to this magnificent country, my praise of it does contain some bias as I tend to overlook South Africa’s political and criminal issues that tend to ring a bell all around the news. However most must understand that every nation in this world faces issues that may be considered as serious and threatening if one had to look at crime and other such aspects, but not every nation allows for an experience of pure natures beauty with raw, in some sense, yet comfortable infrastructure and a society that is separated by inequality but still allows for refreshing friendliness, which is lost in many nations of today. I truly hope that this nation will be experienced by many as it deserves to never be forgotten.