The good news is that Veganism as a lifestyle choice is being accepted and adopted by the mainstream culture here along the south Cape coast of Africa today. Vegan is seen all over, despite being in a fairy conservative part of the world. Things are slightly behind the times but even here vegan is accepted and understood.
A recent visit to one of the biggest outdoor Saturday farmer/crafter market on the southern coast of Africa showed me just how open people here are to veganism. If you ever make it to the Garden Route along the south Cape coast of Africa, Then be sure to visit the Saturday market, known as the Wild Oats or Scarab market. It has two or even three departments and they all facilitate vegan stalls.
Here you can see in today’s photos, some of the stalls being hosted, with their home made vegan products. I would recommend a vegan diet as the best practice when it comes to lifestyle choices. If you can’t be vegan then a vegetarian diet is almost as good.
There are of course mostly non-veg food stalls, particularly in this part of the world, but vegan is now a household word, like yoga or karma. Life has become healthier for me over the past 30 years of meat-free life. Doctor’s visits are extremely rare and body mass is normal. Everyone is different but some things are good for everyone.
My doctor friend is totally vegan, including non-dairy milk in their hot drinks. I would do the same if I was into hot beverages like that. The kids are raised vegan at the doctor’s house. It really seems to inspire good health.
I remember how vegetarianism was very little heard of in sunny South Africa in the last century, during my youth. But in the nineties it emerged, much like gyms, which also sprung out of the nineties culture. People became more health and lifestyle conscious back then, and that wave has continued to this day, with massive interest in health, fitness and strength. And even world class body builders will be vegan sometimes.
In the early twenty first century, over the past 20 years, the concept of yoga became popularized and could be found offered in fitness studios all over the cities. Slowly these once misunderstood lifestyle practices became accepted as society became more informed. Today we like to consider ourselves more enlightened and informed via the internet, so healthy alternative lifestyle options are making more sense to us all.
So the world may have picked up a few bad habits, like GMOs and fracking, but the positive alternatives are also to be seen in a town near you. Yoga is an ancient practice and fortunately it is to be found in modern urban settings too. And all yogis would traditionally be vegan or vegetarian. The lifestyle choices all go hand in hand, based on a philosophy of compassion primarily.
So for our biggest market on the south Cape coast of Africa to have at least two vegan stalls is a good start. I am sure there were more at the other side of the event. Be sure to come early in the morning if you want to get some fresh produce from local farms and gardens, as well as home made foodstuffs. This farmers’ market has been going for over a decade and is the biggest in the province probably, if not the country.
Look for the town of Sedgefield, in the Garden Route, on the south Cape coast of Africa, and you will find the market just outside the town, on the main highway, on a Saturday morning. It is a must-see for all travelers to the region, any time of the year.