Sudan Update 13

CTO update 2 – My South African adventure! Eventually, I left the mystical land of Ethiopia to explore the mysterious, nature filled country of South Africa. With her rich history, gorgeous landscapes, friendly people, diverse wildlife, and modern luxuries, South Africa was a welcome sanctuary where I was able to blend in and savour a familiar taste of home on this magnificent continent.

I began by travelling from Addis Ababa to Johannesburg, where I devoured my first meal of sushi (in the airport) in over three months. It was amazing (I am using the word loosely)! As most of you know, sushi is one of the things I enjoy and crave most at home; some of you may have even thought that it wasn’t possible for me to go three and a half months without it! I couldn't decide what to get (I know, shocking) so I got both dishes that I wanted and then couldn’t finish them! My waiter at the sushi bar was more than a little perplexed when I asked him to take a picture of me with my sushi (definitely not the strangest picture that I took or had someone take of me)! Since my layover was barely an hour and a half I had to rush to catch my connecting flight to Durban, though my luggage was not as lucky!

Since the next flight to Durban arrived in an hour I decided to wait and see if my bag made it on, which gave me an hour to shop in the airport! It was overwhelming to be back in modern, consumer-driven civilization.

The first store I came upon was a pharmacy.

The cashier actually followed me around the store, marvelling at my irrational excitement over seeing basic beauty products such as deodorant, shampoo, and body wash. It was one exhilarating discovery after another! I must have spent 25 minutes in the mini drugstore, judiciously examining item after item, becoming reacquainted with luxury toiletries!  My luggage made the next flight and, after stopping at a fantastic little book store and limiting myself to buying only three items; I was off to the hostel where I would be joining my GAP tour group to set off on my South African Discovery Adventure!

I had the distinct pleasure of travelling with eight wonderful, interesting, beautiful international friends and two funny, caring, slightly dishevelled South African guides.  We spent the next ten days exploring overland from Durban to Cape Town in a small van, via the famous

Garden Route

. We stopped to explore numerous small towns, to take a variety of photos, to stretch our legs on some fabulous hikes, and to huddle around campfires sharing stories, music, drinks, and a dance or two.  Each night we set up camp at a different site on the side of a mountain or the ocean; it was peaceful and amazing being outdoors. The only downside was the temperature -- the days were cold and windy and the nights almost unbearably so. Yes, this Canadian girl almost died when the temperature dropped down into single digits at night! I spent many of them shivering and wondering why I had chosen this particular brand of adventure for my break from daily camping in Sudan. Prior to my next travels, please remind me that I would like a bit of luxury ;)

I spend lots of time outdoors in Sudan, but it is so hot and different from home. Here, South Africa’s rugged, animal filled countryside felt like a much needed taste of home -- it was good medicine for my soul. The cold, fresh air was revitalizing; the feel of the wind blowing off the ocean and the majestic mountains towering over the landscape, freeing. I felt calm and at one with my surroundings. However, I increasingly longed to be warm, so I spent the last few nights in chalets rather than tents – as did most of my travelling companions!

We encountered a variety of animals during our game drives, some of which I had already seen in Uganda, but also new species like the exotic Kudu, the fun loving Springbok and, my personal favourite, the sophisticated Zebras! I had the chance to sample wild game dishes and batong (similar to a very fresh jerky) made of the first two, yum! I also ate ostrich, venison, and crocodile, though I had eaten those three meats before this trip, so they weren't as novel. We visited two animal sanctuaries, one for wild cats including leopards, cheetahs, and servals and another for elephants. We also visited an ostrich farm, where some of my travelling companions took the opportunity to ride them. I, personally, was content to merely feed the giant birds! We briefly explored the Cango Caves -- though they were much too touristy for my liking, with well groomed and lit paths, not at all like the cave spelunking I did in Costa Rica last year!

The trip concluded in Cape Town, a city that I would love to explore further one day! With its captivating backdrop of mountains, boardwalk by the ocean, and laid back, athletic vibe, it did not feel like any African city that I had previously explored. It struck me as a curious mix of a relaxed California-style city, mixed with some African flair and some European, specifically Dutch, influence. It was a bustling metropolis with a relaxed zen feel. The ZA (South African) people speak Afrikaans, which is an interesting mix of Dutch, Malays, Portuguese, and many other local languages. There were unfortunately, an endless stream of beggars and scam artists, so it was imperative to stay with a group and be extra careful at night. I felt safe, but I was also cautious and in good company at all times.

In Cape Town I was finally able to purchase some gifts. Most of my earlier travels in Africa had not facilitated souvenir shopping, as either the destinations were not touristy or I was backpacking and unable to fit more items into my overstuffed bag! I also took some time to buy basic food staples and a few luxury items for my return to Sudan. Speaking of which, it is highly possible that my travelling companions thought that I was slightly crazy as I often became exited over any food item that I had not seen in months, such as: lettuce, hot dogs, cucumber, cheesy puffs, chocolate, and Doritos. Even when the snacks ended up being stale, which was surprisingly quite often, I was still excited to eat them! I enjoyed teaching my travelling mates how to roast a marshmallow and make s’mores which, as an aside, most people in my team site had also never done before. Can you believe it? It's practically unimaginable to picture growing up with marshmallow-less campfires! 

It is hard to write about South Africa because it was so exotic yet familiar at the same time. What really stood out for me were the incredible group that I travelled with, the gorgeous countryside, and the modern luxuries that were at my finger tips (even if I was sleeping in a tent at night)! It was my first time touring the southern hemisphere, but there were many times when I felt like I could be anywhere at home, in Canada.  It’s not that I wasn’t taken with South Africa; on the contrary, I loved it.

I flew back from Cape Town to Entebbe and was immediately struck with a strange, welcoming feeling. I was happy to be back in Northern Africa. It was warm and familiar. I felt content.