Footprints

Was it a hippo that crossed this little sand bar? I never got close enough to tell. What time did it walk by? Was there a crocodile laying in wait nearby?

Elephants

In the late afternoon, extended families of elephants made the trip down to cross the Lower Sabie. Mothers, their teenage offspring, and the toddlers, all stay together in a herd. The old bulls tend to keep to themselves or in groups of two or three.

Where time stands still

 

Four hours from the biggest city in southern Africa, and we have entered the realm of the animals. Yes, there are roads and a few camps, and a defunct rail line, but we hardly make an impact. At night, when the gates to the camp are closed, it's all theirs. A hyena laughs, a lion roars, a hippo snort.

This old house

Can memories live on their own, tucked away inside a certain place? We drove by the house where my husband grew up, where I first arrived in Africa, where I visited almost daily for four years. I can look at the outside, but in my mind, I am looking at the inside. The wood stairs are polished to a high shine, the furniture is still upholstered in the same light rose, and the tea is waiting to be poured into the delicate china cups out on the stoop.

Cape Point

Miles and miles from western Europe and the US. A little outpost on the end of long continent which had to be circumnavigated to get to the east. As recently as the 1960's, immigrants arriving to a new country by ship, after a several week voyage from the UK. I arrived the first time after an overland trip through Africa that lasted 6 months. But now, in less than 24 hours, you can fly from the US to Capetown. Are we meant to change our surroundings this quickly? I find the jet lag has not so much to do with my physical clock being thrown off, as my mental bearings.

Robben Island

The opportunity to visit Robben Island was certainly though provoking. With a gorgeous view of Capetown several miles across the sea, political prisoners were kept isolated here during the apartheid years. This was Nelson Mandela's cell for almost half a century. How he was able to bring about such change in the country without a bloody revolution still seems a miracle to me. While on the tour of the island, one stop is in the prison where a former prisoner speaks to the group. I am constantly amazed at the commitment to education and reconciliation in this country. What could be possible in the Middle East, in the former Yugoslavia republics, in India and Pakistan, in Northern Ireland if this were the approach?

Peace

At the Waterfront in Capetown stand four sculptures, celebrating the four South Africans who have earned the Nobel Peace Prize. Albert Lithuli in 1960, Desmond Tutu in 1984, F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela in 1993.

Wading

Take a new look at the ocean through the eyes of a four year old. Each wave is an event. Each piece of seaweed a slimy serpent from a faraway land. Each rush of water still a surprise. But the penguins don't seem anymore out of place than all the other wonders of the sea.

Ashes

We have a special spot above Simonstown where you can peer down into town and feel that you can hold it in the palm of your hand. Luckily, Richard remembered how to get there, despite the fact that the once visible trail has disappeared. It's also the spot where the ashes of both of his parents have been scattered. Although late in the season, there was still one flower blooming between the rocks, right where the ashes had settled 11 years ago. And while we sat there and reminisced, a butterfly was drawn to the flower, posing for me, as if in conversation.

King of the Mountain

I've been on top of Table Mountain by cable car, but never have tried to climb it before. The Southeaster that had been unrelenting for the last few days had finally died down, but, an incredibly warm heat wave for March was taking its place. 40C (104F) does not make for an auspicious hiking day, and it was hot and sticky as we endlessly climbed stairs and ladders up Skeleton Gorge. Once on top, we were baking in the open sun, and knew there was no way we were going to make it all the way across to the cable car station. I had no idea how vast an area lies on top of Table Mountain, containing reservoirs, cabins, and miles of trails. We enjoyed the blooming protea, the views down to Hout Bay, and the feeling of being in the wilderness, perched above a big city, and then headed back down to civilization the way we had come.

Boulders Beach

I always found it somewhat ironic that we left Johannesburg and moved to Boulder, while my in-laws left Johannesburg and moved next to Boulders Beach. Maybe we have the same love of granite, in all its infinite variety. While we have the towering mountains out our doorstep, nothing quite matches the beautiful cove of Boulders Beach. Don't find too many penguins in Colorado either.