I wouldn’t normally consider posting up my holiday exploits onto my blog, mostly because my holidays generally have no relevance or link to my fencing. But this was a particularly special trip. This was a trip to South Africa.
My dad wanted to take my mum and my brother and I to visit South Africa to celebrate his 60th birthday. As soon as we arrived in the Kruger National Park, we came within metres of elephant, giraffe, buffalo, baboon, warthog, hippo and zebra on our first game drive. It was, however, to be our walking safari that would excite us the most. The highlight was watching a lioness run away from her kill (and thankfully us!) at just 20 metres. A brave hyena then came to steal the meat while the lioness was away. With a reputation as the scavenger of the bush, the hyena certainly wasn’t scared of me coming within 5 metres of him to take a picture! Untroubled by my presence, he was more concerned about the possible return of the lioness who was watching him (and us!) from the long grass not far away. I took a moment to take in my surroundings and listen to the extraordinary sound of his teeth crunching through the bones of a kudu. Our second unforgettable moment in the bush whilst on foot, was coming within 10 metres of a male rhino and his family. There was a nail-biting moment when, having assured himself that his wife and baby were safe, he looked at us and contemplated his next move...fight or flight? Sensibly, or rather luckily for us, with a toss of his head he decided to walk on. Phew! It was a magical experience. I felt privileged to be amongst these amazing animals, and realised how awesome the bush really is.
Next stop was Cape Town. My highlights were climbing Table Mountain and visiting some community projects in a Township run by ‘Uthando’ South Africa. Our guide and founder of ‘Uthando,’ James, explained to us that South Africa’s transition to a free and democratic society was nothing short of a miracle. He believes that the political apartheid of the past has been replaced by the economic apartheid of today. Poverty is rife amongst the black population, and indeed amongst surprisingly many dispossessed whites. Today, Cape Town’s population of 3.6 million includes a population of 1.6 million still living in poverty in the Townships. Racial inequality still persists in South Africa but progress is being made, and projects like Uthando provide a platform to raise funds for marginalised communities where unemployment is high. After spending the morning with various people from the Township who were running community projects, I felt humbled by their courage and resourcefulness in the face of their problems. I came away feeling inspired by the Townships and their people. Many of us do not realise how fortunate we are.
We finished our trip with two days’ walking in the wilderness of the Cedarberg mountains north of Cape Town, viewing cave paintings done up to 3,000 years ago by the San Bushmen, and learning about the local wildlife and flora and fauna from our guides.
South Africans are some of the most upbeat, welcoming and friendly people I have ever met. Everywhere we went we were greeted with a smile. Also, the food out there is second to none – the proof is in my newly tight pair of jeans! Ha! But seriously, I had a wonderful time, and I was left in no doubt that their recent hosting of the football World Cup helped unify the nation. They put on a great show. The trip also allowed me the time to reflect on my fencing, and the opportunities it gives me, before the upcoming Commonwealth Games and the new season. Many people I met in South Africa will never have the same opportunities. And as my sports psychologist would say when I am feeling down, “it is not as if there is a lion standing in the room, so there’s nothing to be scared of!” No need to worry anymore. Been there, done that!
