At the end of March 2017, I was packing but not a normal suitcase with clothes. It was a suitcase full of learning, adventures, peace, love, friendship, cultural contrasts, wonderful landscapes, understanding and spirituality gained in Cape Town, South Africa.
All my spirituality and adventures experiences beginning on Octuber 2016 when I was very excited preparing my visa and packing for my journey to explore a new chapter in my professional life. I did not expect that this experience would change my views towards life, but because it did, I am here to recount my experiences.
From the first moment I set foot in South Africa I saw that it was full of cultural contrasts, rich history and struggle, filled with different types of people that spoke different languages, and breathtaking landscapes of the "Mother City".
When my eyes caught sight of the small peninsula emerging between the sea and the mountains, my heart was eager to see all of those monuments and glorious natural landscapes that I had seen on the internet.
My first sight of the city, leaving from the airport, was totally the opposite from what I had seen on my computer screen. There were wood shacks built at the roadside, children playing in the middle of the beaten land, and electrical wires that disturbed the landscape. As my journey continued to where I would be staying, I appreciated every landscape and movement through the window of the car. I was overwhelmed by a swirl of feelings. Some of reflection and concern, and others of joy and enthusiasm by the fresh scenary. At that point, I knew that my stay in Cape Town would be of many emotions and questions.
With the intention of experiencing the local life I decided to take the public transportation... and guess what?! My first experience was terrible! I took tranportation that are called “taxis” (minivans that make alternative transportation) and found the drivers drove dangerously and at high speeds. Most of them had the music blasting playing African songs, which I could not understand as it was in one of the eleven official languages spoken in the country. There were also many stops along the way for people to come in or out of the van - to the point where no one else was able to fit.
The most remarkable experience in terms of transportation was with the trains. Oh my gosh! Just to get on the train requires skills. When the train doors open people begin to push themselves to get on the train. They are always crowded at rush hour times and people are looking for any space where they can travel. Doesn’t matter where it will be.... between the wagons or hanging on the doors. All together, coupled like a sardine can, but giving space and voice to those who preach some religion or are selling candies, chocolates or fruits and vegetables.
Ahaaa, I was forgetting something - not to mention the unusual and worrying ads nailed to the train, like “Reliable Pills for Abortion” and “Penis Enlargement!”
Misery here is explicit, there are a lot of homeless people and they are everywhere. Under viaducts, near train stations, bus stops, and wherever they can pitch their tents. Another sad thing is the division between blacks and whites. Out of the center of the city, in the neighborhoods near the beaches and expensive, are the whites, and around, in the suburbs, are the blacks. It is sad to know that even with all of Nelson Mandela's struggle to end racial differences, Cape Town has yet to evolve in this respect. People still separate, even if involuntarily, by consequences of a cruel past, full of pain and aggression against blacks
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| Homeless tents |
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| Homeless tents at the train station |
At work everything was different - the experience was incredible. The structure of the company impressed me. There is a staff-only restaurant and a cocktail bar that runs on Fridays from 5pm to 7pm with unlimited drinks, provided by the company. In addition, I loved the multicultural environment. There are people from all over the world, from France to Mexico and Brazil to Germany.
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| Happy friday from my desk |
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| Welcome to the Crash New Rhinos! |
However, the thing I really admire about the company was the social responsibility. The company supports people and special children in need and the preservation of Africa's wildlife. In one of the projects of the company, I had the opportunity to attend the Christmas celabration at a day care in a very poor neighborhood of the city. Seeing the brightness of the children's eyes as they saw Santa coming with toys and food infected me, and filled my spirit with the purest emotion of love for my neighbour.
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| Christmas Celabration at a Day Care |
Everywhere I've ever been I've not seen a natural beauty as unexplained as in Cape Town. God was very generous there - nature is simply Incredible! The postcard of the city: The Table Mountain is amazing. It is also is one of the 7 Wonders of Nature in the world.
Nothing better than exploring this beauty of nature by hiking it and enjoying the city view from up as well the Lion’s head that is an opposite side....
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| Lion’s head |
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| Vineyards |
I could not finish this post without mentioning the wonderful people with kind and open hearts, who have crossed my path. The family of Angolans who welcomed me in my first weeks. They gave more than a place to stay - they adopted me as part of their family. Julieta Muhongo, I will never forget our conversations about different religions and philosophy of life.
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| Me and Julieta Muhongo |
Another person who fell from the sky was Safyia and Jasmin. They gave me more than one room and a comfortable bed to sleep on. They simply opened the doors of their house and offered me the affection of their family. Ohoo, besides this I ate very well - Safyia and Jasmin are a full-fledged cook! Safya also introduced me to the "Food4homeless" group that she leads and has the proposal to go out on the streets of Cape Town delivering food to the homeless. Whether blacks, homosexuals, children, pregnant women, the disabled, people with HIV or the elderly. The word “thank you” is very little, to express such gratitude and honour that I felt for I had the opportunity to know each one of these person and I hope to have them for the rest of my life.
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| Food4homeless |
In my 6 months in South Africa, I learned a lot and evolved spiritually. Unlike the social, human misery and division between races made which still make my heart sad and broken. However, I know that this sadness will go away. When I remember the joyful smiles, the joy of life and the faith of the african people besides the incredible people that I have found and changed my perception of life. Not to mention the magnitude of the wild nature, the beautiful sparkling beaches and the mountains around this beautiful península - Thank you Cape Town for making me a better person!
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| Cape Town. Photo: Rhino Africa |
