Having to write about all that I have seen, this post may appear a little corny. But then again, some things cannot be helped. South Africa in particular and Africa in general is such a destination. When people told me always leaves a mark on you, I thought that they were just joking or exaggerating. But I was still to know. ZA or Zuid Afrika is a melting pot of innumerable cultures - Indians, Zulus, Xhosas, Belgians, French, Dutch... and on and on. The half-way point for ships sailing to the far east, ZA is now more of an integration rather than a confusion.
My first stop was in Cape Town - probably the most beautiful and attributed as the least African of all African places. If you have to define it in one line,you have the Atlantic on one side, the Indian on the other, and the Table Mountain in between. I had arrived at the end of winter / starting of spring. But Cape Town hardly makes you feel like that. It may rain in the morning, be sunny in the afternoon and windy in the evening. You can never tell. And of course, this makes it the ideal place for the deep pockets to spend on summer villas. The Beckhams have one. So do all the others.
And of course the rich are pissed that the shanties are living right next door. On a warm sunny day, you can see the villas on one side and the shacks on the other.. both having an awesome view over the bay area. Makes you wonder how much real estate pitches are overrated ($16 million for a sea-facing villa it seems when you can get the same view for $2). And the shacks are pretty cool to look at. With the little money that they have, these guys have painted their shacks in brilliant shades, and accessorised them with waste that you would call waste in a shack, but art in a museum.
And yes, the women in Cape Town are hot. Unlike people in Delhi who believe that every day is Diwali (Bose, Rahul: Pyaar ke side effects, 2000 something) these women know how to dress well without appearing overdone. I finally realised that it is possible for the affluent to look good without dressing minimal.
And then there is the food... throughout South Africa. A bit of advice here. All you vegetarians out there... go to Cape Town. You will realise what you are missing out on. When the grilled calamari arrives, or the Hake and chips are served or the wine goes down well with the game, you do not feel that you need much. That is, of course, complimented by more wine (red or white) and Stuvyesants (they're much better than Marlboro).
After ravishing about Cape Town, it feels unnecessary to talk about anything else. But no matter, how much you like Cape Town and want to spend the rest of your life there with Ms. Venezuela by your side, you should visit Joburg. The commercial capital now, the city was once the hotbed of politics. One thing has to be done before you reach Joburg. You have to read the Bang Bang Club. Everyone knows about apartheid. What is not very well known is the post apartheid civil war. This book is on 4 photographers who clicked through the war and about their story. At the end of it, one is shot and one commits suicide. It is depressing to read about it. The necklacing (a tyre around the member of the opposite tribe and then burning him/her alive, the hacking, the looting and pillaging.. its crazy how things were. Even during the apartheid, school children getting shot, separate settlements, the farce called the government... everything hits you. And then you visit the Apartheid Museum. Conceived by Mandela, the philosophy is that apartheid is finally where it belongs.. in a museum. Its absolutely brilliant. You are handed random cards that say whites / non-whites and you have separate entries. You have cells and videos showing what went on during that time. When you finally leave the place you are still filled with wonder.
The wonder is what still amazes me. South Africa was undergoing widespread unrest up until 1994. In 15 years, the country is so hospitable and has taken the social equality to such a level that it is now hosting the world cup, that you now find friends irrespective of the colour, that everyone is still smiling. Yes there is still poverty and crime like other developing countries. But this change is 15 years is something else. Just compare that to the 62 years that we have been independent and have still been quarreling amongst each other for no reason.
Baie Dankie
