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South Africa is one of the most beautiful areas of the world. One is able to travel along very pleasantly and conveniently due to its excellent net of roads. At Cape Agulhas, African’s point farthest south, the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean meet each other. However, Cape of Good Hope, which lays about 100 km to the west, is way more famous.
Cape Town is just as famous. Anyone thinking of Cape Town will probably imagines the massif of the table mountains - sometimes it seems to be lined with a tablecloth and sometimes without one (floating white clouds), but always impressive. Starting from here one can go on wonderful day trips. One could be heading towards Cape Point or maybe into the wine yards near by. Uncountable wineries invite to have a look around or to taste some wine (maybe you have a co-rider, who neither likes the tasty wine, nor the sherry, nor the port wine, nor the champagne). Stellenbosch is a fascinating town known for its European immigrants (Dutch and Huguenots).
And as if this wonderful landscape along the Garden Route wasn’t a large enough sight, there are whales inviting to tour along the coast between May and November. It is just such an amazing sight to witness these giants gracefully getting out of the water just to show off with a majestic jump. What a show it is, when they elegantly wave with their dorsal fin or simply greet you with a spray of water.
If one travels north along the coast the landscape rises onto a gigantic plateau, the so called Highveld. Towards the northwest it blends into the Kalahari desert. To the north borders a fascinating forest of giant Baobab trees. Here is where the “big five” of the wild animals are in their habitat. Lions, zebras, elephants, giraffes and rhinos symbolize South African’s wealth. The most famous visitor’s center is the Krüger-National-Park in the northeast.
To the east the Highveld drops away into the Limpopo-hollow. This area offers fascinating national parks as well. One does certainly good to observe its inhabitants from a rented car. The region along the shore of the Indian Ocean fascinates with very old woods, with dunes which are up to 500 m high and with the land of the thousand hills north of Durban. In the hinterland of the country little roundly huts right and left of the roads tell about the inhabitants who have lived here for centuries: The Zulus. Further to the east live mostly people who descended from the Xhosa. The make up the second largest population group in South Africa.
Once more back to the plateau: Its central part is the Drakens Mountain, an enormous massif and an outstanding photo setting for riders and their motorbikes. The Champagne Castle (what a name!) with its 3377 meter is the highest mountain South Africa’s. Anyone who doesn’t take interest in hiking or climbing, can rides to the caves and labyrinths in the area. One can admire the history of South Africa at the inside of the Drakens mountains – here one finds old paintings on the rocks which were designed thousand of years ago.
Real culinary treasures: South Africa displays an outstanding kitchen, which is influenced by the immigrants from many countries. We would like to recommend Sosaties (kebab), Bobotie (minced meat with curry), Bredies (stew with meat and vegetables), crayfish and Biltong (dried meat). The wine is delightful!
Some geography:
South Africa is nearly four-times as big as Germany, but it only has a little over half of its inhabitants, close to 45 million humans. Nowadays there is hardly any increase in its population; Aids is an enormous threat.
11 languages are officially tolerated in the country. However in order to get along nobody is inclined to know anything of languages like isi Zulu or isi Xhosa. Knowing English one gets on fine in the country. And if one masters a little Dutch, one can at least read the signposts at the West Cape. Here Afrikaans is known, which is the language of the immigrated Dutchman.
Black and white:
In spite of its beauty South Africa can (can!) be an unsafe place. Especially at Johannesburg one ought to move carefully. Sightseeing should be planned in groups; one person should not walk alone and definitely not during the evening. Taxicabs from hotels are the safest possibility to travel across town. Same applies to Pretoria.
At Durban and Cape Town the rate of violent delinquencies is lower. But even for these towns at the coast it is recommended: Past closing hours (for the most part 6 p.m.) and on Sundays one should not walk alone through city centers. Township-visits should only be undertaken if organized. There are several agencies, which offer such visits.
Even if sunsets are very romantic: Don’t walk along the city beaches alone by the break of darkness, for your own safety. Anyone traveling ought to reach its days destination by sundown. A breakdown at darkness isn’t only unpleasant, but also a risk for safety.
In case something happens to you do as you are asked. Do not defend yourself. And afterwards: Inform the embassy at Pretoria or the consulat general at Cape Town and ask for help. |
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