Greetings from Cape town - South Africa!

Did you ever think during Christmas time, when the wind was so strong and the snow was up to your knees, to leave the country and travel to the southern part of our globe? Well, I was in that mood last winter when, out of the blue, a friend of mine called me and announced that he was  already there and what was I waiting for???... Where, I asked? In Cape Town, South Africa, he replied... I packed my backpack and left the Slovak winter to itself in order to explore the most southern point (Cape of Good Hope) of Africa. My trip lasted for five weeks. Therefore, I had enough time to travel around – especially visit the Garden Route with its amazing  elephant national park.

But let me put everything in order: When I arrived in mid December, it was Christmas trees. Santa Clause was walking around with a long white beard and shorts. So strange! I changed into my shorts and T-shirt and my holidays started. I was taken to the first mountain near Cape Town - called Lions Head. It was a difficult hike, but the feeling and stunning view from the top was unforgettable. We saw Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. He was the firs president after apartheid (the political system where the black population, about 80% in South Africa, were discriminated against). Next day we decided to take mountain bikes and visit the Tokai National Park which can easily be called a jungle. I was attacked by baboons (monkeys with red butts) that started to throw stones at me while I was cycling through their territory.

There were about 30 of them, so I cycled as fast as I could. My friends like to9 do various extreme sports, so the next day, without a break, we had to climb the famous Table Mountain, which is above Cape Town. It took us about four hours  of active climbing using ropes and all the necessary equipment. Thank goodness there was a restaurant at the top so we could refill our energy sources. On the way down we took a cable car that slowly rotates and gives you a grand view  of the whole city. Which is also a large sea ports. It is often said that this port was used by sailors when they traveled around the world. It still significant for trade with the rest of world. South Africa is still a part of the Commonwealth (U. K) and the official language used English, followed by Africaans and many tribal languages. It’s been said that it was discovered by Dutch sailors and the British came later, hut all of this you can find in your history books.

After these hectic sports events, I was taken via Champan’s Peak south to the Cape of Good Hope. This is the place where both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans come together. One can really feel the difference in the water. If you swim on the eastern side, the ocean is bearable, however, on the western side the water is too cold even for sharks. The warm False Bay is know for frequent shark attacks. But this is not a good enough reason for many to stop water sports. This place is architecturally very European (because of the settlers influence). People are very friendly and don’t bother with what most of the foreigners or white Africans tell you. They are paranoid and live in fear of everything (expect TV is probably the only thing they should fear). There is a lot of crime. And it seems to be getting worse. But it’s mostly motivated by desperation. So don’t walk around looking like a Japanese tourist or all those things our mother warned you about.

After seeing most of the city, climbed all neighboring mountains (Table Mountain, Lions Head, Signal Hill, Devil’s Peak, and many others) we decided to travel through the Garden Route. The Garden Route stretches from Mossel Bay to the Tsitsikamma River Mouth, although many coastal towns past both points claim to belong to it. It’s a stretch of pretty coastline which is a holiday home to many from all over the country. The interesting thing about this place is that it somehow manages to strike a good balance between development and long stretches of unspoiled loveliness. You can go out a good meal and still walk for hour without having to worry about the weather. If you have hired a car, and have some time, and like adventure, then try exploring the back roads. You can pretty much stop anywhere and get out of your car to marvel at something or do a quick half an hour  forest walk. Explore, explore, explore - you might find an elephant families and other creatures of nature. This is a place of magic. So make magical things happen!