It is hard to believe that this is
my last blog post that I will write from Cape Town. At first three and a half
months seemed like a long time, but it definitely is not long enough. I know
that without a doubt I will be back: hopefully sooner than later!
Although I am not much of a hiker, I
was determined to climb Table Mountain during my time here. With my injury and
our busy schedule, I was nervous that I would not have the opportunity to do
so! However, on Freedom Day, I embarked on the journey. John and I hiked up
Platteklip Gorge because we were told it was the easiest way up. I definitely
did not find it easy! I was not only surprised by the steepness, but I was also
surprised by the people I watched hiking up and down the mountain. When we were
going up we saw people running down the mountain! Apparently there is a race to
see how many times an individual can run up and down Table Mountain. I found it
slightly crazy but praiseworthy that people put their bodies to this test.
I was also shocked to see what
people wore as they hiked. I passed by individuals that were hiking barefoot,
in short skirts, in long jeans, etc. If I did not have my hiking shoes, I know
that I would have rolled my ankles several times over. If I did not wear a tank
top, I would have sweat much more than I was. If I did not wear long leggings,
I would have scraped myself climbing up all the rocks.
I began to wonder if people wore
what they wore because they chose to or if they could not afford the proper
attire. It never occurred to me that people would think to hike if they did not
have the proper attire. I guess this goes to show how iconic getting to the top
of Table Mountain is; people will do just about anything to get to the top. I
admire native Capetonians for this because this is something that I would never
have thought of doing.
It was pretty remarkable to hike
Table Mountain on Freedom Day. Looking down at Cape Town, I began to picture
what April 27, 1994 must have looked like down there. I pictured long lines of
people waiting to vote. I pictured individuals leaving with huge smiles because
it was his or her first time voting.
While standing on the top of Table
Mountain, I not only enjoyed looking out at the city and all the other suburbs,
but I also liked looking at Robben Island. It was so remarkable to see Robben
Island in the distance. Robben Island was once a symbol of oppression but now
it is a symbol of individuals’ quest for freedom. By seeing this, I really
could not think of a better way to celebrate South Africa’s Freedom Day. I know
that on future April 27th’s I will look at my photos and try to
remember the remarkable scenery I saw below me.
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