Friday 25 June 2010

Flashback Friday


The football worldcup in South Africa brings back soooo many flashbacks - it was almost exactly four years ago that my husband and I moved to Cape Town for six months, following his job.

Flying to the Southern Hemisphere at the begining of July 2006 ment changing from hot and long summer days to South African winter of 12°C and nights that fall before 5 PM. But the beautiful beaches of False Bay south of Cape Town, where we lived, were even more spectacular in winter time and the following september, at the peak of whale watching season, we were able to see majestic right whales from our living room window, swimming only 30 metres off shore.

Boulders Bay near Simon's Town - a penguin sanctuary

I was 6 months pregnant when I came to Africa and our son was born in Cape Town. Attending prenatal classes, held by a group of midwives, going to a state of the art, women-only gym for special prenatal gymnastics and finally giving birth at a modern private clinic, was in sharp contrast with the reality of South Africa, where every third pregnant woman is HIV positive and far from being able to afford a decent medical care.

South Africa is also one of the most crime infested countries in the world where those, who have, lock themselves from those, who have not, by living behind bars and hiring armed response security.
Nevertheless it is the most amazing country I have ever visited, with breath taking landscapes, delicious local food and friendly people whose arts and crafts are a neverending source of inspiration - from fancy pottery, patchwork blankets and carefully carved wood one finds in galleries to sculptures from scrap metal and miniatures, made of beaded wire, sold by the roadside.

The Waterfront - Cape Town


Me by the sea - a tidal pool at St James beach
(I am wearing a prototype Loddelina Sakadó backpack - a faithfull companion throughout my African experience!)

These days French TV is full of stories and documentaries about South Africa, the land and it's people. We enjoy these nostalgic moments and it makes us plan a Cape Town holiday in the near future - South Africa is definitely a country worth visiting!


Check out more flashbacks at Christopher and Tia's blog.

8 comments:

  1. To je morala biti pa res posebna izkušnja!

    Z užitkom sem brala - tako ali tako imam rada potopise, še toliko bolj, če gre za nam eksotične dežele. Res izgleda čudovito!

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  2. I want to travel!!

    Every week I can pretty much count on your blog to inspire me to plan a vacation.

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  3. Yes, Tia, thanks to your Flashback Fridays I can revisit all the places I've been to & looking back I appreciate my experience much more than at the time...

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  4. I've never been there before but NOW I'd love to go. Stopping by from Flashback Friday!

    Dawn
    http://www.thewayiseethings.typepad.com

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  5. What an interesting post - thank you for sharing!
    By looking at the photos I feared for you falling in the water! :-)

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  6. The scenery is really beautiful! How great to have had the experience. I would love to go to anywhere in the southern hemisphere right now if it meant I could ditch summer and have winter instead!

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  7. My husband would be so jealous! Great photos!

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  8. You have traveled and lived in so many places! I am sure all the moving is stressful but also so rewarding. Loved seeing your South Africa photos. It looks absolutely beautiful.

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