12 Things I’ll miss about South Africa
My time in South Africa is rapidly drawing to a close, tomorrow I fly home to a chilly but festive England. Here’s 12 things I’ll miss about the rainbow nation…
* * *
- Big Game – Generic, but I’m still not used to the sight of a 16 foot giraffe casually crossing the road in front of the truck.
- Bunny Chow – A typically South African ‘dish’, consisting of half a loaf of bread, hollowed out, filled with curry. It puts Kwa-Zulu Natal on the culinary map.
- Thunder and Lightening – I’ve never seen a more impressive display.
- The Acacia – Africa’s iconic tree, perhaps it’s appeal stems from our early evolution in the cradle of Africa.
- The Colenso Club – Thick with smoke and rich dark wooden walls, the hub of Colenso’s little community and a window on it’s colonial past.
- Vetkoek – Fried dough balls, South Africa’s street food, and exactly what you need after a day in the field.
- The Land Cruiser – I’ve never been a car buff, but then it’s not just a car. A 4×4 Land Cruiser is the vehicle of choice for any self respecting South African, and as I have mentioned before, riding on the back is the most fun you can have on four wheels.
- Children – Enthusiastic, happy, energetic, carefree, smiling. Everything children should be.
- Donga’s – A brilliant word for a dry river bed, narrow and deep, they snake unseen across the landscape (handily preventing you from walking the most direct route to your destination).
- Brai’s – South African for BBQ, more of an art form than anything else and every party must involve one. (I’m starting to realise how many of these are food related).
- Tracking – With so much wildlife, the bush is like a book waiting to be read. My fondest memory will be following Leopard prints in the sand, just a few hours old.
- The Zulu – Although I can’t master the distinctive clicks of their language, learning about their proud history has been a privileged.
***
If you enjoyed this article, then you might like to read: