Hi! Sorry for this close up shot of me, and WELCOME to my fresh, new blog!
Top of mind for me for the last couple of weeks has been South Africa and the broader continent. Considered the birthplace of humankind, Africa is a mystery for most in the Western world. It is never at the top of travel bucket lists, or in the top 2, or top 3 even. I’ve heard (and used) all the reasons why:
“There are so many other countries to see”
“Africa isn’t safe”
“There’s nothing to see there”
I recently visited South Africa, my first trip to the continent. And I must say, I was impressed. I wanted to share some of my stand-out observations that make this part of the world special.
People here are incredibly nice. Not fake nice. Genuine, kind, caring. Conversations, regardless of how short, are not meant to be transactional. It is common courtesy to exchange pleasantries before getting to your point. Sounds simple enough, but you start to take for granted how selfish some exchanges are here in North America once you visit such a place.
And people are the happiest - they always have a smile on their face, never grumpy. I don’t believe that they don’t have hard days. In fact, some of their lives are incredibly tough - think lower-class homes with makeshift corrugated iron walls. Yet they’re smiling. It really made me question - what do we have to complain about?!
Here’s my takeaway - Be grateful, be kind, be humble. Dalai Lama famously said “Be kind, whenever possible. It is always possible.”
Let’s talk about food. I have my qualms with the American food supply chain, and how hard (and expensive) it is to eat healthy in this country. I become hyper-aware of this when I travel to other parts of the world - to a point where I start comparing Ketchup ingredients to what we get here in the US. The results aren’t good.
South Africa is no different. Farm to table isn’t a concept there, it is the lifestyle. At restaurants / wineries, all the fruits and vegetables served are grown on-site and served without any additives. Having hot sauce on the table is not a thing, and if you know me, you know how weird I found that initially - I put hot sauce on EVERYTHING. But that’s the point, condiments to add flavor aren’t necessary. Natural flavor is all you need. I’ve never enjoyed eating beetroot and eggplant more than I did on this trip.
One other thing about food - the pace of meals in South Africa is slow (by our definition). Expect a dinner to take at least 2-3 hours. Why, you ask? Hard to say, but my theory is that meals are social outings - you get together with family and friends, talk and catch up. It is rare to see a dinner table with cellphones out. And restaurants respect this. It is nice not to have a server breathing down my neck post-meal asking if we wanted dessert or the check.
I can keep going on and on but I hope my observations have made it clear why South Africa needs to be on that bucket list next time you plan your travels. Until next time!
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