At age 21
I arrived in Johannesburg
And was thrilled to
discover
Its unique kind of
beauty.
The bright clear colour
Of its concrete providing
An illusion of silver
Shinning in the sunlight.
And the patches of green
Incongruence of a modern
city
full of parks, full of
gardens
full of plants and full
of trees.
My favourite outing
Throughout the years
A stroll in its parks
Taking advantage of the
clear weather.
And the famous mildness
of its winters
Just as long as the sun
Keeps on shining.
Perfect holidays when
I had a car
Driving away with the
help
Of my maps.
And a thermo of hot tea
In the back seat
So eager to learn
Everything about the
country.
Driving South all the way
To beautiful Cape Town
Enjoying the scenery
Of the Garden Route.
Cape Town means Table
Mountain
Where I ended up stranded
The one time I was there
Right until night time.
Lucky misfortune that
gave me
The chance to see
The city through a storm
And the sunset form the
mountain.
And the incredible beauty
Of Cape Town lights
Competing with the beauty
Of the night sky.
And Cape Town also means
The unique spot
Where we are able to see
The meeting of the two
oceans.
Favourite outing in the
area
The wine route even
though
I stopped drinking
Many years ago.
The interesting Dutch
architecture
Manicured gardens
The delicious home-baked
cakes
Cheeses and jams.
Enjoying the scenery
Alongside the road
I am still aching to do
The fruit’s route right
next door.
Driving East all the way
We find Durban
And there I had the
chance
To visit a few times.
Approaching the city in
the highway
I roll down the window of
my car
To breath the salty air
And feel its moisture in
every breath.
It surprised me to
realize
The differences in the
beaches
Cape Town and Durban
could be
Two different countries.
I love the blue colour
In Cape Town waters;
But also the silver green
shades
In Durbans’ ocean.
The coarse pebble like
sand
We find in Cape Town;
But also the fine clear
sand
In Durban beaches.
Favourite outing in the
area
The Indian market or
Oriental Plaza
That I enjoyed as much
As the one in
Johannesburg.
Durban has many examples
Of colonial architecture,
I remember at the market
Admiring the wrough iron
work.
And the stones in the
floor
Unlike any I’ve ever seen
Unusual charcoal colour
Polished like gems.
The smell of spices
Filling the air
And the screams of the
vendors
Trying to make a sale.
Like everywhere else
People are more relaxed
And easy-going
When they live by the
sea.
Driving North from
Johannesburg
The Drakensburg mountains
Are beautiful in Autum
and in Spring
While the air still has
A crispy quality
I’m still hoping for
A trail in horse back.
I wasn’t able to afford
it
Last time I was there
But remember enjoying
The cooking in the area.
Driving through the
beauty
Of the eastern Transvaal
With its many
Touristic attractions.
The unforgettable God’s
window
And still planning
To take a walking trail
By the famous sisters.
Whenever I am in the area
I always take a detour
To the city of Tzanin
For afternoon tea or
breakfast.
A hotel in the area
Has an incredible view
So unlike any in the
region
You could think you are
in Europe.
Before entering the
Kruger Park
If it’s the right time of
the year
I would drive through
Phalaborwa
Just to admire its
streets.
This small mining city
Has its sidewalks
Lined with flowering
trees
Nature’s beautiful gift.
The warm colours
Of the different Hibiscus
The beauty of the
Fangipanis
The magnificence of the
Magnolias
Already in the Kruger
Park
Last time I was there
I was able to find a spot
Where I could see
A river down below
Stretching for ever
The unique vegetation
That tells me: this is
Africa!
The sounds of the forest
The cries of the birds
The smell of the park
animals
In the hot air.
Until just now
I haven’t realized
How I miss the break
From the concrete jungle.
I still haven’t managed
To travel West from
Johannesburg
But everywhere in South
Africa
I LOVE ITS PEOPLE BEST.
Friday, August 6, 2010
