I am so pumped for South Africa! This has been a dream of mine since I saw the Lion King and it is finally happening. I get to go on SAFARI in SOUTH AFRICA!!! I am going to climb Table Mountain, go shark cage diving, and visit a township. I feel like I might have too high of expectations for South Africa and I am setting myself up for disappointment. I am expecting to see a beautiful waterfront with Table Mountain in the background.
Kruger should be amazing. The resort we are staying at is supposed to be super nice. I really just want to see and some animals and I will be fine. I am so used to Disney’s safari that hopefully I will not be disappointed.
I am a little but worried about crime. They are number 1 in the world for murder, 2nd in assault. A woman gets raped every 40 seconds and women in South Africa have a better chance of getting raped then learning to read. And as if that is not bad enough, the HIV/AIDS prevalence is 1 in 5. They say that this is an amazing port, but it is also the most dangerous one. I will not be in Cape Town for a lot of time. I just hope everyone else is smart.
I am going shark diving while I am there and I don’t think I am as scared as I should be. People are freaking out about it, but I really don’t see the big deal. There is a cage. Maybe I am just more comfortable in the water – hey I survived New Smyrna for 22 years. Or maybe I am just blissfully unaware of how dangerous it is.
It is amazing to me that Apartheid ended such a short time ago. I never realized how little of the population in South Africa is actually white. My stereotypes of South Africa came from the Disney movie The Color of Friendship so I am excited to learn a little more about the history. I wish I was going to have time to go to Robben Island. That would be cool. That will just be on my next trip to South Africa. I already know I will want to come back here. I look forward to the good shopping, good food, good wine and good times.