Poetry like
Living a dream in reality
Everything becomes a magical mixture
Sharing this moment with my family, seeing the fascination and the genuine joy of running barefoot on the beach, feeling the salt in your mouth is phenomenal. It is a dream coming through. For real.
Where nature´s forces meet
It takes a long time to drive there from our hotel south of Cape Town. But that’s not what concerns us, because everything we do during these weeks that we invest in South Africa only adds up.
Sometimes it’s worth the wait. To see a long-awaited place much later in life than you thought. The years have changed me as a person. I’m no longer the naive young twenty-something steering the car towards this famous place. Today I am a mother of two children and it is through their eyes that I can experience life in a different way. Right there and then. Nothing else in life matters.
It was originally named the Cape of Storms by Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Dias in 1488. It was later renamed, by King John II of Portugal, the Cape of Good Hope because of the great optimism engendered by the opening of a sea route to India and the East.
This place is associated with myths and legends.
What’s true and what’s not is hard to determine. Mermaids are believed to have been seen, sea monsters and paranormal occurrences are recounted by local fishermen and natives of the area. I can neither confirm nor deny this.
I can say with certainty that there is something special about this place. Water is my element and I can never seem to get enough of water. Hence my great fascination for this place. Water is smooth to my body and my soul.
It is not a completely clear blue sky that we meet, but then we see the colourful rainbow shining between the heavy clouds. A couple of raindrops land on us, but that doesn’t make the experience any worse. We are on Mother Nature’s property, as guests and we will embrace her welcome.
The Cape of Good Hope is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is home to over 2500 species of plants and animals.
The first animal greeting us is a bamboo sitting on a stone wall. Observing us. Paying attention to what is happening. The bamboo is most likely wondering what we are, what we do and how we come here all the time. Even if not in words, most likely in its own way of observing.
When I see my daughters’ braids flying around, life is playing at the highest possible level. Cape of Good Hope gives hope for the future. Hope for what we can change. Hope for what we can experience. Hope for worlds to meet worlds.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” – Saint Augustine
CONCLUSION;
I find myself in a poem when I am here.
A dream and reality in the best possible way.
Three questions and reflections
- How informed are you before you visit a historical place?
- Do you let the knowledge you gain from visiting a place influence you in the future?
- How aware are you that history has shaped today?
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