Cape point – WANDER OUR WORLD

29. Mai 202119. Juli 2021

Discovering my new home

Hello, Bonjour and Molweni from Cape Town where I live and work since December 2020. Due to the ongoing pandemic, I have arrived about 9 months later than it was planned. But I think all of us have realized by now that planning and COVID-19 are not much compatible.

I have started my work in January and I am still settling in, buying all items you need to have in order to sleep well, make your life easier and drive around town. It has been already 3 months since my last blog, as time just flies by when one moves continents and ends up in Cape Town, a city with plenty possibilities for outdoor fun!

The iconic Table Mountain with all its hiking trails

Golden hour is always epic at the mountain side

Since February I am renting my apartment where I am living at now, which is a piece of heaven to me. Some of my furniture have arrived via sea freight after being postponed and postponed for about a month. Apparently that was due to the weather and wind that was too terrible in Cape Town. To me the ocean looked very clam in that period but well, I guess with my views until the horizon, I can probably not judge correctly…

Surely, of all the wonders of the world, the horizon is the greatest
Freya Stark

In the meanwhile, another short hike waited for me on the edge of Signal Hill. The path starts directly at my apartment and goes along the side of Signal Hill leading eventually to Lion’s Head. However, I didn’t yet hike the whole path as I am still recovering from an injury when I had a horseback riding accident a few weeks ago. All is healing well, but it takes also some time and I have to be patient. This accident has brought me already the second time into the South African hospital, I am a good customer now and I hope I won’t have to go back so quickly. Hence, no riding for me at the moment, but I try to keep up with walking, easy hikes and a few little running rounds in between. Thus, it is incredible convenient to have a stunning hiking path just next to my place, it makes things so much easier if you love hiking.

During Easter time I took some holiday to enjoy one of the game farms in the Western Cape and spent 2 nights at the Garden Route Game Lodge, which is about 4, 5 hours driving from Cape Town. I stayed in a little Bush chalet with an amazing view on the waterhole. Every morning and afternoon I joined a game drive through the reserve where we spotted zebras, springboks, buffaloes, giraffes, lions and even 2 cheetah mums with their 9 little cubs in total. I was so lucky to see the older cubs come walking towards the vehicle. They just laid down very closely to it. However, the younger cubs that were about 8 weeks old only were all tucked up in the thick bush and it was hard to get a close shot of them. But I could still see their honey-badger like fur. These special sightings really were the best.

Safely tucked away in the bush but still curious to see what’s happening

The older Cubs were really lovely to watch

The lions were a bit lazy I must admit, they were only laying around in their enclosure, so it wasn’t such a hard job to find them as they have a smaller area just for them. The cheetahs however roam freely in the biggest enclosure, which is a bit of a challenge to spot them. But they do wear a collar around their neck, so there is always a good chance to track them.

The getaway weekend went by very quickly and on my way back to Cape Town, I shortly stopped at the most Southern tip of Africa in Agulhas and the little fisher’s village, Struisbaai. It was such a lovely trip and journey through the Western Cape.

Back in Cape Town, I visited the Cape of Good Hope and Boulder’s Beach to see the little cute penguins. This time I was so lucky to spot a few ostriches, elands and even a zebra in the National Park around the Cape of Good Hope. It surely is worth a visit if you want to also see some wildlife. Also, you should stop at Kalk Bay, which itself is a cute little village with a harbour were you can get good fish. I can recommend Scirocco as a little outdoor restaurant, where you sit underneath a big palm tree that is the heart of the place. The atmosphere is quite special with the light decoration and life music, something you don’t want to miss if you are in that area.

Nothing beats the cuteness of these little creatures

During one morning, I went kayaking with Kaskazi Kayaks & Adventures, which was an incredible adventure. There were whales close to the shore and I was so lucky to see them quite close during the kayaking tour. Sometimes, it even felt a bit too close to my kayak and I tried to make sure to not be in the way of these huge creatures. It’s magnificent to spot them from this angle and they seem even bigger than I thought.

Someone enjoying the ocean in front of us

I also went for an incredible tandem paragliding adventure from Signal Hill. The start was so quick that I didn’t even recognize what was happening, all of a sudden I had this huge backpack on and was already running down the hill with two men on each of my side helping to get the momentum with the heavy paragliding thing behind me. I flew over Sea Point right towards the ocean where the sun was about to set. From above, I could even spot my apartment, it was such a great adventure even though it was quite quick. All in all, I might have been 5 minutes in the air only before landing on the grass next to the Sea Point promenade. Next time, I would love to fly from Lion’s Head.

My newest lessons learned in my new home town:

Chalet number 27 – that’s the best one to have a magnificent view towards the waterhole at Garden Route Game Lodge;
Windy excuses – blame it on the wind if you are late seems to work in many businesses here &
Be late – enter Boulder’s Beach shortly before it closes at 5pm and you will enjoy the penguins on your own!

Cheers to wandering the world and exploring my new home town – bye bye, salut and hamba kakuhle ∞

7. März 2020

Off to settle down in Mother City

Hello, Bonjour and Sawubona from a new adventure, that is already lining up at the horizon: I will move to another continent and start living and working in Cape Town, South Africa! It’s finally been settled and a new chapter will soon present other kinds of adventures to me. Everything is going to be quick now, if I manage to survive the visa process (see next blog with advices I wish someone could have given me beforehand). April will be the first month where my new home will be in the Rainbow Nation. Being basically addicted to Africa and its beautiful landscapes, this is a dream come true for me. I can still not believe how this all fits into perfect shape.

A year ago, I was packing bags and preparing myself for an unforgettable time in Zimbabwe, where I was volunteering in the bushlands of the private game reserve Cawston Wildlife Estate for three months.

Not even one and a half years ago, I got my bags ready for Cape Town, to spent amazing holidays in „Slaapstad“. It was there, where I started to fall in love with the city home to the iconic Table Mountain and framed by white beaches. It was then, when I thought „This is the city I want to work and spend my life“. But you know, I thought it was just one of these sentences you tell yourself, you shortly dream about, then you forget and move on with your real life. This time it was however bound to be different. This time my dream moved on and worked its way into my reality by mysterious and perfect ways. This time my dream changes my live!

Soon, I will start working for my German employer in South Africa, that sends me off to one of the most southern points, to Mother City and I am more than delighted. Sometimes, I just thank god for his ideas of paths for my live. Sometimes, I just can’t believe to be so very lucky to have a wonderful husband who made everything possible to join me into the Rainbow Nation. It still sounds like a surreal dream to me, that I will soon be living in Africa, in an extraordinary country, in between the famous moutain, the largest wine route and the wild ocean.

„Be prepared to fall in love“, was what I was told before I headed to Cape Town for my first time. „Be prepared to settle in“, is what I am looking for now. I do know it’s not going to be easy all times and it surely will be a huge change to live in a country with economical, political and historical challenges. But here I come loadshedding, and I am happy for that move. I can’t wait to live my African dream! Cape Town surely isn’t like the African bush I always long for and South Africa surely isn’t the same as the wild Zimbabwe. However, Mother City and the Rainbow Nation can offer landscapes equally beautiful and wildlife sightings equally adventurous as in the untouched ground of Zim. But also crime rates and offenses to a different level.

Be a warrior not a worrier!
Anonymous

So how best to prepare for a move from a safe country in Europe to an adventurous one in Africa?

Well, first to settle all important details with the employer;
Second, be patient, patient and patient;
Get the visa done and again be patient;
Then, get the household packed into plenty of little boxes;
Gather information about what can be imported, what is restricted and how much are the taxes on imported goods;
Fill in endless forms of never ending paper work;
And again, be patient, patient and patient;
Write a summary of all stock to be brought into South Africa (all for the lovely customs procedure).

My lessons learned:

Fight for your dreams – they will come true, eventually;
Don’t start worrying too early – it only takes away your peace and joy of today;
Survive the visa process – be prepared to spend plenty of joyful time in the embassy.

Cheers to wandering the world and the wonders of our lives – bye bye, salut and sala kahle ∞

10. März 201919. Juli 2021

African Adventures

I’m Janine:

Half-French, half-German, I love traveling the globe, exploring new cultures and enjoying the wonders given by our nature. Especially the African continent has my heart and I am mesmerized by its magical beauty. No wonder I have a deep passion for Southern Africa, its’ wilderness, wildlife and landscapes. An astonishingly divers region enriched by breathtaking landscapes, prolific wildlife and ancient culture.

Originally from Germany, my heart wanders the world and admires the Southern African continent. I dream about the African savannah, its vastness, its natural richness and its beauty. Southern Africa is Africa at its very best.

There is freedom waiting for you, on the breezes of the sky, and you ask „What if I fall?“ – „Oh but my darling what if you fly?“
Erin Hanson

That is why I make my dreams come true: 1.) Flashback April 2019: I fly to Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, to volunteer at a private game reserve in the western part of the country. It’s actually not so far from the largest, most beautiful and just the greatest waterfall in the world that I was attracted to during a vacation in the past. Of course these majestic falls soaked my clothes until the last layers. However, a wonderful experience to be this close to the mighty Zambezi river falling into the gorge.

This fabulous country raised a passion and curiosity within myself, leading to a fantastic research of opportunities how I could interact and actively participate within these wonders. Finally, I found this great possibility of equine volunteering program and received the chance of participating for a three-months period. I will surely learn more about horses, African culture and living in harmony with the nature.

2.) Flashback December 2020: Life will take you to where you want if you dare to dream your dreams! I am lucky enough to have found a job in Mother City, Cape Town where I will be working for some time. This new journey starts a bit later than planned due to COVID-19 but it won’t make it any less adventurous at all. My Cape Town holiday back in 2018 showed me that this beautiful city is a place I want to call my home. The stunning sunsets, the fabulous vineyards and all the magnificent hiking trails are just waiting for me to be explored.

South Africa got my heart and didn’t let me down when I was looking for opportunities. Finally, I signed my contract, patiently waited for COVID to make the plans for me and booked my flight to move to the African continent in the midst of a pandemic to enjoy my first Christmas under the African hot sun. Welcome to my adventures!