The air is different, the streets are clean and the people are so different. I had to stop and think twice if this was still South Africa.
It was.
The friendliness was so overpowering that my suspicions of alien activity on planet earth were almost confirmed. Almost.
There was not a single pothole in sight, which I found incredibly strange as I had become accustomed to dodging potholes in Gauteng – the bumps and wincing when one of them could not be missed.
When driving to the local café in Cape Town, it almost felt like the car was hovering over the streets as it was smooth sailing all the way.
So while sitting in the windy Cape, I started comparing it to Springs (which was not entirely fair, as I was born in the Western Cape and am a little biased).
Springs is overwhelmed with potholes and overflowing sewage, the stench of which can be unbearable.
It also has many broken facilities which are horrendous to look at, as well as the happenings around town that aren’t always PG13 (Ninth Street, CBD).
Whereas down by the coast, the air is fresh and clean, the roads are smooth and Table Mountain just completes the view of perfection.
Plus, there isn’t as much of the annoying honking of taxi horns. (Big plus).
It’s not always perfect, the wind can sometimes be a nuisance and there are also bad things happening there, it’s just a little bit more concealed.
But to be truly honest, I find it difficult to think of many negative things to say about it, as it is a spectacular place.
That being said, you realise you are a true ‘Vaalie’ (as they call us down there) when you miss the massive thunderstorms and the unbearable cold in winter.
So much so, that you even miss the strange-smelling town of Springs that, with all it’s negatives, still remains home in some way.
Sometimes you need time away to realise what you have at home and what really matters.
Besides, property in Cape Town is seriously, unbelievably expensive.
So that was a definite turn-off.
We still have fairly decent pricing here, so we could consider ourselves lucky for that.
Returning from ‘a different world’ makes you see the beauty.
