My roommate, Janiel and I have been saying all along that we
wanted to take the cable cars up to the top of Table Mountain. Since we woke up to a beautiful day outside,
we decided that this would be the day we would make it happen.
We grabbed a Taxi to take us and prepared for the journey
ahead. As we got in the cable car, the floors rotated while we were inside so
that we can see all of Cape Town below us from every angle possible. It was
breathtaking as I had imagined and seeing what has become home to us from a
birds-eye view was beyond words.
When we reached the top, we were greeted with the ocean,
mountains and the beautiful city that spread across the land. Everything seemed
so perfect. We starred at the beauty of all that was around us, commenting on
how everything looked from this view that we had the privilege to see.
We were able to point out the stadium, waterfront, Robben
Island and other places that were familiar to us. It’s funny how in such a
short time we felt no longer strangers to this environment we are in. We felt a
part of it.
After taking lots of pictures and enjoying the view, we
decided to both sit down and relax. We talked about how fresh the air was. It
was so clean. We both agreed that when air doesn’t have a scent, it’s the
freshest air there is.
Sitting on top of the mountain made me think about how
distant we were from everything below us. It was crazy to believe that
everything we learned about happened to a place so beautiful as South
Africa. I couldn’t get over that up
there, everything was so breathtaking that I couldn’t believe that Cape Town
had such a dark past in such a bright, lively place. I thought about all the violence that happens
and crime and I realized that these are all things that we do to ourselves. We
create the societies that we live in. Everything that happens is because we
make it happen. We are indeed our own worst enemies.
Being so high sort of reminded me of a heaven, a place that
was distant from earth in which so much harm is caused onto one another.
Looking at the land from a birds-eye view really gave me a different
perspective on everything. It made me think about different things and analyze
my experience a bit more in depth. However, as I looked to the ocean and saw
the calmness of the seas and the sun shining through I realized that there is
hope.
I think above all, I really have learned to have Hope here
in South Africa. Hope in a lot of things that is. But most of all, hope that we can improve the
way we live and treat one another better. I hope for a lot of things though,
especially equality. I’m tired of us focusing on difference. We need unity and
togetherness, that’s honestly the answers we so desperately have been searching
for.
As Janiel and I ate dinner on the top and then watched the
sun fully set and the moon come out, I was overwhelmed with completeness. I
enjoyed waiting till now to go to Table Mountain because it meant more to me.
It was the perfect introduction to our last week. It reminds me to keep my hope
for the world alive and to end my journey here with a smile.
As we headed back down, we saw the city lit up in all its
glory. Time became still and I realized that every moment from this point
matters.
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