"SOUTH AFRICA - A COUNTRY WHERE THE WORLD... " a South Africa Travel Page by ronaldpk

Welcome to my South Africa's page.
I would like to share some of my experiences in this beautiful and multicultural country from my May 2003 trip.
Before my trip I had loads of preconceived ideas about this country that were shaped by the political turmoil of the 1980's. I perceived it a country of oppression, injustice, human suffering and violence. My recent trip has proven to me how much this country has changed since the first democratic elections of 1994 where Nelson Mandela became the first African president of South Africa. It ensured me that there is hope and a possibility of the a prosperous and peaceful future despite the violent events of the past. I was really moved by the similar evolution South Africa is undergoing to that of my native Poland - once a totalitarian country behind the Berlin Wall: a sudden rise of crime and violence, high unemployment rate, a mass exodus of the brightest minds to a more prosperous parts of the globe, poverty, beggars on the street, yet a hope and potential for a better future. I was moved by people's kindness and by the fact, that the native population was capable of forgiving its oppressors of what they had done to them. You must have really high moral standards to overcome the pain and the wounds of the past - my visit to Robben Island and conversations with ex-prisoners have been an enlighting experience for me.
Cape Town , where I spent my week of vacation in SA occurred to me as a meeting point where the entire planet meets: I met people from various parts of the world, including my own homeland. South Africa has accomodated immigrants from different countries and has created a unique culture that has to be maintained and nourished for the future generations.