Today proved another opportunity to witness the vast diversity that lies in South Africa. Whether experiencing a nature park in a farm-like community, a bungee jumping site in the middle of nowhere, or a trendy city, South Africa has an immense amount of diverse people with different stories and different realities.
We began our day with the end of the 2-day hike on the Dolphin Trail, much to my liking. An off-road-type ride in large trucks took us back to the entrance of the nature park, and I got to learn a lot about the park’s history on the way, thanks to the guide. One specific path that we traveled on was created in 1842, after the developers witnessed elephants use that trail to migrate to the closest water source. The tour guides proved to be simple men with a love for nature and wildlife, and I could sense a real pride of the land. I was very much impressed by the knowledge that all the park’s staff have about the park and their community, as I don’t even know the history of my own community.
After leaving the nature park we ventured back to the bungee jumping bridge in order for new members to experience the jump. I was still not one of these persons, so I ended up sitting in the Cliffhanger Pub conversing with Vuyo while we watched our group their jumps via television. In a conversation about languages and the country’s population as a whole, he explained that there are eleven official languages for South Africa. Depending on where you are born and raised, you will most likely only share the English language with someone who lives not even 50 miles away from you. It is hard for me to process the amount of diversity in this country, yet Vuyo and other are used to not even sharing a language with a person from a neighboring community.
Lastly, we have flown to Cape Town and are staying in a very trendy and lively area as well as an artistic boutique hotel called Daddy Long Legs, where every room is unique and creatively decorated. The street the hotel is on is somewhat similar to Bourbon Street, and you will see people from every stroke of life in only a 5-block travel. People seem to pride themselves on diversity, since everyone is different yet harmonious at the same time. I only wish that I can appreciate the diversity of people and cultures that settle in South Africa, and live a more accepting life in Atlanta, constantly willing to try new things and open myself to other peoples’ worlds.

-Nicole