Sara in South Africa

On our one and only “free day,” we decided to book an experience through Table Mountain National Park. We sacrificed rest and relaxation for a sunrise-to-sunset tour of one of the 7 Wonders of Nature because, when in South Africa! No photos or retelling can do the beauty of this park justice.

Our fearless leader and bus driver, Hendry, chaperoned us for the day, sacrificing a family birthday party to show us bumbling Americans around his hometown. We are forever grateful! One of my biggest takeaways from the trip is how much more meaningful travel becomes when interacting with locals. He started our tour off at Maiden’s Cove, which gave us a perfect view of the rainbowesque sunrise. Hendry explained that, as a colored person, this is one of the only beaches he was allowed to swim in during Apartheid. Compared to the “whites only” beaches, Maiden’s Cove is rocky, making swimming far more unpleasant. If a colored person tried to swim the boundary line into the “whites only” section, they would face arrest and imprisonment. Even in nature, Apartheid was devastating.

We continued along the coast, passing through Hout Bay, famous for its fishing harbor and native seals.

About two hours from departure, we made it to Cape of Good Hope, which is the most southwestern point of the African Continent. It was strikingly beautiful. The beach is covered with slick rocks and guarded by green-covered mountains. We took some obligatory photos and then headed to Cape Point, which is home to a historic lighthouse. The point was important to the Portuguese explorers like Bartolomeu Dias, who faced violent storms and shipwrecks when passing.

Next, we made what was my most anticipated stop of the trip: Boulders Beach, home to the African Penguin! The pictures speak for themselves here. Happy Feet come to life.

Our last stop of the day was at the birthplace of the park, the top of Table Mountain. Chances are, when you have seen pictures of Cape Town on your social media feed or, even those laptop automatic screensavers, Table Mountain is featured. The mountain is over 3,500 feet above sea level, with breathtaking views of both downtown Cape Town and the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain itself is home to fauna-covered boulders and small tide pools. I was shocked by its expanse. We took the last funicular of the day, so we were able to see the sunset.

I’m not optimistic that I will ever have a better day than this one!