Monday, March 24, 2008

Back from the infinite abyss













Well, Cape Town was not exactly the abyss or infinite but it was amazing and I keep thinking about the climb up Table Mountain. The steep vertical grade was challenging but I was overtaken by the beauty of the atmosphere around me. I would be swallowed by the clouds for a moment and then awestruck by the view below when they passed. Once on top, about 20 minutes passed that I could see nothing beyond or below. I was suspended in the clouds or the "tablecloth" as South Africans refer to the condensation that accumulates around the majestic high rise. Those minutes were precious and I just sat perched on the rocks enjoying existence.

I found myself in the same state of mind when I visited some vineyards between Stellenbosch and Paarl. I took a glass of wine from a tasting and wandered through the vineyards until I was enclosed by nothing but the vines around me and I stood facing away from the buildings and wanted nothing more but to forget about what awaited me in Swaziland. It was a conglomeration of these amazing moments that made it a very maddening (almost irrationally so) experience to return.

But, alas, I sit in Swaziland wondering what's next and when I can return to Cape Town...more on the vacation later...and the walk...