A World Away: Adventures in South Africa

When Production Manager Lauren Morris spent the first month of this year in South Africa, I was filled with questions … so I asked them!

Give us some background: What took you so far from home?

On December 30, 2024, I boarded a flight headed to South Africa with my boyfriend, who was born and raised on the west coast of South Africa. This was his fourth trip traveling back and forth. It was quite a new experience for this Eastern NC girl, as I had only flown twice in my 42 years. Before this trip, I had traveled as far west as the westernmost part of NC, north as far as NYC, and south as far as St. Pete beach in Florida.

So, to take a 17-hour flight to the Western Cape in South Africa was a big deal. I got to spend 36 amazing days traveling all over this beautiful country. 10 Airbnbs, 1 VRBO scam that worked out (luckily), and about 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) driven.

Natal Lion Park

Tell us about your first impressions. What was it like arriving on a new continent? 

We flew in just as the sun was starting to set on New Year’s Eve. I could see Table Mountain from the plane. By the time we got our rental car, it was dusk. Even at that hour, I was amazed by how much I could see in the distance without the interference of trees. Cape Town is very much a bustling city with a side of coastal beach town.

In our first full day of driving, I was immediately swept away by the terrain. Enormous rocky mountain ranges, weaving in and out of towns that sit in valleys. During our time there, we drove many scenic passes that sometimes I could not even look out and down because it was so steep and narrow. I couldn’t help but imagine what it took to build these road structures.

How did the experience differ from what you were expecting? 

There were plenty of differences culturally, and people do live in all types of conditions. We saw everything from seaside mansions to homes constructed of metal tin and mud. Wherever we went, what I noticed above all else was a culture of happy people. It’s nothing for people to dance together in the street or spark up a braai (grill) with friends.

Did you have encounters with wildlife? 

The first day we hit the road, we drove from Cape Town to Worcester, which included passing through The Huguenot Tunnel, a 2.5-mile stretch that goes straight through the mountain. Just before the tunnel was my first time seeing a “Baboons Crossing” sign. Later in the trip, we actually saw one escaping a camp ground with a can of Coke. There were vervet (“blue ball”) monkeys roaming neighborhoods that I am told can be quite mischievous, although I didn’t have a personal encounter.

While in Durban, we took a day trip to Natal Lion Park. I would use the term “park” loosely. At one time, I’m sure it was. But on the day we visited we paid a (small) flat fee to drive our Volkswagen Polo hatchback rental down some pretty rough terrain. On the way we saw a warthog (Pumbaa) with its baby.

Upon arriving at the Lion’s Den we were warned to keep driving slowly

We drove up to a cage, and a man opened one door to let us drive in. He closed the door and opened the next. We passed through, and he promptly shut the gate behind our car.

You could tell these lions were well used to cars coming into their home, so they lazily got up from their naps and walked right towards and around our car. One yawned right in my face

The next part of the “park” adventure was to drive back up and down another questionable path to the elephants. To be honest, I’m really not sure what would have happened should we have had a breakdown or flat tire. I blocked it from my mind.

When we arrived, we met a guide who had been working with two elephants for 29 years. We could see one elephant off in the distance, and the guide signaled for him to come over. Then from over a hill came a beautiful female, Emma, a 42-year-old African elephant. The other was a 19-year-old male Indian elephant. We were able to get out and feed them, pet them, and just enjoy being in their majestic presence. Best moment of the trip.

Any interesting observations about the people or the culture? 

There are plenty of differences, but I thought I would list some of the ones we might find alarming or quirky.

• You pay for every single grocery bag. (Bring your own!)
• Single-use anything rarely exists unless it comes with a meal. You won’t find cups, napkins, or plasticware at gas stations.
• All homes and establishments have electric gates and fencing.
• Bathrooms do not have plugs for safety reasons.
• Gas station attendants pump the gas
• Malls have multiple grocery stores inside. Alcohol is only sold at liquor stores and restaurants.
• Traffic cops can set up a road block at any time and on whatever side of the road they choose. And if you owe money for a ticket, you pay on the spot.
• Loadshedding: I didn’t experience it while I was there, but at times the power companies cut the electricity to conserve. It can be off for 2-3 hours at a time, multiple times per day at its worst.
• Pay-As-You-Go Power: One morning I awoke to my boyfriend telling me we were almost out of power in our Airbnb.
  

Natal Lion Park

A big part of traveling is experiencing new food. Tell us about what you ate! 

When I first got there, I will admit my stomach was not ready to embrace a new culture of food. I lived off of (delicious) grilled cheese sandwiches that are made to order in most gas stations. This wasn’t your everyday grilled cheese: perfectly aged cheddar with a very thin slice of tomato on sourdough bread.

And all over, anywhere you stop for gas, you can always find a “garage pie,” a croissant-like pastry filled with just about any meat filling mixture.

A week into the trip, we visited friends for dinner. Quite the cook, our friend made a cabbage stew with beef, rice, and veggies. It was hearty, warm, and definite comfort food.

I did sample some more traditional African food, including garlic snails and mussels, and one really adventurous thing: mopane worms. Now, these worms (actually a caterpillar) are not available all over, and I only ate one. At the same African restaurant, I had a goat kebob and a bite of springbok, or antelope.

The way to properly host a guest for dinner in South Africa is with a traditional braai (grill out). A braai is a brick ‘oven’ where wood is burned down to coals until you can place a grate or cooking basket on top. A traditional braai includes an appetizer of “Braai Brekkies,” grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato and onion slices.

Did you learn any lessons that would be helpful for someone traveling to South Africa for the first time?

Your money will go far. You can experience so much more. If you can, go with someone who knows the language (at least one of them). And whatever you do, never ever get into a South African taxi.