This past weekend I endured what was the hardest hike of my life, an 11-hour trek across the 12 Apostles. I knew this was going to be a long, hard hike but I did not realize just how difficult it was going to be. Not only was the climb extremely difficult, I found myself reaching up and grabbing for the next rock but we also unfortunately missed the path we were supposed to take for our descent and so we got lost and had to wander for a while, a 3 hours while, and then we ran out of water.. luckily we finally found the path, or some semblance of a path and we made our way through the prickers. Nicole and I had to tie our shirts around our legs because they were getting so scratched up from the rough brush! Hiking down the waterfall was incredibly difficult as we were all dead tired but we finally made it to the bottom and even met a wonderful retired park ranger, Jim who helped to show us the way and got us on the right side of the trail. When Ben arrived baring peanuts and Gatorade-like drinks I nearly cried with joy. I was definitely worried for a bit that we were going to have to be airlifted of off the mountain or spend the night, not that I would’ve minded the helicopter ride through Cape Town but the money and embarrassment would’ve sucked! The pain I thought I had felt the day before when getting my cartilage pierced (sorry mom & dad!) was nothing compared to the pain my legs felt the next few days as I stumbled around the house.
This experience reminded me that we are in AFRICA and we were not climbing Sugarbusch in Vermont but rather the 12 Apostles, which contains many dangerous peaks. Although the mountain is beautiful and is surrounded by the beautiful sea and city, it is still dangerous. It could easily claim your life in a multitude of ways whether its falling from it, running out of water or become trapped on it. It’s easy to relate this to the idea that although Cape Town is a beautiful place, it is still surrounded by poverty, violence, racism, sexism and corruption. It will take a lot of work for Cape Town and South Africa to become as beautiful on the inside as it appears on the outside.
As the end of this trip draws closer and closer I find myself to be struggling with the same scenario I’m sure many others on this trip are struggling with and have struggled with in the past, the dual happiness and sadness of going home. While I absolutely cannot wait to see my parents, brother, dog, car, beloved Vermont Green Mountains and the rest of my family and friends, I also could easily burst into tears at the thought of leaving this beautiful country that has changed me as a person. The experiences I’ve had here and especially those I’ve had with all my wonderful housemates (Malleson included) will never be forgotten and can never be matched by anyone else.
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