Simply special
I find myself often thinking about this interesting paradox between simple and special. Simple to me implies common or rudimentary , while special is something more involved or rare. The two words seem at odds with each other. What I have observed being in Africa for the last 8 or so weeks, is that simple is good, in fact simple is special.
We recently stayed at a nature reserve on the southern most tip of South Africa, a mere 6000 miles from Antarctica . It was wild and unspoiled and simple…and incredibly special. The area was so quiet and uncomplicated by our usual travel standards, that it made for such a refreshing experience. There were no competing voices for our attention, just good food, beautiful surroundings and each other.
Saturday morning we took a leisurely boat cruise down the river, quietly soaking up the sun and watching the magnificent mountains and marshes slide by. Multitudes of bird species hurried about us building nests and searching out food , preening in the sun and calling to their mates. It was simple and blissful .
The afternoon brought a little more action as we went caving on the cliffs by the ocean. The swells were at a lofty 6 metres high which made it interesting as we tried to time our approach into the cave mouth. Once safely inside we were transported to a time when Bushman used to call these caves home thousands of years ago. Talk about ocean front property! The simplicity of their methods to hunt and survive leaves me questioning our need for technology .
The following morning was equally as special as we went on our first “plant safari” . You might think it sounds a little simple and not very special …. you would be wrong. As we drove through miles of reserve land , we learned about a few of the 9000 plant species in this one biome, some that exist no where else in the world! 6 new species have been discovered in the last year alone. There were flowers that change colour to let insects know that they have already been pollinated, flowers that disguise themselves to look like female Monkey beetles to attract the male, plants that only omit scents at night to attract nocturnal insects, some that heal and others poison. Grootbos is not a national geographic designated lodge without good reason….and yet on first glance it looks “simple”.
After two full days of taking in the incredible sights and smells , we headed home along the coast to try catch a bit of the annual “Whale festival” in a hopping little fishing town called Hermanus. We had barely parked the car and we could see Soutern Right Whales doing half gainers and cannon balls! Barely 100 meters from the cliffs there were entire pods just bobbing along , rolling over like Hugo when he wants a scratch. All of this in a sun filled , blue sky weekend.
I realize that what I’m describing may not sound very simple, its likely more of an attitude I’m experiencing…just get out and explore, enjoy the simple moments.
Till next time
J
P.S We are heading to Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe on Saturday for safari , stay tuned! Photos will be posted on Instagram/facebook.
