Inga's trip to South Africa – a dream come true at 80

We started in Cape Town, and it made me feel younger than I am; we found something new to do every day. I love swimming, and even though the water was quite cold, that didn't stop me. I jumped in anyway, and felt very refreshed afterwards.
We experienced a lot of culture, and a highlight was visiting Robben Island and the District 6 museum.

And the vineyards... I've dreamed of visiting them for many years. I attend wine clubs at home and drink a lot of wine from South Africa. It was almost surreal to stand there among the vines, with the rolling landscapes around us. It was so cozy that you could buy a glass of wine and sit under a tree and have a little picnic. At one of the vineyards, we tried pairing brownies with wine. It was actually quite good!

At one of the vineyards, I accidentally left behind my favorite hat, which I had purchased in Zimbabwe during a previous visit—I only realized this much later. However, it was actually quite pleasant to think that it had returned to Africa.
Another day, while walking along the beach, the wind was blowing strongly, and it caught my thin scarf and blew it away. Some passers-by tried to run after it but gave up after a while when it flew over a fence. But then someone on the other side must have seen it because a minute later a man came out with my scarf around his neck and I was able to get it back and also had a lovely chat. Many people are very friendly and it's easy to talk and joke with them.

And the sunsets... I don't know how many pictures I took. Probably around 50. It looked like the sky was on fire, with colors of bright orange and pink.
We visited Lions Head, and the view from there was so beautiful.
We also did a lot of shopping at nice markets, so I even had to buy another bag to fit everything.

Then we arrived at Kruger—a completely different experience. So many animals! I hadn't expected to see so much. The most incredible thing was when a leopard suddenly came rushing by, chased by two lions. They just whizzed past the jeep. We sat completely silent for several seconds afterward, trying to comprehend what we had just seen.

I also really enjoyed just sitting by the lodge and looking out over the savannah. I almost didn't want the days to end. The mornings were early, and I'm really not a morning person, but once I got up on the jeep and felt the fresh air, I came to life immediately.

I am very fond of birds, so I was especially happy to see all the colorful species we saw. An owl sat in a tree and watched us for a long time. The others didn't seem so fascinated, but I thought it was very beautiful. But my favorite was the giraffe. So majestic and calm. 

Being able to take this trip at my age is not a given. I am so grateful for all the moments, big and small. These are the memories I think about when I go to sleep at night.