Reflections
(Monday 12th December, 2022)
Sunset in Kruger; sunset over this wonderful trip.
We only had a short time for transfer in Paris, which I had been a little worried about - but it went fine, even though my laptop was selected for a random drug test. We finally landed in Kastrup, Copenhagen, at 9:00. And our bags arrived perfectly, too.
Stepping out of the metro in Copenhagen, I got hit by all those urban noises. The tall building looming over us. The development, alien-looking almost, far removed from the nature and wilderness where I feasted my eyes on green foliage wherever I looked. I admit, I felt a sense of deflation. There are certainly things here that I have not missed, but on the other hand there are people and animals whom I have greatly missed, and whom I’m very grateful to be able to come home to.
Thoughts on The Trip
I’m kind of thrilled to be back home, but I’m also very excited to go back to Africa next time. This trip wasn’t overall as amazing as some of the others. While Mozambique certainly seems beautiful in a tropical/exotic kind of way, I haven’t seen enough to asses it properly. From what I have experienced, I see it as a nice glimpse of the country and its offerings. I enjoyed the palm trees and the pretty, turquoise water, and the warm ocean for a few days.
I did enjoy the trip, I don’t regret it, but I also wouldn’t repeat it.
Mozambique: Ideally, I’d want some more cultural substance in the itinerary. Some experiencing of the people and their way of life. As it is now, I very much mainly associate Mozambique with ‘blue’ and water.
Seeing/snorkeling next to the whaleshark was amazing, and I did enjoy wandering around Tofo a bit. Bobbing along on the clear water in the dhow of Bazaruto National Park was cozy. Overall, the dreamy beaches of my dreams still seem to be in Southeast Asia, as Mozambique did not manage to overtake or sway me on this.
Eswatini: In Eswatini I enjoyed the calm, the sounds of nature, the slow tempo and the animals wandering around the lodge area. My time spent there provided a perfect frame for reflection on how privileged we are to be able to enjoy nature and get away from the hustle and bustle. It was a really important mental break for me.
Kruger: I loved Kruger, I loved the thrill of the game drives and I enjoyed taking the photos that I took. I just can’t get enough of it, and I feel a strong pull to go back again and again. The facilities we visited in the park were well maintained and good, and Nkambeni camp provided a nice resting spot between game drives.
Overall thoughts: While there are long driving distances, gazing out at a very different everyday life is a great opportunity to reflect on various topics. It’s almost meditative for me. It’s also a good way to process the many impressions collected throughout the previous days. That’s something I enjoy a lot, actually, but your mileage may vary on that.
The freedom of having no internet and sometimes not even electricity. To believe that I’m not yet a complete slave to those things, that I am still capable of just enjoying the moment and the present, and allow whatever my senses pick up to really come into focus.
It feels good to be outside almost all the time; to use ones’ eyes and olfactory senses differently and listen to new, unknown sounds. Not the artificial sounds of cars, trains and electrical plugins, but the whisper of the wind in foliage, the myriad of bird calls, the chirping insects and frogs, the occasional laughter between humans from somewhere.
Such a relief, such a reprieve. It’s almost not to be comprehended that I can sit in such peaceful ‘isolation’ on one side of the globe, while normal, noisy human life goes on at home on the opposite side of it.
For me, it’s like time slows down. I can sense the value of it better; like it makes me appreciate being alive a bit more than usually. The feeling of calm and connectedness is just so good, pure and genuine, and it wells up in me from these trips. Like trivial matters are inconsequential, truly. Serenity.
Sure, there are some uncomfortable things in Africa, such as a runny tummy (this time), heat (whether dry or very humid), dangerous creepy-crawlers, but it just feels good and comfortable to be there even through that. There’s maybe a sense of belonging because it helps me reset my perspective and makes me remember and ‘come home to’ the things that really matter.
As this tour goes, I rate it a wonderful experience, which was a bit slower than I had anticipated, and which was not perfect in terms of really getting under the nails of Mozambique. Nonetheless, I come away with beautiful memories and moments which I will treasure as long as I’m around.
That concludes this South Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique trip. What would you read next?
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