South Africa
My good friend Dimitri Bender was willing to talk about the country of South Africa. He has lived in the southern most part of this country for his entire life. I was able to meet Bender when I had the opportunity to teach the youth how to play basketball in July of 2016.
Bender was more than excited to talk about his country and to inform us all on what makes it so great.
What is there to do in your country?
“We have plenty to offer in my country. We have beautiful sunny beaches and breathtaking views from our famous Table Mountain. There is also plenty of wildlife so if you are in need of an adventure I would highly recommend going on a safari.”
South Africa is truly a beautiful country. Watching the sunsets on the beach with friends is one of the best experiences. Table Mountain is actually one of the seven wonders of the world. And Bender was not joking when he mentioned the breathtaking views. However, to get to the top take a long time! I believe it took my group almost five hours, but it was completely worth it. We were also fortunate enough to go on a safari! We had an amazing time and seeing the wildlife in their natural habitat was pretty amazing. Oh, and S.A. is also known for the famous shark cages. If you are feeling a bit risky perhaps you should go out into the water and see how close they get to you in a cage. Below is a picture of Table Mountain.
This picture was taken from a boat in which we were headed to see Robben Island, the prison where Nelson Mandela was held. S.A also has a lot of history that you are able to learn about.
You have mentioned how important your food is to your culture, could you explain that more?
“As for our food, now that’s a story all on its own. The Cape Malay people have a very rich heritage with almost all our dishes have a background story as to how it came to be. For example, we have a dish called bebooti… this is similar to your American meatloaf but it is infused with spices onion and egg on top.”
I want to say thank you again to Bender for allowing me to ask questions about his country in the hopes that a few of you readers would be interested in visiting it one day. South Africa is filled with rich foods, culture, history, and people. Everyone will welcome you with warm arms and will make sure that you have the time of your life. I do hope you explore more into his country and even visit one day.
Blog soon,
-H
