Nicole Stevenson

January 24, 2013

South African Interterm Trip Impressions
After experiencing interterm in South Africa, it is difficult to remember what my impressions of
the country were before I left Dulles for the 20 hour trip to Johannesburg. It was an intense trip full of
experiences which totally transformed what I had previously thought about this country. I discovered
that South Africa is a beautiful country full of friendly people. It is rich with natural resources and
wildlife. What I remember most about South Africa is that it is so much more diverse than most people
in the United States believe. Most of us believe that there are two kinds of people in South Africa: Black
and White. If you ask people what the country is like, you will likely be told that it is a country full of
jungles. The average American thinks of South Africa as a very dangerous place full of crimes and
criminal activity out in the open. After having spent two weeks there I am happy to report that most
Americans dont have a very good idea of what modern South Africa is like. Because it is so far away,
most Americans wont have the opportunity to change their impressions as I was able to do. It is a much
more interesting and culturally rich country than most of us expected. Even more than that, South
Africa is a country full of contrasts: the bush and the city, the townships and the luxury hotels we stayed
in, Sun City and Soweto, and apartheid and freedom.
Diversity is something that was quite unexpected in South Africa as we had been taught through
the media that there were two types of people in South Africa. The white people in South Africa we
think of as English and the black people are African. At the end of two weeks it was clear that this was
not the case. The white people in South Africa are not only English, but also descended from Dutch
immigrants. They speak not only English, but a Dutch dialect called Afrikaans. In addition to the Dutch
and English, there are immigrants from all over the world living there. The white community is not
homogeneous. As we learned at the cultural museum, the same is true of South Africans with black
skin. There are many different ethnic groups among the people of African descent. The tribal group
from which they are descended is important to the South Africans. They speak different a plethora of
different languages and follow different cultural practices. It was difficult to realize that many practices
which we find to be sexist and old fashioned are still going on in South Africa among some of the tribes.
For example, we learned that to pay for a wife that a man in one of the tribes must provide 11 cows for
the brides family! There is also a significant minority of South Africans whose families came to the
country from India during the time of English Imperialism.
One of the defining things about South Africa is apartheid. The practice of discrimination which
was employed by the South African minority white government until the 1990s caused South Africa to
be ostracized from the world community. The amazing thing is that despite this South Africa today is
free and it happened without a violent overthrow of the government. It is true that many white South
Africans left the country following the end of apartheid; most of the population is still there. One of the
most emotional parts of the trip was the visit to Robben Island. Originally this isolated island served as
leper colony, but later became a political prison and today it is a museum. It is famous for being the
place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for opposing the policy of apartheid. While that was
important to learn, it was much more shocking to learn that our tour guide had been imprisoned there
for 8 years. I cannot imagine what it feels like to make your living by showing people around the place
where you suffered for many long years as a prisoner. Today in South Africa we saw a country where
black people have a much better chance for success in life, but still the majority of blacks are living in
poverty. The end of apartheid did not mark the end of unemployment, poverty and suffering for the
people of African descent in the country.
I will remember the wildlife in South Africa for the rest of my life. The times we spent on safari
or in places with wild animals were thrilling. As we progressed through the country we were able to see
all of the animals we hoped to see. Monkeys, zebras, meerkats, warthogs, elephants, giraffes, and many
others were there to be seen. In many cases they were walking right across the path ahead of the tour
vehicles. One of the highlights was the chance to see wild dogs out in the bush. It was such a rare
occurrence that even the tour guide pulled out his camera. He told us that there are less that 300 of the
creatures left in the wild. We saw at least a dozen which is a significant proportion of their global
population. It was interesting that the bush was not really like any jungle that you see in movies or on
television, but much drier than I expected. No one could have experienced what we did on the tour and
not come away impressed by seeing in the wild the creatures we had only seen in captivity.
One of the most striking things in South Africa is the poverty seen in places like Soweto. The
housing situation for so many people is really quite squalid. The people living in what appear to be
shacks were nonetheless quite friendly. They invited us in and showed us with pride the small houses
that they lived in. They were unexpectedly polite and did not beg us to give them anything. It clearly
made the students appreciate how good we have it in America. Another reminder of how difficult life
can be was provided by our trip to the gold mine. The workers who mined for the gold which provided
so much money first for Great Britain and later for the apartheid government had to go down a mine
shaft 300 meters below the surface every day. It was hard to be down there for the short time we were
there. It is hot, cramped, claustrophobic, and pitch black once the lanterns are off. The workers labored
for low wages and created incredible wealth for the elite of the old regime. Gold mining is not for the
faint of heart. It is also not for those who want to protect the environment. Mining for minerals in
South Africa is ruining the environment and destroying water quality in a variety of different areas.
Some towns are struggling to find adequate sources of drinking water as a result of the endless search
for gold and diamonds deeper and deeper into the earth. Unhealthy mining practices and
environmental problems associated with them did not end with apartheid and may have grown worse!
Another experience which was surprising in South Africa was our trip to a winery. I am a French
major so I was looking forward to the trip, but I didnt expect it to tie into my French history classes. It
turns out that there were many French immigrants to the region. One of the important historical events
in French history was the clash between Catholicism and Protestantism. The French Protestants were
called Huguenots and were subject to discrimination and many atrocities and massacres occurred
among the Huguenot population. As a result many French Huguenots emigrated and some of them as it
turned out ended up in South Africa. The played a vital role in the South African wine industry which is
now justly world renowned. It was interesting to see the physical result of the French policies, I learned
about in class.
Visiting South Africa made for an interesting contrast with my interterm trip form 2012. I visited
India on that trip. In both cases the countries we went to were former British colonies which were able
to gain independence, but in the wake of imperialism the two countries are quite different. There are
similarities especially in the capitols since many of the governmental buildings were erected by the same
architects. The poverty I saw in India was more pervasive and obvious to the eye. The well-to do areas
were not as impressive in India as they were in South Africa. The difference between the hotels we
stayed in South Africa and how the population lived seemed greater than that in India. I felt less secure
in Indian cities than in South Africa as well. The shear density of population in Indian cities is almost
claustrophobic and it never reached that level in South Africa. We didnt see anything like Sun City in
India. However, both countries had incredible scenery. The view from Table Rock overlooking Cape
Town and seeing the Himalayas in India are two of the most unforgettable sights I have ever
encountered.
In retrospect, what I take away from South Africa are wonderful memories and a desire to go
back there some day. The contrasts of the country are truly amazing. Cape Town is a modern European
like city on a beautiful ocean coast. Soweto is land locked and terribly poor. Out in the bush, a world
wholly different than Cape Town and Soweto emerges. It is full of wonderful animals and unexpected
beauty. Out on a lonely island in the ocean is the prison on Robben Island where a generation of
political prisoners suffered and died. South Africa is a beautiful quilt of different ethnic groups,
languages, ecosystems, abundant natural resources, microclimates and cultures. I was delighted with all
of the experiences which provided a busy, but fun and learning filled two weeks. Even looking up into
the heavens on a clear night was a new experience. The sky was like Cape Town, it was outwardly
familiar, however when you looked closer you noticed the differences, yet found them fascinating and
transforming.