*S* is for South African Sunsets

S is for South Africa

I talk so much about San Miguel de Allende, I decided to give South Africa some love.  The country is easily in my Top 3 fave spots in the world.  I loved every single thing about it.

The insanely stunning jacaranda trees (J'burg looks just like Pacific Palisades, fyi); the rooibos tea lattes I slammed all day long; the people and their always genuine smiles; the rolling countryside; the sunsets that are out of this world; seeing the Big 5; the outta-nowhere rainstorms; the history and how how everyone was in tune with their countries bones; the all-out addiction to soccer; the pubs full of the most lovely men in the world; the friendships created; the kiddies and their smarts; having copious amounts of drinks on the deck at the Westcliff; the random little neighborhoods with all sorts of quirky restaurants and shops that remind me of Soho or the East Village; learning to drive on the other side of the road; pretty much all of it.

I still have so many FF miles, this has got to be a return trip set up again for next year.  Gotta go, gotta go.  I would love to drive from S. Africa all the way up the coast to Mozambique.  Another Quest, I see....

Jacaranda Trees and A Lovely City called Johannesburg

Waking up in the city of Johannesburg is a site for sore eyes.  I'm on the top floor of a great little hotel in the Rosebank area and the view from my room is sprinkled with the most vibrant and gorgeous purple trees you've ever seen. They're called jacaranda trees and seriously, they are the most stunning things to lay eyes on every morning.  All their little purple petals float to the ground (it reminds me of Charleston) and everywhere you look they pop up out of nowhere and pepper the landscape with soft tufts of brilliant color.  I became obsessed with them the minute I saw them.  Interesting fact:  JBG is the worlds largest man-made forest (jacarandas are indigenous to Australia and South American) and these little trees are becoming a hindrance because of their pods and petals locking up the sewers and such.  They're talking about removing them all together but I seriously doubt that would ever happen.   Can you imagine ripping these beauties from the ground?