MOMENTS IN TIME: CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Is there an apt description for Cape Town,  this gem of a place?   Despite lacking in full perspective about this city of contrasts, I think most will agree if I describe it in a superlative, one-word adjective: AMAZING! Its allure, often spoken of by those who have visited this South African city and extolled by those who came from its shores did not sound convincing to me initially. Honestly, Cape Town was not on my wide-ranging bucket list of places to visit. But a great company called GSPARTNERS has a way of drawing, even the skeptics, from a state of ennui to guarded enthusiasm. So I was pleasantly surprised when my preconceived notion of the place was proven wrong! The fact is, beauty is best appreciated when beheld personally and not merely described, since words and pictures do not fully substitute for what sight can behold. 

 The "Mother City", an iconic name for an iconic place, is a beguiling metropolis that gained its nickname for being the first European settlement in South Africa. But I will not pretend to be a connoisseur of its history and culture and would rather confine my description to some of the most thrilling experiences of our visit, particularly the African Safari. 

 The safari is an experience of a lifetime, but I will not sugar-coat it. The thick dust that can partially obliterate the sight for a moment is brutal; the unrelenting wind, that seems to be the mainstay on a safari exploit, is unforgiving; the rough terrain that will not dispense mercy to aching and brittle bones can be a challenge to some. But is the "ordeal" worth it? Absolutely! 

 A mesmerizing tableau of mountains and hills dotted with wild flowers in an array of arresting colors - yellow, white, pink, purple - lend softness and delicate contrast to the unyielding sandstones that seem to hold the stalwart mountains. Wildlife thrive and roam freely in the confines of their natural habitat: the semi-aquatic rhino wallowing in a small brown pond, a pack of zebras nuzzling some blades of grass searching for food, male and female lions turning their heads away from their "trespassers" in a resentful gesture, a baboon here and there, a family of giraffes extending their long necks in seeming act of superiority to the tall trees others find out of reach.

 But the allure of Cape Town does not stop where wildlife roam. It is not confined to the grandeur of its mountains, nor on the raw, untouched enchantment of its far-flung forests. One of the most striking beauties of this city is its seeming interminable ocean. The sparkling shores where the immaculate waves excitedly cavort with age-old rocks scattered on white sand is a sight to behold. In a rhythmic sway as ancient as the sea itself, they rise like a crescendo, then smash in wild abandon to the ever-faithful waiting shore. The sun, spell-bound by such display, watches from its perch above, moves behind the hills, then hides for a spell where the sea meets the sky.  Again, it will repeat in unbroken sequence day in and day out until the end of time. 

 We came face to face with a world God showered generously with natural richness and untamed beauty. It reminds me of the poem penned by the American essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, about a wild flower called the "Rhodora", which says: 

 "Rhodora! If the sages asked thee why 

 This charm is wasted on the tree and sky 

 Tell them, dear, that, if eyes were made for seeing 

 Then beauty has its own excuse for being." 

 Cape Town, with its forests, ocean and hills, was blessed with a natural wild charm that was there to be appreciated and experienced by those who had been given the opportunity of a lifetime. GSPARTNERS made that experience a living reality and I would be remiss if I fail to acknowledge that. Although money cannot buy happiness, having it at one's disposal makes life satisfying and fuller in many ways. So, thank you, GSPartners! I am grateful beyond measure as well to the true GSP power couple whose help, encouragement, and unwavering support give me and others the courage to "strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield" to the toxic blatters of the skeptics. You rock, Zeny and Mars! But most of all, my utmost gratitude and thanksgiving go to the power above us all, he who, with his infinite love and mercy made everything possible.  So, now and always, to GOD be the glory!

                                HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!