South Africa – Cape Town 南非开普敦 12/2018 Stop 31 站

Street in Kuala Lumpur decorated for the New Year 吉隆玻迎接新年街景

30-31/12/2018. From Plettenberg, I arrived back in Cape Town early on the morning of December 30. I began this African trip on November 8, 2018. I like a bit of adventure to spice up my travels. So, instead of being chauffeured, flown, guided, I made it a little more fun, going overland, taking buses, hitching rides, driving, and riding on bicycles and motorbikes, the way I have done in many past travels. But Africa was like no other. Next time I would rent my own car so I could roam free.

I wanted to culminate this adventure by celebrating New Year’s in Cape Town with the young. But those young people converged in town, and I had neglected to book any accommodation. I have always believed freedom of choice is all worth it, even if I have to sleep standing against the lamp pole. And if worst came to the worst, I just fly away. That was, in fact, what I did. That evening I flew out of Cape Town, arriving back in Kuala Lumpur, at 6 p.m., on December 31, just in time to celebrate the arrival of 2019.

I sat down to some comfort food and knocked my brain silly with deafening band music. As my brain was still in Cape Town, the band announced on stage, “We are from Cape Town!” Thank you Cape Town for celebrating the New Year with me.

I could have been dead when I bent forward to within two feet of that poisonous snake in Malawi; suffered a fall on the rough and spiky Zambezi riverbank that could have punctured me; been escorted by security personnel into an Uber after threats from some thugs in Cape Town; nearly pickpocketed in Cape Town, and body-searched in a Namibia supermarket on suspicion of shoplifting. I also experienced the devastating loss of two underwear of great sentimental value. I survived it all. Despite these hardships, I love Cape Town, I love South Africa, I love Africa!

There is a world out there so unlike ours. Though home, my soul has remained in Africa. There is a part of me that tells me that was where we came from—the world we started in. See for yourself.

30-31/12/2018 凌晨十二月三十日我从普莱藤堡又回到开普敦。这非洲之行十一月八日开始，我以自虐方式自由自游横跨这大陆，乘大巴，搭顺风车，自驾，搭自行车，摩多车，样样都行，只要能达到目的抵达目的地。

本打算元旦在开普敦庆祝新年，因为路上碰到年轻人都挤到这里来派对，我也想来凑热闹，挽回青春。可是脑筋没摆直，连住宿都没预定，可能要露宿街头。索性当晚就启程回吉隆玻，抵达时是十二月三十一日下午六点，正好赶上新年庆祝。

时别近两个月，坐下来享受家乡味，听最疯狂最噪的摇滚。脑袋还在非洲徘徊之际，主唱台上自我介绍，“我们来自开普敦”多谢，开普敦，跟我共渡新年！

回想在马拉维在两米内碰到毒蛇我可能早已一命呜呼；在赞比西危险河岸一栽四脚朝天大可穿心；在温得和克商场被疑偷窃而被搜身；在开普敦车站被几个骗子人身威胁而被保安护送上车；两次扒手试图在我身上动手没得逞；两件相依多年的内裤在酒店被盗，还是安然到家了。虽有挫折，爱开普敦，爱南非，爱非洲！

那是一个截然不同的世界。虽已到家，心没跟着回来。