Photo Contest - Fall 2006

Third Prize

"Table Mountain: the Most Cherished Landscape of South Africa"
Daneen Bergquist
Cape Town, South Africa

Essay:

From a distance the wondrous mountain looks conquerable. "It's not so terrifying. I've hiked mountains before" I reassured myself. But walking up to the mountain it began to look as though this was not going to be a typical day-in-the-park hike. I quickly began doubting myself in every aspect of my physical and mental capabilities. "Only a small number of people have been able to successfully climb this mountain. It's going to be one of the toughest things you will ever do," a local South African warns me. Approaching the beautiful yet daunting mountain, these cautious statement instantly ran through my head as though they were urging me not to attempt this seemingly impractical task. Masking a conscious effort to ignore my uncertainty, I hesitantly began my journey. The heat was intense, making it necessary to stop for water every 15-20 minutes. I was desperately trying to find solid ground to walk and climb on in order to keep myself from falling or sliding backwards. If the falling rocks and extreme heat weren't enough to make me want to turn back, the constant nausea from the elevation surely would. After a total of four and half hours of gruesome, vigorous hiking, I made my last step to the very top of Table Mountain.

Slowly walking over to the edge for a glance at the South African landscape it hit me; this land was indescribably delicate. My exhausting journey was instantly minimized to a faint illusion as my mind and body filled with overwhelming emotion. Residing on the previously constructed wall, on the verge of the edge of the world, thoughts ran through me like a strong current and my feeling of significance in this world was erased yet defined. Gazing to the right I see neighboring mountains, which looks as though it is doing nothing but rearing its beauty to the rest of the world. Straight ahead I see an ancient city that has emerged from a treacherous history and continues to heal the wounds of time. To the left, Lion's head, a historical monument that has defined Cape Town's natural wonders. Behind me is South Africa's inland full of often overlooked passion. And out in the Indian Ocean, the very island that so many brave South African revolutionists were detained for countless years, including former president Nelson Mandela. From this view the world seems so large and I couldn't help but contemplate the significance that each of our daily lives has on the rest of the world. Each day we wake up and wonder the questions that we ourselves can answer, yet easily put aside the simplicity of life and forget that sometimes the answer lies in the question. There is much left to define in this small world and gazing to the right, left, behind or in front, the very definition develops from the collective perspective. We all have something in common, but no other place have I experienced such a wide range of cultural diversity that only strives to define its place in humanity. South Africa; you truly are the definition of beauty.

Return to the Fall 2006 Study Abroad Photo Contest