PRETORIA (Day 20)

Today was our last day. It was also a national holiday and many places were closed... including the rental car company. But eventually we were able to drop it off. We rested, finally dried our clothes completely, did a bit of shopping at a mall, and played with an insistent Sheeba.

We visited the Voortrekker Monument, which was built to honor the original 'voortrekkers' (or settlers) who made their home in this land. In the early 1800's, a Dutch settlement was established in the Cape area as a resting spot for ships sailing between Europe and the Far East. After a while, dissatisfaction with the goverment and growing populations forced the colonists to emigrate eastwards. After British occupation, these Dutch farmers were forced to move once again due to lack of land and capital. In 1835, they trekked inland and experienced much hardship, loss and difficulty. The circular outer wall was carved with 64 covered wagons in symbolic protection of the monument.

The monument contains the largest existing marble frieze in the world, measuring approximately 300 x 7.5 feet and weighing 180 metric tons. The frieze began with images of the voortrekkers leaving the Cape colony. From there on, it depicted the many stories of different leaders and hardships, the many battles and slaughters, the negotiations and betrayals, and the hopes and dreams.

We climbed to the very top for expansive views of the city, and walked down to the symbolic empty tomb in the basement.

We then visited the Union Building. Pretoria is one of the country's three capital cities. It serves as the executive capital, while Cape Town is the legislative capital and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.

In the early evening, we were dropped off at the airport to catch our flight home. It was chaos! The flight was overbook by over 30 seats and everyone mobbed to get on. I was seated next to a nun who fanatically told me of all the starving children in South Africa and how Nelson Mandela should be hung. When her airplane meal came, however, she opened it, took one look, then shoved it aside, not eating a single bite. Perhaps she was saving it for all the starving children. But as all things eventually do, the flight did end at some point, and we returned home safely.

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