Kirstenbosch

After a much needed leisurely-paced morning, the last few have started at 7am, we packed a lunch and headed to Kirstenbosch, the national botanical gardens. Established in 1913 for the protection and study of southern Africa's indigenous flora, the 1300 acres are majestic, lush and beautifully maintained. It's backdrop, the jagged eastern slope of Table Mountain, juxtaposes the manicured lawns and flower beds. I immediately thought about yesterday's infertile landscape and wondered if the children we meet ever visited Kirstenbosch on a class trip. If so, did they run on the grass, like the children I saw today, chasing birds and butterflies? Did it make them embrace all that is possible, or fill them with dispair knowing what they have been denied?