Why I don't think I will ever go to South Africa again

Time passed while we were grieving for my sister in 2006. At some point, it seemed that we had cried all tears. Yashendu and I were for a month or maybe a bit more than that in India and then took our flights again. He went back to Germany and I flew back to South Africa.

Before my sister’s accident, I had been in South Africa only for a few days. It was my first time in South Africa, actually the first time in Africa at all – and until today the last one as well. I really cannot say that I liked it very much.

I had been giving private sessions, lectures and also some workshops in different yoga studios in Johannesburg. That’s how I was staying with Indians but was as well in contact with a lot of non-Indian South-Africans. All my remaining program had obviously been cancelled but because of my ticket, which I had bought from South India to India and back, I had another two days in this country.

I just didn’t feel very good. Not safe, not relaxed. The house that I stayed in and the ones that I visited all, without exception, had huge fences or walls around the property, on top of that barbed wire and, as I was told, that is more often than not even put connected to electricity so that anybody trying to get through would get an electric shock.

I asked my organizers whether the crime rate was really so high and I got to know from them and many other people that it was really quite dangerous! A family with whom I was invited for dinner told that just two or three months before, their office had been robbed, in spite of all security measures in place.

Obviously, people always exaggerate a bit when telling such stories but I could not help but think of it when walking outside. Someone could kill you just for your mobile. For the five dollar you may have in your pocket.

I was told not to go for a walk outside in the evening, when it was dark. Except for in bright sunshine and of course in the right areas you could walk – but better it was to use the car. I remembered two friends telling me of having been robbed on their holiday. I knew many people liked South Africa and went there as tourists.

I just never felt good there, in a place where danger is always on your mind and you cannot walk outside at all. So why to go to such a place again where you don’t feel secure? Where you feel you have to be always on guard?

I bid my farewell after another two days there and took my flight to Germany.

I was invited again later to South Africa but I declined. One time had been enough.