Cape Town - As snowfall hit parts of the Western Cape over the weekend, Capetonians flocked to areas such as Ceres and Matroosberg Reserve to catch a glimpse of the blanketed areas and play in the snow.
Hundreds of people on social media couldn’t wait to post pictures of the snowmen, snowballs and angels they made with the snow.
As one drove along major highways, snow caps could be seen along the mountain peaks in the province.
Speaking to African News Agency (ANA), Ceres resident Caylyn Arendse, 30, said it was the third time she had experienced the snow, but this was “the best yet”.
“I was in awe of the snow. It was such a nice experience and the snow was thick. One could play and even build an Olaf,” Arendse said.
Olaf is a fictional character in Disney’s “Frozen” franchise. He is a snowman created by the two main characters, Anna and Elsa.
Arendse said Ceres was extremely busy and her friends and family took about two hours to reach her.
Video from Snow at Ceres on the 27th of August #Snow #weather @reenvalsa @snowreportsa pic.twitter.com/H946QSnTv1
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Speaking of activity in the small town, she said there were more “snow tourists” than usual.
“You seriously missed out if you were not here. Better luck next year,” Arendse added.
Devon Saunders, from Plattekloof, popularly known as Devdondidit, is known for creating comedic content on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram since 2015.
He also formerly hosted the Turn Up! Show on Good Hope FM on Saturdays between noon and 3pm.
Saunders and his family took the two-hour drive to Ceres for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
He said this was their first trip as a family since the Covid-19 pandemic hit and their children had not been out for the past 18 months.
“We left at 6.15am and it took us three hours as there was traffic, cars standing still for about two minutes at a time.
“We arrived to find a few thousands of people at 9am already. Easily over 3,000 cars at any given time,” Saunders told ANA.
He said young and old could be seen having breakfast next to their cars while others played in the snow.
“Overall it was a great vibe. Snowballs were a thing, so were snowmen on cars.
“When leaving, most cars had snowmen on their windscreen.
“I was happy to see people not congregating at one spot. Everyone was practising social distancing. I even saw people rocking up with their shisha pipes,” Saunders said.
He said cars lined up for kilometres along the road.
Most of the area was private property and Saunders said he and his family were removed from one farm by security.
However, they went to the next area, where a few hundred people could be seen playing in the snow, his family included.
“Even my mother climbed a barbed-wire fence! It seemed okay by the owners of the land as no security came.
“People were creative in building snowmen. We built one and in celebration of Women's Month, we made a snow girl. We used two masks as a bra. It was a collective effort by our family,” Saunders said proudly.
He and his family left at about 1pm and Saunders said the traffic still making its way into Ceres was “insane”.
He said getting out of Ceres was difficult, too.
“The queue 40km out of Ceres was about a three-hour wait.”
He gave advice for those wishing to catch a glimpse of the snow: “Go early. Take padkos (snacks), take gloves when playing in the snow. Children should take spare clothes with.”
Saunders said the experience was not only magical but also a glimpse of what life before the pandemic was like – people out having a good time with their loved ones.
African News Agency (ANA)