Table Mountain , Cape Town ( CNN ) -- For hundreds of millions of years it has dominated the coastal skyline of southern Africa , imposing a dramatic and domineering backdrop to an idyllic location . Table Mountain , recently voted one of the `` New Seven Wonders of Nature '' by a global audience , now joins the ranks of the Amazon rainforest of South America and other exotic sites throughout Asia . My task for 'Inside Africa ' is to meet the most interesting people living in its shadow , connected to its spirit . The first people to live near this majestic mountain were the Khoi , migrating here some 2,000 years ago . As I hike through its rugged terrain near a feature called Lion 's Head , I approach an unassuming man standing amid the rich biodiversity of flora and fauna . His name is Kerneels , a direct descendant of the Khoi , and he wants to show me a sacred place he visits regularly , but first he hands me something . See also : A journey through South Africa 's stunning wine region . `` This is wild sage , '' he tells me as I raise it to my nose , `` anytime we journey to the shrine , we bring this to burn . It releases all negative energy . '' I clutch it tightly as we make the 30-minute trek , off the hiking trail , up the steep terrain walking where few people venture . Kerneels stops along the way telling me every plant growing around us was used in some way by his ancestors . He snaps in half a stiff aloe vera leaf revealing a green goo and begins to apply it to his hair - I do the same . Kerneels says among medicinal uses , aloe keeps hair shiny and wavy . When we arrive at the shrine all I see are large rocks grouped together overlooking the coastline and South Atlantic Ocean - it was simply beautiful . In the center just an open space to sit ; no pictures , no idols , no markings whatsoever . This is a place to be alone with one 's thoughts . As wind whistles through the rock formations Kerneels whispers to me , describing how hard it is to be one of the few remaining Khoi people here . Their philosophy was one of use only what you need , and respect all forms of life on the mountain . A mantra almost lost with time as the modern world crept in , colonized the area , violently pushing out the Khoi . I sit silently allowing him to gather his next thought . He says my energy is positive , so we do n't need to burn the sage . He sends me off with a heartfelt wish that visitors to Cape Town respect the hallowed ground and remember the first people to call this place home . Adding that while his `` people '' may be broken they are not defeated . In many ways Kerneels ' request is being carried out by mother of two , Caron von Zeil . She 's the founder of the `` Reclaim Camissa '' project . The Khoi first called Cape Town `` Camissa '' meaning `` the place of sweet waters '' because of its natural and clean streams stemming from the mountainside . The Dutch colonized it because of the abundant fresh water between the mountain range and the coast . But as the city grew , the waterways were gradually closed off ( to limit pollution ) and now all of it gets dumped into the South Atlantic . Blog : Discovering the real Zambia . I meet Caron at the foot of Table Mountain with her 10-year-old son . With a Master 's degree in Environmental Planning and Landscape Architecture , Caron explains her research requires she map each and every stream , step by step , turn by turn . Her son likes to join the adventure . We pull back branches , jump over puddles and discover pristine waterways rushing down the porous sandstone of the mountain and over the solid granite of the ground . Later , Caron unlocks an old fence , walking me to a mysterious underground housing . Behind the four-foot-high Dutch style door is a pitch-black room . Inside , crystal clear water on its way to the ocean . Her calculations tell her there is enough fresh water in this system for all residents living in the immediate surroundings . Caron explains that efforts to lobby officials to reopen these water sources are falling on deaf ears - but still she charges on . Beyond the challenges of local bureaucracy she feels a deep-rooted commitment to the project and her Capetonian neighbors . Of course , the views atop Table Mountain are breathtaking , watching from 1,000 meters in the sky as white clouds roll over the cliff 's edge , explaining why locals call this the `` tablecloth . '' This is also one of the most photographed places in the world , but I wonder how many people truly see the beauty . I purposely did n't want to write about the sights , the awe inspiring views this week because of that . Instead I want people going to Cape Town to remember Kerneels and Caron ; look closer , dig deeper and reflect on what the people of Table Mountain represent . My journey of discovery 'Inside Africa ' has taken me through Victoria Falls in Zambia and all around Cape Town , South Africa and now I 'm setting my compass to West Africa and the sights of Senegal ... stay tuned .
CNN 's Errol Barnett visited the Table Mountain in Cape Town , South Africa . A descendant of Khoi , the first people to live near the mountain called him a sacred place . Barnett also met an environmentalist to learn about water resources in the region . The journey ended with a breathtaking view as Barnett reached the top of the mountain .