Day 2 in Cape Town went much smoother for the group. Hemang was able to get in contact with a tour company who happened to have an opening to take us down the Cape by way of Chapman's Peak Drive. It was a perfect morning - not a cloud in the sky. And finally it was a HOT day in South Africa. It's supposed to be summer here, and coincidentally I'm really missing all of the sweaters I left in Chicago.
Our tour guide Karen (pronounced Car-In) picked us up around 9 and we headed to Table Mountain one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. The queue was long...really, really long. But who cares? It was beautiful outside, we had a view overlooking the city, and great company. We ended up getting in line behind another tour guide, Karen didn't go out with us, who basically gave us a free tour as we stood in line. We discussed everything from why South Africans love Chicken to the Swazi King and his dating life and after an hour and half we finally boarded the cable car to head to the top of the mountain. The ride to the top lasts probably less than 2 minutes, but the really neat thing is that the floor of the cable car spins on the way up so you get a perfect view the whole way. This was my 2nd trip to Table Mountain, although this visit was not at all like the first. It was a perfectly clear day and you could see all the way down to the Cape.
We piled back into the bus after Table Mountain and headed from Noordhoek to Hout Bay on Chapman's Peak Drive. If you have ever been to the Amalfi Coast, it is a very similar feeling. The views are spectacular and the turns are sharp. Our destination was Boulder Beach in Simon's Town - home of the Jackass penguin (African Penguin).
There are a few colonies of penguins in Africa, but this is one of the largest. They are called the Jackass penguin because they sound like donkeys. The penguins line the beach sunning themselves, feeding their babies, and waddling around looking absolutely ridiculous/cute. Simon's Town is on the East Coast of South Africa where the water is much warmer. It is whale season right now and the conditions were right to spot a few, but unfortunately we never managed to spot any of them. Our group was on a tight schedule because we were heading back to Joburg for our flight home, so we didn't stay long. Karen lectured us most of the way to Cape of Good Hope about the animals we should see including ostriches, baboons and a variety of antelope. Sure enough, as we were driving in, we crossed paths with a very weird ostrich who was walking alongside the cars leaving the park. We also passed a few Buntebock (antelopes) and then finally hit our dead end at the Cape of Good Hope. Cape of Good Hope is 60 km south of Cape Town and lies within Cape Point, a part of Table mountain national park. It is the southwestern most tip of Africa. There is 1 sign on the beach which creates a bit of a challenge when everyone wants their picture taken there. We may or may not have pushed in front of some nuns to get our picture taken. I think they forgave us...
Cape Point overlooks Cape of Good Hope and has absolutely exquisite views. It also has baboons. Now remember that I told you Karen warned us about the baboons? Apparently, they like to break into tourists cars and eat their lunches. Sure enough as we pulled into the parking lot there was a baboon sitting in the middle of the road eating someone's McDonald's. A ranger was close behind him slingshot in hand about ready to take aim. We didn't stick around to see the outcome. Cape Point like Table Mountain is breathtaking in its views in every direction. It is said to be the point of a million views.
Although we weren't in Cape Town for a long time, we were sure there for a good time. I'm looking forward to my 3rd trip back to Cape Town sometime in the future. It is a definite MUST for any active travelers.
Something new every day...
No comments:
Post a Comment