Feb 8-07: Of Beaches & Baboons

Photos: Cape of Good Hope; penguins at the colony at Boulders Beach; baboons near Sweetwater; ?? Bay near Cape; Noordhoek Bay

Well, today we rented a car and decided to drive the Cape Peninsula area, which is essentially an easy day trip. We started going around the western side, through the lovely “suburb” communities of Cape Town (Green Point, Sea Point etc.). Steve came with us for a bit of a drive as far as Hout Bay, as he had to be back at the convention centre forma 12:30 pick-up for him to go on a mine site visit in Botswana. So he is off doing that now until we meet up with him again on Saturday morning (two days from now). Hout Bay was a first glimpse of this incredible Cape coastline with a bright white sand beach that seems to go on forever. After we dropped Steve off, we were able to continue our travels down along the coastline. We soon learned that Hout Bay was just an appetizer to what was yet to come.

The road hugs the coastline around the “12 Apostles” (mountains) are they are called, up through an area know as Chesterman’s Pass. The views were not short of STUNNING, as you can see, I went nuts with the photos today. We stopped in a place called Sweetwater, where dozens of windsurfers congregate. The beach and the sand dunes go one for miles, and the ocean was an azure blue and turquoise colour that was astounding. I decided it was time I dipped my toe in the African ocean, and so took a wade in…since this area was still on the Atlantic Ocean side, it was VERY COLD!!! As we were leaving the area, we passed a clearing where baboons gather (live?), and of course stopped and took some photos. They were incredible…didn’t get too close – there are signs all up and down the coast warning you about them, not to feed them, or get to close, as they can hurt you. They are endangered here and are known as Chasma Baboons.

Our eventual destination was Cape of Good Hope National Park at the southern tip of the peninsula. I could not believe that after the drive we had, that I could experience anything more beautiful, but I was wrong. It was the first time in my life that I walked up to a final look out, and uttered the word “wow” out loud…I was blown away but the site.

On the way back we stopped at Boulders Beach to look at the Penguin Colony there, little indigenous guys known as Jackass Penguins. Found a few at home and they were kind enough to let me take their photo. Oh, and they were also kind enough to pose in front of this incredible rainbow, as well, which I thought was particularly kind of them. Such nice creatures, those jackasses…

I think I have to say that so far, South Africa must be one of the most incredibly beautiful countries I have ever seen. And today just confirmed that, in spades! My only regret is that Steve was not here to share it with me/us. But we have a lot of days ahead of us yet, and things to see together…I simply can’t wait for the next week…