A Perfect Week with Old Friends and New, to End a Great Time in South Africa

---

All things have to come to an end or do they?

I would first like to say and big hello and thank you to everyone I met at Campfire Safari.

Mel, Chris & Andrea, T, Nicola, Ben, Stuart, the two Lena's, Richard, Suzanne, Sophie, Barnie, James 1, James 2, James 3, Rob, Sarah, Nanna, Morven, Marisha, Marsha, Lauren, Jenny, Laura P, Laura, Sara, Jojo, Kat, Jay, Elliott, Chris & Neil, Ray & Sue, Ryan & Andrea, Hattie, Alison, Nick, David and Cathy and a very special thank you to Laetitia, Adele, Bee, Brass and Suegnette.

Also to all the special friends I made in Hoedspriut itself, what a great place you have and see you all again soon. Jason, Tom, Sam, Vinnie, Tehri, Glen & Traci

And a big sorry if i have forgotten to mention anyone!!!!!!

Now onwards and upwards to Pringle Bay, Cape Town

So it was now time to leave Campfire and make the journey I was both not wanting to come and was looking forward to making. So as some of you know me was a bit of an emotional departure and a emotional arrival to Cape town Airport. both Dawn & Anneke were there to met me after over 16 months apart.

The Journey from the airport was just over an hours from Cape town itself to a beautiful seaside town of Pringle Bay. We arrived at home at about 7pm to a perfect new home. So sum up Prinlge Bay would be one word "Perfect" colourful homes in an amazing setting with white sandy beaches with the mountains and even Whales in the clear blue sea. Since arriving back in south Africa both Anneke and Dawn have set up a business renting out holiday homes named www.baytown.co.za please have a look at some amazing home that can be rented in an amazing location just an hour away from Cape Town itself.

I only had 4 days in Pringle Bay so the girls made sure it was both fun packed and at my leisure too. Dawn took me on a day trip to Cape Town seeing Table Mountain, Robben Island and all the great towns within this beautiful City. They also both took me around Pringle Bay to Betty's Bay to see the African Penguin's. I was even given the privileged to visit "Moon lite Bay" were only some of the locals know were it is. If you book a weekend with Baytown I may get Dawn and Anneke to show this fantastic beach.

A bit about Table Top Mountain

Table Mountain is Cape Town's most famous landmark and one of the city's greatest attractions. There are more than 100 scenic ways to climb the mountain, which stands at 1086 metres above sea level, but most people take the revolving cable car, which whisks you to the top in a just a few minutes.

The views in all directions are magnificent and the feeling of being on top of the world is what makes this such a popular destination. It's best to visit on a clear day, though a tablecloth of clouds can descend at any time, flowing over the edge like a breaking wave.

A bit about Robben Island

For nearly 400 years, Robben Island, 12 kilometres from Cape Town, was a place of banishment, exile, isolation and imprisonment. It was here that rulers sent those they regarded as political troublemakers, social outcasts and the unwanted of society.

During the apartheid years Robben Island became internationally known for its institutional brutality. The duty of those who ran the Island and its prison was to isolate opponents of apartheid and to crush their morale. Some freedom fighters spent more than a quarter of a century in prison for their beliefs.

Those imprisoned on the Island succeeded on a psychological and political level in turning a prison 'hell-hole' into a symbol of freedom and personal liberation. Robben Island came to symbolise, not only for South Africa and the African continent, but also for the entire world, the triumph of the human spirit over enormous hardship and adversity

In 1961, South Africa's most notorious prison was established on Robben Island. Political prisoners of the anti-apartheid movement were kept here together with hardened criminals. The most prominent inmate was Nelson Mandela, who later became the first President of the new democratic South Africa. Here Mandela spent 27 years of his life in a tiny cell of 5 square metres.

The living conditions were, particularly in the early years, extremely bad. Prisoners had to labour in the quarry, were not dressed sufficiently and had to sleep on a thin strawmatt on the stonefloor. Through strikes and endless protests, in 1971 the prisoners achieved the implementation of more humane conditions and were also allowed to study. Mandela himself describes his 27 years on Robben Island very impressively in his autobiography "Long Walk to Freedom".

Robben Island is nowadays a national memorial and a museum. The fast catamaran ferries leave every day hourly from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the Waterfront's Clock Tower. The boat trip takes about 30 minutes and the guided tour of the island about two hours. A former inmate acts as tour guide around the prison and will show one Mandela's cell. There is a bus one can take to the lime quarry, where the prisoners had to labour in the blinding sun without protection.

My Last Night in South Africa

On my last night we were invite to friends that house was rights on the beach with some amazing views of the bay and its perfect sunset. Even a Whale made an appearance into the bay for my last night. So after a great meal it was to time to go home and get packed for my journey onwards in the morning to India.

Please look up these two websites to see what I have been able to see whilst in an amazing and truly wonderful place. Which I will be back to visit very soon (You know when that is!!!!)

www.campfire-safaris.com
www.baytown.co.za


So for the last time another Shite Day in South Africa and this time I mean it cos I have to leave.

---

Comments

[angela king]

I just love the penguins ,so thank you for those photographs,hope you are well keep on enjoying yourself.xx

[Richard van Wijngaarden]

Hey Geoff, It was a pleasure to meet you at campfire! It was the best time ever! I hope you will have a good trip. I ll follow your blog! We'll keep in contact! Richard