Around the Cape

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After breakfast, we set out with Ben to drive the Cape Peninsula. We first drove along the Chapman Peak Road which winds along the mountains edge and was subject to rock slides and wash out, so with much engineering the road is usually in passable conditions. The weather was sunny, but the wind was howling making taking photos a challenge. We drove by coastal towns and bays along the way. Hout Bay gave us sights of the harbor the mountains of the Table Mountain Range. Finally reaching Chapman's Peak the views were nice giving us a look south toward Cape Point and the Kommetjie Lighthouse. With the strong wind we passed many wind surfers along the way taking advantage of the conditions.

We stopped at a "shop" along the way where many beautiful works of art carved from stone by Zimbabweans were for sale. They bring their carvings south where the market is better for selling. I saw some beautiful sculptures I would have loved to buy, but shipping stone is expensive and they would not fit in my luggage so I settled for a small giraffe pair.

We continued our way south to the lighthouse at Cape Point. The tram to the base of the steps to the lighthouse was not operating because of the electrical blackouts. Every day every one is subject to a two hour electrical blackout because of problems with their electric grid. While the tram was down, we grabbed a snack at the restaurant, sharing with a Red-winged Starling who had no fear.

Once up to the steps, we decided we could view the lighthouse from afar and did not climb up. Cape Cormorants nest in the rock walls and fish the waters. After returning down the mountain we drove to the Cape of Good Hope the most south-western point on the African continent.

It was now time to travel up the other side of the peninsula along False Bay. Our goal on the eastern side was The Boulders, which is home to a colony of African Penguins. The wind blew the sand from the beach making photography of the penguins difficult, but the wind also kept them hunkered down so there were a lot of penguins resting on the beach.

In Simon's Town, home of a South African naval base, we stopped at the statue of Just Nuisance, a Great Dane, that was the only dog ever to be enlisted in the Royal Navy.

Then it was back to Cape Town for dinner and tomorrow we will be traveling to the Stellenbosch area of Cape Town after a ride up to the top of Table Mountain.

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Photos

Stone Carving
Too bad I could not bring this home.