Melkbosstrand to The End

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We travelled on to our last site in the van via the West Coast National Park where we were hoping to see a few more animals before the end of our adventure.

There were supposed to be tortoises in the park and we hadn't seen any on this journey so far. I scoured the grass where one of the others reported having seen a tortoise but to no avail so we set off down the road further into the park. At last, we spotted one ... then another ... and another ... and another. We decided to stop counting at 20 but were well into the 30s by the time we left. We were forever stopping and helping the tortoises across the road (and 'Yes', that is what they where trying to do!). Sometimes we just blocked the road and waited for them so that cars didn't overtake and run them over. It is generally considered that tortoises are slow, which may be true in the cold, but is certainly not the case in the heat. Boy, can they move. It was great fun and we were totally 'tortoised out' by the end.

We also saw a snake, some very pretty crickets and some very ugly ones too who were eating their friends who had been run over in the road.

The next day was everyone together in a coach tour of Cape Town. Unfortunately, Table Mountain was closed due to the high winds so we were dragged round museums and churches. Still, the next day we went off in our van with Simon and Claire to Boulder Beach and the penguin colony and up to Cape Point and Cape Hope. We also saw Rock Hydrax (Dassie), more ostrich and monkeys.

We are now at the Lagoon Beach Hotel in lovely accommodation which we think is really an apartment. We have a huge balcony with a view of the beach and sea and Table Mountain. Luxury!

Soon be home but what an adventure we have had. We have decided to come back and join the Garden Route tour in a couple of years time and spend an extended time in Kruger Park at the end as we loved the animal viewing and safaris so much. That will probably be after we have been on a Caribbean cruise, visited Iceland, taken the caravan to Europe, etc, etc, etc. But please ... don't tell Mark!?*

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Comments

[Von and Geoff]

Have a safe journey home after what sounds like a fantastic trip x