Cape of Good Hope

GORGEOUS morning – pretty enough for an early walk on the wharf before leaving for our drive south down the Cape Peninsula to the Cape of Good Hope.

The Cape drive is classified as the most beautiful drive in South Africa, and rightly deserved. I've driven many ocean roads and few come close to this one. During our drive down the coast, around the cape and back up False Bay to Capetown, we drove along scenic cliffside roads, quaint fishing villages and around beautiful bays nestled between mountain valleys. It didn't hurt the scenery one bit that it was such a beautiful day!

Although not totally surprised by the breathtaking vistas, I had not expected to alreadybegin seeing wild animals. First sighting was African Elands (related to our antelope), next came big black ostrich with long white necks and then our biggest surprise – a family of baboons! They were doing a bit of nibbling on native bushes, scratching when the urge struck them and even letting out big yawns. Grandpa was especially fond of this activity. Maybe the young 'uns had kept him up last night!

Soon we reached the much-anticipated Cape of Good Hope where this photo was taken. Such a beautiful setting today with the sun out and not a cloud in sight made it was hard to visualize the danger these rocks held for many ships whose misfortune led them there in one of the frequent storms. A lighthouse marking the Cape was a good hike up from the parking lot, but, considering all the calories I have been consuming, the climb felt great. The view from the top was truly breathtaking as this was the most southwesterly point in Africa and a site often referred to in history!

Not to get behind on caloric intake, we stopped at a lovely little seaside village, Simon's Town, for a great lunch. I chose Kingclip, a local seafood that was one of the best fish I have ever eaten. It's truly a small world—as I walked into the restaurant, I ran into a girl who had been on a South Australia Virtuoso fam last June. Like me, she felt Africa would be a natural destination for clients who have been to Australia and vice versa.

Rounding out a perfect day was a walk down to the beach in this town to see African penguins, known as the Jackass penguins beause of the 'melodic' sound they make. They loved having their picture taken while enjoying the beautiful sunshine, and we were happy to oblige

Wish I had time or space to tell you more about Capetown and the Cape, but I have to be at another dinner shortly. Very early tomorrow morning we fly north to the African Bush. I hope to be able to describe our wonderful experiences at Singita and Sabi Sabi but not sure about internet access. We'll see what tomorrow holds.

From this beautiful country,

Linda