Cape Town excursion

Since we arrived in South Africa, nearly every person we meet has said, "Are you going to visit Cape Town?" After awhile we got the hint that this might be a nice thing to do, so we sat down with our calendar a couple of weeks ago, and realized that the only time it could happen would be the final week of Feb. So we booked flights, car, and a flat to stay in, and we went for 5 nights.

The weather is billed to be cooler than Durban, and maybe it was, but it was still hot. And unfortunately there were a number of wildfires going, which produced haze everywhere. One of the big attractions is the fabulous scenery. And it really was quite remarkable, but on one day in particular it was simply invisible. (But we did get some good views, such as the top picture.) And then, first night there, Jane jammed a toe. But in spite of all this, we had a very nice time and truly enjoyed the area.

We stayed to the east of Cape Town proper, in a town called Stellenbosch, in the heart of the Cape Winelands. If you've ever been to Napa Valley, you get the picture. There are literally hundreds of wineries, including one owned by a brother in the Cape Winelands ecclesia. We went to meeting there on Sunday (and Paul gave a talk), and then on Monday we visited the Bilton Wines winery. Very nice, and they produce outstanding wines.

On Sunday afternoon and again on Tuesday we went into Cape Town, and on Tuesday we took the cable tramway to the top of Table Mountain. The 3,500 foot ascent is covered in just a couple of minutes--the cable cars really move! There is a very noticeable temperature difference between the bottom and the top--that will give you an indication of the height. Do a Google search for Table Mountain for some pictures--ours didn't do it justice.

We also spent some time in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, a really beautiful spot on the slopes of the mountain, dedicated to preserving the native Cape flora. Also worth a Google search.

Wednesday was devoted to the Cape Peninsula itself, which runs down to Cape Point, with a spur off to the side called the Cape of Good Hope. This is where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet.

Half way down the peninsula, there's a place called Boulders Beach, which features a large colony of African Penguins! Never thought we'd swim with penguins, but we did! They didn't seem to mind the people much. In fact, they were right in the parking lot, as the picture of the sign suggests.




Right after leaving the beach, we had a close encounter with a family of baboons along the side of the road. Stopped to look, of course. Seconds after the picture of the big male was taken, his hands and nose were pressed to the glass of Jane's door!

We spent the later part of the day actually at Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. You can actually see the difference between the two oceans--the Atlantic is definitely rougher. The bottom picture is taken at Cape of Good Hope with Cape Point in the background. Off to the right, the next land you'll encounter is Antarctica. Yep, ever so often we realize we're quite a way from home!