Well, after three weeks, it's time to leave South Africa. We had a great time here and enjoyed some sunny weather as well as some cloudy and rainy days. We soaked in a lot of the beautiful coastline and visited several small towns in and around the Cape. We especially enjoyed the drive to Hermanus which is popular for whale watching. We also took a nice tour through the wine region towards Stellenbosch and sampled some good wines.
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| Entertainment in the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront area |
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| View of Table Mountain from downtown Cape Town on a clear afternoon |
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| Shout out to Canada! (Hey, Helen your not THAT far!) |
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| If I have to hear Jamie whine about how he wishes he was on a motorcycle one more time.... |
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| Town of Hermanus - view where we picnicked |
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| Sampling beef biltong (South African beef jerky) at Mooiberge Farm |
We also stopped in Boulders and Betty's Bay where we were able to watch the waddling penguins...
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| Surfing and Sunning |
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Hey! What are we looking at Mr. Penguin?
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Want to see the penguins waddle around in their tuxedos? Check this video out....
One of the things we weren't able to do despite several attempts (and two sets of purchased tickets that needed to be refunded) was the tour to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for twenty years. The weather just didn't want to cooperate. Even when there were sunny skies, the seas were just too rough and our tours got cancelled. Guess we'll have to leave it for the next time.
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| This is as close as we got to |Robben Island |
We were invited to an incredible meal of snoek (fish) with all the trimmings at Pieter's sister's home last night. It was an absolute treat. We sat out on our hosts balcony till after dark taking in the sunset view of Gordon's Bay and the Cape while sipping great wine and enjoying great conversation. They entertained us with their stories of travel in Africa and beyond. Yes, they've even visited Toronto, (of course), Iroqouis and Upper Canada Village.... and loved it!
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| Our gracious hosts grilling the snoek for dinner |
After three weeks in South Africa, we're packing our bags getting ready to move on. We've found it to be a very beautiful country. Travelling here feels incomplete without mentioning something about the vibe in this country after years of seeing it in the news. After speaking to some locals, following the news, listening to the radio, reading the papers and experiencing a little bit of day to day life (albeit for a Very short period) the only thing we've learned for sure is that South Africa continues to deal with many deeply controversial and complicated issues surrounding political corruption, crime and health issues, not unlike many other countries.
We were very lucky to have had Pieter's input and his family's support while wandering about. We can't thank them enough as they really added to our experience here and they were always ready to answer any of our questions. (not to mention, cooking us an incredible meal) Unfortunately, we weren't able to meet Pieter's parents, however we owe them many thanks for the use of their home.
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