A South African Farewell

 With the trip largely behind us and bottles of wine in the suitcase, we checked into a beachside hotel for one final Cape Town night before our morning flight the next day. The view was spectacular and we got one final Table Mountain sunset. 

It left me at a bit of a loss. We planned this trip for a long time and went from wild animals to cityscapes to wine quite easily. We were greeted with so much natural beauty, so much kindness. And yet. I've never felt so on the outside, so worn down by history, and that's me walking in for two weeks and walking away. 

Injustice, anger, oppression: I can only begin to understand the rage. And I'm certain this trip will never leave me. 

Cape Coast Roading Tripping: The Edge of the World

For our final day before heading into Cape Town proper for our flight home, we continued along the coast around False Bay and then all the way down (up?) and around to the Cape of Good Hope. Each stop offered a little nugget of wonderful that still felt miles away from the big city off in the distance. 

Every good road trip starts with a sign like this: 

But as you may be aware, I've had my fair share of run ins with primates the world over (hello Thailand and China) and these are directions I know better than to not heed.

We didn't go looking for it but halfway to our final destination, we came across the surfing town of Muizenberg, the spiritual home to South African surfing. The villages of Fish Hoek and Simon's Town shortly followed and with the spate of good weather, locals took to the beaches making parking impossible to find. Luckily we scored a brief glimpse of these iconic huts before we continued on our journey:

But our true destination was to the geographical wonder that is the Cape of Good Hope. Common misconception puts this as the southernmost tip of the African continent, which it is not. For argument sake however, it is a good point for a sailor to hang her hat on. And so we, along with the other tour buses, coaches and cars, made our way to the sign indicating this Area of Significance. 

We were met with more helpful signage: 

And I must have snapped the picture at precisely the right moment because I swear we were definitely not the only people here. (And note that even the sign's got their facts wrong.)

After driving down the meandering roads to this point, we then trudged back up to the Cape Point National Park Visitors' Centre where we were met with more signage, impressive views and, importantly for you small bladdered folks like me, a toilet. 

I must say, SA's sign game is strong. Who needs a guardrail when a skull and crossbones will do? 

The park itself is rather impressive, although the views continue to steal the show. But a visit around could take you a couple of hours or all day depending on how much walking you want to do. 

I was grateful to be traveling with friends with a similar agenda--it doesn't always work out this way. And despite its initial city bumps, we had a wonderful time exploring the outdoor paradise the Cape had to offer. Having a car made it all the more accessible. I imagine that day trips from Cape Town on a coach would bring you to any of these places. But to take time, pause and and enjoy the world around us made this trip incredibly special.

Cape Coast Road Tripping: Betty's Bay to Gordon's Bay

From Hermanus, we set off towards Pringle Bay, home to colleagues Michael and Jane, and Betty's Bay, home to a fabulous colony of tiny penguins.

The route to both destinations took us down a well-worn path colloquially known as the Garden Route. This 300km road trip through one of South Africa's best national parks meanders between ocean and mountain and was something we didn't have time to do in its entirety. But the Hermanus to Cape Coast leg was very, very beautiful and we stopped the car often to take it all in. 

Our first stop before lunch at Michael's was to Betty's Bay Marine Protected Area. Signage indicates that you're there before you're even close to any penguins. 

(Side note for apology: I spent over an hour trying to get these photos to line up and Blogger has decided they SHALL NOT. I am not okay with this but I am sick of fighting with IT.) 

                           

              

Consider yourself warned. It costs roughly $1.50 to take boardwalks through the conversation area and it's $1.50 well spent. Because we were there out of season, we had the area largely to ourselves.

These tiny little penguins are the world's smallest weighing, at most, 7 lbs. For their size, they create an awful lot of poo and an awful lot of noise. They've even earned themselves the nickname of the jackass penguin for the distinctly donkey-like braying they make.

This guy is clearly in charge: 

Dotted along the rocks, penguins and chicks chilled in the South African winter sun. 

The ocean loomed in the distance.

And the mountains behind that.

Horrible place to spend an hour or two. But leave we did and made our way to Pringle Bay for lunch with wine and friends. Jane kicked us out before sunset because she said we NEEDED to have sun for the ride home. She wasn't wrong. 

You know those moments where your heart hurts a little bit because you're that happy? There needs to be a word for that feeling. And then we arrived in Gordon's Bay, our home away from home for the evening. This little enclave is home to a naval college, a smattering of shops and a beach. 

We ate dinner and ended the day on another beautiful sunset looking towards Cape Town. 

I'd expect nothing less. 

Hermanus

After a two-day wine tasting hangover, we took to the open road and headed towards the ocean once again. Because South Africa is blessed with so much beautiful nature, our next stops involved whales, penguins and some impromptu baboons. 

We arrived 1 hr and 15 minutes later into the town of Hermanus, known for its epic whale watching cruises. The views from our B&B, a 15-minute drive from the town proper, did not disappoint. 

A short stumble out the front door, we were met with nature, nature and more nature. 

The next morning, we made for our early tour with the remarkable Hermanus Whale Watchers. This family-run business has more heart than you could ask for. In a quick turnaround they fitted us with lifejackets, loaded us onto the boat and sought the best viewpoint for the day's whales. The excitement when they did find one was palpable--they may have been more excited than us and we were pretty damn excited. Well, except for Susan, who spent much of the boat ride looking green around the edges. Note for everyone: dramamine is your friend. 

Over our 90-minute ride we saw all kinds of waterfowl and sea life. It started small with dolphins and some ocean-going birds but our patience was rewarded with the sighting of both Southern Right Whales and the mighty Humpback. They moved and surfaced right in front of us, whilst our tour guide maintained a respectful distance. July and August also happen to be the heart of calving season and so not only did we get to see whales but we also got to see baby whales with their mamas, swimming side-by-side, navigating the waters of this calm but appropriately deep bay. Epic. 

Gemma took a few pictures with her fancy camera but my phone was not up for the job. But the memories live on and all I can say is that if you're considering a trip to South Africa and happen to be anywhere near Hermanus, jump on the opportunity. 

In total, we spent two nights in Hermanus and took to reading, ambling and relaxing during the day. Though we'd left Cape Town the incident was still very much on our minds and the seeds of unrest were clear here too. Workers in the local township had gone on strike which left many of the town's restaurants, hotels and B&Bs understaffed. There was clear tension from the management in many of the establishments we walked into. 

So nature seemed a good tonic. 

And South Africa has that every which way you look. 

The Franschoek Wine Tram

With a day of wine tasting in Stellenbosch already under our belts (and headaches), we woke up for a fresh day of wine in Franschoek, the adjoining valley a 35-minute drive away. Expectations were high; we weren't sure how we were going to top the previous day's experience but we'd booked ourselves tickets on the Wine Tram and so hopes were high. The drive in did not disappoint; the valley was flanked with looming mountains and the grapes of 40 wine estates blanketed the ground beneath. 

The Franschoek Wine Tram operates a hop-on hop-off service with eight separate lines that stop at eight different wineries in any one day. In South African winter (Northern Hemisphere summer), operational lines are halved. The tram portion of the adventure only takes you to some of the wineries; for the rest, a mini-bus picks up merry tipplers at appointed times to shuttle them through the valley. All journeys start and end in Franschoek town centre which also happens to be within a stone's throw of a slew of local accommodation, cafes and bougie boutiques including this gem:

After procuring our tickets and wristbands, we hopped on the Pink Line and roughly planned our itinerary whilst our faculties were intact. After the first glass at Rickety Bridge, we realised that more than three wineries would be unwise. And so using our careful powers of deduction, and steering clear of Richard Branson's local winery, we opted for two more stops, one at Leopard's Leap and a final stop at Le Lude. In the end, we picked well. 

Rickety Bridge 

I like to pretend that I know a thing or two about wine but the reality could not be further from the truth. But at Rickety Bridge, our first wine tasting vaguely smoky and it transpires that fires in Franschoek two summers before affected the soil and therefore taste of the wine. Go my palate! We drank our tasting portions and took in the view in the sunshine before making our way onto the tram. Although the wine wasn't our favourite, the valley vantage point was a little bit magical.

Next stop: Leopard's Leap

This winery touts itself as a bit of art winery, whatever that means. The mood felt distinctly more upmarket-cum-pretentious and the courtyard was dotted with sculptures that I'm sure somebody appreciated for their craftsmanship. The wine was already starting to affect us at this point.

We didn't think much of the bestselling wine at Leopard's Leap and everyone seemed to be having less fun than us. So we made this stop a quick one and hopped on to our next stop.

Le Lude

Originally, we were going to do another stop after this one, but we fell in love with their sparkling wine and, after our tasting, ending up ordering a bottle, followed by lunch, followed by dessert. The garden locale didn't hurt either. 

Our waitress/wine taste master was very knowledgeable and gave us ins and outs of the MCC, Methode Cap Classique process. Their wine is the closest thing you get to champagne in South Africa and at significantly smaller prices (even better with the favourable exchange rate) it's delicious. We each bought two bottles and also bought my friends, Michael and Jane, a bottle to take to lunch at their house later in the week. I find it incredibly sad that I have no pictures of the wine. But the restaurant was as beautiful as the winery itself and this fish in a cream wine sauce was just as delightful. 

And so drunk, heavier and happier, we boarded the wine tram one final time, making our way back into Franschoek and pottering around in the shops before making our way to our beautiful, beautiful B&B. 

South Africa is a country of juxtaposition and, for this day, we go to appreciate the more beautiful aspects of what it had to offer. And although we didn't like the wine of Franschoek as much as the wine of Stellenbosch, upon reflection, this place still has plenty of charm.