Month: May 2019

Today we could see a submarine during breakfast! After checking out, we first went to Cape Town to exchange the car for another one. Then we drove to Stellenbosch, where we stayed at a small wine estate (Lovane Wine Estate). We were given a bottle of red wine as a welcome and in the in-house wine cellar there was a tasting of 5 different wines. Rosé to port wine – but only a sip each! (-;

Very interesting how the wines are stored in barrels and made from what grapes/vines. We really liked the Isikhati (Zulu = Time), however Sauvignon Blanc remains our favorite wine for now.

Cheers! Silke

At breakfast we spotted a whale in the ocean! The weather was stormy and rainy this morning, but then cleared up, so we went for a hike to Thomas T. Tucker. First you have to go back to the national park. The wreck is located on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula. The start is at the Olifantbos Beach parking lot. We chose the middle trail out of three suggestions, which leads about 5 km through the country and along the coast. The drive there developed into a game drive. Already at the road we saw many Baboons running through the bushes. Signs are posted everywhere warning that these monkeys are wild animals and dangerous, and must not be fed under any circumstances.

There was a dead antelope in the brush next to the trail. The shipwreck itself lies spread out on the beach like a skeleton. The Thomas T. Tucker ran aground here in 1942 during its maiden voyage in the fog. There are also other shipwrecks to discover on this trail at the stand.

Beautiful plants, flowers and heather grow in the dunes. A leopard tortoise walked along the roadside. Bird ostriches , a zebra and many live antelope we also saw. We also spotted water birds like cormorants, oystercatchers and seagulls. On a rock near SimonsTown sea lions were sunbathing. Back in our apartment today we had baked camembert and bean stew.

Silke

Today we explored the Cape Peninsula and let the wind blow around our noses. We drove to the Cape of good Hope and did two small trails to the lighthouse and the Cape of good Hope.

Huge rocks that rise to the 200 m from the sea. The paths are very well made and easy to walk. From the parking lot there is even a cable car up to the lighthouse (Who wants – extra ticket). Many nationalities cavort here and enjoy the great view. A sign shows 9635 km to Amsterdam. We had quite nice weather at 16 degrees, fresh wind and good visibility. Unfortunately there were no whales or dolphins in the water. The water itself is crystal clear and has a wonderful turquoise blue on the coast. Dias Beach is fantastically located between Cape Point and the Cape of good Hope. You can climb down a staircase. We hiked about 4 hours from viewpoint to viewpoint. We talked with two nice women from Kiel at the lighthouse for a while. Esther lives and works for 3 years in South Africa.

Back at the apartment, we had pasta again. After that we checked our photo backup. All photos from the phone are in a cloud/or uploaded to Amazon Photos. This is very reassuring in case we ever lose the phone, or it breaks. By the way, the entrance fee to the park is R303 pP (without South African Wild Card). Opening hours Apr – Sep 7:00 – 17:00.

Silke

Reiner got up early and saw two whales in the bay not far from shore. I slept a little longer. Then we had a leisurely breakfast. Back on the Garden Route we drove past vineyards, mostly along the coast. Our destination today was Simon ‘s Town, where we stayed in “Romans Rock” apartment. About 1 km away is a large colony of African Penguins (Jackass Penguins), which we visited in the afternoon. The animals settled here in the 80s and one pair has become several thousand.

The beach section is protected via SanParks and is only open during the day. Entrance costs R 152 (approx. 10 EUR) or incl. withSouth Africa Wild Card. The colony can be observed from a wooden jetty. Some penguins prefer the bushes on the slope. (There we also discovered Dassies and Weasels). The African penguins are here all year round.

The cute bipeds are about 40 cm tall and estimated to weigh 3-4 kg. They talk loudly and waddle across the beach into and out of the water. They also stay with their offspring during the day to feed. Some young are fatter than their parents. Some nesting sites still have eggs in them, while in others some of the fledglings’ fluffy feathers had already transitioned to their shiny “tails.”

In the evening we cooked noodles in cheese sauce, played a round of Carcassonne and watched the Eurovision Song Contest over the internet.

Silke

We continued along the Garden Route towards Hermanus, a small coastal town. On the way in Heidelberg we had a cappuccino in a nice café/pizzeria. Passed many cattle farms and partly dust-dry meadows and fields.

In Hermanus we slept in the “24 on High”, a cute apartment in the city. We took a sunset stroll along the promenade. Many dassies were scurrying in the rocks. Cormorants were enjoying the last rays of sun on the cliffs. Two humpback whales swam a little farther out in the bay. Several sculptures lined the roadside.

For dinner today we had simply “cold cuisine”, cheese, grapes and fresh bread from Heidelberg.

Silke

I had another look at the parrots this morning, some of which are unfortunately plucking their feathers badly. However, all the animals are lovingly cared for and some parrots can even talk.

Cat Tini got some more petting and then we went on to Mosselbay. We are staying in a cute apartment (La Vue) with a sea view today.

We went shopping and to the beach for a bit. In our small kitchen today we baked spinach with feta cheese and mini pizzas. Eaten during the sunset on the balcony. Afterwards we planned and booked a little bit.

Silke

At 10:00 am we drove further along the Garden Route towards Mossels Bay, where we stayed today at the Phantom Croft in a nice Guest Lodge. The owner Candice was born in Cape Town and has been living here in the country for 12 years now. She runs a parrot sanctuary next to the apartments. Many animals are fostered here. Cute cats also have a home here such as Tini, an 18 year old male.

He is very cuddly! In the evening we prepared a potato casserole.

Silke

We booked a guided tour with a local guide through the township of Knysna via Peggy`s Art + Tours. Poloko / PK , a young man, guided us through the “other” Africa. Approx 47,000 of Knysna`s 68,000 inhabitants live here in mostly poor conditions.

One township section is inhabited by black Africans and one by colored Africans (Colored People). Unemployment is extremely high and alcohol consumption is a major problem. Government housing projects (Mandela House) offer houses for South Africans, but these are subject to conditions (e.g. income limits). Sometimes there are long waiting lists. As far as we understand, people only have to pay for electricity. Many people in the township live in self-built huts made of wood and corrugated iron, which are miniature and offer little privacy. Only the toilet is partitioned off. “Showers” are taken one after the other in the washing tub.

A fire destroyed many of these shelters in 2017. The township has schools, a hospital, a fire department, … it’s almost a city within a city. There are also police officers living there. However, according to the PK, a separate guard is not necessary, since disagreements are settled among themselves and there are something like local community spokesmen who keep order in the neighborhoods. Fences are only used by those who are richer and where property must be protected. In the small corner shops, if necessary, a tomato can be bought individually and written to at the end of the month.

We bought a big box of cookies and then went to a preschool for young children sponsored by Peggy, an artist and store owner who sadly recently passed away. The children are currently being cared for in a church hall because the container, which was already finished, could not yet be placed in its intended location. 33 children can learn, eat and play there. Peggy had always sponsored 50% of her income for this project, hopefully a solution can be found for the future. PK told us that most of the parents of these children are still children themselves and while the little ones are being cared for, they go to school themselves.

Life in the township is mostly hard or poor, but people make the best of it and many live here consciously because they have their roots here and to be useful to the community. After the tour we went back to “white” Africa , to Thesens Island and had lunch in a restaurant overlooking the lagoon. Afterwards we visited Buffalo Bay Beach, a wide sandy beach with an imposing rock in the water. On the way back we noticed a turtle on the shoulder. A local resident said she knew the animal and carried it to an adjacent garden. In the evening we had barbecue again, because it tasted so good yesterday.

Silke