Men are from Mars. Women are from Shoperania. That's the shopping planet. Stacey and Lori were on a mission. They were intent on buying various tsotchkes that could serve as gifts for the entire world (it seemed) or at least for a list of dozens of friends and family. The list was carried around, much like a religious person might carry a bible, as we made our daily sojourns. It was consulted, checked off when the appropriate item was found, and then ... onwards, looking for the next.
Stacey, dickering with vendors at a crafts market in Cape Town.(Hint: click any picture for an enlarged view of it)
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Today was Saturday, February 10th and our trip was drawing close to an end. We would return to New York on Wednesday, reaching there Thursday. Regardless, we still had plenty of things to do and see. Today we were headed down the cape to its tip: Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope.
Heading out of Cape Town takes you around Table Mountain. As you reach the other side, you are greeted by a fabulous panorama of the coast line with the pretty little village of Camps Bay far below. Beautiful beaches, roaring surf, kids playing on the lawns descending to the water, gorgeous beach homes perched up above ... this is a lovely beach town that Cape Towners visit during the summer months. The main street is lined with cafes and shops and across the road is the beach and the ocean. Quite nice.
Mountains above, boulders, surf and kids below, houses perched to take it all in: Camps Bay.
Kids frolic on the lawn leading down to the beach at Camps Bay.
Cafes crowd the sidewalks on the main street of Camps Bay. A nice place to sit and watch.
We drove further south and South Africa's scenery did its magical thing once again. The road wound back and forth along the coast, rising and falling with the towering cliffs and mountains that made the Cape the famous landmark that it is: to sailors in the past, to tourists now. Pulling over to a drive-in along the road, a sign warned us to take precautions dealing with baboons who inhabit the wild lands in this part of the cape. They are aggressive and will steal food and whatever is left lying around, outside or inside your car if its not protected. As we drove, we came across an band of these creatures making their way along the road. We slowed down to watch them. But they were oblivious to our presence. They obviously had other goals in mind.
We stop to get a view of the fabulous cape landscape which is dotted with numerous inlets and bays.
A sign informs us descendents about baboons and to take care in dealing with them. The red "X's" represent their former habitat. Their diminished population on the Cape, like African animals throughout the continent, is due to incursions by humans.
A baboon eating in the road, oblivious to passing cars. (Photo by Stacey P. Weinstein)
After a while, we arrived at Boulders Beach, home of the South African penguin. The area is protected by the national government. We found the tourist attractions run by the government pristine: well-designed, clean and well-maintained. Compared to many we've seen in other countries, South African attractions rate very high.
These two fellows are local fisherman but they stopped to read the park's sign explaining the beach and the penguins.
At first glance, I thought I was looking at a statue, so still were the penguins standing, not budging a millimeter, as they sunned themselves. The park had built a boardwalk and viewing platform so people could watch these adorable creatures without intruding, too much, on their habitat. Some penguins were sitting on eggs, others on their newly-born chicks. Still others attended to their mates or friends, by gently grooming them with their beaks. Then, of course, they waddled around in their comical fashion (funny to us, I guess, but perhaps not to them). We fell, head over flipper, in love with these delightful critters.
Play Stacey's video of waddling penguin. Click the arrow above. (You may have to click twice to play)
Who's watching whom? Penguins watching humans at Boulders Beach.
The penguins were spread out over the beach by the hundreds: sunning themselves, hatching eggs, guarding their newborn, or waddling off to other locations.
Portrait: Expectant momma sits on her egg.(Photo by Stacey P. Weinstein)
Mother penguin takes care of her babies.(Photo by Stacey P. Weinstein)
A closeup of a South African penguin. (Photo by Stacey P. Weinstein)
Penguins like to groom their fellow penguins. The gal in the back is keeping her baby protected by nestling with it in a shallow burrow. (Photo by Stacey P. Weinstein)
The penguins were adorable and we could have stayed and watched them all day but we had other things to see today. We got back in our car and continued down the peninsula to the Cape Of Good Hope and just beyond that, to Cape Point, the most southwesterly tip of Africa. Most people, including me, thought that the Cape of Good Hope is the southernmost tip of Africa. Not so. That distinction belongs to Cape Agulhas. But it's the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point (just a mile beyond it) that are the the well-known "tips" of the continent. Agulhas, a bit to the east down the coast, is not much to look at -- just the end of the land mass at its most southerly point. But Cape Point is stunningly dramatic with towering cliffs, jutting out into an endless Atlantic. An old lighthouse is perched precariously on the top of the promontory with winding paths to take a view from on high.You can also take the continent's only funicular (incline railway) to capture the view on high and that's what we did.
Even though Cape Agulla lays claim to the most southerly point of the continent, sailors, throughout time, have always thought of Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope as the half-way point of their arduous passage around Africa.
The entire southern tip of the peninsula area is a vast nature preserve. As we drove along we could look out over a rocky and scrubby headland with brilliant blue Atlantic in the distance and rolling hills and towering cliffs all around.
Africa's only funicular takes you to the top of the tip: Cape Point and lighthouse.
After the funicular, you can walk to the very top up a series of winding stairs, each with a viewing point, the next more fabulous than then the one before.
Looking back down from Cape Point - there's the Cape of Good Hope jutting out into the Atlantic.
Peter looks out on a vast Atlantic toward the South Pole only 4,000 miles or so out there.
Smile! And say hello to the folks back in Berlin.(the sign shows you which direction to face).
We drove back up the cape, stopping in some of the pretty cape towns with their antique shops and restaurants. But it was late and most of the shops had closed. That was OK with us -- we were tired and looking forward to a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, Lori and Peter would head out on their own, touring the wine country and other places with a guide. Stacey and I would be taking the cable car to Table Mountain for another exciting high. See you up there.
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