Spring in South Africa- Part Three

PART THREE (FINALE): AN EXPERIENCE IN CONTRASTS

Jon: After saying goodbyes at the Orange Elephant, Amy and I headed to Nature’s Valley. It was interesting to see the landscape change and the roads improve on the way toward Cape Town. After stopping for gas and trying some beef, ostrich, and kudu biltong, similar to jerky, we ended up at Wild Spirit Backpackers Lodge. The place is located close to the ocean with mountain views from the property. There are three shorter hikes, which we quickly did before check-in time. The longest hike took us to a beautiful waterfall in the forest.

The backpacker was aptly named, as it was part hostel and part hippie commune. The meals were delicious and there was a meat option the first night. I was a little concerned about “no meat Monday”, but was pleased with the hearty meal served. I think Amy was in her happy place eating fresh greens and a coconut quiche. I don’t like coconut, much at all, but this was surprisingly good. Growth?

We decided to go on “The Big Hike” after our first night and ended up making our way around a beautiful loop that showcased the area’s mountains and seaside. It must be impressive to others as well, because Bear Grylls was actually on the Salt River Mouth beach with a sizable crew and celebrity costars filming some sort of survival show. Amy and I played an integral part after being approached by one of the crew – we hid quietly in the bushes so we couldn’t be seen as Bear and his entourage made their way down the adjacent mountain.

The next day took us to a small community named Fisherhaven, which is close to a popular whale watching town, Hermanus. Having made good time, we stopped at a nice microbrewery, before heading to town and checking out the local lagoon. If a beer flight wasn’t enough goodness for the afternoon, the flamingos lounging in the water were a fun capstone. We checked into the Fisherhaven Guest House and found that the owners, Lee and Andrew, had lived in Minneapolis, MN for a number of years before heading back to South Africa. It was fun to chat with them about politics in the US and South Africa, discuss places we all knew from Minnesota, and pet their miniature pinscher, Bat. Amy and I woke the next morning and were treated to a wonderful breakfast before heading down the coast to Hermanus to seek out the Southern Right Whale.

Hermanus is a tourist hotspot with many restaurants and souvenir shops. What was most notable, however, was the rocky coast and massive waves crashing into it. This would not be our last encounter with such a beautiful spectacle, but it was certainly awesome and very memorable. Amy and I compared the waves exploding against the rocks to fireworks – both the big sound and the spray. After walking along the shoreline with no whales in sight, we checked on a boat tour. The waves were quite large and the folks seen on boats further out were in wet suits and looked none too happy. Amy is somewhat prone to motion sickness, so we opted for a suggested spot around the bay to watch for whales from land.

We hiked along the tourist-free shoreline while trying to spot whales. We had little luck at first, but decided to continue our quest. Amy did some research to pinpoint a better lookout location on the cliffs overlooking the water and we spent some time gazing off in the distance. Before long, I noticed a distinctive change in the water color and texture. I got really excited and exclaimed something, probably indistinguishable, about seeing a whale. We were a short hike to the cove where the shape was and I began to doubt myself as we made our way closer. Luckily, the shape turned out to be a whale. As we watched the water a flipper or nose would pop out and there would be blowhole spray from time to time as well. Other whales joined and we watched them move about in the water until they decided to leave. We’d head out toward Cape Town the next day.

There are a couple hotspots known for penguins not far from Cape Town. Betty’s Bay (or Baai in Afrikaans) is one of these places and was on the way. It was a good stop allowing plenty of viewing opportunities. The penguins were fun to watch as they jumped off rocks, swam, and shook off water. Lizards, cormorants, and hyrax shared the rocks as well.

Cape Town is a beautiful city and the drive there is one of the most spectacular I’ve ever made. The ocean and mountains come together abruptly and the road winds along the mountainside with waves crashing below. It was hard to keep an eye on the road, but I managed. Eventually, the mountains give way for beaches and the city. Cape Town looks out on the ocean and is backed by the mountains, which makes it a very picturesque place. Amy booked lodging at CapeTown4U in a nearby community where we could be away from the city traffic and noise, but still get to sights easily when we wanted. We did some hop-on hop-off bus tours to get further acquainted with the city. We were only around for a few days, but would be back after heading to wine country.

Our friends Paul and Lee suggested we visit Franschoek, which has a wine tram that takes visitors to vineyards around the valley for tastings. Amy found a self-catering apartment within walking distance to the tram office which meant I was free to partake without having to drive. The valley and the entire area, like other places, was striking. Well-manicured vineyards covered the bases of the mountains. The views and wine were great. Folks were happily “social” by the end of the full-day tasting experience. It was refreshing to be along for the ride and let someone else drive. A nearby town, Paarl, provided some hikes in a nature reserve as well as tasty microbrews and food at a place called the “Spice Route” before heading back to Cape Town for our final days in South Africa.

Amy found a couple to host us for two of our last three nights. There’s always some trepidation meeting new people and then staying with them. However, Marianne and Ryno made us feel at home immediately. It didn’t hurt that their two dogs, Gemma and Riley, gave us fantastic greetings at the door. Some wine, fun conversations, and great food made for a fantastic start. Our hosts worked during the days, so we continued to explore Cape Town. We hiked in a nature reserve near Stellenbosch one day and had lunch at an aptly named café called Postcards – for the view. We drove up Signal Hill after a break in the rains one morning to get an overlooking view of the city and beaches.

Marianne and Ryno invited us to walk the dogs with them a couple nights. Of course! Anyone who knows us knows we love dogs. Our gracious hosts invited to stay a third night. What an unexpected treat! We quickly agreed and were happy to spend one more night with our new friends, sharing some pretty spicy Thai food, and meeting their daughter. The next morning we headed out to make our long journey toward SE Asia.

Amy: As we crossed into a new Province, the Western Cape, we were almost startled by the sudden change. The road we were driving along, the N2, had been filled with slow trucks, cities with people in the streets, livestock in the road, and dusty fueling stations. Then, TOURISM hit us in the face. The change in the roads and the facilities, along with the visitor center with glossy brochures was very noticeable and a little jarring. We had arrived on the Garden Route, where the highway moves closer to the ocean side for some views and seems to be a hot spot for both local and foreign visitors.

As we spent the next couple of weeks in and around Cape Town, I fell in love with the ocean and crashing waves, the mountains and hiking, the microbreweries (we visited eight and our favorites were Devil’s Peak, Triggerfish, and Cape Brewing Company), the wineries, the flamingos, whales, and penguins. We tasted some nice reds and whites at six local wineries on the wine tram and the drive into Cape Town along the R44 was one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever experienced.

This was a confusing juxtaposition with the sprawling townships on the edge of a number of the cities. Townships continue to house large populations and have often lacked basic services, such as sufficient sewage, electricity, roads, and clean water. We visited a community close to the airport called Langa, Cape Town’s oldest township, established in the 1920’s as one of the areas, prior to the apartheid era, designated for Black Africans. As we drove into the community, we were initially intimidated. Then we were met by with a huge smile from Nati, our guide. He took us to the cultural center that supports locals with work in arts, such as pottery. We walked through the community and Nati shared about life and the Xhosa tribe culture. We weren’t able visit the school, as students were taking exams, but we had a great conversation about education, healthcare, and their community bond. We were also able to visit a kind man, Shoota, in his home and he beamed with pride while telling us how he had rebuilt his small house from found materials after a fire. In recent years, the township has started to become more rejuvenated with improved housing and infrastructure.

We also visited the District Six Museum and a former resident shared sad and moving stories about 60,000 people who were removed to barren outlying areas and their houses were destroyed during apartheid. We had a lot to reflect on with the complexity of such policies on real people.

We also learned more about the longer history of South Africa from Ryno during our first Servas experience. He was a huge history buff and his wife, Marianne, had a background as a teacher and in adult education. We had a terrific stay with them and so enjoyed just hanging with their dogs and cat. Wrapping up our time in South Africa with them was a highlight. We hope to see them again!

Our month in South Africa was special. What a beautiful, diverse, and educational experience. We met interesting people, climbed a couple of peaks, tasted many craft beers and wines, saw amazing wildlife, learned about the history of the country, ate delicious chicken from Nando’s, went on an afternoon movie date, and drove nearly 4,000 kilometers. I can’t wait to visit again.

(Dates- November 8-22, 2015)