Our African Exodus Safari Diary - Part 5

In front of Table Mountain in Cape Town

Exodus trip: day 16 part 2

We arrived in Hermanus, at a different time of year I would be really excited, you can see whales on the ‘humpback highway’ but not now...

A ‘proper’ hotel, greeted with a welcome glass of wine.

We had a gentle saunter along a section of the whale path before posting the last blog and going out to eat. We are having to make our own decisions, very hard!

Outside our hotel in Hermanus

Exodus trip: day 17

African penguins at Stony Point, Bettys Bay

Our destination? Cape Town, but not direct, first stop Betty’s beach. A small carpark and a small penguin colony, but on our arrival at 09.00 we were the only ones there (location:34°22'16.4"S 18°53'32.9"E). Penguins are lovely, I had to ‘explain’ to the twitchers, we weren’t converted, penguins are honorary mammals.... We herd the braying that gave the South African penguin its original name of jackass penguin, and took ridiculous numbers of photos.

We were very pleased with this unscheduled stop, though suspect it was to delay arrival at our next stop as it would have been far too early to go straight to a wine

But be careful when you return to your car!

tasting! It still felt a little early so Brian, Alison and I shared a tasting while 5 didn’t bother at all. It was pleasant, but nobody rushed off to buy anything! Lunch was in Stellenbosch but by the time we had pottered we decided just to buy a salad from the supermarket which suited us. We must try and eat less...

This was followed by a second wine tasting, this time with a cheese pairing. We preferred these, cheaper, wines, but still didn’t buy anything, though some did! The cellar tour was interesting though.

A very centrally located hotel made finding somewhere for dinner relatively easy, though it’s always tricky when there are 7 people...

Twitchers at work! (Alis photo)

Alison & Jackie enjoying the swell on the seal boat ride

Exodus trip: day 18

We thought our early starts were over, but no. Breakfast at 06.30 for our last drive, down to the Cape of Good Hope. Our first stop was Hout Bay for a 45 minute boat trip out to seal island (location:34°02'54.1"S 18°20'50.1"E ). It was surprisingly rough and wet, but we loved it. Coffee (the trip has become less frenetic) and then to the light house at Cape Point before walking to the most South westerly (but not most southerly) point of the continent. So not where two oceans meet, but it is where the Cape of Good Hope signs are (location: 34°21'25.4"S 18°28'25.6"E).

It was very misty and a huge swell that tossed the boat around, but the seals seemed to love it

Rainbow in the mist over the bow

Simonstown for lunch before Boulders beach for penguins (location: 34°11'41.6"S 18°26'49.1"E). There were more penguins, but also more people. We didn’t enjoy it so much, though the penguins are still very cute and we could see some fluffy chicks. Which to do with mum?

An hour or so to chill back at the hotel before the bus arrived to drive us to the V&A Waterfront, the ‘buzzing ‘ bit of Cape Town. A pint followed by a meal in Ocean Basket all went down very well. Though we didn’t manage to make

And plenty of surf crashing around us as we were tossed about

an early retreat as we were hoping, so back with everyone else at 22.00

Exodus trip: day 18

And why did we want an early retreat? Chantel was collecting Brian and I and our packed breakfasts at 06.00 as we were going to hike up Table Mountain (location: 33°57'19.4"S 18°24'57.1"E). With a warm day (32 degrees) forecast an early start was required! I don’t think we broke any records, but 2 hours up many steps is pretty good going, 2 1/2 is pretty standard! Very pleased we did it, great views, beat the crowds, feel smug, and with the cable car don’t even have to walk down!

But this sea lion floating about in the harbour calmed us down 

“Where is the photo of the really flat ‘table’ taken from?” B asked. “On the beach just by where I live” said Chantel. So rather than just drop us off at the hotel, she dropped us at the beach, popped home for a shower and to collect her laptop before collecting us and returning us to the hotel. Brian is a very happy boy! Location: 33°51'43.5"S 18°29'19.6"E

A quick doze (it hadn’t been a good nights sleep) and write of the blog. We might make it out again before we all meet up for our final dinner, but who knows. And tomorrow? Stevie is taking us and our bags to our next hotel before taking us to the airport to collect the next hire car and mum! Phase 4 is about to start...

At the Cape of Good Hope, the most south-westerly point

Walking the path to the Cape

On the high ground about to descend to the Cape. LtoR: Jackie, Chantel, Andy, Ali, Peter and Alison

Of course you can go up to the lighthouse on a funicular railway (we walked!) called the Flying Dutchman. It is called that after the ship that sank in a storm in the 18th (I think) century after the captain insisted they try to round the Cape rather than waiting out the storm in False Bay. It didn't make it and sank with the loss of all hands and it is said that a ghost of the ship regularly sails the waters here

Here is a view of Table Mountain with its table cloth on. This happens often in summer afternoons when the cool sea breeze blows in from the Atlantic cloaking the mountain in a mist that looks like a table cloth 

Here's Jackie looking for whales in False Bay. I'm certain I saw one blowing a jet of water, even though its out of season. Peter and Jackie saw the aftermath and a large body breaking the surface. We didn't see it again though

Its early morning not long after sunrise on the lower slopes of Table Mountain with Cape Town in the distance and this is Chantel and Jackie preparing to start our Plattenkip Gorge hike up Table Mountain

Here we are at the start. About 700m of ascent 

Halfway up and Chantel takes a selfie of us

We're getting there, the top of the gorge is in sight

A look back through the gorge to Cape Town far below

And finally we make it to the top with views behind towards the Cape of Good Hope

Expansive views of Table Bay, Cape Town and suburbs

We saved the knees and took the cable car back down. This is on the way down and in from the the pointy peak of Lions Head, the lower hill to the right is Signal Hill and beyond it in the Atlantic is Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. The rest of our group had booked a tour out there today but, unbelievably it was cancelled due, they said, to bad weather. We can see it, there's very little wind and the sea looks calm from here. What exactly is 'bad weather' about that?

And so, after getting down, Chantel dropped us off at the beach at Milnerton to take the most iconic photo of Table Mountain in perfect conditions. We are very happy people! By the way, our Plattenkip Gorge trek is just visible. Look at Table Mountain and about a third of the way along from the right is a cleft that slopes downwards to the left, thats our route. The higher looking point on the left is Devils Peak,is a separate mountain in front of Table Mountain and is actually lower in height, but only looks higher due to the angle we're at. Lions Peak is the next hill on the right and Signal Hill is on the extreme right. Surfers were playing in the waves, but the waves here are not very exciting, they are probably just learning

Our Exodus African Safari Diary Part 4

Entering Lesotho, the Kingdom in the Sky

Exodus trip: day 11

We drove away from our little bit of paradise having had not quite such a good nights sleep. We were only briefly disturbed by the bat flying round the bedroom....

The destination? Our third country, Lesotho. It was very poor, and hadn’t really got much going for it, except for the one lodge, that was our destination. Very pretty, cute cat, big dogs, so everyone was happy, but more importantly it works very closely with the villages comprising the Malealea region.
Early evening entertainment was provided by a choir followed by a band playing the strangest selection of homemade instruments.

On our village tour

Exodus trip: day 12

We all did a village tour, though in two groups. We’ve hit that point in the trip where personalities are slightly rubbing .... I think there has been a slight easing since though. We were shown around by two girls, we visited a beer brewery, only takes a day this time of year, and it tasted like it! The chief, the village shop and fast food emporium, the pre-school and the cemetery. The burial rites are fairly involved, unless you happen to be the first of twins to go in which case it all happens very quickly and seems to involve the remaining twin putting on and taking off the deceased’s clothes and jumping in and out of the hole to prove its not them!

This is Benmosi, the village chief outside his house. He is in overall charge of the village and all disputes, justice and land allocations are made by him. Anyone who visits the village has to be met by him. I assumed a village chief would have some sort of ceremonial costume, but apparently not. A very nice man.

The lady brewing beer in a day in her workshop

Back to the coffee shop at the lodge for milkshakes and lunch before B&I went off to do the cascade walk. Again we were led by Limpho, one of our guides from the morning, a sweet girl trying to earn enough to keep her 4 year old son in pre-school. She set a different pace as we headed off towards her village, visible the other side of the gorge, before descending into the gorge. Lovely scenery, though not a lot of water in the river. Until we rounded the last bend and couldn’t quite make it to the swimming hole and cascade. We weren’t going to swim anyway so we climbed up to have a

Jackie having a taste

look which seemed to leave her slightly bemused. It did however stand us in good stead as rather than retrace our steps in what would have been a slow and painful uphill slog, we just went straight up the rock! We loved it but could imagine the reaction that would have come from others!

We completed our three hour walk in two hours, which was fine by us, only disappointing in that Chantel had been keen to come but was worried about impinging on our walk to get back for dinner prep. She’d have been fine! The dinner she cooked however was delicious, it was ‘only’ lamb stew, but yum. Followed by an egg

Andy savouring the aftertaste

custard, enjoyed by everyone, including the cat. Custard is very popular in South Africa we have discovered and Brian has found a fellow ‘custaholic’ in Ali.

Exodus trip: day 13

A travel day, a long travel day, glad Stevie had had a free day yesterday. Eight solid hours. Uneventful trip to Graaf-Reinet in the Karoo in good time, so we managed to recharge our local mobile, after demonstrating our ineptness and making everyone laugh! Delicious dinner out of kudu steak, but the highlight of the overnight was the hotel cat Johnny boy. He walked in like he

On our canyon walk

owned the place, had a little UHT smackerel. Sat on my lap till the thunder when he went under the bed. It took both of us, and lots of cuddles to get him out, he spent the night with Chantel and did house visits for those that wanted in the morning.

Exodus trip: day 14

Back in the bus, but we’ve all moved around again, so at least I can type without getting carpet burns on my elbow from the wall of the bus.

Breaking news, we’ve heard from Bill back in the U.K., the man we saw in his barrel in Dullstroom early on in the trip has broken his own record!

It was a fabulous walk

And a very steep exit uphill. That made the heart beat!

Exodus trip: day 14 part 2

Our destination? The seaside, Tsitsikamma National Park. Indigenous forest forming the end section of the ‘Garden Route’ phase 4 of our trip. We all had little huts in the forest, though we could just see the sea from our porch. Fabulous rocky coastline, the sort of sea you can watch for hours. We saw our new cutest animal, the rock hyrax, so very cute. The one doing a full song and dance routine behind Chantel as she was giving us a briefing on the walks was very funny. A gentle amble, tomorrow we have all day to walk! And then the mist started coming in....

This is the village we stayed in in Lesotho, a fabulous place

Exodus trip: day 15

Don't know anything about butterflies, but I did like these colours

We were undecided as to ‘waterfall walk’ or ‘blue duiker trail’, Chantel was doing the latter, with only Andy and Ali showing any interest, so we joined them, in the rain! It did rain for most of the walk, but started in that gentle way so you don’t notice till you are too wet to put your waterproof on, bit daft, but we had a good walk. Andy was very chivalrous, standing up to his ankles in the river to help Ali across, I just had Brian poised with camera in case I fell in! Very glad we got out, despite the weather, we just kept our clothes on till we’d walked them dry!

And this great little sunbird sampling the nectar

Our highest point in Lesotho, 2001m asl, with a great view beyond

A hot chocolate in the restaurant was very welcome, though the restaurant is a bit rubbish. Service for Saturday dinner had been slow and disorganised and this was no better, by the time A&A joined us, we were moved to make way for the bus loads of people come for their buffet lunch and Storm river mouth walk!

The landscape in the remote Karoo. Unchanging for 3 hours of driving

We chilled for a couple of hours between a yummy buffet lunch Chantel had prepared after the walk, and the weather clearing slightly. At this point we nipped off to

do the river mouth walk with its suspension bridges. I wasn’t expecting to go up to the viewpoint though I should know better by now! We yomped steeply up hill to a bench with a great view over the sea and back to the restaurant. Felt like a viewpoint to me, though himself wanted to continue the path seemed to go the wrong side of the ridge so the view was inland, and we knew the path continued into a long distance path that we couldn’t do. I won, we sat on the bench before handing it over to the next intrepid explorers.

Look at these fabulous birds we saw at a lunch stop. Peter tells me they are Southern Red Bishops

On our return B realised that the bench wasn’t the viewpoint and reckons I ‘duped’ him into not

Our quirky hotel in Graaff Reitnet

continuing..... ‘whatever’, a shower and a beer were calling to me! And I managed to stroke a baby hyrax just by the path, AND I saw dolphins with our beer on the porch!

Chantel cooked our last dinner, fabulous lamb chops, they were so good. She provides lunch today and we still get breakfasts with our last two accommodations, but after that we are fending for ourselves which is going to be a real shock to the system.

Tony decides to have a go on the swings

Exodus trip: day 16

We’ve bagged the front seat to pick Chantel’s brain, we are driving east to west on the N2 to Hermanus which is most of the distance of phase 4 our Garden Route trip though we have just passed the point where we come from inland to join the N2, at the end, or beginning of the official Garden Route. We won’t see most of this again, but we have some really good suggestions for kayaking, coffee and game for our next phase. Today we are doing in one day what we will spend about a fortnight doing with mum.

And finally we reach the Indian Ocean at Jeffreys Bay and told to go and play while lunch is prepared

Here's Keith sporting a splendid hat and white legs

And here's me 'n 'er

This is Tsitsikamma from high up on the viewpoint (not actually the main viewpoint, but a bench half way up - we're not talking about it!)

Our little log cabin by the beach at Tsitsikamma

And here the unsuspecting baby Hyrax that Jackie managed to stroke. It jumped, but didn't run away. Jackie, of course was delighted

The suspension bridge at the mouth of the Storms river from high up on the (half-way) viewpoint

And here's the suspension bridges after we'd just crossed them

Dolphins we spied swimming close to shore outside our log cabin

Andy, Ali, Chantel (our leader) and Jackie on our wet walk in Tsitsikamma

Chantel balancing over rocks at the waterfall crossing

Chantel is over, I'm over and Jackie is.... er... over with just a slightly wet foot. Hero Andy who followed stood ankle deep in water to guide Ali over. Unfortunately I'd put my camera away by then and missed it

And here he is again helping Ali over a stream. He puts us all to shame

I quite liked this photo of the four of them posing

You know when you try to take a photo of the scenery in a moving vehicle, and just as you press the shutter a sign appears. Annoying isn't it

Here's one where it didn't happen. This is in the Drakensberg mountains, the scenery was awesome but, as usual, photos don't do it justice. Looks fabulous rock climbing, maybe we should dust out the rock boots and ropes and come back!

Just a couple more, we did see quite a lot of wildlife on the way, here's a wildebeest

And this is a rare Blue Crane, South Africas national bird