Return to Cape Town

We drove back through the Garden Route on our way back to Cape Town for our last day and a half before hopping on our return flight and 30 hours of travel back home. 

We were looking forward to Cape Town as the weather had improved significantly. We still hadn't seen Table Mountain and we knew the city would look even better in the sunshine than the torrential rain we had just three days ago when we were there. We weren't disappointed.

Cape Town has everything any large world-class city has. Quiet, leafy suburbs, bustling downtown, gritty working class and industrial areas, and (unfortunately) large, dangerous, impoverished areas. 

Looming over everything however, is Table Mountain. It is unlike anything in any other city. We're from Vancouver, we have mountains. But nothing that dominates the city like Table Mountain does. It defines and shapes the city. The city winds it`s way around the mountain, like a dragon around a treasure chest. And when the sun sets and hits the face of the mountain, it glows as if the treasure chest has been opened. We were in awe.

Our time was short and our plans to hike the mountain weren't going to work out. We opted for the cable car. The cable car has operated constantly since the 1930's.  The latest cars, updated in 1997 rotate through 360 degrees during the 5 minute trip. Giving an excellent view of the mountain and the city below.

So much easier than walking. 

 At the top, as you would expect, the views were outstanding. We spent our time walking on the well maintained footpaths and scrambling out onto the rocks for selfies, with the city in the distant background.

Dassies claim the mountain as their own but grudgingly allow humans to visit.

Looking North, Table Mountain curls around the City Bowl. Tiger Hill and Signal Hill are on the left. The suburbs of Cape Town are on the other side of the mountain on the right. Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held, is in the bay, centre left.

Looking south, the high end neighbourhoods and beach areas of CapeTown up against the Atlantic Ocean. 

We stayed for as long as we could, trying to take in the views and not wanting to leave. But finally, as the sun began to set, we took the last cable car down. As the light of the setting sun hit the mountain the whole city shined. Pictures don't do the scene justice.

Cel phone camera? check. Bad composition? check. Unknown people in the picture? check. Classic tourist photo.

We got back into our rental car and took the short drive to Signal Hill to watch the sun as it slowly set into the Atlantic. Being Leftcoasters this was a novel experience, we're used to the sun setting into the Pacific.

Sunsets were out of this world

We joined the crowds who were there enjoying a cool midwinter August day (The southern hemisphere is weird).  And then back down to the Waterfront for something to eat and just to soak up the atmosphere of our last night in SA.

Our Couchsurfing deal had fallen through at the last minute so we scrambled a bit and picked up an AirBnB not to far from the rental car return place. The next day we turned in our rental and had once last look at the city as our driver took us to the airport. 

It had been a fantastic trip. Both Michelle and I agreed that South Africa is one of the best places in the world to visit. Scenery, animals, history,friendly people, culture shock, grittiness, infrastructure. South Africa has everything. We both couldn't wait to go back. There was so much we hadn't seen and we wanted to see it all.

Up next! A review of all the airports we went through to get to and from South Africa.

Great White Shark Cage Diving

On our second-to-last day in South Africa, we got to mark another adventure off our bucket list, Cage Diving with Great White Sharks! We dove off the coast of Klansbaai, near Gansbaai, a town famous for its shark diving. After much deliberation, we went with a company called Great White Shark Diving. It cost about $185cdn each for the morning adventure, which we were happy to pay; this was one occasion we didn't think a bargain company would be the best choice.

We arrived at the office early in the morning where we got eggs, cereal, and coffee for breakfast. We were also urged to drink some ginger tea to combat seasickness prior to getting on the boat.

Our boat with the cage on the back. Oh ya, it looks shark proof

When it was time to go, we climbed onto the boat with about 15 other passengers and we were off to sea! About 20 minutes off the coast, the captain found a spot he figured was promising, and we were each given a wet suit to put on, and then subsequently a lolli-pop to fight the sea sickness we were all starting to battle.

Shark bait

The crew members threw some chum into the waters and we all waited with excitement for a shark to catch the smell of lunch. After about an hour of waiting a crew member yelled out excitedly that he saw a shark! The first 8 people clamored into the cage that had been attached to the side of the boat. We bobbed our heads above the water until one of the crew members told us to go down and look left. And there she was! An 8 foot female Great White Shark a few feet from the cage! Pretty incredible. After 20 minutes we got out of the ocean water as we were starting to get chilled, and the next group had their turn. From the boat, I actually got an almost better view of the shark as it glided through the water and chased the tuna head the crew was using as bait.

"You're looking the wrong way Michelle!"

We're gonna need a bigger boat.

We had our underwater camera with us and were lucky enough to catch the 2nd shark on video as he slowly swam by our cage eyeing up lunch. The divemaster told us he was a six to eight footer but from where we were  in the cage he looked to be about 20 feet and as menacing as anything that swims.   

By the end of the day we saw two great white sharks. We knew when we bought the tickets that there was never a guarantee of seeing sharks at all, so we felt extremely lucky.

Rule number 1: Keep toes and fingers inside the cage

The adventure finished off with a hot shower, lasagna lunch back at the office and a video slideshow created by one of the crew members. After overcoming our lingering sea sickness, Dad and I were off to Cape Town to enjoy our final night in Africa. It was still early in the afternoon and we had more sightseeing we wanted to do.

Sleeping with Elephants - Knysna Elephant Park

So far, South Africa had been incredible. Going into our third week, I didn't think it could throw anything at us that would be as memorable as the Kruger safari, visiting Jessica the Hippo, or climbing the Drakensburg, and yet, it impressed me again. About 5 hours outside of Cape Town, we stayed at Knysna Elephant Park. This park has housed and cared for orphaned elephants for over 20 years. The elephants that end up in the park are usually relocated animals, orphaned calves, elephants rescued from culls or ex-circus animals. Sometimes the animals become part of the resident herd, or are relocated to other parks depending on their needs.

View of the elephant fields from the balcony

We stayed one night in the park, sleeping in rooms so close to the elephant field you could very easily see them from the balcony. The rooms were designed in a sort of U shape with a common area in the middle that looked over the elephant boma (sort of a sleeping quarters for elephants). As evening drew nearer, I propped myself up on one of the couches with a book and watched as elephants slowly came into the boma to eat and sleep. I sat there for hours with a perfect view of the elephants, it was surreal. The lights are kept low in the boma to let the elephants sleep and there is no noise. All you can hear is the heavy, gruffy breathing of the elephants and occasional scuff of their padded feet on the floor. I was cuddled under a warm blanket on the leather couch with a cup of tea and I never wanted to leave.

Common area overlooking Elephant Boma

The next morning we had a small group tour with a wonderful guide. He lead our troop out into the field, walking past resident zebras with about as much interest in them as a Canadian would have for a crow back home.

Wild Zebras were just "extra" during the whole elephant extravaganza

With a bit of coaxing he was able to get us close to an elephant for pictures. It was made clear that the elephants were still wild, so when she wanted to walk away, we got out of her way and let her go.

That's the elephant on the left.

Little known fact; elephants have big heads

Closer to noon we bought a bucket of fruit and hitched a ride out to the back of the fields again. The elephants obviously knew we were coming, as no coaxing was required this time. Instead, the elephants instantly lined up behind a 20 foot long 'fence' and waited expectantly. With my bucket of fruit in hand I went up to the elephant, held out an apple, and the giant's long nose reached out and deftly picked the fruit out of my hand.

Little known fact No. 2; elephants are nosy.

God must have been in a good mood when he designed the elephant, because it is one of life's greatest joys to be up close to such a fascinating looking creature. There trunks are so long, so strong, and so agile! One elephant almost stole Dad's phone when he got a bit too close taking pictures. We were given tons of time to meet all the elephants, pet them, and take photos.

Noses like hoses

A close-up inspection of an elephant's ear

How could you not be happy working around elephants all day!

Almost stole the camera...but got a great photo

After the incredible morning, we went back to the lodge for breakfast and enjoyed our last few hours in the park, overlooking the fields and watching the wild elephants and zebras.

Bonus Elephant Park Cat

As much as we didn't want to leave, we had to make time back to Mossel Bay to our new AirBnB. 

Leaving Cape Town

After a few nights in Cape Town we were off, driving along the coast towards Gansbaai. We had a shark dive booked and were staying in the nearby town of Franksraal so we could meet at the shark dive early in the morning.

When you travel, you expect certain things to be memorable, iconic sites like the Taj Mahal, or sweeping landscapes. These are unforgettable memories that you carry with your when you arrive home. Sometimes however, gems of a country are discovered in simple things. That was our experience with our AirBnB hosts in Franksraal.

Fiona and her husband were an older couple and we were their first AirBnB guests. I think they were a little excited about having us as guests. When the power went out overnight they apologized over and over again and set us up with a generator, flashlights and offered food and wine; going far beyond the normal duties of an AirBnB host. The morning we left, Fiona's husband proudly showed us his refurbished train car he had created in the garage. They even gave us parting gifts of wine and a beautiful rare shell Fiona had recently found on the beach.

The view looking out of our AirBnb. One of our favourite accommodations on our trip, largely because of our wonderful hosts. 

The whole experience warmed our hearts and reinforced our positive view of the people in South Africa. Throughout our entire trip we were always greeted by friendly people. Multiple times we were offered rooms in  houses of people we had just met. The hospitality we encountered in SA was remarkable. We stayed with Fiona and her husband for just one night but they are one of the big reasons we want to go back.

While staying in Franksraal, we had news that our shark dive was cancelled due to weather. No problem, we rescheduled for the end of our trip and headed off to Mossel Bay. But first! A stop at L'Agulas the southernmost tip of Africa and the dividing line of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

From here home was about 16,000 km away, or roughly 4 airports and 3 flights.

It was a little awe-inspiring to stand at the very tip of Africa looking out at the wind-whipped ocean(s) and then to turn around and realize that the entire continent of Africa and beyond to Europe lies in front of you. We were the farthest away from home either one of us had ever been and it felt a little humbling.  It's a big planet and to see it from a different perspective and to try to put yourself into that perspective really challenges you.

We spent our time walking up and down the trails, collecting shells and just reveling in the wonder of it all. We enjoyed it immensely.

Nothing in front of us but all of Africa and Europe.

Shells?!? When are we going to get to the shark-diving!??

Michelle's excitement at spotting a Canadian flag was palpable.

The area from Gaansbai all the way through to Knysna is called the Garden Route for the beautiful scenery and landscapes. Time after time we would go around a corner or up over a low hill and a new stunning landscape would be laid out in front of us. It was hard to put in context the beauty of the scenery mixed with the violent race struggles that South Africa is dealing with. We never experienced any problems throughout our trip be we were always aware of riots and protests happening within the country. It seems that South Africa has such promise and potential for a bright future but is being held back by corruption, government incompetence and political interference.

Mile after mile of gorgeous scenery.

Our next stop was the tourist town of Mossel Bay and a night in a converted train car. In the summer Mossel Bay is crowded with tourists there to enjoy the warm waters and cool ocean breezes. In winter Mossel Bay is much quieter and less crowded. We stayed at the Santo's Express which, other than the previously mentioned trains cars has a very nice restaurant and lounge. What it doesn't have is central heating or, largely, any kind of heating. Not in the train car, not in the restaurant, not in the lounge. Now, we're Canadians so we are constitutionally forbidden to complain about cold in front of any foreigners; we're made from sterner stuff!  Well, I can tell you that we have nothing on the South Africans when it comes to facing the cold. Michelle and I huddled up in the lounge to watch a World Cup soccer match. We wore virtually everything we had with us including gloves and toques and all around us are South Africans braving the cold with barely a jacket. 

Snugly, though not warmly, tucked into the lounge at Santo's Express.

The next two days would find us at the Knysna Elephant Lodge for an up close experience with the massive animals we had first seen 2 weeks prior. We were hoping for a relevant, positive experience and what we got was so much more.

3 Days in Cape Town

South Africa is home to a city that actually stands up to, if not surpasses, the hyped reviews of travel blogs and books. Cape Town, a beautiful, edgy, sprawling city with the coast on one side and a striking, flat-topped mountain right in the center of the city, easily found a spot as one of my favorite cities in the world. Its beauty (accentuated when viewed from the top of Table Mountain or Signal Hill), unique dining and culture (experienced through the array of restaurants and various museums), and never ending list of outdoor activities (3 climb-able mountains situated at the heart of the city) all allow it to cement a spot as one of the world's great cities.

The view of Cape Town from Signal Hill

Our 3 1/2 days in Cape Town were technically less then ideal as we managed to end the cities 4 year drought by bringing along some Vancouver rain that shielded Table Mountain from our view for the first 3 days. 

We began to think that Table Mountain didn't exist as we certainly couldn't see it through the clouds

We still managed to have an incredible time and take in a few highlights.  Below are a few must do experiences we had in Cape Town.

1. Climb or tram up Table Mountain.
Table Mountain looms over Cape Town. It really is the defining feature of the city and it is unerringly beautiful as it changes colour with the sun. Due to weather we didn't have time to climb up Table Mountain (a feat that is very popular but notoriously difficult). Access to the mountain is restricted in inclement weather so we would have to wait until we returned to Cape Town in a week after driving up the southeastern coast.  Fun fact, statistics show that Table Mountain is arguably more deadly then Mount Everest (Dad argued that "fun fact" and "deadly" probably shouldn't be in the same sentence). 

2. V&A Waterfront
This area has a huge array of activities.  We ended up coming here basically every night for dinner or just to walk around. There is a lit up Ferris wheel, a sprawling area filled with people selling local crafts and high end trinkets, and a very hipster food court built from a refurbished warehouse facility that is so perfectly themed and decorated you could sit there with your hemp infused kale smoothie all afternoon appreciating the intricacies of the decor. 

The V&A is also home to the impressive South African Museum of Modern Art. Made in a decommissioned 100 year-old wheat silo, the atrium carves into the closely packed concrete cylinders that make up the silo. The heavy industrial theme is carried throughout the museum. 

Weird modern art hanging in a super-cool atrium

Statues of South African Nobel Laureates on the V&A Waterfront

3. Truth Coffee Co.
This steam-punk themed coffee house is an attraction in itself. This link to their instagram page shows photos of the incredible decor, including the unique outfits worn by the staff. The menu gave you a deeper appreciation for the art of coffee by describing the distinct flavours in each coffee and different methods for brewing. Voted Best Coffee Shop in the World. Highly recommended.

As a side note, unlike North America, filtered coffee is not very common in SA. Espressos and Americanos are far more popular and often the only options.

4. Views from Signal Hill
On the night of our arrival, our Couchsurfing host took us for a drive up Signal Hill for a nighttime view of the city. Being right in the middle of town, it is an easy view point to get to anytime. A popular spot to watch the sun set over the ocean for locals and tourists.

5. Boulders Beach
South Africa has penguins!!! Boulders Beach, a 40 minute drive from Cape Town, is home to a flock of African Penguins. A fenced boardwalk runs along the beach where you can get a view for free. A nominal fee will give you access to a boardwalk that gets even closer to the birds as well.

South Africa has elephants, lions AND penguins. 

6. Chapman's Peak Drive
An incredible feat of engineering. The 5 dollar toll to drive this route is more then worth it. The road swerves along the coast line, at one point it cutting into the mountain like a tunnel but the coastal side has no wall. Essentially, there is a huge mountain ledge casting a shadow directly over where the cars are driving.  Incredible. Catch it on a sunny day as it will get shut down during high winds due to risk of rocks falling on the road.

The initial three days that we were in Cape Town we couchsurfed with a person we met online. Gill welcomed us into her home and couldn't have been more gracious or accommodating. She belonged to a hiking club and we tagged along to an evening's talk about hiking the Camino de Santiago trail in Spain. We went for a 5km walk with her walking club Sunday morning and on our final night she cooked a terrific South African dinner for us and friends which turned into a great evening. 

We left Cape Town in our rental car eager to explore the southern tip of Africa. We would return in about a week for a couple more days. Cape Town had been facing a drought and the potential of the city's dams running out of water was very real. I'm sure the locals appreciated the rain we were experiencing but we could only laugh as the deluge soaked us on the way out of town. We hoped the weather would be better when we returned (we hadn't seen Table Mountain yet!!)

Train journey aboard the Shosholoza Meyl

One thing dad and I like to do in every country we visit is ride the trains. It's fascinating seeing the inability of people in India to form a straight line in front of the doors (pushing is a totally acceptable tactic to ensure a position on the next car), or feel the smoothness of the bullet train in China as it glides through the cities. Trains are a great way to get around like a local, and, especially during long rides, see large parts of the country away from the touristy sites.

We had to get from Johannesburg to Cape Town and although there are many, many very reasonably priced flights between those two cities we opted to take the train. Specifically the Shosholoza Meyl Premiere Class train. Marketed as a tourist train and as a reasonably priced, luxury alternative to the cattle cars that are the airplanes that make up the Jo'burg to Cape Town flights. The train would be classified as a long ride, about 30 hours. Departing in the early afternoon and arriving in Cape Town early enough to pick up our rental car. 

We arrived early enough at the train station to find our compartment assignment which is posted prior to departure on the platform. We realized that we hadn't been sleeping well and memorizing the car AND berth number was beyond our mental capacity. We decided to take a picture of the piece of paper with the assigned reservation. It was then we realized we REALLY needed to get a good nights sleep.

We had our own compartment with two bunk beds which was nice and private. Very affordable food was available in the dining car (with limited choice...I'd recommend bringing some of your own snacks as eating either curry or chicken thighs for every meal was a bit repetitive).

A picture down the corridor of a train car. Rivetting.  This will increase the hit count of this blog. 

Our train compartment had windows! So much the better to see endless miles of boring scrubland!

No really, trains are fun. Better than being jammed in a flying metal tube with 400 strangers.

The many dilapidated train stations that we stopped at hint of the past beauty of South African train travel

That's uhhh... our train. And Michelle in front of our train. This blog will get better I promise! There's shark diving coming up!! Exciting!!

Nearer Cape Town the scenery markedly improved. Hundreds of wineries dotted the landscape.

The landscape was...nice. Just nice. especially the first 2/3rds of the trip where is was mostly barren land as far as the eye could see. The last few hours of the trip, as we neared CT and entered an area called The Little Karoo, we did see some pretty magnificent mountains and greener vegetation. And vineyards. Miles and miles of vineyards. 

Arriving in CT we were very happy to start our next adventure. For the first few days we would be staying with a woman we met on Couchsurfing. She met us at the train station and gave us a quick tour of the city, driving up Signal Hill to see the area lit up at night. During this short glimpse of the city I was already getting an electric feeling that this town was special. I was excited to explore it over the next few days. 

Navigating Johannesburg

After a week and a half of Safari's, off-roading, and camping in our decked out 4 by 4 truck it was time to return the vehicle and hop onto the train towards Cape Town.

As designated navigator during our trip I was feeling pretty confident, I had access to 2 different GPS's and a paper map, and had gotten versed at letting my dad know anytime he accidentally turned down a one way street the wrong way (left hand driving was still a challenge). But I don't think anyone, even lifelong Johannesburgians could say they are proficient at navigating the cities highways. There are a few key things that make driving in Johannesburg difficult.

1. Left hand driving: After a week and a half dad was still signalling his turns with his windshield wiper instead of his blinker.

2. Highways with 12 lanes of traffic exiting and entering in a maze of merge lanes: Just when you thought you were on the right road it would split down the middle and you didn't know if you were still on the same road or the exit ramp. At times it was almost comical.

3. The Exit and Road names on the GPS did not match the signs on the road. A recipe for misunderstanding and constantly hearing "recalculating". After our 5th wrong turn, I'm pretty sure SIRI called us a word that was not programmed into her system.

After taking the scenic tour of J-burg we finally made it to the train station. Our friends from the truck company were there to take our vehicle. Such wonderful guys, gave us a hug and wished us well on the next leg of of our journey. Off to Cape Town!

Dad's making that train car look good 

When it Snows in Africa - And Other Adventures in Lesotho

As Dad and I continue to travel through the Kingdom of Lesotho (wow, that does sound Lord of the Ring-like), we decide to leave the one paved road and B-line it for our Katse Dam via a semi-major road (according to the map we were given at the border). The road steadily got worse and worse. Our truck was already struggling in the dirt, forcing us to go a fraction of the speed we were averaging on the main highway. With the sun setting we decided to skip the risk of being stranded in the dark on a near in-passable road and instead turned ourselves around back to the paved highway. 

The start of the road off the main highway. It progressively went from gravel, to dirt and mud. 

About two hours behind schedule at this point, and the sun setting fast, we followed the main road north, desperately keeping our eyes peeled for a safe place to camp, or a welcome looking hostel. The camping option was quickly nixed as the temperature began to drop with the sun. The hostel option was also starting to look a bit grim. Lesotho is not big for foreign tourism, and when the local people are trying to survive as shepherds in a mountainous, freezing, treeless terrain, I don't think many people are spending money travelling within the country either. 

The traffic in Lesotho got a bit out of hand sometimes. 

 Finally, just as the sun was setting (around 5pm) we drove into Whistler and set our eyes on the ski hill. No, we weren't hallucinating, Lesotho is home to the Afriski Resort!

We got ourselves a room in the hostel, and enjoyed a delicious pizza dinner at the ski-lodge style restaurant. Packed with families, we could tell this was a popular South African destination.

In the morning we got a good look at the ski hill. It might not rival BC mountains, but not bad for Africa I'd say. 

In the morning we were off to the border to cross back into Africa. As we left I stared back, marveling at the snowy mountain. Snow in Africa, who'd of thunk?