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.