South Africa Sojourn going to the place where two Oceans meet.

Destination the Cape of Good Hope. This was named not by the Dutch but by the Portuguese who sailed round it on their way to India and the Far East beyond. A strong Ottoman Empire had restricted the supply of spices and silks via the overland Silk Road. This was the motivation for the Portuguese to find a sea route to the East. So we head out south on the M3 which leads us to the Indian Ocean coast at Muizenburg which is a pretty holiday resort and fishing port. Incidentally the British landed here after Cape Town was ceded to them following their Naval defeat of the Dutch in 1814. Not quite that old, but still C 19 are the colourful bathing huts. Shades of Southwold.

Muizenburg beach huts. The railway serves Simonstown still a SA Naval base a little further down the coast.
We head down through St James, Kalk Bay and Simonstown to Boulder. This aptly named (there are huge boulders scattered around) village is world famous for its colony of the endangered African Penguins.

 There are only about two thousand in this semi urban colony.

They look cute, but don't try to get too close or that beak can give you a nasty peck.
Carrying on south, the scenery is spectacular. We are going down the east side of the Cape and so the sea that you are looking at is the Indian Ocean.

The Cape of Good Hope is not, of course the southernmost point of Africa (that is Cape Agulhas, about 180kms further east) but it is where sailors "turn the corner" and where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. The final 12kms are through a National Park where the environment is carefully protected for all who live there. 

I think this probably means be careful not to get run over by a turtle, but I can't find it in the highway code. 

                                         This is the end of the cape

and now we are very close to it. 

There is a lighthouse now at Diaz Point that replaces the one in this picture. It was built too high up and was invisible for nearly half of the year because of low cloud. 

The day of our visit was a sunny Sunday so the area was quite busy. The Cape of Good Hope has something in common with the Rock of Gibraltar. There it is Barbary Apes here it is Cape Baboons. There are notices all over the place reminding people that baboons are wild animals and dangerous. Do not feed them. Helen saw one rush up to a girl and steal her bag, as quick as a flash. They have developed a taste for seafood and are becoming dependent on humans for feeding to such an extent that their survival is now threatened. 

Spot the difference 

                                                      Atlantic Ocean

Indian  Ocean 

We head back this time going up the west side, so you can see the Atlantic breakers. There were surfers making exciting use of them. 

But not in this picture! 

So finishes our last day based in Cape Town. Tomorrow brings a 5 hour drive on the N2 east to Wilderness and what I hope will be a very relaxing and enjoyable week at the Fynbos Garden Suite.