Date of Entry: December 8th 2016
Date of Writing: May 5th 2017
I’ve been back in cape town a few days now, just enjoying the city and souvenir shopping. This time I’ve opted to stay in Cat and Moose hostel right on long street since the Zebra crossing was full. To tell the truth I’m not sure which I like more, but either are a good option for a centrally located calm but social hostel in cape town. And the staff at cat and moose is 24 hours and very helpful which is nice.
Anyways, after a few relaxing days of eating good food and the best milkshakes ever at the Royale Eatery, I’ve decided it’s time to do something and see some more of Africa in my last few days so I book a day tour to the nearby boulder’s beach famous for it’s penguin colony and so many other places including the cape of good hope. The tour is around 800 Rand (75 usd)
I’m picked up early by a big white minivan loaded with bicycles on top for later and then were off to our first stop an optional boat trip to see a cape fur seal colony. I opt to take the boat cruise which costs about 7 dollars and I’m glad I did as we set off from a busy little port neighbourhood just outside of cape town.
The wind is chilly out there on the ocean but I still maintain my spot out at the front of the boat despite the cold and marvel at the beautiful mountainous coast line of this part of south Africa.
It only takes about 20 minutes for our boat to make it out to the seals on some rocks just off the shore. The water is full of them and then on the rocks are countless more of the playful little creatures who star up at our boat with childlike curiosity in our eyes. We make a slow turn around the small rocky islands watching the waves crash over the edges, the seals making daring entrances and exits to the ocean. It’s a lot of fun to watch, and to try to get good photos of them.
The waves get bigger and bigger and it becomes pretty difficult to stand up and take photos but I persevere enjoying the incredible freshness of the sea air, amazed by the different shades of turquoise and blue in the water with all those floating seal heads surrounding us as well.
Eventually we say goodbye to the seals, all too soon for my liking and make a trip back to shore me holding on tight against the impressive waves until we’ve made it around the corner and back into the picturesque bay eventually landing at the pier and heading through the parking lot back to our white minibus to continue this busy day tour. As we walk some opportunistic dance groups perform for tourist donations.
Our next stop is a viewpoint of the bay below as we wind up through roads cut straight into the mountain side with impressive nets built above them to catch the somewhat regular stream of falling rocks. The views are spectacular and we’re served some yogurt and muffins for breakfast as the roughly 18 people in the minibus snap photos of the impressive view.
Our next stop is the reason I booked this tour, though you can also reach boulder’s beach using public transport from cape town. Now I’ve seen penguins all over south america, not to mention the month I spent on a sailboat in Antarctica, check the antarctica section of my blog for that adventure.. Also in zoos in North America, Europe and Asia, so taking the chance to see more of the adorable little swimming birds here inAfrica is a no brainer for me. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of penguins.
We arrive at the parking, pay the small entrance fee, and walk along a long elevated boardwalk, built to protect the penguins seasonal beach habitat until we reach the first cluster of them, and yes they are just as adorable as I remember.
The boardwalk is crowded as this is a main tourist spot in south Africa, but the adorable black and white penguins make it worth it, some even hiding out under the boardwalks just inches underneath our feet. The penguins are everywhere some in various stages of moulting and some with near fully grown youngsters. It’s so much fun to watch them all interact with each other.
They are everywhere, the penguins, and always active, in and out of the water with ease. It’s amazing to think this bird looks so graceful in the water, so awkward on land and can’t even fly. The animal kingdom is full of oddities. I work hard to get some different viewpoints for unobstructed photos of the birds, checking my watch to make sure I make it back to the van on time.
I’m almost late but a quick dash and a brief stop off to grab a delicious ice cream cone to go sees me make it back to the van just in time as we head off to our afternoon stop,bike riding in the cape of good hope national park (though I’m opting not to bike due to my leg injury from past blood clots.) The rugged landscape reminds me a little of the Bolivian altiplano and as the others bike and we drive to our lunch stop I’m impressed by the variety of landscapes in such a small area, from beach, to mountains, to this. And that’s before we run into the baboons on the road. I didn’t expect to enjoy this part of the tour as much as the penguins, but so far so good.
After a good make your own sandwich lunch at the visitor centre we head out onwards to the actual cape of good hope which was once thought to be the southernmost point in Africa but actually is not. Still it’s beautiful and we get dropped off with time to hike up the small mountain for the best view of the beaches and the ocean below.
I make it to the top of the somewhat crowded hill top and am rewarded with this stunning vista. The rugged southern coast of Africa, god I’m glad I finally made it to this continent, and I’m very sad to know I’ll be leaving in just a few days.
We head back down the hill to our van and get driven down to the bottom of the cape to pose for some pictures with a sign, though I opt to take an adventure climbing atop the rocks closer and closer to the sea, and the crashing waves rather than wait in the long line for a photo with the sign below.
I escape the crowds with some crafty half climbing half falling over sea drenched rocks, thinking back to terence bay and all those long walks on the rocks with my family. I do miss home every now and then.
Soon enough it’s time to be back in the van and we takeoff heading back towards cape town. As we go we spot a sad sight, a washed up and bloated whale carcass that has been being carried in and out with the tides around here for the past few weeks. I snap a photo from the van then enjoy the terrific landscapes as well as some ostriches flirting in an ostrich farm.
I’m dropped off back at the Cat and Moose hostel and enjoy some more good food on long street before heading to bed. I have two days left in Africa, one to organize souvenirs, and one for one last adventure, heading up to the iconic table mountain, one of the oldest mountains in the world. So yeah, that’s whats up next, then a brief christmas visit to Canada, and 5 weeks in Colombia central america and Mexico, get excited.
