Day 17 (Friday Sept. 22nd )

Swellendom to Cape Town

Today, the first day of spring, was a short driving day, given over mainly to exploring the coast near Cape Agulhas and False Bay and spotting some southern right whales. We awoke to thick fog in the Swellendom Caravan Park. The steep mountains, which dominated the town when we arrived the previous evening, had disappeared, and all of us were concerned at having to pack our tents wet after our final night of camping. We drove south across the broad coastal plain toward Cape Agulhas, headed for the southernmost point of Africa, for most of us also the southernmost point that we would ever visit. The lighthouse stands on a windswept hill overlooking a rocky stretch of coastline, and on this cold and windy day Antarctica did not seem that far away. Below the lighthouse, we followed a dirt track to a plaque marking the southernmost point and the division between Indian and Atlantic oceans. Much discussion ensued: did the oceans really meet here, or was that at Cape of Good Hope, 100km to the west? We spent nearly an hour climbing on the rocks and watching the waves crash, then warmed up over cups of coffee and tea in the lighthouse. A bit of drama followed when a large puff adder, a venomous snake, was spotted crossing the lighthouse parking lot as we were loading up the vans. A circle of cameras closed in around the terrified reptile, who then took refuge under one of our vans. Eventually both we and the snake escaped the parking lot unharmed.

Next on the itinerary was the town of Hermanus, famous for the southern right whales which congregate just off the cliffs in the early spring to give birth to and nurse their calves. As it turned out, the whales of Hermanus did not live up to their billing, but over the next two days around False Bay and the Cape, we saw enough to make up for it. We arrived at lunchtime, and found the town overflowing with other tourists, come to see the whales on what had turned into a warm and sunny Friday. We all agreed on a time to meet back at the vans and split up for lunch and whale watching. Magali and I chose a take-out fish & chips joint and ate down by the old harbor, keeping an eye out for whales. No whales appeared and, disappointed, we quickly scanned the horizon with binoculars before heading back to the vans. There they were: whales all over the bay, in every direction that the binoculars were pointed! Some showed fins; some spouted, some gracefully showed their tails, all apparently avoiding the crowds of Hermanus.

We followed the coastal road west, around False Bay, to Cape Town. The road had been recommended by David Bell as one of the most spectacular in South Africa, and we were not disappointed. The road hugs the coast, below spectacular cliffs of the thick Table Mountain Group of sandstones. We stopped at one point along the road to watch a whale swimming along the shore, affording us a far clearer view than any had in Hermanus. A few kilometers further along, on the east shore of False Bay, a request for restrooms led us to pull off into the parking area of a small private campground along a beautiful beach. The late-afternoon sun shining on the beach and cliffs behind soon convinced us to extend the stop. Several of us swam in the Indian Ocean (assuming the plaque at Cape Agulhas was incorrect), with seals playing in the water beside us. All were sad to leave as the sun sank down toward the horizon.

We drove in to Cape Town at sunset, a few hours later than planned but glad to have spent such a relaxing day along the coast. After crossing the endless depressing sprawl of townships east of town, the City Bowl skyscrapers and backdrop of Table Mountain catching the last rays of sun were a beautiful sight. Our hotel, the Metropole, turned out to be a funky old place, luxurious by our standards but with a strange old-west-Victorian décor. After hanging damp tents and sleeping bags from every available doorknob and closet door, we headed out to dinner. This Friday evening turned out to be the first night of Cape Town's music festival and the streets were crowded with DJs, bands, and crowds of young South Africans. After a delicious dinner at a game restaurant, five of us spent the remaining hours of the first day of spring dancing to an African percussion band. The mixed race crowds, listening and dancing to live bands in the streets and bars of Cape Town, left me with a lasting, hopeful feeling about South Africa.

Written by Antonin
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