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February 24th 2007
Journal entry brought to by Sophie (yes, me again. Tami is uploading the photos and apparently that affects her ability to write, so this is going to be shorter beacause I am short of time!)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBYN!!! HOPE YOU HAVE AN AMAZING DAY AND DON'T DRINK TOO MUCH...HAVE A CHEEKY V ON ME!
This morning dawned the first day of our safari. Exactly at half eight a white van pulled up and our jumped our guide. He is a very, very cool South African (who actually had a Scottish family..) called Keith. OUr other fellow travellers are a 66year olf German called Heide and a 20 year old Brazilian called Paloma. I was a bit suprised that there was only going to be 5 of us on the trip but that is apparently normal and everyone seems really nice anyway.
Our first part of the trip involved a long drive along False Bay (so called because sailors from the Dutch East Indies believed it to be Table Bay, which was actually further North) and then a stop at the Birkenhead Brewery. Now, I am not a fan of beer but when they plonk 6 beers in front of you, it is very rude not to drink them... I think everyone has the impression that I am an alcoholic but this is a fallacy. Some of it was delicious, for example it had honey in or taurine like red bull, but as I say I was not really excited by it.
We also stopped off at a town called Hermanus, which when the whales are in season is apparently the place to be. We were clambering over the rocks to the look out point when we saw this crazy rabbit/otter things hopping all over the place. They are known as Rock Rabbits and are the closest living relative to the elephant (according to Keith).
After this we stopped at a quaint little cafe for lunch, which reminded me of Devon, and then went to Cape Agalhus, which is the southernmost tip of Africa. Yes people, we have stood at the lowest point of Africa that is physically possible! As this is the place where the two oceans meet, you can stand with one foot in the Indian Ocean and one in the Atlantic. Very exciting.
Further down the coast we viewed a shipwreck. The reef here goes a mile out to sea so there has been hundreds of shipwrecks over the years. This one dated back to the 1980's and was a fishing boat from Taiwan. Only its stern remains sticking out of the water.
After this we went to the beach just down from the guest house. The water was beautiful and the waves were really strong. I was stupidly wearing my glasses and they got knocked off but by some miracle I managed to rescue them. Don't know how but it was a lesson learnt! We also saw some fisherman catch this absolutely huge stingray but they put him back out to sea, which I was very relieved about.
The accommodation was absolutely stunning. It was painted in funky, bright colours such as green and yellow and the beds were just like ones you would find at home. There was a pool which we quickly took advantage of, a bar, which I didn't take advantage of (so there :p) and a darts room, which we did take advantage of and nearly destroyed because I can't throw darts to save my life and the wall next to, to the left of and below the the dartboard seemed easier to hit. We also watched the last half of Pearl Harbour with the owner and actually sobbed (worse than the OC Jon!!!). I have not cried so much since I watched the Green Mile. It was so sad. I really recommend it but take a tissue. Tami and I looked like nothing on earth.
Bed called after our early start and I went to sleep like a baby. By the way Jon I have had two very disturbing dreams involving you... In one you proposed to me on Robben Island...
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