Life is a Highway (South Africa)

The north-west of South Africa is quite sparsely populated with rolling hills perfectly suited for their famous Rooibos Tea plantations. 

This is also the first time on our trip where we encountered vineyards – a welcome sight after six weeks of abstinence in the North African predominantly Muslim countries and relatively poor supply of quality wines throughout East and Southern Africa.

We had been told (mostly by South Africans) that Capetown is a beautiful city with a spectacular harbour – but that’s what everyone says about their own city.  Well, in this case, they were spot on.  An enveloping chain of cliffs with the famous Table Mountain backdrop surrounds a rugged coastline of rocky coves, small islands and crescent beaches. 

This natural setting is enhanced by recent upgrades as part of World Cup preparations, with a modern architectural stadium, pleasant avenues and pedestrian malls, and possibly the most attractive dockland in the world.  A series of basins and piers comprise the centrepiece V&A waterfront complex of shops, condos, marinas and converted historic buildings housing art and craft centres.

Just offshore – about a half hour by ferry – is Robben Island, the location where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated.  The half day spent there offered new insights into the origins and history of Apartheid.  Just as in Cambodia or Rwanda, South Africa has chosen to acknowledge and highlight the truths of this dark period in their recent past as a testament and lesson.  Past prisoners lead the penitentiary tours offer personal and heartfelt insights, outlining the how comprehensive the ignorance really was with countless classifications for different combinations of racial mixes making up the category of non-whites, as well as the unscientific “Nazi-like” determination techniques  (i.e. width of nose, whether a pencil can be held within coiled hair).

Nelson Mandela's Cell

The Master Key

The drive south to The Cape of Good Hope ranks with the best scenic routes anywhere (Pacific Coast Highway #1, Great Ocean Road, Cabot Trail, etc).  The breathtaking vistas begin with a series of upscale Capetown beach neighbourhoods sprinkled along the jagged tiered coastline.  Chapman’s Peak drive funnels through the serrated sentinel mountains periodically twisting around sharp turns carved around the rock ledges making it a bit perilous if your view lingers on the majestic views of the sea and surf.  

There are also numerous warnings regarding encounters with wild baboons especially if planning a roadside picnic (which we did).

The end of the line is Cape Point, with its obligatory light house and viewpoints (although not technically the southernmost point in Africa), and the turning point around the peninsula for the trip back north.

Lighthouse on Cliff

We made a quick stop at Boulders Beach in Simonstown to catch a glimpse of the African Penguin colony (renamed from Jackass Penguins - not sure why but not surprisingly I do have quite a few theories – a striking similarity to the actions of local political figures, copyright infringement with the TV show/movies of the same name, animal rights group representing burro/mule/donkey sensitivity concerns).

We had opted for a bit of first world travel for the South African leg of the trip with a rental car for the projected 14 days from Capetown to Johannesburg.  Our next stop would be the wine region of Stellenbosch.