South Africa > Cape of Good Hope

Today we booked a tour. Between 7:50 and 8:00 a.m., we were supposed to be picked up at the hotel. At 8:10, no van has arrived yet (at least not for us). Would everything be okay? At 8:15, a van from Atlas Tours pulls up. The guide apologizes and asks if we had been informed that he would be late.

South Africa - The southwesternmost point of Africa Cape of Good Hope

No, we hadn’t! Quickly, we set off. We pick up four more German tourists, and then the group is complete—a nice small group. We start the tour along the coastline heading south. At Camps Bay, we stop for a photo. Gobus, our guide, tells us we can take our time if we want. It’s nice that it won’t be a rush today. From Camps Bay, we can see the Twelve Apostles rock formation behind Table Mountain. From Hout Bay, we take Chapman’s Peak Drive. This winding road along steep cliffs has been closed for a long time. Fortunately, it reopened this week; otherwise, we would have had to take a detour and missed the beautiful route. Before entering Cape Peninsula National Park, we stop at souvenir vendors. They sell a lot of wooden carvings and stone figurines. I see a double giraffe on one stand. After some negotiation, I buy it—something I hadn’t seen before on our trip. We also buy a beautiful stone figurine. Then we drive into the park. Gobus says it’s quiet today; in peak season, there can be long lines at the entrance. From the park entrance, it’s still about thirty kilometers to the tip. The peninsula narrows, and in the distance, we can see the lighthouse at Cape Point.

South Africa - A penguin colony in South Africa

Since a few buses have just turned off toward the Cape of Good Hope, we go to Cape Point first. It’s very windy. Climbing the steps to the lighthouse (there’s also a small train), we sometimes have to hold on to avoid being pushed by gusts. From the top, there is a beautiful view of the more distant Cape of Good Hope. We walk down with the wind behind us. At the shop, we buy some sandwiches for lunch so we don’t have to take a long lunch break. At Cape of Good Hope, the wind is even stronger. I struggle to stand still to take an unblurred photo of the Cape of Good Hope sign. We drive back via the east side of the peninsula, eating our lunch along the way. Next, we head to Simon’s Town, home to the Boulders Penguin Colony. A group of penguins resides on the rocks, and you can approach them closely. They remain calm, sitting or lying down, curiously watching their visitors. The penguins are much smaller than I imagined, about 50 centimeters tall

South Africa - The characteristic houses in Stellenbosch

. It’s especially amusing to see a penguin jump into the sea or get tossed onto the shore by a wave. Through Muizenberg, we drive on to Stellenbosch, about an hour away. At 2:30 p.m., we arrive in the wine town. Gobus gives a bus tour and then drops us off so we can explore the town on foot. Stellenbosch is a charming town with many old Dutch-style buildings. We order coffee at a terrace and watch the city life. Meanwhile, a film crew is shooting, adding to the activity in the streets. The final part of our excursion is wine tasting. Just outside Stellenbosch, we visit the Jordan Wine Estate. Here, we taste several wines and can choose to buy or have them shipped. We only taste the wines. We drive back to Cape Town. If Table Mountain had been open, Gobus could have dropped us there, but the wind is still too strong. Around six o’clock, we are dropped off at our hotel. In the evening, we eat at a nearby restaurant. Back at the hotel, I start packing my suitcase and go to sleep.