The Amazing Cape

I have always heard that Cape Town was an amazing city - full of life, important history, and very culturally diverse. The six days we spent here were great, and we tried to do the full spectrum of activities. One day we went all the way down to the point and explored the Cape of Good Hope and the lighthouse on Cape Point. A truly amazing peninsula jutting south towards Antarctica and dividing the cold Atlantic Ocean and the warm Indian Ocean. The entire point is a national park and is home to several baboon colonies, ostriches, and an antelope-like animal called a springbok (which are quite tasty). They also have their own cobra, called the Cape Cobra. We saw the warning signs, but unfortunately never saw one. Sally was bummed!! Being this close to the South Pole and between two different oceans, the weather patterns change very quickly. It can go from sunny and no wind, to gale force winds and spitting rain, to sunny again in less than an hour.

Cape Town’s historical importance is most noteworthy due to Robben Island, the infamous political prison, and the effect that apartheid had on this country. The most notable of all its detainees was Nelson Mandela, who spent over twenty years jailed here in a cell so small that he couldn’t fully stretch out as he slept on the concrete floor. The most amazing thing is that when he was finally released, as the current South African government was abolishing apartheid, he did not come out screaming for justice or hatred for his captors, but rather of reconciliation, tolerance, and a desire to unite a torn country. As we all know, he went on to become the first democratically elected President in South Africa, and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his endeavors.

We took a day trip over to the island, so we all could better appreciate what others have endured for the sake of freedom. We went over on the actual ferry that was used to transport the prisoners and had a guided tour throughout the entire complex by one of the former detainees. Even though this man spent over fifteen years imprisoned solely on political beliefs, he has decided to remain on the island and give back by sharing his suffering with others. It was a very moving experience for all of us, and I think we all better appreciate the freedom we have as Americans, and that others in the world have not always had this basic right.
The rest of our time was spent exploring other Cape Town icons, like Table Mountain and driving on Chapman’s Peak – one of the most amazing sections of road I have ever seen. We also spent time shopping in the nearby towns and local craft bazaars. Charlie was no good at bartering. If he saw something he wanted, he was happy to pay asking price, no questions asked….He has a lot to learn. The majority of our down time was spent right in front of our house, enjoying our little neighbors and this beautiful corner of the world.

Charlie Finds Penguin Heaven

Arriving in Cape Town after twenty-six hours of travel was a huge relief. Unfortunately it was night time, and we couldn’t get a feel for our surroundings. We didn’t get to our house until about 10:30 PM and there was quite a gale blowing, so I was unsure how this house choice was going to turn out, since it was right on the ocean. As some of you know, Charlie’s favorite animal is the penguin, and he has always wanted to see them in the wild. Since the South Pole was not in our planned route, I didn’t think there would be much chance of seeing them besides some Zoos we might visit. One day when I was using Google Earth to research some of South Africa, Charlie clicked on a picture icon and up popped a penguin on the beach. This turned into a mad frenzy to learn more about this area, and what the heck were penguins doing here, thousands of miles from Antarctica. We soon found out that this place is called Boulders Beach and is just south of Cape Town and just north of the tip of Cape of Good Hope. It is a quant little town facing into False Bay, home of the Flying Great White Sharks (this is another story), as well as the largest colony of African Penguins in the world, and the only species that does not live in Antarctica. As it turns out, these penguins have not always lived here, but showed up on this residential beach about fifteen years ago and have been living side by side with people ever since. Charlie was psyched when I told him that we would definitely drive down here and try to see them. What Charlie wouldn’t know was that I spent over a month researching this place and was able to find a house directly on Boulders Beach within sight and sound of the colony. This was a surprise I wanted to give him, and I hoped the months of planning and secrecy would pay off and not be ruined by what looked like the beginning of very bad weather. We all went to bed, secret still unveiled.

I awoke the next morning about 5:30 AM. I don’t know whether it was from the travel lag or the anxiety over my house choice. The morning was absolutely beautiful, clear blue skies and not too much wind. As I walked to my bedroom window to survey the view, I kinda felt like a kid again, when we would look out and see if Santa had come. I thought my eyes were not adjusted yet when I saw hundreds, if not thousands, of black dots on the beach and surrounding boulders. I actually got my binoculars out to see if they were what I hoped. Not more than two hundred yards from our house; the whole colony was just waking up and waddling along the beach. Waking the boys up has never been so fun.

When I told Charlie where we were, I don’t think it sank in at first. But when we walked onto the beach at the end of our road and came upon over a dozen penguins lounging about, I think he almost came out of his skin. The great thing is the penguins are totally adjusted to people, and you can literally walk among them. It was one of the most amazing sights of wild animals I have ever seen. They were everywhere; on the beach, on the rocks, in the water, under the bushes, on the road, in the parking lot, and even in our yard. We spent the next six days exploring Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope, but the highlight of every day was when we would spend time just sitting with them and watching them go about their daily lives. There is so much I can say and show about them, we have hundreds of pictures, but I will save that for when we return. We actually found a short movie that was made about them called “City Slickers”, and it is one of the best animal films I have seen. I have included a few other pictures in “Dr. Doolittle, Where are the Reeve Boys, and Friends Along the Way”. The great sights of Cape Town and Cape of Good Hope will be the next blog entry, and then the Great White Shark encounters.