African Adventure, Part 3

After “roughing it” on safari, we were ready to move on. And I mean move. Did you ever realize that when you’re lodged on a game reserve, you get no exercise? You can’t just go for a walk or a run. There are wild animals out there. Game drives are all sitting.
We had been dining on such dishes as impala pot pie and warthog stroganoff, washed down with some lovely South African wines.  Yes, it was time to get moving.

The third leg of our African adventure was Cape Town, the very tip of the entire continent.
Look at a map. It’s waaaay down south and it appears that the whole of Africa rests on its shoulders.

Again, we arrived quite late at night, so it was hard to see where we were or what was around us. The next morning I walked down to the dining room for breakfast, looked out the window and saw this:

I had no idea this was the view.
That’s Table Mountain. It’s pretty apparent why it was named that.
And that Lego-looking guy is actually built out of Coca-Cola crates. It was constructed for the World Cup that took place in Cape Town in 2010.

It was not an easy climb (at least for us – many people passed us) but the views were spectacular and that kept us going. And it was crazy windy. So windy, in fact, that the cable car wasn’t running and we hiked down too.
Burned off that breakfast and it was barely time for lunch.
We had to hustle to catch the ferry to Robben Island. Where the first half of the day of the day had been physical, the second part would definitely be educational.

Robben Island is just off of Cape Town.  It’s been used as a prison for centuries, a leper hospital and for coastal defense. Its most famous for its role as a prison for anti-apartheid activists, including Nelson Mandela. Our visit was fascinating and it certainly sparked a lot of interest and great discussions about that era. The guides are all ex-political prisoners, so you are hearing the stories firsthand.

This last photo is of Mandela’s tiny cell, where he spent 18 years. If you’re interested in learning more, you could read Long Walk to Freedom, or take a look here.

Getting out of bed the next morning was difficult; walking down the stairs, impossible. Quad muscles and knees protested every step from the climb up Table Mountain. Fortunately we were scheduled to be picked up by a private guide and driven around the Cape Peninsula. Little effort required!

This area reminded us a lot of the northern California coast. Homes built into the hills, winding roads, gorgeous beaches. 

The Bonus Baby made a new friend. Just like a dog, only bigger.

We stopped at an ostrich farm. Did you know…

Then down to the Cape of Good Hope, which is truly the very bottom of the continent.