South Africa continued

June 26.  After a workout in the gym, we had breakfast, packed up and said goodbye to Elma.  Then it was a drive to Point Agulas to say that we were at the southern most point in Africa

.  The waves at the point were impressive, breaking far out compared to anything we had seen closer to Cape Town.  After taking some pictures we collected rocks for souvenirs and headed back to Drackenbos where we stopped and decided to head toward Douglas.  On the way there we were blocked by traffic accident so we changed our itinerary and went to Montagu.  At Montagu, we picked up some food, gassed up the car and went to DeBos Farm, which was listed in the backpackers booklet.  The host told us about the hiking in the area and lent us a map.  We took a quick walk to the see the trailhead and returned to DeBos just as it started to get dark.  Over dinner we decided that there were two days of hiking potential in this area.  The “cottage” was perfectly adequate for our needs, especially being within easy walking distance of the hiking trails.  The front room was the kitchen, a bit small at 6 ft X 12 ft with a small eating counter on one side and the sink, hot plate, kettle and toaster on the other.  At the end was a small fridge with useful counter space on top.  All the appliances ran from on power bar; oh the benefits of 220 volt power.  The second room was our bedroom, which handled all our stuff well and also had the heater.  The third room was the bathroom, which housed the toilet, a huge shower and regular sink plus a small closet; it was about ft wide and 10 deep.  The owners are very nice and very helpful.


June 27.  Hiked up to the Contour Path to catch the trail to Cogmanskloof.  A few drops of rain and a socked in summit of Bloupunt argued against trying the higher peak.  Trail took us down the back of Cogmanskloof to river in the valley floor then back up to the Countour Path

.  We walked the latter beyond our turnoff earlier and up to a knoll that overlooked the valley; we found a shortcut for tomorrow’s hike.  After returning to the unit we walked to Shoprite and picked up some groceries.  Later I was able to send some e-mail.  I have developed a cold with runny nose, coughing and feeling stuffed up.  I just hope that it doesn’t interfere with tomorrow’s hiking.

June 28.  Got up a little earlier today and didn’t see any black clouds in the sky.  Nevertheless, it was still quite dark at 7 AM so it wasn’t a sure diagnosis for today’s weather.  We left our cottage before 8 and took the short cut to the trail leading to Countour Path, then is was off to catch the trail over to the Bloupunt trail, which involved a steep drop of 30-50 m.  The trail in small valley floor was easy walking, then we started up some switchbacks that took us to a higher valley and it upward from there.  Near the summit, it was sunny but surprisingly cool, probably 5-10 C, so we put our jackets back on.  We stopped at the summit for pictures and writing in the summit book.  The walk out was pretty easy overall, although they had us crossing the creek in the valley floor what seemed like hundreds of time.  Going around some water and a rock, Susie ran the top of her head into a big branch that leaned over her path; her sun cap visor blocked the view of the tree.  She got a nasty whack on the head.  After sitting for a minute, she continued.  We got back to our cottage at a little after 3 PM, making today’s hike about 7 and a half hours.  It was a good workout that left us knowing that we had walked.

June 29.  This was a travel day as we drove from Montagu to Calizdorp and then took the dirt road north of R62 toward Outschorn. It was very crooked and slow but we managed to giraffes

, baboons, ostriches and bonteboks.  We booked into Paradise Backpackers for two nights, and booked their ostrich dinner.  It was very good.  Marinated ostrich on a skewer, ostrich sausage, a great salad and fresh bread.

June 30.  This was a hiking day after driving from Outschorn to Die Top on a steep, narrow and rough dirt road.  Then we hiked a ridge up and down for 3.5 hours.  Everything was great except the wind which was from the north at about 80 kph.  The gust really threw us off balance several times the views were great.  The trail back was a bit of a disappointment as it was just a 4 X 4 road.  Nevertheless, we enjoyed the hike and all the views.  On the way back we got some pictures of a couple of springers

From George Peak to the 4 passes area.

July 1.  This was a travel day.  We drove from Outschorn to George where we checked into Reheito Lodge for two nights.  On the way we stopped at the Outeniqua Nature Reserve offices and got information about two potential hikes- one up Montagu Pass and the other to Cradock and George Peaks.  After we settled in and cleaned up we went to find Gaby’s house in Denneord.  It was not easy to find because the main streets are often missing street signs.  Nevertheless we found her and had a nice little visit.  We have been invited for dinner on July 9, which was our choice.

July  2.  Got up before dawn and got to the trailhead at 6:45 AM and hiked with headlamps for about half an hour.  We hiked to the railway line then took a wrong turn that led us through a couple of tunnels until Susie found the trail to Montagu Pass.  After getting down from the Pass we decided to find the proper turn to Cradock and George Peaks.  We started up from the railway at around 11:15 AM then hiked up to George Peak  It is the lower of two but it had great views directly over George and Gaby’s house.  We reached the top before 1:15 PM and hiked out to the trailhead by 4:15 PM.  On the way back to our guest house we stopped at Spar for a rotisseried chicken and a few other groceries.  Susie selected a bag of excellent oranges for a bargain price; I kid you not, $1 for 14 pounds of oranges.  These are way better than the oranges we got earlier for over 10 times the price.  We decided to stay one more night at this guest house and drive from here to Mossel Bay.

July 3.  Started driving toward Mossel Bay only to find that they had closed the road, and detoured us around to the main road into George.  We moseyed into Mossell Bay via the coast through some expensive looking housing.  In Mossel Bay we went to the tourist information office and got a map of the local area and St. Blaize Trail.  We walked the latter for about 5 hours; it was just beautiful- high above the shore where we could watch the waves roll in

St Blaize Trail west of Mossel Bay

and search for whales.  We saw a dolphin but no whales today.  We saw a large colony of hyrax, probably 50-100 right next to the trail

.  We walked as far as the Pinnacle Point golf course, which was interesting in and of itself.  The hole by the trail had golfers driving over a ravine to a good sized green surrounded by a bit of fairway.  If they missed to the right, the ball would have dropped 100 feet into the Indian Ocean.  Would that be a 2-stroke penalty?   The drive back to George was not as easy as it could have been, mostly because they don’t label the streets very well.  Often you know the name of the cross street but not the one you are on.  I missed the turn to the freeway because the sign came too late.

July 4.  Drove to Wilderness via the N2 and got some trail information from the i-office.  We started on the Pied Kingfisher Trail with the intention of hiking to a waterfall via the Half Collared Kingfisher Trail.  For us Wilderness was not as interesting as we had hoped.  At the entrance to Half Collared Kingfisher, we found that the fee to hike it was R100 each, so we politely declined and continued on the Pied Kingfisher Trail.  We then drove to Knysna and stopped at an information office there and found that they were having their annual oyster festival which meant that accommodations were scarce and the town was crowded.  We decided to drive on to Plettenberg Bay and booked in at the Amakaya Backpackers for two nights.  The Robberg Nature Reserve has potential.  After supper we looked at the maps and decided to try walking there via the beach instead of driving.

July 5.  After our complimentary breakfast, we started walking down the street to Robberg Nature Reserve.  In short order, we were able to see the beach and the bridge that we needed to cross the small stream between us and Robberg Beach.  We walked the length of the beach and after a bit of searching found the exit that took us to the road leading to the Reserve.  After registering at the gate and paying our conservation fee, we made our way to the trailhead.  The most noticeable thing was the strength of the wind on the southwestern side of the peninsula.  It made the ocean really come to life as the waves rolled in and pounded the rocks; it was just spectacular

The waves turned sea water into a milkshake.

.  The main wildlife seen today were the seals- hundreds of them basking on the rocks

Seals at Robberg Nature Reserve

.  Then there were some swimming in the water- groups of 3 or 5 swimming underwater then coming up to breathe in unison.  Sometimes we would see them in the over-aerated, white sea water, playing and just goofing around.  Clearly they were enjoying themselves.  The walk back was also enjoyable as we walked the beach again and watched the waves crash on the sand.  Dinner tonight was a traditional South African sausage in a roll with cooked tomatoes and onions; it was much like our hot dogs to look at.  All in all, it was a very successful day in which we hiked for almost 8 and a half hours.

July 6.  We left Plettenberg Bay and drove eastward on the N2 then turned south on R102 into Natures Valley.  There we got information from the only store about hiking trails.  We made a loop by connecting two or three trails together and hiked for 3-4 hours.  While most of the hike was in the trees the upper portions were open and afforded us great views.  Then the end of the hike was along the beach for about 2 km making it the perfect ending.  This was a baboon day as we saw them on the trail and on the road; we could also hear them from the town of Natures Valley.

I'm too tired to move for a car.

  Tonight we are staying at Hikers Haven guest house and ate at the only restaurant in town.  We plan to stay one more night and hike a couple of other trails tomorrow..


July 7.  We arose to the sound of rain this morning; it had rained overnight.   Our hosts made us a very nice breakfast this morning- fruit, juice, coffee, eggs, bacon, tomato and toast.  There were three other guests having breakfast- a couple with a teenaged daughter who had just completed the Otter Trail from Storms River.  It is a 41 km, 5 day hike in which the hikers stay at huts; they have to carry their own sleeping bags and food but they have a dry shelter every night.

Huts on the Otter Trail

  After speaking with them and the host, we decided to hike part of the Otter Trail to the point and a bit beyond.  We were delayed by about an hour by the rain, but we really enjoyed speaking with some regular South Africans.  It was beautiful as the point is high on a cliff above the Indian Ocean and the trail beyond the point stays high up for excellent views.  We returned to Hikers Haven for lunch and then headed up Pigs Head, and after that around the lagoon to the site of the bridge washout.  It was a really nice day of hiking with tremendous views.  I’m looking forward to another good meal at the restaurant tonight.



July 8.  This is a travel day so after a nice breakfast at Hikers Haven, we paid our hostess and headed out of Natures Valley toward George.  We stopped at a farm store and bought some cheese that was made on the premises to take to Gaby in George.  After arriving in George we checked in at the Reheifo guest house where we had stayed before then went to the Nature Reserve for an easy walk.  We got one nice picture today of a group of tall grasses; these are the type that I’d like to use around the house for decorative purposes in place of shrubs.

  We stopped at the Spar supermarket for milk, yogurt, vegetables and fruit, especially the oranges which at double their previous price are still a bargain.  Tonight we get lots of vegetables with our meat; picked up a roasted chicken which do for supper and another lunch or breakfast.

July  9.  Today we get t hike Cradock Peak.  Now we know the way very well so it was easy to park at the trailhead and start our hike.  It was cool, probably about 7C and overcast.  When we got to the col between Cradock and George Peaks we had to cover our head and zipper up our jackets.  Cradock was socked in so we couldn’t see the peak.  The trail up was very good as they have laid it out very well.  Near the peak there was a rock scramble, which made hiking interesting but not dangerous- it just looked that way.  More of a concern was the ice and snow in few spots, but they really weren’t a problem either.  We reached the peak in just under 3 and half hours, and after filling out the peak log and taking few pictures we headed back through the fog toward the trailhead.  The return hike was good; we just had to be careful at the scramble and icy spots.  We made it back to the trailhead 6h23m after leaving which was pretty good time; their map said 19 km and 8 h so that was an ego boost.  Tonight we visited Gaby and Barry for dinner at their home in Denneord.  It was a great visit; Gaby had made us some traditional South African dishes which included a very tasty stew, wonderfully presented delicious salad and really nice dessert.  We had a very informative discussion about South Africa’s politics and economy, followed by recommendations for hiking in our last fews days.

Jul 10.  We drove from George to Dana Bay and hiked the western part of the St. Blaize Trail that we hadn’t completed earlier.  It was just as beautiful with scene upon scene of the ocean waves crashing in on the rocks. After hiking this trail for about 4 hours we drove via the N2 a gravel road to Greyton, where we booked into Anna’s cottages- we stayed in the tree house.  It was elevated by one story and had trees growing through it.  It was cosy and had all the comforts- en suite, deep tub, bed with curtains, kitchenette with microwave, gas cook top, small fridge, etc.

July 11.  We got up and made all the arrange for staying in Cape Town for the next two nights, cleaned up the car, then got a map for the Boesmanskloof Trail.  By the time all was said and done it was 10 AM before we started walking from the tourist office.  We decided that we should try to leave for Cape Town at 4 PM so our turnaround time was set as 1 PM.  The trail was very interesting as it climbed up to a col about 2 hours from Greyton.  Along the way we say baboons and lizards.  We stopped just past Oakes Falls to turnaround and also had lunch there.  After returning to Greyton, we drove through huge farms to the N2 then on into Cape Town.  Unfortunately the sun was in our eyes after we started on the N2; fortunately it set just as we entered the city allowing us to read the road signs a bit easier.  We parked the car in the lot of the Cape Town Lodge Hotel and relaxed.  After organizing ourselves, we bathed and went for dinner in the hotel restaurant.  The room is very comfortable, clean and the warm.  Dinner tonight was in the hotel restaurant- the Butchers Block.  I had beef stroganoff with baked potato and Susie had mixed vegetables with baked potato.  Mine was very good and hers was just okay as they used frozen carrots and beans.

July 12.  We went to Subway next door and had a steak, eggs and cheese sub for breakfast, and took out a chicken sub for out lunch.  We drove to Kirstenbosch Gardens via DeWaal St and entered at the gate by the tea house.  Shortly after finding the path to Skeleton Gorge we hooked up with a man and his daughter from Calgary (he came from here), and a couple from Berlin; she was Australian and they had a beautiful one-year old boy in a front pack.  The six of us hike to the top of Skeleton Gorge together, for the sake of safety.  Then the two from Calgary left us to walk on to Maclear’s Beacon.  After lunch there we said to goodbye to new German friends and headed down Nurses Ravine.  We spent about 2 hours in Kirstenbosch Gardens looking at all the plants and their overhead walkway through the tree tops.  On the way back we filled the car with gas and checked at the car rental place for find it closed, so we parked back at the hotel.  We’ll have to return the car in the morning.

July 13.  The first order of the day was to return the car to Hertz, which we did about 9 AM.  They really went over it with a fine toothed comb; fortunately it was clear and we got a clean bill of health with no extra charges.  After that we walked out suitcases across the street to the Hilton Hotel where we got into our room immediately.  It was a very fancy room with lots of space, a bath robe and even complimentary internet access.  After walking to a shopping centre to look for a useful souvenir, we went to the convention centre to pickup our registration packages.  Then it was off to the V&A waterfront.  On the way we ran into the Bennetts- Brian & Cathy and their kids Derrick & Gillian- quite a coincidence.  The meeting opened at 5:30 PM and included a nice dance performance followed by a plenary lecture given by Bob Lefkowitz from Duke.

2014 Cape Town and the Western Cape

South Africa 2014

June 18. Hans, our next door neighbour, took us to the bus station to catch the Megabus to Scarborough, then the Go bus to Pearson and Terminal 1.  Air Canada to London was >2 hours late because our plane was held up getting to Toronto. Our flight to Heathrow was great but full; the crew were the best yet- efficient and very happy.

June 19- Terminal 2 in London was just opened last week, no wonder it’s so clean.  With the late arrival we decided to go for a walk in the airport area instead of taking the tube to downtown London.  We took a local bus off the airport proper from the central bus terminal and walked to Hounslow and it surroundings; then it was to the Pheasant Pub for supper.  As it was such a long time since we were in London, I had fish and chips with a pint of bitter; Susie had haddock and a salad.  The food was excellent.  After our meal, we took the bus back to the airport and waited for our flight to Cape Town.  The plane was a 747 with lots of seats unused.  I moved to a set of 4 in the middle and Susie used the 3 on the side.  We both slept most of the way to Cape Town.

June 20- flying over Namibia we saw lots of sand and the Atlantic Ocean.  What was impressive was the absence of vegetation along the beach.  As we settled into our approach, we flew over what we later learned was Robben Island then further south around the Cape of Good Hope and  turned north to land.  Clearing customs was far easier than we anticipated; the officers asked how long we were staying and stamped our passports then we were through.  We stopped at the information desk for tourist information pamphlets then with the assistance of an airport employee caught a Sport Shuttle to our hotel for R260.  On the way we passed some shacks that the driver told us was a squatters town, which was filled with bad housing although they had electricity and good water.  We arrived at the Cape Town Lodge Hotel early so our room wasn’t ready.  We checked our luggage, and had a quick bite to eat at the Subway next door and walked down to the see the location of the convention centre.  We decided to hike up Signal Hill.  At the top we talked to an attendant and got directions to Lions Head.  As we started up Lions Head we met Erica from California and then continued to hike the spiral pathway to the peak.  The grade was initially gentle on a wide path then became narrow and steep after a complete revolution.  We even had ladders and rock staples in several places.  The view from the top was spectacular.  Table Mountain had her table cloth of clouds today.  We walked back to hotel via the main road, which happened to be Buildengragt where our hotel was located.  On checking into our room we found large clean room with a large TV and minifridge and small sink nearby.  Susie started by having a hot bath while I connected to the internet; I bought a card for R35 for 100 mb.  I followed in the tub a few minutes later.  For supper we went to the restaurant downstairs. I had a sirloin steak and baked potato, while Susie had a salad topped with chicken; both were excellent although my medium rare steak was rare.  The total price for dinner including the tip was just over R200- excellent value.

June 21.  Slept in until after 8 then had a huge breakfast on the 5th floor.  Great buffet of hot and cold meats, eggs, toast, fruit, juice, coffee etc.  For R120 each.  We then walked up to the Table Mountain cable station, continued past it for about 15 minutes until we found a sign for Plattenklip Gorge path.  While on the path we met Stefano from northern Italy. The path up was well maintained although quite steep and mostly in sunlight.  We arrived at the top just two and a half hours from the hotel and meandered to the upper cable station and restaurant area by three hours~ 1 PM; considering that everyone told us that hike from road by the lower cable car station to the top was 2 and half hours, our old legs served us well. The whole day gave us perfect weather; a sunny almost cloudless sky all day.  We took lots of pictures and saw a Dassie (aka hyrax), which is a small ground hog like mammal that is most closely related to the elephant.  We then walked around the top to Maclear’s Beacon then back to the gorge trail and out.  Stefano caught the bus not far below the lower cable station and we walked back to our hotel.

June 22.  First thing after breakfast to walk to the Victoria and Alfred Docks (V&A waterfront) via the working docks.  Then we looked around all the touristy stuff and by the new soccer stadium.  After going to Hertz rent a car, we saw our car with its small trunk and upgraded to a slightly larger one so that our suitcases would fit in the trunk.  We drove out of Cape Town via the N2 and took the R4 to Muizenberg then on to Glencairn; it was a weird feeling driving on the left and shifting with my left hand.  At Glencairn, we checked into the Glen Inn, which provided us with a quaint large unit; it had a sun room overlooking the bay. The bathroom was interesting as it had an iron tub with legs, and a toilet with a chain.  The taps on the tub did not shut off well.  It was R650/night for two with continental breakfast.  The hostess Greta was very helpful in pointing out various walk we could take and how to do the cape.  We took her advice and hiked up Elsie’s peak, a 300 and some metre peak just north of the inn.  The views from Elsie’s  were spectacular.

June 23.  At 8 AM we had breakfast with Greta and the man who runs the pub next door.  They gave us more advice about touring and we talked about the country of SA.  We drove to the entrance to the cape part of Table Mountain National Park and were told that we couldn’t buy a multi-park pass (aka Wild Card) there but had to drive 7 km inside to get it.  But to drive in you have to pay an entry fee that is not counted toward the pass.  This is the dumbest make work procedure they could have dreamed up; most countries would have the passes available at any entrance.   After that we drove to Cape Point and hiked to the upper (older) then the lower lighthouse.  After lunch we hiked to the Cape of Good Hope and walked down to the beach that joins them; almost no one does it but we had to of course.  After that we drove to Olifantsbos then hiked the beach to the wreck of the Thomas T Tucker; even though it went down in 1942 there is still a lot of steel to rust away.  On the way back to the park entrance, AC we saw antelopes (Bontebok?), zebras and ostriches by the road.  Then after leaving the park, we stopped in Simon’s Town to see the African Penguins.  It was a very successful day.  Also stopped to get a book on hostels in SA.  That evening, I tested the hypothesis that all SA wines are good by getting merlot for less than R30; it was quite alright.  I had to be impressed.  Of course, I am anything but a wine connoisseur.

June 24.  After breakfast we left Glencairn and drove eastward through Fishhoek (where I bought another plug adaptor for 220 to 110 V plugs.  Then we took R310 to N2 and R44.  We stopped often along the coast to enjoy the view then just before Betty’s Bay we hiked up an nice little peak after finding the path which had been marked with a cairn on the dirt road near the R44.  After getting into Hermanus, we found our accommodations for the next two days- Tiny Bubbles a small, self-catering place just as you enter Hermanus.  For the great price of R600/night we got a unit that over 600 sq ft including a living room with large TV, full kitchen, large bedroom and bathroom.  Everything in it was first class; Elma even had little flowers on the towels and elsewhere and two glasses of sherry.  We lucked out on this one.  In addition our hostess was a lovely person.  We spent the afternoon hiking up and down the rocks by the cliffside pathway.

June 25.  Our first activity today was to check out the clubhouse that we also had access to.  It had a pool and large weight room with free weights and exercise machines.  We did an upper body workout then headed out to Schulphoekwig, a street that took us to the western end of the accessible cliffs.  After walking along toward the east, we ran into the abalone farm and New Harbour and had to walk around them inland.  We then picked up the cliff path and walked to the centre of town by the old harbour for a latish lunch.  After that it was continue eastward until we thought we might run out of light.  On the way back we stopped at Pik’n Pay to check out groceries.  One item we picked up was peanut and sow butter- not bad although sweeter than anticipated.  We toyed with the idea of staying in Hermanus one more night because the accommodations were so nice but decided to move on an see new vistas tomorrow.