Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Hermanus and the very tip of Africa (where the two oceans meet)!

Hermanus is a small town on the coast (Atlantic side) about 2 1/2 hours south east of Cape Town. We drove down here yesterday evening and will return to Cape Town tomorrow morning. We're staying in a lovely "Beach Villa" nearly on the water with balcony views of the crashing waves in front of us and on both sides. The weather is cool at night - we sleep with the doors to our two balconies completely open!

Today we drove for 2 hours, further south east, to the very tip of Africa. Boy is that a remote place! There are a few SMALL towns that we drove through to get there, but it is desolate. Except that this is wine country, so the scenery is dotted with vineyards, as well as cattle and sheep farms. (I also saw an ostrich on the way.)

The tip of Africa is where the two oceans meet - the Atlantic (COLD) and the Indian (WARM). The colors are different as well. The very tip is a national park and is rocky and desolate. There is nothing touristy about it; just a dirt road, a few signs pointing the way, some wooden benches and a stone marker.

Sophia and I went and took the requisite photos at the very tip and then found a parking spot a bit up the road to enjoy our picnic lunch (in the car because it is VERY windy outside).

Then we drove on to Struisbaai - on the Indian Ocean. We pulled into a random beach parking lot (the only car there) at 2:00pm, stepped down onto the sandy beach and out into the water. It was so warm!!!! We were supposed to skype with Sophia's class back at the lodge at 4:00pm and needed to leave immediately, but she was so happy dancing and jumping in the water that I didn't have the heart to jump back into the car, so I emailed Mrs. G (teacher) to reschedule the skype session and we settled onto the beach for the next two hours. We left around 4:00 when two kite surfer were just getting going!

The topography reminds me of the midwest - long stretches of nothing but farmland - but with major hills, and mountains in the distance. Beautiful!

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