The Good (part 1)

(from 6/17)

We went to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point on Saturday. What an amazing place! I remember learning in grade school about the explorers rounding the Cape of Good Hope excited to see what was on the “other side of the world” and I remember thinking how far away that was from me… I never thought I would actually get to see it for myself a mere 10 years later! We hiked up to Cape Point, the southern-most point of Africa where we could see the ocean on one side and a sea of clouds on the other, covering up the waters below. Just below and a little to the West rests the Cape of Good Hope. We hiked down to the waters and laid on large rocks as the ocean water swelled around us. I’m pretty sure we could see the South Pole just a mere 6,000 km away if we looked really, really hard. While we were at the waterfront some fancy schmancy tour group of foreign women came with champagne celebrating who knows what, the fact that their jeeps made it down the paved road to the Cape so they didn’t have to hike the rocky paths? Who knows, but I think they felt sorry for us as we trudged back up the hillside sweaty, dirty and champagne-less. I think we took more pity on them that they felt the need to bring every comfort from home with them instead of enjoying the rugged beauty in a more natural way.

I know I’ve said it before, but from what I have seen of Africa, it truly is a zoo without cages! The wildlife at the Cape was incredible! On our drive up we had to quickly yield to a pack of baboons that was hanging out in the street – baboons! They are kind of ugly creatures, but beautiful in their own way. A few kilometers up the road we saw another baboon just perched on a post on the side of the road, minding his own business. Apparently, the baboons on the Cape have become very accustomed to humans and have been known to destroy cars in order to get the food on the inside. We also saw wild ostriches grazing on our hike down to the Cape of Good Hope, plain as day without a care in the world. Little lizards were in abundance and we could see them sunbathing on warm rocks and scurrying out of our path every few steps.