We arrived in Cape Town in the early morning of October 26. My hopes of a trip to Victoria Falls and two new countries of Botswana and Zimbabwe did not pan out.
Instead I rented a car for an epic five day road trip--destination to be determined. All I knew was that my first stop would be Cape Agulhas--the southern most tip of the continent of Africa. Getting there I drove along the south coast past False Bay (above).
Stop in beautiful Hermanus for road trip snacks and for some coastal walking hoping to see some whales (nope).
The drive through the rolling wheat and grape fields around Stanford and Bredasdorp was so beautiful.
Recently harvested winter wheat,
Arrived in Agulhas just in time for pre-setting sun light.
Impressive huge rock continent of Africa.
I felt the waters of the Indian Ocean to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
Southern most flowers on the African continent.
Has a delicious seafood dinner and then went back for a last look at the light house.
Next day I headed east along the Garden Route. I had thought I might stay in Knysna but I decided to press on to my top destination first--the Addo Elephant National park to the north of Port Elizabeth--500 miles west of Cape town. It was a long day of driving and no photos were taken! I imagined the garden route to be full of flowers but it was full of agricultural productivity filling the coastal plain with the impressive mountains of the great escarpment rising in the north and paralleling my whole route.
I spent the next two nights and the lovely Stellenhof Guest House. From there It was a short drive to the national park.
My room was the last door was one of three rooms in the old horse stables. The more distant building was the farm house.
Sadly the wifi tower was down so my plans to blog were thwarted.
On the third day I spent eight hours traversing the large national park. It was a wonderful outing.
Common plain zebra--with distinct tan striping.
Gloss starling
Solar energy used to pump water to fill the watering holes.
First sighting of elephants on a hillside.
And a lone bull on the crest.
Dung beetles at work rolling up elephant dung. The female is doing all the work.
Leopard tortoise.
Matriarchs leading the whole herd away from the watering hole.
Reminded me of the marching elephants in the Jungle Book.
Nice to get out of the car and watch from a protected viewing place.
Red hartebeest
Blue herons strutting.
View south to the coastal dunes
Ibis and the everywhere warthogs
Yellow mongoose
Bath time
Baboon
Half hidden lone black rhino (center) from a hill top look out.
My excellent guide for the day. He drove my rental car so I could focus on photos. He found plenty of wildlife for me to see including the nearly hidden black rhino. The only thing we didn't see were cape buffalo and lion.
New orange groves abutting the National Park and surrounding my guest house.
Farm house turned guest house in the distant stand of trees.
Yummy fresh squeezed orange juice for breakfast.
Guest house fence. Orange groves. Township.
Township. My guide for the day lives in another nearby township--a remnant from the racial segregated system of apartheid. He has opted to stay because of the sense of community--including the fact that you can play loud music and nobody is bothered--that he feels in the densely packed area. Homes all have running water and electricity.
My morning drive traversed the arid Karoo region of South Africa. Its steppe climate and vegetation reminded me of parts of Utah. This is not longer the Garden Path.
Outside of Steytlerville I was surprised to see a long line of flags painted on the hillside. I parked and walked the route. They started with what I think is the first arrival of Europeans (I think the Portuguese) followed by the Dutch VOC (East India CO), Britain, and then South Africa flags from both during and after Apartheid.
Stopped for gas in the Steytlerville.
After a delicious lunch in Willowmore, I asked the Afrikaner proprietor who was about my age about the road up and over Prince Alfred Pass. Travel reviews had mentioned a narrow dirt road that some deemed treacherous. I had my doubts. She reassured me. She said she often takes that route and it is just fine. She was right it was like many dirt roads I've travelled in the western USA.
It was a grand two hour drive up and over the Great Escarpment through the Knysna National Park down to Knysna Forests of the Garden Route National Park.
Sunset over Knysna Bay from my guest house balcony.
Delicious sea food sampler at the harbor.
Final day drive back to Cape Town. Great Escarpment and fertile Garden Route.
Next day I enjoyed a leisure day in and around the Victoria and Albert Harbor. Had some great shrimp Tacos, bought snacks and picked out a Christmas gift for granddaughter Ida!
Loved South Africa!
