February 15, 2020

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens Pre stay Day 3

Private Tour to Cape of Good Hope

We had booked a private tour to the Cape of Good Hope through Viator while at home. The schedule called for a pick up at our hotel at 9:00. We had an early breakfast and were seated in the lobby at 8:30. Shortly thereafter I noticed a car pull up. A guide came in and stopped at the Travel Desk. I could not hear their conversation, but the guide soon went to registration. After about 5 minutes he returned to the lobby and stopped to ask if we were the Finns. Because we had not booked through the hotel they had not been much help. 

Peter, our guide, reviewed the plan for the day with us before taking us to his very nice and comfortable car. He would be with us until 5:00 if the touring took that long. We would drive in a southerly direction toward the Cape.  

We passed Green Point and the large sports arena, Bantry Bay, Clifton, and Camps Bay while on our way to Hout Bay. Peter was an excellent driver. He shared stories about the places we passed, and he explained the history. We learned that he was a 27-year-old foreigner from the Republic of Condo. The laws would never allow him to become a citizen. He could not get any form of credit, and because his documents have to be renewed every six months he cannot even sign a lease. He has to have a roommate. 

At Haut Bay, we stopped to take a boat ride to Seal Island. This cluster of rocks around a point from the harbor is home to a large population of seals. It was fun to watch them playing and lazing around. It was also fun watching the captain spinning the wheel so we would not be badly bounced or sprayed by the high waves. Peter had secured us good seats. 

Back on land, we continued our drive. We drove up Chapman’s Peak highway. This marvel took 7 years of hard labor to build. It provides magnificent views of Hout Bay and the seal island. Peter did an admirable job of keeping us on the road while explaining the views. 

Our next stop was Simon's Town for a visit to Boulders Beach. This is home to a large number of African penguins. And we did see a large number of them. We watched a dad feeding a juvenile under him. We saw another penguin incubating an egg. There was a lot of scurrying around these two. This was a treat to see. 

THERE IS A PENGUIN IN THE WATER

The only downside was the wind whipping across the sand. Our cheeks felt like pincushions from the sting of windblown sand. We could not help getting some in our noses and hair. It was tenacious, and required a shower, when we got home, to liberate us from it. Peter drove the car around to the parking lot so we would not have to climb the very steep hill we had walked down on our arrival. That was a godsend. 

Next stop, the Cape of Good Hope. An easy drive brought us to the park entrance. Here we joined a long line of cars waiting to purchase tickets. Finally, we drove to the parking lot. It was a long way up to the observation point at the lighthouse. A funicular ran halfway up to it, but from there over 100 steep steps had to be climbed. Peter advised taking pictures at our level in order to save our knees. We demurred and walked to the restaurant. 

CAPE BABOONS

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE

CAPE LIGHTHOUSE

We asked Peter to join us for lunch. He ate like a bird, but the conversation was most interesting. This is when we learned about black on black crime. Some blacks indigenous to South Africa view black foreigners as a threat. They view them as competitors for their jobs at a time when unemployment is at 30%. This has led to murders in some instances. Peter tries not to think about this, and he carefully goes about his business. 

We left the restaurant and walked to a viewpoint to capture this special visit. On the way, we dodged a mother baboon with her baby on her back. We had no food, so she left us alone. 

We headed back to Cape Town where Peter gave us a driving tour of city center. Then we went to the Po Kapp neighborhood. We parked and walked a few blocks to admire the colorful houses of the Malay. 

BEACHES ON THE WAY HOME

BO KAPP COLORED HOUSES

Before long this full/day tour came to an end.

Peter returned us to our hotel where we expressed our gratitude, wished him well and said our goodbyes. 

After going to our room where we wiped sand out of our ears and brushed more out of our hair, we walked to the waterfront for ice cream. That was supper. Our excellent lunch was our main meal today.

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE MOUNTAIN

YARD HAS BEEN BUSY PAINTING 

REFLECTIONS IN CANAL IN FRONT OF OUR HOTEL

ANOTHER VIEW