Hout Bay | Zimbabwe Absurdity

The fairest Cape

4 01 2012

It was quite a “culture” shock getting back from Cape Town on Friday. Back to the dirty streets, potholes, melies growing on the verge and plastic bags and polystyrene lunch boxes EVERYWHERE! Cape Town is still clean and well run. To be sure the crime is a serious problem but after 2 weeks of unwinding I was thoroughly relaxed. The weather was good as one would expect at this time of year though the wind got a bit tedious it lived up to it’s more pleasant moniker (Cape of Storms being the other one).

: Cape Agulhas. Not nearly as dramatic as Cape Point but it IS the southernmost point of the African continent. L to R: self, June, Gary.

: There are lots of old, windblown trees on the peninsula. This old cyprus somehow escaped the exotic eradication policy of the park. There are some indigenous trees around though we did not see them. Curiously there does not seem to be a policy of propagation and replacement of the indigenous trees. That’s Cape Point in the background.

: That’s it! Cape Point. It does not get much more dramatic than this. Pity you cannot smell the guano.

: The fairest capes. Cape McClear in the foreground and Cape of Good Hope in the sea mist behind.

: Sunset on Chapman’s Peak Road. This road on the west coast of the peninsular was closed for a number of years due to dangerous rock falls. It has since re-opened with steel catch fences but I don’t think they would stop anything sizeable.

: Chapman’s Peak road

: I do know the name of this one! It’s an erica (all part of the fynbos – which is fine bush to those who don’t speak Afrikaans)

: Lots of flowers!

: More flowers

: I guess I should get a book to identify the flowers next time. The Cape is know for its flowers in summer.

: These small flowers were all over Cape Point.

: 3/4 of the Family Goss. Stuart works in Liberia (that’s him on the left) and he managed to join us after 5 days. June and Gary L to R.

: Hout Bay from Chapman’s Peak Road

: Hout Bary Harbour looking south (Hout Bay is on the west coast of the peninsular)

: Hout Bay for lunch. Zimbos are everywhere! We met (from L) Leslie, Gary, self, June, Peter and Simon for lunch at the Hout Bay harbour.

: Kalk Bay Harbour is a favourite of tourists and very picturesque. I suspect the boats are kept looking pretty to keep the tourists coming. Some good cafes there too.

: More Kalk Bay boats

: Another Kalk Bay fishing boat

: Kalk Bay fishing boat

: Lizard. There is other wildlife in the Table Mountain National Park. Baboons abound and are a nuisance at the picnic sites where they are kept at bay by game guards. NEVER feed them – it only makes them more aggressive.

: The appropriately named Long Beach on the west coast of the peninsular. Those are horses in the centre of the photo.

: Muizenburg is on the north coast of False Bay and a favourite of surfers.

: Proteas are everywhere on the Cape Peninsular – no wonder they are the national flower. It’s all part of the fynbos (fine bush) which in the region is home to some 1100 species of plant. Tha’s one of the highest densities of species per area anywhere on the planet.