…And Who You Share Your Time With

For the last leg of our South Africa trip, we boarded the Southern African Airlink at the Kruger Mpumalanaga Airport and arrived at the Cape Town International Airport about three hours later. Renting a car, we bumped along the N2 and 20 minutes later the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront came into view. Against the backdrop of Table Mountain, The Victoria & Alfred Hotel welcomed us in. Staying there, right in the heart of Cape Town, the “Mother City”, would be a completely different experience from the first part of our journey on safari in the South African bushveld.

From my journal, June 1, 2008, Cape Town, South Africa

“An elegant hotel, modern, yet charming…spacious, comfortable, beautiful view…received a handwritten welcome card and champagne when we checked in… everyone is so friendly.”

Day break found us on the pier where Robert snapped pictures of the glorious sunrise. Over a continental breakfast, we chose our destination for the day. Our goal on safari was to see the Big Five, our aim here was to experience the Big Six. The first of which was the V&A Waterfront that we explored when we arrived. The second was right in front of us, Table Mountain. Because of attacks on hikers, our travel agent suggested we take the cable car to the top, but she added that security had been stepped up, so we decided to hike it. This required us to enter the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, the third main attraction. Paying a small entrance fee, we parked, then enjoyed meandering the gardens for a bit, admiring some of the 7,000 species of plants that grow there! Inquiring about the best trail up, we were told to take Skeleton Gorge, a 4.4 mile trek to the Maclear’s Beacon. It was, as the person at the Information Center said, “the easiest route up, just steep.”

Locating the trailhead, we ambled through the dense forest with moss-covered rocks. Here the climbing was gradual. But an hour later when we entered Smuts Track, it became a rocky single track that included stone steps, and rope ladders! Encountering water cascading down the ravine, we scrambled up higher and higher. At one point, I slipped and fell, soaking the camera hanging around my neck. Muddy, wet, and exhausted, we emerged at Maclear’s Beacon in about three hours. However, we realized we still had to traverse a ways before reaching the tabletop summit. With an elevation gain of 3000 feet, we admired the incredible views of Table Bay, Cape Town suburbs, and Cape Peninsula. What goes up must come down, so after 4+ grueling hours up and over, we headed to the Table Mountain Cableway for a quick tame ride down.

Back at our hotel, a message from Sandy and Mikaela awaited us. We met them the week before at the N’Kaya Lodge in Hoedspruit. Staying at the same hotel, the four of us got together for dinner at Baia. Sitting outdoors overlooking Granger Bay, we dined on seafood, relayed stories of our day and our lives, and laughed…a lot! We asked Sandy about her work in Hollywood and Makaela about her studies in Madagascar. They asked us about our adventures living in London.

Comparing notes on the rest of our itineraries, once again we were headed in the same direction…to the wine region. Visiting Groot Constantia, the oldest wine-producing farm, would check off the fourth of the Big Six. When Sandy mentioned they had hired a driver and suggested we tour together, we happily agreed.

The next morning we were greeted by a cool cloudy day along with Sandy and Mikaela’s smiling faces. Dressed in a navy suit and red tie, Igsean picked us up in a white Mercedes. We’d be riding in style! Friendly and informative, Igsean was a terrific guide.

Among the wineries we stopped by were the Groot Constantia, Seidelberg, Stellenbosch, Fairview, and Vergelegan. All were grand and featured Cape Dutch architecture. These rolling green estates were picturesque, and the views of the lush hillsides were spectacular.

From my journal: June 2, 2008, Cape Town, South Africa

“Robert called Igsean, Iggy! What a day…wine tasting was so much fun…took a pic of M enjoying her 1^st wine tasting…bought cheese, pasta, wine, & water and Igsean brought us to a wonderful spot for a picnic!”

The following day, we planned to experience number 5 on our list, a boat ride to Robben Island to tour the Gateway Museum and the jail where Nelson Mandela had been imprisoned for 27 years. But first, we said our thank yous and good-byes to Sandy and Mikaela, promising to stay in touch.

Stormy weather prevented us from going to Robben Island, so we drove to Cape Point, the last Must Do. Driving down the Atlantic coast we passed a few seaside suburbs and took a break in Hout Bay. There we could saw Twelve Apostles, the buttresses on the sea-facing side of Table Mountain. Amazing!

From my journal: June 3, 2008, Cape Town, South Africa

“At Cape Point, took the funicular to the lighthouse, gorgeous views of False Bay…drove to the Cape of Good Hope – the south western most point of the ‘continent’ – wow! so windy!…went to Boulders Beach…saw the African penguins…very cool! Ate lunch at 2 Doors…saw a baboon steal potato chips right out of a girl’s hand!”

Back late in the day, we took our last excursion to a craft market called the Watershed. It was the perfect place to find authentic African souvenirs. Among our buys were stencils and wax pencils, bracelets, napkin rings, and beaded food covers for dining al fresco.

Still in awe of our time in South Africa, we returned to the U.K. When our film was developed into photos, we got the chance to relive our once-in-a-lifetime trip, reminiscing about the people we met, places we visited, and things we experienced. Traveling with Robert always creates shared memories, and most often provides fodder for fun stories to tell friends and family! Sharing time with the people we meet along the way always connects us. To each other, to a time, to a place. While these relationships may be short-lived, and may not remain, the memories we make together always do.