South Africa Mon 16 Nov '09

South Africa Mon 16 Nov '09
We drive to Cape Agulhas, the most southerly point of Africa. This is officially where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. Not a friendly meeting. The sea is wild and rough, and it's very windy. Sadly, many ships have sunk here, as they have all along this coast. But we are tourists so we have a group photo around the 'Most Southerly Point' stone then retreat to the lighthouse cafe for tea.

Next to Hermanus (Chris didn't tell who Herm was, or the significance of this part of his body)
This is a small resort with a promenade right up against the rocky coastline. Just metres from the promenade, whales are surfacing and diving, tails in the air. They are Southern Right whales, slow and majestic. They come here every year for mating and calving. Slow motion emotion, watching these great animals.

Then more coastal road - Clarence Drive around the other side of false Bay - another top 10 scenic route. It is spectacular, cliffs rising up on one side, a raging sea crashing over shoreline rocks on the other. There are Great White sharks out there. Not a place to go out on your pedalo.

As we approach Cape Town, there is a never ending township, mostly to the left of us. It is 13 kilometres long. There are between 800,000 and 1.5 million people in townships around Cape Town. Still much to do in South Africa, housing, crime, education, economic policy - it's all inter-linked. It looks as though there has been some progress, and it's only 15 years since apartheid, so I guess it's much too early for history to judge these ANC governments. A mammoth task so Good Luck to them, I say.

We have our last supper as a group, and say farewell to each other and to Chris and Mike. They have done a great job. Tomorrow is our last day, a free (ie free of Chris!) day. All the Best, John