Adventures at the Southern Tip

Today was definitely our fullest day yet (perhaps aided by a final triumph over jetlag with a 9AM alarm). We rented a car, cursing the fact that neither of us can drive stick (manual cars run 150R, about $18 a day, while automatics are R550, more like $50). Sean bravely navigated mountain terrain from the right side of the car and the left side of the road. Not even one almost-head-on collision!



We visited Boulder Beach, with a colony of rare jackass penguins (more PC-ly, or maybe less PC-ly, African penguins) . For 60R, they've set up a boardwalk where you can walk through and visit with the penguins without disturbing them. See adorable evidence below.

Penguins mate for life! These two are pre-feather teens all snuggley by the beach.

Us and a penguin couple. The penguins put us to shame.

Here is a penguin by its bed. They all had numbers, so I think they all have an assigned cubby they return to each night.



A Penguin Parade

After the penguins we headed to Cape Point Nature Reserve. At two points on the drive (once right after the restaurant we stopped at and on the drive up to the actual Cape Point.

A troupe started approaching our car, the leading one trying to eat a giant plastic tarp. That car coming from the other direction let their kids hang halfway out the window taking pictures with shiny cameras, so we felt very smart in comparison.

This one was carrying a baby under its belly.
Oh, and wild ostriches also ran along the car at some points. We passed a shop selling Ostrich leather purses and wallets on the way out, which was a bit awkward.

The drive/destination themselves were beyond gorgeous. I wish the pictures could show how massive the mountain ranges and rock beaches were. Here's the best I can do

On the Atlantic side of Cape Point, there are dozens of deserted beaches.


The Atlantic Ocean is the green one, since it's 15 degrees cooler than the Indian Ocean at the spot (here!) where they meet! I always thought the divisions between oceans on maps was fairly arbitrary, but I guess it's not since you can actually SEE the line. Very neat.


Cape Point is marketed as the most southern tip in Africa. It's actually the second most southern point, but the real most southern point isn't accessible to man. Though the oceans don't meet here, so I still think Cape Point came out on top.