27th July 08

Date: 27th July 08
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Weather: Heavy rain overnight, clear blue skies and a great view of Table Mountain! 22°c
Status: Raring to get moving again…I hate sitting still I’ve decided!

Left Kommetjie and headed south in the morning to the Cape of Good Hope another landmark on the expedition. Lots of people think this is the most southerly point on the African continent but Agulhas is and this is really the famous Cape for another reason…the point where centuries ago the explorers and mariners on the Silk and Spice routes would turn and head due east towards India and the Far East.

If they were lucky they’d clear the point with no problems but many didn’t and perished on the submerged rocks and reefs which lie close to the shore; this being the site of many shipwrecks and unfortunate deaths.

We walked from the ‘under construction’ car park up the slopes and steps, avoiding the costly funicular railway, to the old lighthouse at the top of the cliff path and took the usual tourist photo of me pointing to the sign which reads London. Bre and I then walked the narrow path down to the new lighthouse which in 1911 replaced the old one as its position was more visible during heavy sea mists.

Back in the Colonel and took a scenic drive through Hout Bay, Clifton and Camps Bay before turning the corner at Lion’s Head and seeing the familiar sight of Table Mountain protecting the city below. Its been ten years since I was here last when working for Mumm Champagne at the Round the World Race and its good to see in that time that the authorities still haven’t finished the road between two suspended flyover sections…something that’s stuck in my mind ever since! Africa, hehe.

Our location for the next few days was just north of the city at Saltycrax Backpackers and we fitted, just onto their forecourt and have spent the last two days here. The group will split up again for the next 6 weeks or so from here, Kees has his boy arriving for a months holiday, the Watkins family will move back east along the coast towards Durban and Mozambique and Alex and I head north in a weeks time to meet up with Rachel and Jo, two friends from the UK.

We’ll all join up again in around 6 weeks and hope to move up the east coast together offering each other security, a damn good time and reunited friendships which we’ve built over the past 3 months together.

End of day location: Cape Town, South Africa
Distance covered: 162kms