Bicycling by Baboons and Touching the Edge of the Earth

Today was a fantastic combination of activity and sensory indulgence as we biked over hilly, challenging terrain and experienced gorgeous views and delectable local cuisine. We were up and out of Cape Cadogan Hotel at 8 AM this morning and heading towards the Cape of Good Hope, the most southwestern point on the African continent. Along the way we stopped to take a look at the grounds of Groot Constantia (Big Constantia), the oldest winery in South Africa (established 1685). The winery was begun by Simon Van der Stel, the first governor of the Cape of Good Hope, who ordered soil samples from numerous areas south of Table Mountain and, after analyzing them, settled upon the absolute best. The location is just stunning with acre upon acre of vineyards and mountains rising on all sides! On the property there are beautiful white washed buildings with thatched roofs in the Cape Dutch style. White and red rose bushes are planted at the end of each row of grapes. I found it aesthetically spectacular, but apparently it serves a purpose as well! Doug explained that grapes and roses suffer from the same types of disease, though roses show it more readily, thereby allowing winemakers to know if something is going wrong with the plants.

Once we left the vineyard, we continued toward Cape of Good Hope. We pulled off to the side of the road to look at an ostrich farm when Graham noticed a Chacma baboon sitting in a nearby tree. These baboons are unique because they will fish for mussels in the sea. Apparently they are also thieves! Carmin warned us to be careful because baboons like to steal things, especially if they think it is food, and are likely to make off with your camera if you hold it up to your face! Soon a whole group of baboons appeared, crossing the street in front of us bound for the ostrich farm.

Not long after spotting the baboons we came to the Cape of Good Hope. Standing at the edge of the continent was so cool! The ocean seemed immense and engulfing, but the aqua color of the water was incomparably beautiful. This stop was brief as our cycling guides, Peter and Margaret, were waiting for us at Cape Point. They passed out helmets to Dan, Carmin, and myself and gave us a quick lesson on how the gears worked and what our ride would be like. We peddled down the road for a while and then up a steep hill that led to a scenic lookout over False Bay. Cliffs lined a shore covered with rust colored boulders. You could see straight through the clear blue water near the shore. Peter told us that this area is seasonally occupied by whales and, as a result, whale watchers! We headed back to the main road and soon came down to the beach. That was my absolute favorite part of the ride – with the ocean sparkling before me and the wind whipping all around, I was filled with a true sense of peace.
I loved the ride through the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, though it quickly became evident that I hadn’t really ridden in a long time. I forgot those bike seats can be so uncomfortable! I would highly recommend bringing a pair of bike shorts with you.

Following our ride, we headed to a charming seaside town called Simon’s Town, named after the aforementioned Simon Van der Stel! We ate at Bertha’s restaurant, which sits beside a harbor.

The food was very good and fresh. Dan raved about his gargantuan prawn (giant is an understatement).

We made it back to the hotel just after 5:00 PM and had a little downtime to relax and freshen up. Nothing was planned for dinner this evening, as all of our trips allow guests one dinner on their own to create their own experience. Dan and Dennis spoke with the hotel clerk who recommended a restaurant just down Kloof Street. Earlier in the day Carmin and I discussed how meat from beef and poultry has a different texture in South Africa than it does in America. I know it might be a strange thing to notice, but I resolved to try a South African steak at the next opportunity and the chance came sooner than I anticipated. At dinner I ordered a fillet and it was very good, savory, tender, and juicy but somehow softer than in The States. Carmin ordered Warthog ribs for herself and offered for us to try some. They were delicious and moist, very similar to pork ribs with a slightly different flavor.

Tomorrow we’ll be kayaking in the ocean near a penguin colony. I absolutely cannot wait. I definitely need to charge my camera battery for this excursion! Afterwards we’ll have a picnic lunch and tour (and taste) the wine region known as Stellenbosch.