Shark Cage Diving in Gansbaii Bay

My friend, Lina, and her husband visited Cape Town in October of 2012 and gave me lots of great suggestions about things to see and do; one of which was shark cage diving. When I mentioned it to Dave, he just looked at me like I was crazy. Lina assured me it wasn’t scary, but rather it was an awesome experience. I began looking into the possibility online and discovered that there were many tour companies in the Cape Town area from which to choose. After thoroughly researching the review of the various operators, I selected Great White Shark Tours.

The tour begins in Gansbaii Bay, which was about a 2 ½ hour drive east of Cape Town. We drove through some really beautiful country, particularly a gorgeous summit that overlooked False Bay. As was becoming typical of our driving excursions, Dave had to take my word that the views were stunning, as his eyes had to remain on the road.

We were one of the first to arrive, and were treated to breakfast (or was it intended to serve as our last meal?). After a brief safety message, we were each given a big orange raincoat. While they may not have been fashionable, I was quite happy to have mine, considering the wind and cool air.

Some shark facts -

·        The female sharks are typically larger than the males.

·        The average adult shark is between 13-17 feet and weigh between 1,500 - 2,400 pounds.

·        Since the great white shark has no known natural enemies, it dwells at the top of the food chain. Because of this, the great whit is regarded as an apex predator.

·        Great whites have rows of as many as 3,000 serrated teeth which sit behind the main teeth. Trust me….there are lots!

There were about 20-25 of us, and we soon boarded the Apex Predator (didn’t know the significance of the name until I did a bit of research) for our adventure out into the bay.

We cruised across the inlet for about 20-30 minutes, and when we stopped I was surprised to see how close we were from the shore. There were three other boats anchored in fairly close proximity to us, and our captain said he had been in contact with one of them, who said they had been anchored for two hours before they saw their first shark. He told us that, on average, it takes about 20 minutes in which to lure the sharks.

Attracting the sharks is a pretty simple process. One guy is standing on a rather small and narrow ledge at the back of the boat. He has a large 30 gallon drum of “chum,” which is basically bits of tuna and other fish. He continually mashes and stirs the ingredients with a large stick. His actions are such that the chum spills out over the drum and lands in the water, thus attracting the sharks. From time to time he fills up a smaller bucket with water and pours it into the drum. This guy has the worst job, in my opinion. Not only must it stink to high heaven, but he must constantly stir the chum, which was at least two hours.

Another guy has a long rope with a large piece of tuna tied to the end. He stands either right above or to the right of the cage. He casts the rope out into the ocean as if fishing. He slowly drags it back towards the cage before throwing it out again.

At this point, no one is in the cage. He also has a second rope with a styrofoam cutout of a seal. One passenger asked the captain if that seal really attracts sharks, and he said, “sometimes.” He told us that seals only make up about 10% of a shark’s diet, but that sometimes the color attracts them.

While the chum guy and fisherman did their jobs, the captain was responsible for watching out for a shark. He told us that it wouldn’t be like the movie, “Jaws,” where you see the dorsal fin moving stealthily through the water, but rather the water would cast a big shadow. Sure to his word, about 20 minutes later, the captain yelled, “Shark!”

The fisherman cast the tuna out and enticed the shark to come closer to the boat, which he did. So close, in fact, that he bit one of the floaties on the cage. After the shark had circled around three or four times, the captain encouraged the first eight people to get ready to enter the cage. Since we were sitting on the roof of the boat, those on the first floor would go first. We had a great vantage point from which to watch the initial action. At this point, I was a bit anxious. The sharks were SO close, and bigger than I ever expected.

After all eight of the divers were in the cage, the top was secured and the fisherman tossed out the tuna, pulling it back towards the cage….and the divers! The cage is secured to the side of the boat and sits about two feet above the water line. When you are in the cage, you grab the bar above you, keeping your head above the water. The fisherman tracks the movement of the shark and announces where to look. So, if the shark is coming up on the left, he will yell, “Shark on your left. Down! Down! Down!” You hold your breath and go under. As you go down, there is a bar immediately in front of you to which you grasp. Not to worry….the bar is a good 6 inches from the outside of the cage. There is also a bar down by your feet. We were told to place our feet under the bar, but I could never get the hang of that and always had my feet on top of the bar.

After the second group came out, it was our turn. We tugged, pulled, heaved, and wrenched on our full body wetsuits. The suits even covered our heads. We were also given boots, and finally a mask. This operation was a well-oiled machine; very organized and efficient.

When we saw the first shark, I wasn’t sure why they didn’t just get a group into the cage immediately so that as soon as a shark came close, they would get the first up-close look. Once I got into the water, I figured out why. The water was bitter cold! We were told it was about 53 degrees. As much as I enjoy scuba diving there is NO way I would ever go scuba diving in this kind of water. Literally, within minutes my fingers were stiff. We were told that before a group got in the water, they want to make sure the shark intends to hang around.

Before Dave and I were in the water a minute, the fisherman was yelling, “Shark on your right! Down! Down! Down!” I took a deep breath and went under. The visibility was quite poor, but before I knew it, I came face to face with my first great white shark. I held my breath as long as I could, marveling at the very experience, and wanting to etch it into my mind forever.

Dave was immediately to the left of me. We were told to go down as the shark was coming straight for us, so under the water we went. He was not kidding. The shark swam directly towards Dave, opened his mouth, and took a couple of bites of the cage. His mouth was so wide open that I could have counted his teeth. He then turned towards his left and swam alongside the cage. It would have been easy to simply reach my hand out and touch him….that’s how close he was to me. During our safety briefing we were told that under no circumstances were we to touch the shark. If we were seen sticking our fingers, hands, feet, or any other part of our body out of the cage, we would immediately be removed from the cage and returned to shore. Shark cage diving is an industry in this area, and they will not allow anyone to jeopardize their livelihood.

We spent about 20 minutes in the cage, during which time we were able to see the shark multiple times. I remember having a difficult time getting out of the cage to the boat. Not only was I cold, but I had about 5 added kilos attached to my waist. As I tried to pull myself up onto the boat, I briefly wondered if I was going to meet the shark face to face….without a cage. Everyone had the opportunity to get back into the water a second time, but I was just too cold. I couldn’t feel most of my fingers and was afraid I wouldn’t be able to hang on to the bars if I went back in.

Dave braved the frigid waters to go down one more time.

I returned to the top of the boat and took more pictures and videos. It was just as incredible watching them approach the boat from that vantage point.

While I was taking pictures, I introduced myself to the woman sitting next to me. Her husband had also decided to go back down a second time. She told me they were both physicians and were in their last year of their residency programs in Chicago. Her husband was specializing in infectious diseases and thought it would be a good learning experience to visit Africa and learn about some of their diseases up close. They were planning on spending about two weeks travelling around South Africa. Most of the others were from Europe or South Africa. Dave and I were obviously the oldest in the entire group.

We saw four different sharks that day, one of which was about 13-14 feet long (nearly as long as the cage), as well as a “baby” shark. He was probably around 6 feet long, and was pretty reluctant to come very close to the cage, as opposed to the larger sharks that seemed to have no fear. We were surprised at how long the sharks stayed around the boat and kept coming back time and time again. Time went so quickly, but we estimate that we hung out with the sharks for 2-3 hours. There were lots and lots of birds getting their fill of the tuna and chum. I could also see big schools of fish following the tuna bits. We were the last shark cage diving group in the bay to leave.

After seeing the great white sharks up close and personal, there is no way I would ever get in the water anywhere near this bay or even Cape Town. Neither Dave nor I thought the water was as salty as say the Pacific or Caribbean oceans. Lina had warned me that she and Matt smelled so bad when they got out of the water because of the chum in the water, but we didn’t even notice!

After my initial apprehension, once I got in the cage I found I wasn’t scared in the least by the sharks. I felt completely protected and safe inside the cage. In fact, I looked forward to them coming towards the cage each and every time. But, there will be NO swimming in those waters by me….ever! While I may not be scared of them in the cage, I have a great deal of respect for them in the open waters.

Robben Island and Apartheid

After a lazy morning at Abbey Manor and a very interesting haircut Dave received at the V&A Waterfront (I’m not going to embarrass him in a blog, so I’ll let him explain the experience in person for those brave enough to ask), we took a ferry to Robben Island.

Robben Island is a small island located just off the coast of Cape Town, and is Dutch for “seal island,” although I never saw one seal. It has gained notoriety as it is the place at which Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of the 27 years he served.

I was anticipating a thorough history of Apartheid in South Africa, but was very much disappointed. Our tour guide spent the first half of the visit either making a joke or acting like a prison guard. We had very little time to explore, and he virtually told us nothing about Apartheid. On our tour to two of the local vineyards later in the week, our tour guide provided us with much more history, which peaked my interest that much more.

I believe it is very important to begin this blog by declaring that prior to moving to Ghana, I was pretty much ignorant about Apartheid. I knew about Nelson Mandela, and I knew about Apartheid, but certainly didn’t know of any of the details. So, what I write is either what I have heard first hand, or what I have interpreted through reading about Apartheid.  It is in no way meant to be all encompassing, exact, or gospel. Also, the history covers years and years, and all points can’t possibly be covered in this short, personal blog. Our vineyard tour guide said it perfectly - this was his interpretation of Apartheid and the history and should we ask someone else, it’s likely we’d get a much different perspective. So, with that being said, this is MY interpretation.

I think, for me, what makes Apartheid worse than what blacks experienced in the U.S., is that at one point they did have rights, and then in 1949 the new leaders (National Party) decided that South Africa was no longer one nation, but rather one that was comprised of four distinct races: white, black, coloured (mix descent), and Indians (as in India). There was further distinction; i.e., English and Afrikaans speaking people. Actual laws were enacted outlining racial classifications and what a person could or could not do based on their race. It’s my understanding that the hierarchy was white, Indians, coloured, and then black. Everyone had to carry an identity card with them, and were often required to present it when questioned by authorities. In addition, the U.S. passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964, while Apartheid was not abolished until 1994….not so long ago.

Prior to Apartheid, many people of different races lived side by side. In 1950 the Group Areas Act of 1950 was enacted which put a halt to the diversity and regulated where a person could live according to his/her race. People were forced to resettle into designated “group areas,” based on their race. In particular, we learned about District Six, which was located in downtown Cape Town. The government began a forced removal of more than 60,000 during the 1970s, most of whom were coloured Muslims. Their homes were completely demolished - and everything that was in them. They were relocated to a sandy and unwelcome area about 25 kilometers away. The government claimed the area was downtrodden, full of crime, people lived in slum conditions, and ultimately dangerous. Others, however, believed the government wanted the land for development due to its close proximity to Table Mountain and the harbor.

Marriage between a man and woman of different races was illegal. Even sexual relations between two people of different races was considered immoral and a criminal offense. Whites and blacks had much different educational systems; the one for blacks was designed to prepare the children for a life of physical labor. Similar to the U.S., blacks were not afforded the same access to restaurants, bathrooms, and stores. Segregation appears to have been comparable to that which occurred in the U.S.

It should be noted than many countries opposed Apartheid, and in particular, those countries that formed the United Nations. Trade embargoes were sanctioned, and ultimately South Africa was on the verge of bankruptcy, which led to the fall of Apartheid. It is also important to note than white people only comprised something like 15-20% of the population.

The end of Apartheid took several years and began with a series of negotiations from 1990-1993, and was eventually ended in 1994.

Nelson Mandela was the most famous anti-Apartheid activists, but based on everything I’ve seen and read, his role was one of peace. He was a prominent lawyer who was repeatedly arrested for his political activities. In 1961 he was arrested and convicted of “sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government,” in other words…treason. He was sentenced to life in prison. He spent 18 years on Robben Island. The last several years he was confined to Pollsmoor Prison. He was released on February 11, 1990. He was elected as the President of South Africa in 1994 , which was the first year in which multi-racial elections occurred. Everyone I’ve talked to has nothing but great regard for this man - black, coloured, and whites alike. They all believe that if only everyone was like Mandela, the country would be all that it could be. When he was released from prison - and remember, it was after 27 years of being confined - he did not speak of revenge or paybacks, but rather about peace, forgiveness, and working together to move forward as one South Africa.

Back to Robben Island. The ferry ride took us about 30 minutes on very rough waters. When we arrived, we were quickly rushed to the busses. It appeared as if they were trying to treat us like prisoners, but it felt more rude than anything. Like I said before, our tour guide did not provide us much detail about Apartheid itself. We drove around the island a bit, which is now inhabited by people who work on the island - mainly those who maintain the grounds and prison.

Here we took a 5 minute stop (no more than 5 minutes, he said) as this is the closest point of the Robben in relation to Cape Town. That is Table Mountain beside us. Another windy day in Cape Town!

If a prisoner escaped, he would have to swim to the coast. If I remember correctly, only one prisoner ever escaped and evidently drowned trying the swim. We drove by the lime quarry, which is where some of the prisoners had to work….8 hours a day/5 days a week. Now, I’m not saying what they did wasn’t difficult, but to be honest, it’s nothing compared to the Jews and what they had to endure in concentration camps.

We arrived at the actual prison, where we were herded off the bus and led to the entrance. We were met by this man (didn’t get his name) who also served time (5 years) on Robben Island for his political activities.

He provided us with the history of the island and what they experienced on a day to day basis. One lady (she was black and did not speak English; I suspect she was South African and was speaking a tribal language). While the guide did not repeat the question, based on his answer I think she asked, “Was the prison always this clean?” Seriously, the prison was spotless. The floors were polished. There was no chipping paint. There was a fairly cool breeze wending its way through the hallways. He said, “Oh no….it was much, much cleaner.” He was actually embarrassed by the landscape outside because he said they took such pride in their temporary home while confined.

Robben Island imprisoned many men, most of whom were formally educated. These were doctors, lawyers, university professors, businessmen….men who were trying to force a change for their people. Mandela was one of the obvious leaders at the prison, and was always preaching about furthering one’s education, which many of the prisoners took to heart. What happened to these people was not right, but I’m convinced that it could have been much, much worse, in terms of how they were treated and the conditions in which they lived. They appeared to remain peaceful men with an agenda to make a difference.

So, what has happened to the country since the fall of Apartheid? Well, it depends on who you ask. Our vineyard tour guide is coloured. He maintains that while many things have improved for blacks and coloureds, there are still many, many problems.

Well, the best thing that has come from Apartheid is that as far as the law is concerned everyone is equal, just as it should be. As you drive across the country, you see what we consider “slums,” and they call “shanties” (as in shanty towns). Here is an example....not one I actually saw, but they basically all look alike.

Some of these areas go as far as the eye can see. I’ve seen several of them right here in Accra. The difference in South Africa is that there is an actual plan for removing these shanties and to provide those living there a better place. Little by little, the government goes in and razes an area of the shanties. They then build adequate infrastructure (water, electricity, etc.), and subsequently homes (probably about the size of a small apartment). The smaller homes go for about 40,000 rand (local currency), which is equivalent to about $4,500. Buyers easily qualify for low interest 15 or 30 year loans. Very affordable. There are also larger homes that are sold for around 90,000 rand…again, affordable.

There appear to be some downsides….and these were related both by the tour guide and one of our South African friends, who is white. South Africa is experiencing a tremendous amount of corruption, much more so than prior to Apartheid. Below is a recent press released in Johannesberg:

“Not one Eastern Cape municipality has obtained a clean audit, according to a report on Monday. The Dispatch Online reported provincial Auditor-General Singa Nggwala as stating that municipalities in the province had regressed further in their 2011-2012 audit outcomes since the 2010-2011 financial year. Nine municipalities had unqualified audits but with findings. There were 19 councils with a qualified opinion, 11 remained unchanged, and 5 improved from disclaimers and adverse opinions. Local government MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane said he was disturbed by the regression and by the fact that once again none of the four municipalities had clean audits. He said he would work with all mayors to address the situation but where there was no alternative, he would use the powers bestowed on him by the constitution and other laws of the land.”

Basically what this means is that officials in all of the municipalities are likely stealing money from their own people. Are you kidding me? You worked SO hard to earn your right to be treated like an equal, and yet you are corrupt? Why? Our friend told us that there are so often irregularities in any financial transactions that have to do with the government.

Remember, 80% of the population in South Africa is black. Now that Apartheid has been abolished and equal rights prevail, the whites are in the minority. I recently heard from a South African friend that there has been a huge exodus from the country by white people because of the lack of opportunities, particularly for their children in terms of a promising career or in starting a business. In reality, there is reverse discrimination, which the U.S. has experienced.

Our tour guide also educated us about HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Did you know that an estimated 5.6 million South Africans are living with HIV and AIDS. This is the largest number of people in any country worldwide!  When we asked how that could be possible in a first world country, our guide gave us a few reasons.

First, an estimated 4 in every 5 people with HIV/AIDS are women between the ages of 20-24. He told us this story about local tribal beliefs (although that was debunked by our white South African friend). I suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle. The locals (I’m talking the townships around the Cape Town area) believe that before a woman can marry, she must “prove” to her husband-to-be that she is fertile. As a result, many young girls (around the age of 13) have sex with the intention of getting pregnant. In this way, they have living proof that they are fertile. Obviously, they are engaging in random and unprotected sex. I asked him what happened to all of those children, and he said that they are then raised by the young woman’s mother and there was little to no connection to the child. It appears to be a vicious cycle.

Second, there were many people in high levels that didn’t believe that all immune deficiency related diseases could be attributed to one single virus - HIV. Even though international drug companies were offering free or cheap anti-retroviral drugs to the county, the Health Ministry was not on board. Not until November 2003 did the government approve a plan to provide anti-retroviral drugs. Even worse, in 2006 the then Health Minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msmang, “advocated a diet of garlic, olive oil and lemon to cure the disease.” WHAT??  The Health Minister was a woman and was serving under President Mbeki, and even though she was the subject of international criticism she retained her job until Mbeki left office.

So, now they have a new President - Jacob Zuma. Trust me….if you think you can’t stand one more day of Barrack Obama….read up on President Zuma! Alleged rape, racketeering, corruption, abuse of power, bribery, and fraud. The man never received any kind of formal schooling. He allegedly raped a 31 year old woman, the daughter of a deceased friend of his who was HIV positive. He admitted in 2006 that he did not use a condom when he had what he referred to as consensual sex (as opposed to rape), even though he knew she was HIV positive. He stated IN COURT that he took a shower afterwards to “cut the risk of contracting HIV.” Here is the scary thing….this “man” has been elected President of South Africa for THREE terms! In addition, Zuma practices polygamy. He has six wives and more than 20 children.

On a positive note, there has been a significant increase in HIV/AIDS education, and like anything, it will take time. Our tour guide said while the percentage of HIV/AIDS cases had not decreased significantly it had also not increased, so he was looking at the glass as half full!

Anyway, I could go on and on and on. South Africa is such an interesting country with its many nations of people. I know that I gave much time to HIV and corruption, but it’s because it’s what stuck out in my mind. Here the people had an opportunity to really improve their lives, and yet overall it doesn’t necessarily appear that it has. I’m sure we can point to a number of reasons, one of which is education, or lack of quality education. Education in the shanties continue to be an issue, where some classrooms have 80-100 students. Yes, you read that right…80-100 students. There is no way any effective education is occurring in that type of environment.

I think that just like with any downtrodden culture, it will take generations for real change to occur.

Above all, South Africans love their country, be them black, white, or coloured. I don’t know how many times we heard “One South Africa.” They have so much opportunity for continuing to grow and progress, but those in power must be stopped. Many times I asked myself, “I wonder what Nelson Mandela thinks about how his country is doing today? What does he really think about Jacob Zuma?” This is a man who was and continues to be all about working together, but above all….forgiveness; a powerful commitment.

How Far South Can You Go?

Dave and I boarded South African Airways the evening of February 1^st, bound for Cape Town, South Africa. We landed safely in Johannesberg (or Joberg, to which it is commonly referred) the next morning. A quick and easy 6 hour flight! As this was just a quick stopover before our next flight to our final destination, we didn’t have a chance to really check out the capital city. My first impression was that it is a very big metropolitan city; primarily because of the thick layer of pollution that lined the horizon. The airport was clean, large, and civilized. Civilized is always good after leaving or arriving at the airport in Ghana! After a quick breakfast at Wimpy’s, we set off for our next flight, landing in Cape Town a little past 11 a.m.

We were met at the baggage terminal by a representative of &Beyond, with whom we had made room accommodations. Ali was extremely nice and quite helpful, guiding us to the Budget Rental Car depot where we picked up our car.

Point of concern here. South Africans drive on the wrong side of the road - at least an American would call it the “wrong” side. Subsequently, the steering wheel is on the right side of the vehicle, making driving a bit unorthodox.

We had decided against hiring a driver as we wanted some privacy, especially after being driven around all over Accra 95% of the time. We kept telling each other, “left side of the road; left side of the road.” We, of course, had a GPS included with our rental and as we began our exit out of the airport she clearly stated, “stay right; stay right.” We looked at each other….WHAT? The entire drive out of the airport was on the right side of the road.

The 30 minute drive from the airport to our bed and breakfast was scary - at least for me - especially when we had to drive down the narrow streets leading up the hill. While Dave was focusing on staying to the left of the white lines in the middle of the road, my concern lied with the cars parked to the left of me. I can’t tell you how many times I cringed, squeaked, and flat out screamed. I was sure Dave was going to take off all of the mirrors on the cars. Fortunately, we safely arrived at our destination.

Once Dave got the hang of it, his driving improved, or rather my reactions to his driving lessened. Nevertheless, he continued to have some issues with the blinkers. You see, the lever to turn on the blinkers is now on the right side of the steering wheel and the windshield wipers on the left. Meaning, often times the wipers came on when we were making a turn. It was a great source of amusement.

We were warmly received at the Abbey Manor, which sits at the base of the Table Mountain.

The day we arrived, as well as the four subsequent days, the wind howled. I had visions of my younger days in Wyoming. The B&B was clean and comfortable, with most of the rooms within the main house. Dave and I were actually in a cottage just off the main house, which afforded us quite a bit of privacy. Each morning we were served breakfast, which was a great way to start off our days of exploring.

That afternoon, after a short nap and a shower, we headed down towards the water to check out the V&A Waterfront and grab some dinner. The Waterfront is a working harbor and has endless restaurants, stores, sidewalk entertainment, bars, and an enormous shopping mall. Basically, it’s the heart of Cape Town.

We chose to walk to the Waterfront, which was about three miles. After a yummy Italian dinner and some browsing, we headed back to our B&B on foot. We felt relatively safe until about a mile or so from Abbey Manor, where we began to encounter more and more homeless people. We then took a cab - safety first!

Super Bowl Sunday - There’s not really too much to say about Super Bowl Sunday (in terms of football), other than….we didn’t watch the game. We have never missed a Super Bowl game for as long as we can remember. Last year I was in the states, and Dave stayed up in Ghana until after 3:30 a.m. to watch the game. One year we watched the NY Giants beat the NE Patriots while sitting atop a Princess Cruise ship bound for the Caribbean. Not this year. South Africa is a first world country, but American football doesn’t appear to hold much interest for the locals. The TV in our cottage only had nine channels, none of which carried the game. It was a sad day in the Kern household; both because we didn’t get to watch the game and Dave’s team lost to the Ravens.

On the much brighter side, we spent our first full day in Cape Town driving down the Cape Peninsula which is about 30 miles long. The northern end is Table Mountain, which overlooks Cape Town, and the most southern is Cape of Good Hope. That's Table Mountain in the background. More about that place later.

We drove down the east side of the peninsula, with our first stop being Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town. Boulders Beach is famous for the African Penguins that inhabit the shores. The penguins roam freely, and a person can get in the water with them. We didn’t actually see any interaction between human and animal, although there was one snorkeler out there. Their nesting season begins in February, which explains why so many of them were laying down….on their nests.

African Penguins are monogamous, which sort of makes me laugh because there are lots of them to choose from and they all look alike (to me). How would you ever know which one belonged to you? Ha ha!

The males are the bigger of the two. Incubation of the eggs is shared equally by both parents for about 40 days. After the chick hatches, at least one of the parent guards him for about 30 days. After that time the chicks flock together while their parents head out to the sea for food. Can you see the little chick poking his head out?

After checking out the penguins in the wind (yes, another very windy day), we stayed in Simon’s Town for some lunch and ice cream, with a beautiful view of False Bay.

We continued our drive down the eastern coast, eventually arriving at the entrance of the Table Mountain National Park.

As we were driving Dave told me that the scenery reminded him of the drive to the sandy beach in Glendo, which was exactly what I was thinking! For all of my non-Wyoming friends, Glendo is a reservoir in central Wyoming. About 20 minutes later we arrived at a parking lot and the spot where we would begin our hike to what we thought was the southernmost point of the continent  Cape Point.

The Cape of Good Hope is just west of Cape Point, and over my shoulder in this picture.

It is often thought to be the most southern point of the continent, as well as the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, but technically it is at Cape Agulhas, about 120 miles to the southeast. Regardless, we hiked as far as we possibly could on Cape Point. There were only five of us at the point on that particular day, and it was sort of uncanny.  I wondered to myself…how many people do I know who have stood in this same exact spot? I’m sure I know more today, after having lived in Ghana for almost two years, but before that….I don’t think I would have known a single person. Here we are at the most southern tip of the continent that we will likely ever be....just the two of us! Pretty awesome!

We arrived at the first of two lighthouses. This one was constructed first in 1860, but proved to be quite dangerous as it could be seen too early by ships rounding the point causing them to approach too closely. In addition, the lighthouse was often times covered by fog, making it invisible to the ships. 

We hiked down and out as close as we could to the newest lighthouse, built in 1919. This location cannot be seen from the west until ships are at a safe distance. The light is the most powerful on the South African coast. We weren't able to actually hike down to the lighthouse, but you can see it in the distance. The ocean was just as blue in person.

Dave pointed out that the Lusitania had wrecked just off the cape (among many, many others), which is actually what prompted the construction of the second lighthouse. I was surprised to see the name Lusitania. I told him I could have sworn that the Lusitania had wrecked off the coast of Ireland, and that I distinctly remembered reading about it when we were in Ireland at the port from which the Titanic left on her last voyage. When we arrived back in Ghana, we mentioned it to some of our South African friends, and they thought we were crazy. They insisted the Lusitania did NOT wreck off the coast of South Africa. I duly went and retrieved my camera, as I had taken a picture of the sign. After providing the proof, we googled the ship and discovered that there were TWO Lusitania vessels that have wrecked; one being the RMS Lusitania (British ocean liner that was torpedoes and sunk by a Germ U-boat off the coast of Ireland in 1915). The other, the SS Lusitania, wrecked on Bellows Rock off Cape Point in 1911. The things you learn…and remember!

A sign at Cape Point said that this was the cleanest air in Africa, but strangely enough, it was sort of smelly. Regardless, the view was indescribable. It was extremely windy, but the day was clear and bright.

We headed back to our car to end our day with a drive up the western coast of the peninsula. After leaving Table National Park, we drove through the countryside to arrive at Chapman’s Peak Drive, which winds its way between Noordhoek and Hout Bay. The views were stunning, although Dave was not allowed to look.

This is a 5-6 mile drive with 114 curves. It borders the rocky and very steep coastline. Remember, we are driving on the left hand side of the road, so I had a great view of the vertical terrain. The road was extremely narrow, and it was taking Dave’s full concentration to maintain the car in our lane. I, on the other hand, could hardly keep my eyes open as I was sure he was going to run into the very short wall next to us. I kept wondering why the wall wasn’t taller so that when Dave hit it, we would bounce off of it rather than plunge to our death.

Take a look at this “tunnel,” we had to drive through.

It did not appear to be soundly constructed, but we made it through. We were hoping to be able to stop to watch the sunset go down, but this is about all we got. We stopped at one point, but the wind was SO bad, we didn’t stop for long.

We ended our day by stopping at the Waterfront for dinner and a movie. Awesome first day in Cape Town.