Wow, what a whirlwind it has been since our last post. Tonight we sit in a hotel room in Johannesburg reminiscing about what an absolutely life-changing experience this has been thus far. I think we may need to rewind a little and get you caught up on what we've done!
The last time we spoke Michael and I were ringing in the New Year in a fabulous little town called Knysna on the south coast of the western cape. We had embarked on a few adventures, but had no idea what was in store for us as we continued our travels. Somehow I managed to convince Michael that repelling off the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town was a great way to "see the city" :) With only a few days in Cape Town, we could only hope for good weather. We were slightly disappointed when we awoke on the big day to find clouds pouring over the top of Table Mountain, much like one would see at a waterfall. Our suspicions were confirmed when we arrived to board our cable car and the board read "0% visibility, conditions poor". With the wind picking up, the abseiling company would likely not run a tour the next day, so this was possibly our only chance. Michael was a good sport and let me drag him to the top of a VERY cloudy Table Mountain.
Table Mountain on our way up the cable car
The consolation was that at least the abseiling tour was still running, and repelling down a cloud could also be very cool. Well we were rewarded for maintaining such a positive outlook, because although this is what it looked like as we prepared to repel 112m down a mountain sitting 1000m above sea level,
suddenly as though they were never there, they disappeared exposing the most breathtaking view we had ever seen. FYI - this also made it significantly scarier as we could now see EXACTLY how far down it was:)
Seconds after setting us on our way our guide shouted that he hoped we enjoyed the surprise half way down. By the time I could understand what he was saying, I had reached the half way mark when all of a sudden the rock wall in front of us disappeared leaving us hanging helplessly by two ropes 945m above the ground - as frightening as it was, it was also the most adrenaline-pumping, exhilarating feeling I'd had since sky diving in New Zealand! Unfortunately there's no photo as taking one would have meant letting go of the ropes, and we all know how that would end:)
Our adventure concluded with a 35 minute hike back up Table Mountain. We had to be quite careful not to get distracted by the beautiful view, because the only thing between us and the city down below were a large number of unfriendly rocks and prickly bushes.
Along the way we came across this sign - two things came to mind: 1. No need to state the obvious AND 2. Perhaps it was a clever use of sarcasm?
Our arrival back at the top reminded us to stop for a moment and be thankful for a few things:
A. Some how this beautiful place existed
B. We were fortunate enough to experience it
C. The creation of the zoom lens!!!
These photos do this place absolutely no justice, but we hope they inspire you to start planning a trip down to this beautiful country!
2. Our next adventure took is down Chapman's Peak Drive from Noordhoek to Hout Bay. Along the way we made a little stop to visit the African penguins near Simon's Town - much like those on Philip Island near Melbourne, Australia, these cute little guys swim all day and perch themselves along the beach at night....not a bad life!
The drive around Chapman's Peak was absolutely stunning. Armed with our cameras we managed to snap over 100 photos...here's a sneak peek.
Some have decided to "lave their mark"
3. Meeting the baby Cheetahs at the Cheetah Outreach Sanctuary
4. And of course who can forget our adventures with South African wine. Needless to say, it's been a tough few weeks:)
The sculptures at Delaire Graff - Stellenbosch
The cellar at Delaire
The vineyard at Delaire
The vines of Vrend en Lust - Francenschoek
Vrende en Lust
The cellar of La Motte - Francenschoek
La Motte
La Motte
The View from Haute Cabriere
Michael and I are now in Tanzania. Tomorrow our day begins at 630am with an early wake up call and a drive out to Tarangire National park for a game drive. Bring on the BIG FIVE!
We will leave you with a little HAPPY NEW YEAR message from Brenton-on-the Sea
