Maria and I had planned to rent a car for the day and drive along the coast. Not only are there many quaint sea-side towns, the drive along the ocean is said to be stunning. We were only about ten minutes outside of the city and I had found the place where I could live forever… Clifton and Camps Bay. This was an upscale, beachside community with restaurants, a theatre, and art galleries. Each home was more beautiful than the next and all had views of the ocean. The ocean had big, strong waves and the water was clear. The sand on the beach was like powder. There were patches of large, smooth rocks that looked like they were strategically placed. I could have ended my road trip with this destination if it weren’t for the incentive of penguins in the wild and chance sightings of whales. With that thought we jumped back into our car and headed down the coast. We didn’t get too much further before we noticed whales breaching not far from the coast. There were plenty of pull-off points along the road to park as I can see where this can cause quite a traffic problem for locals trying to get to or from work or home. Every mile of this drive was turning out to be so spectacular, Maria and I were beginning to wonder if we would ever make it to the end of continent… our goal destination. It was at this point we made the decision we would drive straight to the penguins, then on down to the end of the continent… do not pass go, do not collect $200… no stopping at the cute little sea-side towns until on our way back. Although we stuck to our plan, we had a tendency to drive very slowly through the towns with one of us always shouting out “let’s be sure to go in that store on the way back!” It was much longer before we arrive to Boulders Beach the home of the penguins. It was great to see these little guys in the wild and not in a zoo. Watching them swim in the ocean, up to the beach and waddle up to the rocks was a real treat.
After spending time with our tuxedoed friends, we jumped back in the car and headed to the tip of the Africa. For some reason I expected the very end of the African continent to be a deserted place, oh contraire. First, we had to pay to see the end of the continent… the area was a National Park. Then, we pull around to the end where we witness a bit of a circus. There are at least 25 giant tour buses, over 100 cars, two gift shops, a restaurant, a coffee shop and restrooms. The views are stunning, but am I missing something here? There really didn’t seem to be much to the park. It was very flat and dry… bush like, with no trees so you could see for miles… nothing until you got to the ocean. Maria and I didn’t venture off onto any of the many side roads as time was ticking and when didn’t want to cut into any of our “sea-side town shopping”.” So, I can now say I have been to the very end of the African continent, then practically peeled wheels to get out of there and to the cute little sea-side towns for some shopping and a bite to eat. Back North we go!