Tuesday we left Cape Town and headed southwest towards the Cape of Good Hope, doing a figure eight  to Mulzenberg, Scarborough, and down to the Cape before heading back north. We got our first real glimpse of wild animals and saw some beautiful scenery. We then traveled along the eastern edge of the Cape and saw African penguins on vacation.

Day 6—Penguin Pursuit

The day started with a little rain, but as we got near Kalk Bay northeast of Fish Hoek, we got glimpses of sunshine.

Along the way, we ran into a little traffic jam of wild baboons. They were just meandering across a parking lot and then right across the street in front of us while we were stopped taking pictures.

When we got to the Cape of Good Hope Reserve, we saw some ostrich feeding along the shore, and a tan eland in the field. At the Cape of Good Hope, we got out and took pictures, including a baby seal on the beach.

Further east we arrived at Cape Point. The funicular was closed, so we took a shuttle up near the top, then continued up stairs to the lighthouse. The view of Diaz Beach and some of the rocky cliffs of the Cape Maclear were magnificent. It’s a place where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans often collide, and our group had fun climbing and goofing around.

At Boulders Beach, we got to frolic with African penguins. From just two breeding pairs in 1982, the penguin colony has grown to about 3,000 in recent years.  It was amazing how unafraid of us they were.

On the drive back into Cape Town, we saw the U.S. Embassy building (white) and a prison (tan w/red roofs)  where Nelson Mandela once stayed. It seemed odd to me that the two buildings were so close together.

That evening, we went to the Gold of Africa Museum, where our honeymooners, Mike & Whitney (and the rest of us) drank a toast of sparkling wine with a little gold leaf in it.

We received a lesson in how to play the bongo drums, and then were treated to more entertainment at semi-outdoor dining venue, where native dancers and singers gave us a show.

Greg, Vicky, Peter, Alice, Whitney, Mike, Teri, Ty, D&M, Tiffany, Duncan, Charles, Cheryl

Charles & Cheryl

Alice, Peter, Mike, Whitney, Madeline