Travels

I considered naming my current car so I could call this "Travels with Charlie" (which has a nice ring to it), but then learned that name was already taken. Assuming I get a chance to travel around the Western Cape, I am likely to see a lot of breathtaking countryside and possibly some interesting wildlife. I made a precursory trip west last Saturday to Hermanus (that's "air-mon-us"), said to be the premier land-based whale-watching location in the entire world, and Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa.

As you can see from the photos, it was a beautiful drive through farmland, vineyards, mountains, and lovely coastline. Even photos taken out the window of the car look pretty. In Hermanus I had mostly clear skies and warm weather after a rainy drive, and I took a long walk along the coast. I saw the hyrax (or rock dassie) below rummaging in the trash, although no whales. Maybe they just weren't active that day, or maybe I just don't have the patience to stand around waiting for whales to pop up. Although the hyrax looks like a huge gerbil, it is not a rodent at all, but the closest relative of the elephant! Otherwise, the critters aren't particularly interesting.

I then went to Cape Agulhas and was dangerously close to running out of gas in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately I made it to a petrol station in time after driving half the speed limit for about forty kilometers. But I made it the southernmost point alright, and as you might notice in the photo ended up quite by accident dipping my toes (and shoes) in the Indian Ocean, which begins there. This photo is not the best, and it seems to confirm the effects on my body of the change to a heavily meat-laden, almost veggie-free diet. Otherwise it might not be noticable. I am straddling the divide between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. I totally made the trip just to do that. I know, I am a geography nerd.