Touring South-Western Point of Africa

The primary day spent abroad has been taking a vehicular tour of the South-Westernmost point of the African continent. There was an abundance of wildlife and breathtaking views along the way. Starting off by leaving our cozy hotel, we headed south along the coastal highway taking in the spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean. We witnessed a landlocked fishing boat on a beach that is frequented by Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicolas Cage. As we headed south we passed through the small towns of Hout Bay and Noordhoek, small rural towns on the ocean.
On the way down to the tip of the cape we stopped in a small no-name village to play with some African penguins. The penguins live in this area all year round and make a sound similar to that of a donkey. These tuxedo outfitted critters are an endangered species and are a nuisance for year round residents.

We traveled all the way down through a national park to witness a stunning view of a lighthouse atop cliff sides to guide boats safely around the cape. After taking a short hike to the lighthouse to take in the amazing 360 degree panoramic view, we went to the most south-western point in all of Africa (the continent).

On the speedy return trip we stopped for lunch in Noordhoek at a restaurant called the Foodbarn. Everyone had an enjoyable meal of either beef rump roast or linefish fillets prepared by a top chef of South Africa. On the ride back to Cape Town just about everyone fell asleep in the van; jet-lag got the best of us. The tour guide awakened everyone for a tour of Table Mountain; a recently voted wonder of the world. This 1,000+ meter mountain edges out of the Atlantic on this thin peninsula in South Africa. The sheer rock faces and flat top make the mountain a truly wondrous site to behold. After the gondola ride to the top we walked around and looked out to learn of the places we had traveled over the course of the day. We then concluded the day's activities by returning to the hotel where champagne and brand new binoculars surprised us in our rooms.

We will soon be going out to dinner to conclude our first day.

P.S. Contrary to popular belief (Eric Schlotz) there ARE camels in this area of the world...despite the fact that they are part of a local circus...Challenge Completed!