Reflection on the trip to Cape Point - Jennifer Pearlstein

Friday, May 20, 2011
Today we experienced the expanse of beauty nature has to offer us in Cape Town. We started the day by climbing on boulders on the beach. We snapped pictures all around at the ocean, its raging waves, and the mountains on either side. The weather left nothing to be desired, with the sun cascading over the scene and providing the perfect amount of warmth for those of us in t shirts and shorts.
We then went to Hout Bay, an area known for its fish and chips and white sandy beaches. We scanned the boats docked along the harbor as we consumed our South African cuisine. Many of us, myself included, tasted snook for the first time. Snook is a fish native to the area and caught and sold exclusively on the continent. Although we’ve been told it’s commonly eaten in a dried out jerky form, today we chowed down grilled snook.
After perusing the shops of Hout Bay, we headed towards Cape Point. En route we stopped at Chapman’s Peak. We were awe-struck at the view. Again mountains surrounded us, with the ocean directly ahead. We soaked in the sun, appreciating the view and snapping photos.
We then approached the Cape of Good Hope. On our way, we passed an ostrich reserve and farm. As we headed into Cape Point, we spotted an ostrich couple near the road. We were excited and hopeful for more exotic animal life, with baboons and zebras in mind. Once reaching Cape Point, we hiked up to the peak. We saw the Cape of Good Hope, mountain ranges all around and the “meeting of the oceans” (which apparently doesn’t actually occur at this location anyway). We also noticed tens of lizards and the unique vegetation of the area. We were disappointed at the dearth of baboons and zebras, though.
Following Cape Point, we finally embarked on what most of us had been waiting for…. Penguins at Boulders Beach! The furry friends paved our paths, waddling and squawking and caring for their young. They were just feet from us, flapping their wings and nestling in their feathers. We were all captivated by their interactions. And by how darn cute they are.
After the long day of site seeing, we headed back to the house for a home-cooked meal by our hosts. We were ravenous after the long hike at Cape’s Point and the exhilarating encounters of the day. We just finished inhaling our supper, and are ready to part ways for the night’s activities.