South Africa May 2023

We woke to a very wet and very windy day. This part of South Africa is known for its wild winds. We were spared the wind over the past few days, and so it was not unexpected to finally see the wind in action. But we were rewarded for our patience with the rain and wind with a fabulous double rainbow which followed us for a good part of the morning.

Our plan for the day had been to start with a repeat trip up Table Mountain so Deb and Sue could see the wonderful vistas, but the rain and the wind would have made the visit unpleasant, so we headed to Hermanus. The trip there begins with driving around False Bay. We passed through Strand and Gordon’s Bay and then picked up the Clarence Drive which hugs the water’s edge. The water was angry and dramatic and so forceful.

A planned stop had been at the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden, but most of the displays are outdoors and the rain was still quite heavy, so we bypassed it. We also bypassed a stop at Stoney Point where there is a breeding colony of African penguins. This meant that we got into Hermanus (bottom right of the map picture) well before check in time, so Liz drove us to a great little café by picturesque Grotto Beach where we warmed up and had lunch. Great ratings on the pea soup and the potato and leek soup. I had a warm croissant with butter and jam. Perfect! Deb and Sue each had a deconstructed stroopwaffel dessert that was both picture-worthy and delicious!

Hermanus is a lovely town – it’s long and narrow, tucked between the water and the mountains. It has lovely gardens and spectacular views of the ocean. Its picturesque setting and mild temperatures make it a popular retirement spot.

People come from all over the world to see the Marine Big 5 here: dolphins, African penguins, the Cape fur seal, the great white shark, and several whale species.
Hermanus is ideal for whale watching. The Southern Right whales come here to have their calves in southern winter and spring and can be seen clearly from the beaches. There is also a thriving shark cage diving industry.

We still had time before checking in, so Liz dropped us off at a local market the has lots of crafts and souvenirs. I spied some items made out of Shweshwe fabric – the stall owner directed me to where I could buy fabric off the bolt. The store was just a few minutes’ walk away. I found exactly what I wanted at a price about 1/3 of what I would pay in Canada.

Shweshwe is a printed dyed cotton fabric widely used for traditional Southern African clothing. Originally dyed indigo, the fabric is manufactured in a variety of colours and printing designs characterised by intricate geometric patterns. Due to its popularity, shweshwe has been described as the denim, or tartan, of South Africa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shweshwe

From the Da Gama website: Shweshwe has a history going back thousands of years, with the shweshwe we know and love today making its way to SA for the first time in the early 1840s. Today, we produce shweshwe by the traditional processes, using a weak acid solution to bleach out distinctive designs. This gives the fabric an authentic look and feel, as well as the distinctive smell that consumers know and love. These unique characteristics date back to the long sea voyages from the UK to South Africa, which formed the original transport route for this cloth. A strong starch is used to preserve the fabric, resulting in the hard handle and distinctive smell, which disappear after washing.
We were finally able to check in – our hotel is right by the water with fabulous views. The only wrinkle is that the hotel will have no power today from 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and then again tomorrow from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Corrupt government officials during the apartheid era siphoned off money meant for maintenance of the country’s nuclear reactor and so now there is not enough electrical power to meet the demand, necessitating daily load shedding periods (times and durations are posted in advance but often are changed on short notice). The hotel has a generator so the lights and WIFI will function, but the plugs and the TV won’t work.

We are meeting for drinks at 5:00 p.m. and heading out for dinner afterwards. We will have time to explore Hermanus some more tomorrow. I’m heading back for more fabric!

When we met at 5:00 p.m. upstairs in the newly-renovated lounge, we were greeted with champagne and sherry and a charcuterie selection, all courtesy of the tour company that Liz works for. What a wonderful surprise!

Dinner was delightful at La Pentola with its panoramic views of Walker Bay.

We move on to Oudtshoorn tomorrow.Lue lisää