Tramps like Us

The democratic vote for the days activity would be a trip into greater Cape Town, for what just might be the last for Karen and I. Completely stunned that Dawie and Sheila have never visited, nor have even been taken to see these iconic and typical tourist traps, we left early to pack in a full day.

We set off at 07:00 (many thanks to Sheila for the on-time departure)😉

The drive around False Bay from Kleinmond past Betty's, Pringle, Rooi Els, Gordons Bay and uncountable other smaller bays, is magnificent! The far side, and even from as close as 'The Strand', a thick blanket of mist covered the entire landscape, though not dense enough to hide the vast spread of 'Squatter Camps' on either side of the 'N2 Highway', pretty much from Gordon's Bay almost right into the Cape Town CBD.

Another poor call leaving so early was, we also dead-heated with the Cape high-tide of traffic, converging on from where Mr.Rhodes once looked down!

The Spaghetti of 'highways and bighways', a lot different to when I lived here 30 years ago, got us momentarily lost in my own Southern Suburbs.

Eventually we arrived for breakfast at an authentic Cape Breakfast Tavern on Main Rd, on the cusp of St.James and KalkBay. The name may have changed (and who knows, possibly a number of times) since Gavin and Sandy once introduced me to this spot, some 30 odd years ago? Now called 'Café~Deli' and/or 'Dalebrook Café'? The Breakfast here is as always, epic!

Situated in an old and original street-shop right on the edge of Main Rd, right on the edge of the train track, right on the edge of the False Bay kelp bed, right on the edge of the beach, right on the edge of a tidal pool, right on the edge of the crashing waves, right on the edge of the African continent, and a cricket ball throw away from Kalk Bay harbour quayside. Fishing vessels already returning to dock with the days catch. Mainly Hottentots and a few Yellow Tail that looked frozen from where we looked on, once we arrived there after breaky. I so enjoy just watching the goings on in one of the very few, still operative and working commercial harbours. Sprawled out on the concrete quayside walls and deck, was more than one porky Seal. Soaking in a few of the last summer rays, not even batting an eyelid as we passed. Also bedded into the tractor tyres hanging off the wharf, seals oaffing in the sunshine. Paint jobs where happening all over the harbour and restuarant walls and everywhere looked immaculate certainly for a fishing harbour. I recalled back in the day how grubby it all looked, litter, full unemptied 44 gallon drums, the water itself with floating debris and a diesel film glittering on the surface like a manmade rainbow. A Seagull had found or had made a hole into the bottom box of fish heads, stacked a cube high. ‘Nelson’ had managed through the cardboard box and for a long while wrestled with the plastic inner before reaching the good stuff!

Further around the bay past Fishhook, Simonstown past Boulders where the Penguins hang out and other old scuba diving haunts like Castle Rock and Millers Point.

We entered the Cape Point Nature Reserve right up to the Cape Point Lighthouse. The pamphlet we received on entering indicated that we 'could spot large animals' (which really meant you wont see any large animals), however we did see a small heard of large Eland in the distance, which I thought here in Cape Point looked like fish out of water. Simlarly, just outside the reserve is an Ostrich farm???

The view from Cape Point towards the south was awesome and equally the northern view back inland and over toward the Hottentots-Holland mountain range. By now that mist bank had lifted and it was clear to the end of the world. On the far point of False Bay, Hangklip dangled into the water next to my absolute favourite, Crayfish diving spot, Pringle Bay. From the other extreme of False Bay I could see those old Crayfish 'Bolwange' giving me the middle claw, screaching at me to 'catch me if you can'!!! Bastards, there was a day I couldn't miss any one of you, but for now they are more than likely safe, hiding behind the 'closed season' shield and the years that have got behind us. The views down the rugged cliffs and beyond Smitswinklebay, are crazy on such a clear, windless day, 20°C and climbing, is so hard to believe and even understand, as the Cape heads into mid-autumn and a rainy and stormy winter, about to be unleashed.

We took the scenic drive around the Cape Western seaboard, past Scarborough, Noordhoek, through Kommetjie and Longbeach and up Chapmans Peak. Although breathtaking views left and right, Dawie, Karen and I reminisced over the pain of running the 56km 'Two Oceans' some where in our past. Today it looked so much more than what I remembered back in 2004, nearly 20 years ago now!

Down into Houtbay, nothing of the quaint fishing harbour and village of the 70's and 80's. Patch work of shelters smeared across the hillsides and valleys daring a match to ignite the crammed squatter camp for the annual blaze that passes through, fired by the winter northeastern blasts!

A complete opposite is the oppulence of Llandudno, Bantry Bay, Camps Bay, Sea Point and further on into Granger Bay and Mouille Point, all of which have outgrown themselves, like there is no where else to go. These places are also inundated with hovels about to be ransacked by the vicious Cape winter.

Rushed into the Cape Town Waterfront for the lastime and the last 'Ferrymans Lager'!😥

The trip back home albeit through peak traffic was effortless and we took the backroad through Botriver home to Kleinmond.

We struck up the magic little Cobb oven as ‘Loadshedding’ commenced and showed them the middle claw too, Karen, Sheila and Nadia orchestrated some real magic of their own to produce champion Roast Potatoes, more than equal to the Roast Chicken out of the Cobb.

Love, Peace and Light
M&K
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