Day 3 South Africa Touring

On day 3 in South Africa we did the full day tour to The Cape of Good Hope. We left our hotel around 8:30 AM and headed south along the east coast. We stopped along the way in Hout Bay to catch a tour boat out to “Seal Island.” As we left the bay and rounded the point the calm waters were replaced with rough seas (6-10 foot swells). I was – still am – amazed and impressed by the skills the Captain displayed in keeping the boat off the rocks but getting us close enough for good viewing of the seals – lots of seals.

The castle, overlooking the Bay was built by a very rich husband as a surprise for his wife. When she saw the finished castle, she said she did not like it and never lived there.

We were welcomed back to the pier by this small band. These guys, and the man feeding the seal, were very good at their act, and also very insistent on a contribution.

We left Hout Bay and continued on toward the Cape of Good Hope. Besides the sign, there was only a parking lot to mark the Cape. It is not even the furthest point south in Africa. Not a ship-friendly location. No beach. Lots of big rocks. Rough seas.

We stopped next at Cape Point – a point even further south than the Cape of Good Hope. Beautiful sites.

from Cape Point

From there it was on to Simon’s Town and Boulders, the home of the African Penguin.

Last stop for the day was at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. A beautiful, quite place for a family gathering and picnics. We arrived back at our hotel about 6:00 PM.

The harbor pictures are representative of the activity we watched from our hotel room. Loading/unloading container ships is fascinating.