Hi All and welcome back to Cape Town.
We’ve definitely gotten this Ticket to Ride South Africa trip off to a blistering start. Our time in Cape Town has been just wonderful. We’ve seen and done so many amazing things around the Mother City from mountain hikes to wine tasting tours to community projects, not to mention, surfing our brains out!!
Today is our last day here in Cape Town, before we head eastward, through the Garden Route to our next stop in Plettenbeg Bay. Looking back on our time here and its easy to see why its going to be a difficult place to leave.
Last Sunday, after our lessons in Muizenberg, we stopped over at the Kalk Bay harbour to grab a bite to eat. Kalk Bay is a well known fishing village so no prizes for guessing what was for lunch. We sat on the harbour wall watching the seals and the gulls as we got stuck onto our meals. After lunch it was off to the infamous Cape Point, which is the southern most tip of the Cape Peninsular. The views from the lighthouse at the end of the point are just amazing. There’s the wild and windy Atlantic coast to the west with the calm and protected False Bay coast to the east and miles and miles of mountain ranges in between.
On Monday the waves were really good so the guys got in a double lessons at Muizenberg beach. Later that afternoon we were joined by Tim from the Ticket to Ride Foundation as well as a few of the kids from the Masipumelele township for a surf lesson. Our guys got stuck in pulling the kids onto waves in the shorebreak and teaching them a few of their newfound tricks on the surfboard.
Speaking of boards though, Tuesday was new boards day for the crew. Chris and I have been carefully watching the guys during the lesson to determine which boards would best suit each rider the best. A good board is a very personal thing, and what is suitable for one, might not be so good for someone else. In the end Seb got hooked up with a 6’2 shortboard, Alasdair the girls both got 7’10 minimals, Neil and Alex got the shorter 7’6 versions while Ruaridh went with a 7’2.
On Wednesday, with the wind blowing strong on-shore, we decided to take a trip to Cape Town’s famous Table Mountain. To get to the mountain we drove via the famous Chapmans Peak mountain pass, which hugs the coast between Noordhoek and Hout Bay. The views from the road are simply breathtaking so there were plenty of photo stops along the way. Once at the mountain it was time to bring out the old hiking boots and make our way up the Platteklip trail to the top. The Platteklip route is much like a stairway through a gap in the cliffs that leads onto the flat top that gives Table Mountain its name. Once at the top you are presented with some truly amazing views of the city below as well as a few of the surf spots nearby. We couldn’t stay too long as the weather was threatening to close in so we headed back down to the van to make our way back to the house in Kommetjie.
On Thursday, after our lesson at Muizenberg, we visited one of the wine farms on Cape Towns’ Wine Route called Kein Constansia. There are many farms in the area that make great wines, but Klein Constansia is particularly well known for its sweet vin de constance. Our guide Riaan, took us on a tour of the winery and showed us the various processes involved in making wine. Then he took us for a trip out into the vineyards to show us where the various grapes were grown for each particular wine. And then it was time to do a little tasting…
Yesterday we had our last lesson with Chris at Muizenberg. The wind was light, which made the waves perfect for the guys. It seems that everyone is taking to their new boards quite nicely and that they’re all ready for the more powerful waves in Plett. In the afternoon, we met up with Tim again to play some football on the beach with the kids from the township before heading back to the house to get ready for a night on the town with Chris.
Today the group is taking it easy. The swell has died off quite a bit so there’s not too much in the way of surf in Cape Town. It’s a good opportunity to get everything packed and say goodbye to all the guys we’ve met here and get ready for the long road to Plett tomorrow. I look forward to writing to you all again from our new home in the Garden Route
Till then…
Take Care
Bevan and Jill