Exploring the Cape

It's been a bit of a crazy weekend for our household - usually spend them lazing around at home.

We decided on Friday afternoon that Saturday would be "drive day" - with a car that finally works without prayer, we were going to pack a picnic lunch and just drive until we got back home again. It's the road-trip addict in me that enjoys taking off into the unknown and exploring!

So Friday night we baked mini cheese & onion pies for lunch, brownies for dessert, mixed up some dips to go with the chips and stuck the Coke into the freezer box in the fridge to develop a few ice crystals.

And Saturday morning we were off! We drove around the curve of False Bay, headed up Boyes Drive on the other side, then took a side road to the Silvermine Nature Reserve. Camera out, walking shoes on, we wandered 5km of trails and spotted some cool birds, tadpoles and scenery. I heard something bigger than a bird in the bushes once, but we couldn't see it. Lunch was downed, and off we went, down the other side of the mountain. We ended up in Noordhoek, then took the (expensive) toll-route drive along Chapman's Peak. That particular road was closed for many years thanks to being built into a steep mountain cliff - and suffering rock falls and wash-outs, making it unsafe. It's now been restored and propped up, huge nets placed above the road in case of rock falls - and it still has the most incredible view!

We then took a turn through Hout Bay, up over the pass and along the coast to Camps Bay, and finally ended up in Seapoint at my brother's place.

The thing about turning up to visit people unexpectedly, especially on a gorgeous day, is that they may not be home....

Thankfully I had my cellphone with me and managed to locate them a few beaches away - and they were heading our direction. We met up at a community park on the beachfront. My nephew is walking! And running... and turning into a Real Boy.

While we were there, me the ever-paranoid country cousin thought I saw someone breaking into my brother's car down the block. He took off, shedding shoes on the way, and I came after at a slightly slower pace. Only to discover that the guys were trying to open the door of the car behind his (also silver, so mistaken for his) - they seem to have locked their keys in and were using the same method the break-in guys would have to open it!

All's well that ends well - except that I somehow strained a calf muscle in the exercise, and it's STILL sore after a day and a half!

We finally came full-circle, getting home just after sunset and 155km later. I had picked up a really cheap video (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) which we watched on arrival - our kind of movie! :) A good way to end the day.

Next trip - the southernmost point of Africa, a mere 2 hours drive from here. But it won't be next week - sometime in the future.

Photo Album from our Day Out (opens in new window)