Hiking around Hermanus

We've been staying in the town of Hermanus, on the western part of South Africa's south shore. It's a pretty seaside community with a lot of beach homes and vacation rentals. There's a golf course, and quite a few expensive looking homes.

To get a good view of the area, our couchsurfing hosts Celeste and Greg directed us to the mountains behind the town where the Fernkloof Nature Reserve has a series of free hiking trails.

Cage Diving with the Great White Sharks!

Okay, here it is. Everything you wanted to know about cage diving with the sharks in the cold Atlantic waters off the coast of South Africa.

Although this activity sounds dangerous and scary, it's really not that bad. To be perfectly honest, it was more of a learning experience than an "adventure" activity. Having said that, there were definitely moments where you felt the adrenaline flowing into your bloodstream!

Our first South Africa road trip!

Technically, our second. But the short 70 km (44 mile) drive from Cape Town to Leoni's beach house doesn't count!

So yesterday, we had to drive from Leoni's beach house on the western shore, all the way to the town of Hermanus which is on the southern shore. The most direct route would have been to go back through Cape Town.

But we wanted to take the scenic route!

Relaxing by the seaside

We spent the weekend relaxing. Sure, we did some walking on the beach and around the complex here at Jakkalsfontein Nature Reserve, but for the most part we just relaxed and stared at the waves coming in!

It's not really a "nature reserve"...we would almost call it a nature resort!

Ten Reasons You Should Visit Namibia

We spent the months of November and December 2013 exploring the country of Namibia. Over the course of almost eight weeks, we drove approximately 10,000 kms (6,200 miles) all over the country. We experienced the many different cultures and saw so many natural wonders.

But one of the things that we didn't see was North American tourists.

We didn't expect this!

We had made arrangements with a couchsurfer who offered us a place to stay at a "nature reserve". It's located about 70 kms (44 miles) north of Cape Town, on the Atlantic Ocean.

It's actually in the opposite direction of what we were planning, but it was described to us as being a bit remote and "not ideal for some couchsurfers but possibly heaven for some", so we figured it would be worth the detour.

But we weren't quite sure what to expect.

Penguins are so funny to watch!

Yesterday morning, we went to pick up our wheels!

There are a lot of car rental options in South Africa. So besides your well known big brand companies, there are also a range of smaller companies renting older vehicles. We don't need anything new and fancy, just basic reliable transportation. But, we needed it for almost 8 weeks.

Stunning hike up Lion's Head Mountain overlooking Cape Town

It is honestly hard to believe that this type of hiking exists pretty much right in the center of Cape Town. Of course it's one of the things that makes Cape Town a world class city. You've got the mountains, the beach, and the sea.

And when they all come together, it's gorgeous!

Best of the Gondwana Collection!

In December, we were fortunate to be able to spend at least a night or two at each of twelve of the Gondwana Collection of specialty lodges in Namibia. Each one has something a little different to offer, so we thought it would be fun to do a "best of" post based on our experiences at the lodges.

Here we go...photos included!

We've joined the 21st century!

We bought a cell phone, with a South Africa SIM card!

We owned a cell phone in North America. Kept it in the motorhome in case of emergency. Never used it. And of course it was "locked" to a Canadian network. I know, you can go through the process of unlocking them, but we just never figured it was worth the effort.

Hiking around Cape Town

It was a little overcast yesterday, and they were calling for showers in the morning. But it was supposed to clear throughout the day, so around 10:00am, we headed out on a hike.

Our couchsurfing host Mark had given us directions for a nice 7 km (4.4 mile) trail that we could reach on foot from the house. It would lead us from the Rhodes Memorial to the Kirstenbosch Gardens.

Cape Town's Minstrel Parade

The Minstrel Parade in Cape Town is an annual celebration that is almost 200 years old. It typically takes place on January 2nd, but they now change it to the next Saturday after January 2nd. So this year's festival was yesterday!

So, why January 2nd? Well, dating back to the early 19th century, it was the only day that the slaves were allowed a day off because their white owners were typically sleeping off their own New Year's festivities.

On our own in Cape Town

Yesterday, we decided to take the train into downtown on our own. Mark had shown us the route to the station which is only about 10 minutes away on foot.

So we went through the procedure of locking the house up and turning on the "armed response" alarm system. Don't know if you've heard or not, but the larger cities of South Africa have a bit of a crime problem.

First Impressions of Cape Town

When we got off the bus yesterday at around 2:00pm, our couchsurfing host Mark was there to greet us. He had said that his house wasn't that far from the downtown terminal and he's on holiday so it wasn't a problem to come and pick us up.

Drove us back to his place, and we got settled. We're in a suburb called Rosebank. Nice, older, middle class neighborhood.

Arrived in Cape Town, South Africa!

Well, I bet there's not many of you who have already been in two countries this year!

Just a short note to say we've arrive in Cape Town, safe and sound.