Mon-Tue, Aug 31-Sep 1 - Going Home

We awoke to rain and walked back to Catharina's for breakfast and ordered excellent Malay spicy open face omelets.  As we were eating, a hotel employee came to our table to say that we could have a late checkout until 1 PM which is great as our flight doesn't leave until 7:30 PM, and with the rain, there's not a lot to do.  So we repacked, watched most of "Babe - A Pig", and reluctantly departed from this delightful hotel with its amazing service.

    Lighthouse at Kommetjie

We drove over the coastal mountains to the town of Kommetjie, as Bob's bird-finding book said the Antarctic Tern could be seen from the car park.  We really needed a small telescope to figure out the subtle differences between the different terns, so Bob set off for 20 minutes to walk out further on the rocks, and is pretty sure he saw one.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens is on the way to the airport, so we stopped there for a bit to cruise through the bookstore and shop; if we'd thought if it earlier, we could have walked the beautiful grounds with our umbrellas

We got to the airport, returned our sturdy VW Tiguan to Hertz, checked in, went through security and, after a short wait, boarded our 747 for Heathrow.  Fortunately with my meager Ruby status, we were able to board early and got in our two-seat section at the very back of the jet as British Airways had double booked our seats and had they been occupied, we would have been dumped into the hell of four abreast seating in the center! 

Drinks, dinner, movies and some sleep and we arrived at Heathrow at 6:15 AM.  We took a train over to C65 gate in Terminal 5.  Bob reminded me that we had some pounds from our previous pass through the airport and I scrapped together 2.9 pounds, not quite enough for one almond croissant  and a coffee at Starbucks, but the kind attendant took pity on us and gave us the coffee anyway!!

We got on our Airbus 380 at 9:30 and had two-abreast seating upstairs as BA puts some economy seating there.  It was daylight all the way, but unfortunately cloudy until the northern US so Bob missed out seeing Greenland and Canada.  I watched 10 episodes of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and six of "Episodes" which acclimated me to being in So Cal again, and after eleven hours we landed  a little after noon.

We cruised through immigration and got outside the Tom Bradley Terminal into an absolute scrum for the car rental buses, but finally made it on the second bus to Alamo.  We picked up our car, drove by the Randy's Donuts sign, onto the 405 and home by 4 PM.  I went down to pick up Maddie at the Cat House Hotel and she howled all the way home and is now checking that all the doors in the house work.

Good to be home.  Thanks for following along on this really terrific trip.  And thanks to RRZ for doing most of the planning and 99% of the driving(3500 miles)!

XXX, Katy
 PS  Final tally:  ~170 bird species seen, ~41 new life birds

Sun, Aug 30 - To Steenberg

False Bay

We left our gracious hosts, Krista & Tusi (sp?) of Francolin Hof Guest House, a most excellent B&B in one of the nicest beach towns I've ever seen with its great cliff top walk, wide beaches, good restaurants, golf, vineyards...and not to be crass, but our B&B cost $100 night, just to encourage our American friends to visit this wonderful country!

On this cloudy, drizzly day, we drove west and then took the R320 north to the N2, the highway to the Garden Route coast.  The R320 passes over low mountains past many vineyards, including Hamilton Russell, one of our favorites, and we thought, since the weather's not good, we could wine taste, but they are closed on Sundays!  Some blue laws still exist around here.

Vineyards

We got on the N2 at Caledon and started back to Cape Town through beautiful rolling farmland.  We eventually got to Sir Lowry's Pass, a very famous birding spot for the Rockjumper that we "dipped on" (didn't see, in birders' lingo) yesterday.  To get to the birding spot, you pull off into a rest area, up on a mountain pass, on the south side of the highway.  Then you wait for a break in the traffic and RUN across the three lanes, and walk a ways to where the bird is supposed to be!  Pretty scary stuff, and, it was raining and blowing a gale.  We sat in the car overlooking what must be an amazing view on a clear day, of all of Cape Town, Table Mountain and False Bay!  We could vaguely see the shape of Table Mountain in the mist and decided that it was really too miserable to get out.  As we left the rest area, we passed a small van with the driver snoozing in his seat, which must have carried a load of birders who, at that very moment were slogging through the damp on the other side of the highway with fogged-up binoculars and the wind tearing at their clothes!

Steenberg Hotel

We descended and drove through the townships on the outskirts of Cape Town, along the beautiful beaches of False Bay, finally turning inland to Constantia, a snazzy suburb, and reached Steenberg Hotel and Vineyard.  The hotel is in a group of old Cape Dutch buildings in an area that was first farmed in the 1600s with very beautiful grounds and setting.  

Egyptian Geese

We took a walk to the golf course which was full of birds and then through the acres of vineyards, up to the winery which, being closer to more liberal Cape Town, was open on a Sunday.  We tasted five wines to get an idea of what we wanted to have for dinner and returned to our room.

Steenberg Tasting Room

We walked next door to Catharina's, the lovely restaurant named for the wild Dutch woman who, with her five husbands, first settled this farm.  Bob had mushroom risotto, a delicious chicken dish and I had goat cheese tortellini and a mushroom platter with a mushroom tart, jellied mushroom salad, mushroom mousse, and a mushroom cappuccino, pureed mushrooms covered with cream in a little coffee cup!  

My mushroom platter

For dessert we split a milk tart brulee.  We then returned to our room and found our humble PJs artfully folded and placed on top of bathrobes with candies!   We watched TV, instead of packing for tomorrow!

Sat, Aug 29 - Birding Betty's Bay

We got to breakfast at 8 AM today, had poached eggs with tomatoes, mushrooms and the wonderful seed bread.  As we were finishing up, Krista brought us a plate of cinnamon sugar crepes that were really delicious!

Our breakfast room view

Bob had several birding (and flowering) goals today which we were afraid were going to be spoiled by the overcast and drizzle, but we drove off anyway west in the direction of Cape Town along the coast.

We drove along Walker Bay to Sanddawn Bay through the stretched out town of Betty's Bay and finally came to  False Bay across from the Cape of Good Hope. Bob's bird-finding book suggested a little dirt road in the holiday village of Rooi Els where the elusive Cape Rockjumper is supposed to be found.  We came to a "Private Property - no Trespassing" sign on a gate, but it also had a smaller sign saying that birders, bikers and hikers were welcome -  and a picture of the bird we wanted to see - how cool was that!

There were high rocky hills on one side and fancy weekend houses, fynbos and the ocean on the other.  We immediately saw a life bird, the  Cape Rockthrush which resembles the American Robin, but with a blue metallic head, which in the overcast looked black.

 We walked on through bushes of yellow proteas and quite a bit of bird activity, but when it started to rain we turned back - we have another chance for our target bird tomorrow on our way to Cape Town.

We returned to Betty's Bay and found the turnoff for the Stony Point African Penguin colony.  We sat in the car and ate the remains of our chocolate and dates while we waited for the rain to subside. It did and we walked down a boardwalk and immediately could see the small birds sitting in their burrows.  A pair generally lay one or two eggs and there were a lot of fluffy twins starting to get their proper feathers.

Twin young

 

A lot of effort has been made to to increase the number of birds which has been quite successful as the numbers have gone from 100 pairs fifteen years ago to 2000 pairs now!  Small metal arches have been placed in the sand to make artificial burrows which the penguins seem to have adapted to well.  They still have problems from competition with human fishermen and from predation from several animals including leopards which come down from the mountains to prey on them.

We drove a short ways to the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens located in a canyon in the mountains.  There we could see labeled many of the species of the fynbos plants we have  been seeing  so we could finally identify them.  Twice in the last ten years the gardens have suffered severe flooding which wiped out trails and bridges which are just beginning to be repaired.  

We walked up a canyon and saw a family of baboons feeding on reeds in a stream.  

  

Two young baboons foragng

     

They pulled the reeds out and ate the tender bases.  They saw us and started coming up the bank towards us, so we casually walked on, but they followed us. Then there was another baboon sitting in the path ahead of us. The trail we could have taken to avoid them was washed out, so we turned around and walked back, trying to look large and confident!  The baboons were all very well mannered and left the path when we approached, thankfully. We later read that proper behavior towards baboons is to avoid eye contact and avoid smiling as teeth-baring is a sign of aggression, so I guess we handled it OK.  We're much larger than they are, but I don't think they know that they are much stronger than we are!!

We returned to Hermanus and Francolin Hof Guest House and sat on our balcony, drinking hot chocolate and watching the lively bird display in the trees right in front of us, including some Cape Francolins who walk around the house most of the day.

  Speckeled  Mousebird

Cape Francolin

We changed into our best clothes and left at 6:45 for the Seafood Pavilion at the Marine Hotel.  We arrived early and were led into a small, bright room with a view of the kitchen. Gracious service from the wonderful staff!  I ordered four oysters as a starter.  I only eat oysters with a squirt of lemon, but these were served with three sauces and they were so delicious that I ate every scrap, using the parsley and other decorations to get every bit up!   Bob had a wonderful sweet corn soup. Then he had grilled Walker Bay sole which he said was the best he's eaten, and I had the line fish (cob?) on a cassoulet of beans with cubes of pumpkin and green beans.  Just wonderful!  We both ate every scrap!   We finished with a warm steamed brandy pudding and decaf expressos.  Great meal!!   Home to bed!

Fri, Aug 28 - Hiking in Hermanus

Hermanus has a newer east side which is very orderly: numbered avenues are perpendicular to the coastline and numbered streets are parallel to it, with a huge golf course separating it from the west side..  On the west side of town things are a bit more chaotic with old resort hotels and market places.  

Our B&B - upper left balcony is ours

We are on the east side at the very top of 10th Ave. and 11th St, right up in the fynbos beneath enormous craggy peaks. We got up at  6:30 to clearing skies and drove straight down 10th Ave to take a walk on the famous coastal walkway.  Krista, our hostess, had asked us to postpone breakfast until 9 AM as there were some children in residence (maybe grandchildren) and she knew we wouldn't have a peaceful meal.

                   

The coastal path

There was no traffic and we easily found parking right next to an entryway through thick, high coastal scrub.  The Fernkloof Nature Reserve is in charge of this marvelous, paved walkway.  It tunnels through 8-12' high shrubs and actual native trees - I think maybe some kind of ficus.  These are the first trees we have encountered in our entire trip - with the exception of imported Monterey Pine and Eucalyptus. We're at the latitude of San Luis Obispo/Santa Barbara, California, and it's strange to have the continent end right here.  If it continued on south five hundred miles, or so, there might be great forests in southern Africa.

African Oystercatchers

The walkway has side paths leading down to beautiful coves and beaches and it continues on for miles.  We saw a brave old dowager diving into the surf as I expect she does every day of the year, joggers with happy dogs, African Oystercatchers on the rocks, and crystal clear, turquoise water.  We walked a couple of miles, spotted some whales dozing with their fins in the air, and a baboon being chased off a balcony (!), and then headed back to our elegant B&B for poached eggs, tomatoes, bacon and mushrooms with great seed bread.

We left our B&B about ten, drove a couple of miles to the center of town and then headed straight up to the base of the mountains to the Fernkloof Nature Reserve, managed by the Hermanus Botanical Society.  Their information cabin had about 20 different flowers in vases labeled with their scientific names so we had a chance of identifying some of the currently blooming species.  They also have six different color-coded hiking trails with a map so we took off, climbing out of the damp green canyon up onto the mountain sides above the town.  

         

                                   

                                      Leucospermum cordifolium (?)

We were surrounded by yellow Proteas, Ericas, and many families we had never heard of!  The hike wound around the hill sides, climbing up and turning back on itself and joining the other trails.  We ended high on a steep mountain side and then descended into a leafy canyon with Cape beech trees and Assegai trees (used to make the short cutting war blades of the Zulu) and found a pretty waterfall.  Finishing our descent we returned to our car after hiking about three miles.

Cape Sugarbird

Our hike - both sides

We thought we'd drive to the east side of town and see where Burgundy, the restaurant recommended by Krista, is located. With the help of Gps we got there and also found the Marine Hotel, a Relais & Chateaux hotel, and one of the best in So Africa.  Their restaurant menu looked really good (maybe for tomorrow) and we walked inside to a lovely lounge and bar and sat down and had a beer and a Campari and tonic for a late lunch.

We returned home and relaxed for a couple of hours and then changed clothes and drove back downtown for an early dinner.  I had planned to shop at some of the many craft shops in the area but strangely, on a Friday night, everything except restaurants, was closed.  I had thought, being so close to Cape Town, the area would be rocking on a weekend night.  We had a pleasant, but unexciting dinner at Burgundy.  It is becoming blustery and it may rain soon, so we may have to change our plans to visit the Porter Botanical Garden in Betty's Bay tomorrow.

Thu, Aug 27 - Driving to Hermanus

About 7:30 AM I went out on the balcony to watch the fishing boats take off; they're rather small boats loaded with six men each - I don't know where they put the fish!  A tractor with a special rig on it drags the boat to the shore and then chugs up the beach, turns around and with a metal bar in front, pushes the boat out into the surf.  I can't imagine the tractor lasts very long since it is submerged in the salt water half way up the wheels!  Last night I saw the fishermen walking up to the hotel kitchen each with a large stringer of red rock fish, so you know the hotel serves really fresh fish.

Launching the fishing fleet

Arniston Spa Hotel

After breakfast I insisted that we take a short walk around the village, even though it was cloudy and looked as if it might rain.  It was a quick walk but nice to see some of the old buildings again.  

Old Arniston cottage

We took off about 10:30.  The drive to Hermanus, where we're staying for the next three nights, is only two hours, but we wanted to take the back dirt roads, so it took all day.

Cape Agulhas Lighthouse and boardwalk

We worked our way south to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa, named the                       "Needle" by the Portuguese as their compasses worked for true north at the point the Atlantic and Indian Oceans came together.  In the 14 years since we've been there, a beautiful boardwalk has been built about one mile long which makes walking easier and protects the amazing variety of succulents that cover the sand and rocks.

Seaside Succulents

We then drove past marshland and fynbos through the large Cape Agulhas National Park that surrounds the point, spotting birds and seeing some old Cape Dutch farmhouses and barns.  We drove through the town of Elim, a very neat old town with a huge church surrounded by small cottages.

   Pied Avocet

Pink Protea

 We arrived at the ocean again and found ourselves on pavement once more and made good time along the shore to Hermanus, a very popular seaside town that may explode with Cape Towners tomorrow for the weekend, but since the weather's not very good, we may be spared the crowds.

We had both forgotten to locate our B&B on the computer; we knew the general area of town, but it wasn't where we guessed it to be, so we were stumped as to what to do, when RR remembered that his loyal GPS can also work as a talking car GPS does!!   Gps not only knew where our B&B, Francolin Hof Guest House, was, it lead us there!  Great relief at the end of a long day!  We were greeted by Krista and led upstairs to our lovely room with a balcony overlooking proteas, spectacular mountains and the ocean!  

Vietnamese pizza

We cleaned up, rested, and then drove one mile down the road to a very pleasant Thai/Vietnamese restaurant where I had flatbread with bbq pork, spinach and cheese that was great and took care of my hankering for pizza, and Bob had green curry with chicken that was also good.  For dessert we split a dish of hot tapioca with bananas and peanuts.

Wed, Aug 26 - Birding De Hoop

We awoke to a overcast which eventually turned into a day in the 70s, partly sunny and humid.  From our balcony I watched the fisherman take off in their colorful boats from the beach next to the hotel, and Bob spotted whales  spouting in the distance.  We had a delicious breakfast of eggs and spicy mince (ground beef with spices and onions) which seems to be a So. African tradition, or maybe just new to us.

Bob wanted to check out several farm roads that are supposed to have various birds he wants to see.   We drove on long well-graded gravel roads past flocks of lambs and their mothers, past green wheat fields and acres of brilliant lemon-yellow canola.

 

Blue Crane

Finally we entered  the large De Hoop Nature Preserve, a World Heritage Site, and passed some Cape Mountain Zebra and a group of Bontebok, one with a tiny tan calf.  

We signed in at the Postberg entrance kiosk and drove to the Klipspringer trailhead.  You can take a five-day hike here from hut to hut ending up on the ocean, but we just wanted to hike in a ways and see the  birds and plants.  The trail took off through blooming proteas and climbed upwards through many fynbos flowers.  We started to do some rock scrambling and could see that we would be spending the rest of the afternoon completing the 6.5 km circular route and decided to turn back.

We drove along the Breede River to the hamlet of Malagas and came to the only remaining river-crossing car raft in South Africa that runs on human pulling power (!) and, as it was just inching across, decided not to go that way.  Instead we drove way out to the mouth of the Breede to the trim village of Infanta which appeared to be completely deserted - maybe it's only a summer community?

Malaga Pont

Infanta

We returned to the Arniston at 5 and had a great dinner of sesame shrimp salad, cheese and tomato tart, lamb shank and duck, completed with a pavlova. 

               

Helmeted Guinea Fowl,  AKA Chobe Chicken

Tue, Aug 25 - Driving to Arniston

We said goodbye to Kagga Kamma and started the long drive down off the plateau which is at 4000', past the KK Driving Range on its salt pan, and past the Sewing Machine, down to the picnic ground of yesterday.  We birded for a while and ran into a professional  birder who was checking out the area as he is to lead a group for Rockjumper, a South African bird tour company.

KK Driving Range

The Sewing Machine

We turned south and spotted two hills in the distance, the eastern one of which is called Eierkop Hill - meaning "egg" hill, as ostrich egg shells, thought to have been left there by bushman in the past, were found on top.   Bob's bird book says the hills are geologically made of tillite.

The two hils

It turned out to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen: this wonderful hill rising out 

out of the flat desert, surrounded by a necklace of white flowered, stocky, spiny shrubs. 

The plants were just spaced enough apart to make walking easy and we walked up to the base and around - until we hit a fence that bizarrely climbs the hill, over the top and down the other side, bisecting it exactly!   Our hill was full of interesting plants and the view of the escarpment on the horizon, and the cloud shadows on the desert floor, made it a really magical  place.

Close-up of the white flowers

Karoo Lark

And we started seeing Bob's target birds.  He called up a Rufous-eared Warbler, a new life bird, and spotted a Black-headed Canary as well other familiar species.  We had a long way to go and one other birding spot so we reluctantly took off.  We soon reached a rest stop at the edge of the Karoo, vegetatively interesting, but full of broken glass - glad I had sturdy shoes on!   There we spotted two more life birds, the Fairy Flycatcher and Layard's Tit-babbler, at our last chance to see them!

We continued south, dropping steeply down 1000' into a lovely valley full of blooming fruit trees, all pink and white, with brilliant yellow patches of ice plant on the hillsides.  Villages of white Cape Dutch houses and vineyards completed the scene.

We crossed the N2, the highway to Durban and entered the coastal plain, an area of rolling green pasture land full of baby lambs, greens of all shades and brilliant yellow fields of rapeseed. The land flattened out as we approached the coast and we finally entered the town of Arniston which we had visited way back in 2001.  We were afraid that it might have grown with weekend houses as Langebaan has, but the village is a national monument which seems to have preserved it beautifully.  We pulled into the Arniston Spa Hotel, where we had stayed before and got a lovely room overlooking the beach and the colorful fishing boats and the Indian Ocean.

The fishing boats supply the hotel with really fresh fish and we had a delicious dinner of grilled fish with wasabi sauce.  And Bob had Five Life Bird day!