Cape Town

We arrived in Cape Town two days later than scheduled all because we were minus a clear page in Phil's passport. South Africa insist you to have two clear pages before they let you into their country. So we had two days in London instead. So obviously we've had to pack a lot into the two nights we had in Cape Town.

We had a loft room in the Victoria & Alfred hotel overlooking the new wharf area full of shops and restaurants. The hotel is in an excellent spot and has a great restaurant called Oyo which served fabulous food. You could have Oysters, champagne, all types of fruit juice, smoothies, yoghurts, cereals, full English, South African breakfast Steak and eggs, cold meats, the list goes on. We had dinner the first night and breakfast twice. The second night we had dinner in an award winning restaurant, again on the Waterfront, called Balthazar, apparently Rod Stewart and his wife were there the previous evening. It seems Lewis Hamilton was also in Cape Town whilst we're here, but we haven't bumped into him.

The first day we arrived (after an 11 hour flight) we went to see my brother's house and apartment in Camps Bay. It's so beautiful with stunning views out over the ocean. We had a drink in the Bay Hotel afterwards which is just across from the beautiful beach.

We tried to go up Table Mountain in the famous cable car, but it was too windy and they weren't running. So that was that!

The second day we picked up our hire car which is a black manual Honda CRV, very nice but not what we ordered. There was no Sat Nav, so we had to go to the airport, Phil can't cope without and I can't read a map, but I like to look at one to see where we are! We then drove down to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. It was a beautiful drive and the weather was now just perfect. We stopped at Simon's Town for lunch where we were serenaded by local SA singers. We drove on a little way to the Penguin sanctuary but found you don't actually have to pay to see them, just walk a little way along the boardwalk and there they are!

Then a little further on and we were in the National Park where Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope is. This is where the two oceans meet (the Atlantic and the Indian). We took the funicular up to the top of the Point where there's an old lighthouse and a spectacular drop to the ocean below!

On our third day, we packed up and left the hustle and bustle of Cape Town and headed east to Knysna. It took us six hours of endless beautiful scenery. We're staying at the St James of Knysna hotel on the lake and again it's great, right down to every member of staff. They all just fall over themselves to be so friendly and helpful but not in a false way.

Well, that's it for tonight. Another gastronomic delight has been eaten, I even had dessert wine and off tomorrow for another 3 hour drive to Port Elizabeth where we drop off the hire car at the airport and we're being picked up to go to the Shamwari Game Reserve to see the big Five (I hope!)

Don't you just hate cloudy days!