World rhino day, events are happening up and down the country. In Hoedspruit we are missing Rocking for Rhinos, a weekend festival of rock music easing awareness and money for the plight of rhinos, particularly in the area. In Cape Town J ran in one of the Rhino Run events, a 12km trail race in Constantia, we only found out about it when it was too late to enter, though I’m not sure who we would have faired having only done a little bit of running at WRF recently. After she had completed the run we met up with her and her running friends at Jonkershuis.
When we met J in Jonkershuis we sat at exactly the same table as we had the day before, though on Sunday the weather was a lot better with the sun shining and the outside tables all full. After a delicious French toast with bacon and syrup we left to go to another wine farm nearby, Constantia Glen, half way between Groot Constantia and where we are staying. Sitting in the sun we drank wine, enjoying the view, the company and the wine, trying 6 of their wines. Stories were shared of life in the Cape and South Africa. After some sobering water J took Joss & I along Chapman’s Peak Drive, a breathtaking drive along the seafront, sheer high cliffs on one side and high drops to the water on the other, views across Hout Bay at one point and over the next bay.
At one point the road has been cut into he rock in a sort of tunnel, with one side open to the sea, along it there is water falling onto the road, like a water fall in the middle of the road. It was only when we got to it that we remembered that the car we had hired was a Fiat 500c, c for cabriolet, and due to the brilliant weather we duly had the roof down. At this moment we had no choice but to swerve erratically to avoid a mid day shower in the car, narrowly avoiding the deluge and watched on by other drivers who clearly saw the situation about to happen.
After a fresh spring late lunch of roast chicken with avocado salad on J’s balcony with the most amazing view overlooking Cape Town and the entire bay, J convinced us it would be a great idea to climb lions head, of side hills of Table Mountain. Initially the path starts wide and gradual upward gradient, but the path soon narrows and gets more precarious looking with drops down the side. At one point the path stops at a set of rungs in the cliff face to enable you to get up to the next part of the path. The route, in general, was fairly easy and straight forward, and clearly it was a very popular thing to do as the number if people moving up and down this little mountain was incredible. After a few final cliff face ascents we were rewarded with magnificent views over Cape Town and Table Mountain. Had we wanted to, I’m also sure it would have been an amazing place to watch the sunset as there were many people sitting around the top plateau of the Lions Head waiting, looking West out over the sea. We however were on a mission to complete the ascent and descent within two hours. J had told us that the previous week she and her friends did it in one hour! I’ve since read that Cape-Tonians often use it as an after work exercise routine, climbing Lions Head. It was, however, a memorable way to end World Rhino Day.