This morning, the sun was up and the
sky was clear… well except for that damned white cloud still hanging above the
mountain like a table cloth!
I joined the crew on a morning drive
to the informal settlement of Red Hill located outside Cape Town. On the way
there, we took a road that was the most beautiful road I’ve ever driven on by
far, Chapman’s Peak drive; the road is literally cut out of the side of the
mountain for over 115 curves, winding its way along the coast with the scenic
Chapman’s Peak on one side and a rocky drop-off leading to the chilly Atlantic
Ocean on the other. As we drove by people walking, jogging, cycling and
walking their dogs along the way, I was secretly hoping that our minivan’s
engine would fail so we could continue our journey on foot – I know it’s
terrible! Especially since we had to drop Dan at the airport on time to kiss
his bride on the following day – his wedding day!
We made our way to Red Hill and we
soon were escorted by volunteers from Planeterra, a non-profit organization
dedicated to community development through sustainable tourism. The settlement
houses approximately 2,500 displaced Africans and refugees living in poverty in
iron and wooden shacks. Many are unemployed and are unable to provide their
children with food or proper education opportunities.
We also visited the Red
Hill Pre-School and met with the teachers and had some great time with the kids
who also eventually got hold of my camera and started taking photos with it! It
was all too short a time and we were really disappointed when Dan gave us the
“it’s time to go” look.
We raced towards the airport and
made it on time. We bid our farewells to Dan, a great videographer and travel
companion, and wished him a many happy married years. For the rest of the
evening, Guts recommended heading to the town of Stellenbosch in Western Cape
which is famous as the home of around 200 wine and grape producers and is the
primary location for viticulture research. The town also hosts a number of
leading universities. We visited 4 (or was it 3?) famous wineries and cheese
farms in the area, enjoying great food and sipping on some of the greatest
wines the area had to offer. By the time
we finished our visits, the amount of wine in my blood made me switch off my
camera mind. We walked around the town lined with Dutch-style buildings across
the river. Stellenbosch oddly reminded me of Europe.
Luckily, Guts didn’t drink, so we
made back to the hotel in one piece. It was our last night together so we
headed to a sushi restaurant for more drinks and raw seafood. Two of Guts’
colleagues from Gap Adventures joined us and although I was quite drunk, I
clearly remember we had a blast!
