Day 83, I’m stuck at Cape Town airport staring at the screens and trying to find an update on when my flight back to Durban leaves. We’ve been delayed by three hours and the prospects are that it may be a while longer. Anywhere, or rather any when else in the world and I would be quite vexed by this, but it’s hard to be vexed at this point. In fact I’m sitting here with a fairly wide grin on my face after the exertions of the weekend.
The trip started off with a fairly relaxed braii on a beach side bed and breakfast in Durban, this was particularly welcome after the now familiar four hour drive down after work. The red wines we had that night were a mere preview of what was to come once we arrived in Cape Town. With a quick change at our hotel we hopped onto the bus that had been organised for us to go to the Pinotage on Tap Festival in the Diemersfontein Winery.
The festival occurs once a year and the winery puts its finest pinotage wines in barrels, gives you a glass and sends you on your merry way around their grounds. Of course the grounds include marquees with chocolate fountains, servers bringing canapés around and live music sets from quirky local artists. The wine flowed and the pinotage stained everyone eventually, yet it mattered to no one as sun went down and the music got louder. To top off the evening on arriving back in town I got to meet a friend from back home. Old acquaintances are always such a pleasure and more so when I get to recount how amazing the last few months have been.
The following day our resolve was tested by the excess of the festival and a trip up table mountain was on the cards. We took the stunning cable car trip up and stood on the edge looking over the bay. For my friends this wasn’t enough, adrenaline being a good way to cure a heavy head it was decided that we walk off the mountain. We suited up and got clipped on to the single rope entrusted to handle our weight. One by one, like lemmings, we stood at the precipice, turned round and walked backwards off the mountain. As I descended I took a few looks down the sheer cliff face, the city beneath and the rest of the mountains in the distance.
Feeling less than brave I soldiered onto the surprise that we were warned about. Half way down the abseil the mountain ran out with a massive overhang, following a barrage of expletives mainly towards myself I rapidly reached the ledge. Once stood on the edge, after my shaking had settled down I could actually take in the breathtaking views ahead of me.
Not to be completely outdone by this experience today we headed to the southern coastal town of Hermanus, a town famous for viewing whales. People spend hours sitting along the sea front watching whales breach, some in the distance and some closer. In order to help them the Hermanus Whale Cryer sound a horn any time a whale is seen in the vicinity, followed by a rush of people towards the best viewing points.
Alas this was not enough of an activity for us and we endeavoured to get closer to the action. Our preferred method of becoming waterborne was sea kayaks. Going out to within 200 metres of the whales we paddled around for 90 minutes in the midday sun. No trip to Hermanus is complete without seafood and we made sure we didn’t miss out before hurrying up to the airport.
So here I am, my delayed flight, one of the most irritating of life’s foibles, yet after a weekend like this, I cannot help but continue to grin.
That picture wasn't there yesterday....
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