The Western Cape of SOUTH AFRICA

Victoria & Albert Marina in Cape Town

The Western Cape of  SOUTH AFRICA

The Southern hemisphere is transitioning from winter into spring.

Everywhere are wild flowers, flocks of migrating birds, whales on the move, flowers in the gardens.
In agriculture they are busy plowing, planting, and growing.

South Africa is a place of dichotomies and extremes:

South Africa is the richest African state yet also has the widest disparity between the rich and the poor in the world.   South Africa has widespread extreme poverty.

South Africa is strikingly, breathtakingly beautiful.

South Africa has vast mineral resources and highly productive agriculture.

South Africa has a wonderful temperate climate, beautiful beaches, and numerous opportunities for sports and recreation.

Some places in South Africa have a extremely high crime rates, even to the point of breakdown of the rule of law.

All buildings of wealth or importance in South Africa have high security, electrified fences, guards, and “armed response” alarm systems both inside and outside - yes, there may even be locked bars between zones inside the homes!

South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world –topped only by Losotho and Swaziland: both are independent states within the borders of South Africa.

Throughout the Western Cape, trees and poles are wrapped in pink or red to raise awareness and in support of HIV/AIDS programs. 

South Africa has a stabile birthrate but cannot control their borders with numerous other neighboring countries, so population is rising.

Though Apartheid was overthrown almost 20 years ago, South Africa continues to have racially segregated jobs, housing, education …. actually, just about everything except the law….

Stellenbosch Church yard

Dutch Colonial history, influence, and architecture in the Western Cape:

The Dutch East India Company settled first the coastal regions of the Western Cape beginning in 1652. Over successive generations Dutch settlers and other immigrants moved inland from the coasts to farm. Afrikaans, the language of the white Afrikaners, has origins in Dutch but has assimilated words and phrases from Malays, Germans, the indigenous peoples, and others, so as to now be a separate and distinct language.

A road trip took us 1.5 hours from Cape Town to Stellenbosch, a Dutch Colonial city known for the many many South African vineyards and wineries. Stellenbosch is charming small city in a breathtaking landscape, much visited by European and American tourists to Cape Town.   

Gracious solid white buildings with typical Dutch Colonial facades and swags are the dominant architecture of the Western Cape.

Everywhere we viewed white churches with white roses in the churchyards, white buildings with the Dutch Colonial proportions and ornamentations, and white cottages or bungalows with thatched roofs and lovely formal flower gardens. 

White roses are the preferred plantings in the Dutch Colonial churchyards.

We proceeded another couple hours drive inland  to Swellendam which was the furthest inland reach of the Cape Dutch, established in an effort to maintain order and taxation of the Trekboers who migrated and farmed inland. 

Historically the Dutch Colonials used thatched roofs;  a great number of contemporary buildings continue use of this roofing.

Our “Old Thatch Lodge” BandB  in Swellendam is recently reopened after closing for a thatch roof renovation (at the cost of 60,000 Rand = $6000). 





Upon arrival at the BandB we were greeted by these two Irish Wolfhounds who immediately commenced howling - which led to howling from 2 more dogs in this yard and 3 more from across the street.  It was an hysterical hulla-baloo:
the considerable noise and my side-splitting fits of laughter kept us at bay in the street for many minutes.

Exterior pathways and floors were laid with what appeared to be peach pits in a sandy mortar.

Prior to the major thatch roof repair
at our BandB  the exterior pathways were pit paths.

We also saw this at the historical home and courthouse of the regional Dutch Colonial magistrate in the floor of the large workroom and kitchen.

B

Inland on the Western Cape

Inland on the Western Cape the blue craggy rock mountains of the Great Coastal Escarpment are the backdrop for large-acre farms of wheat and other grains.  Occasional stands of Eucalyptus dot the golden landscape.

The farming is not small family farms, but rather, expansive, corporate agriculture.  in this countryside we did not see homes, barns, nor farmyards.  We passed by the largest grain elevator complex I have ever seen, but hey, perhaps these would not surprise our mid-Westerners in the USA?

Coastal Western Cape

Hermanus is a seaside city along the coast of the Western Cape east of Cape Towns. It was originally called Hermanuspietersfontein, but  was shortened as the name was too long for the postal service.  

Southern Right Whales and Humpback Whales can be seen in Walker Bay from the Hermanus cliffs or in whale-watching boats between late June and early December.  The rock’n rolling 2.5 hour boat ride is thrilling, scary, and awesome!

Unfortunately,  a good many of the whale-watching tourists were too seasick to enjoy the excitement.

See the penguins?
At dusk there are hundreds, perhaps thousands feeding in the surf along the rocky cliffs.

Seaside plants along the rocky cliffs of Hermanus.

Wild nesturciums along the rock cliffs of Hermanus above the crashing waves.

At Louise's birthday dinner the menu offered Warthog Samosas, Biltong (dried wild game) and Blue Cheese Salad, Crocodile Sashimi, Kudu Carpacciao, Springbok Fillet, Impala Frickadella, and more ..... all certainly tasty except Louise is a Vegetarian.  I enjoyed the Smoked Trout .... how non-adventurous of me! 

This Waitron's name is Goodlaw.