Cape Point (also June 18)

After leaving Boulders this morning we left the beach and met up with the group at Cape Point. They had been there at Table Mountain National Park all morning. We met for lunch at the park restaurant together, and then the other group went off to Boulders. After lunch we broke off into groups of six or seven and got to explore the area around Cape Point. Right at the park entrance is a small mountain on the coast with a lighthouse on top. There's a trail going up it, and that's kind of the main thing to do at Cape Point. It takes probably a half hour to walk to the top, but we took much longer because we kept stopping at lookout points to take pictures. I have to honestly say that Cape Point is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Words, even pictures, can't do it justice at all.

There was an amazing view of the Atlantic.

 This picture is one of my favorites. I just wish the pictures gave a better feel of how high those cliffs are and how huge the waves down there are.

 Another side of the mountain. There's a sailboat way down there!

 You can't tell very well, but the waves were huge! The Cape is known for infamously dangerous sailing, with tricky currents and rocks. Before modern technology this was site of some of history's worst shipwrecks.

 Some of the buildings on the mountain served as secret radio facilities during WW2. I'm standing in the remains of a radio bunker when I took this picture.

 Finally made it to the top! This is the light house that guided ships along the Cape of Good Hope.

 You can see the old military buildings that I mentioned earlier.

This is some weird little animal we saw. It has an Afrikaans name, but I can't remember what it was. It kind of reminded me of a woodchuck or a beaver without a tail. He was just hanging out by the trail and eating.

 That's where we were!

 After the lighthouse, we still had some time so we tried to find our way down to the beach.

 The only way down was to walk on this wooden boardwalk along the cliffs. I called it the "Indiana Jones  stairs". There was no railing, there were planks missing, and the steps were really slippery! I'm at the bottom taking this picture, so you can't see how steep they were. It was worth it though, the view was incredible!

At the beach. The water was so cold! We took our shoes of to see how it felt. The waves were massive though. I was standing on the edge of the water, and a wave came in up to my knees.

 Here you can see why it was so dangerous to sail along the Cape of Good Hope!

 We actually did see the baboons, but they never attacked us like Dirk said they might. I only ever saw one while we were driving. This is out the bus window. He's siting on some building we passed on our way to Cape Point.

Here's me about halfway up the mountain looking back over the Cape of Good Hope.