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Today's agenda:
- Breakfast
- Pick up Bikes
- Day run down to Cape Point and back
- Dinner at The Gold
Jörg was there to see us off, and to take a photo of each driving licence for his record. Each rider signed the paperwork and we were free to go.
My bike, a Heritage Softail Classic was a bit of a mixed bag as it turned out. Not like what I was expecting really. Some good and some not so good. Good was that it had Fat Boy bars which I prefer now to the standard bars, and good was that it did have passenger footboards fitted. And good that it had new tyres and front brake pads just fitted. But not so good that, well I phoned Jörg just a few days ago to ask if my hire bike would have passenger footboards, He told me, no, they're all 1 or 2 years old, low mileage, and standard save maybe for a change of exhaust, so they sound better. In reality it was bike with some 130,000 km on the clock, and of 2004 vintage. Because Jörg told me that it would have them, I removed and brought with me from the UK the passenger footboards off my own bike - unnecessarily as it happens - and they do weight in at about 5 or 6 kg, including tools. Hmph. In the event, generally the bike rode and handled fine. It had obviously seen better days but there was no problem with how it performed.
Off we go then, starting our first ride in the southern hemisphere. We take the road named Ou Kaapse Weg (Old Cape Way) towards Simon's Town. We don't stop there but carry on to Boulders Beach. This is where the Penguins are. No problem finding space in the car park, thanks to the helpful attendant. Off to find the penguins, which takes us along a fenced path down towards the beach. Along this walk, just the other side of the fence we can see numerous penguins nesting in what look like short lengths of plastic pipe , semi-buried in the ground. Quite a few of these of these are occupied, and some are quite hidden from view. Anyway, we get to the entrance to the beach, now we have to pay to get past, a nominal fee. Nice sandy beach. I see why it's called "Boulder Beach". No time for a swim, just a paddle, for some, not me. Off of the beach and back towards the bikes, back along the same walk. It's warming up now so we stop a refreshment kiosk that looks like it's been set up in the front garden of somebody's home there. I get a nice whippy ice cream, and some water. We all have a rest and I have an interesting chat with the owner. Interesting to hear what she though about South Africa's future, (not good).
ABOVE: Boulders Beach - Click on any image to see a big one
Quickly moving on, we stop next at Cape Point, the most southerly point of the cape peninsular, spectacular views looking out from the top of the cliffs, sea below us, lighthouse below us. Quite a tourist spot this. There's a funicular railway that goes from here up the cliff towards the lighthouse. We take this, and from up there the view is even more spectacular, and there's specially build walkways and viewing platforms from where it's possible to get some great views, and many photo opportunities.
ABOVE: Cape Point - Click on any image to see a big one
Time is getting on, and there some way left still to go today, so we have to ration our time somewhat. We take the railway back down, and get a take away each for lunch as we would have lost too much time waiting in the busy restaurant. Quite a good gift shop here too.
Back on the bikes, leaving Cape point for The Cape of Good Hope. Bit of a rough road as we get to 'it', not much parking and quite busy but with motorbikes you can generally fit yourself in somewhere, which we do. All there is here is a sign saying "Cape Point" where it's kind of obligatory to have somebody take your photo standing behind the sign. So we do that, individuals, couples, group photos, and so on. This bit is down at sea level, and there's loads of baboons wandering about. Not seen that before, only at Longleat. Photo stop over, its time to head for a supposed spectacular scenic ride - Chapman's Peak Drive, heading up the east cost of the peninsular towards Cape Town, via the small town of Scarborough.
ABOVE: Cape Of Good Hope - Click on any image to see a big one
Chapman's Peak Drive is a marvelous engineering feat. Completed back in 1922, it has been cut into the side of what were sheer cliffs, towering high above the Pacific Ocean. There is a R23 toll to pay for each bike. We stop at one of the viewpoints about half way along it to admire the view, and take a few photos, then it's time to saddle up for the ride back to the Portswood Hotel Cape Town, via Hout Bay and Camps Bay.
ABOVE: Chapman's Peak Drive - Click on any image to see a big one
Two taxis are ordered to pick us up from the hotel and takes us to the Gold restaurant, where we've booked at table for 8pm. I had read before we left the UK that this place was reckoned to be really good, and we'd booked it up many weeks ago.Gold offers a real and varied taste of African cuisine, serving up about 20 different courses, each a different, authentic African dish. Not only that, they make it a really entertaining evening too by way of performing African Dances, Mime, music and drumming. They encourage audience participation. The performers are enthusiastic , this despite the fact that they've probably done these routines hundreds of times before. Mrs. K and I really enjoy it all.
ABOVE: Gold restaurant - Click on any image to see a big one
Face painting is another treat for us. The waitress also double as a face painter in between courses and gives each of us some African tribal face paint, each one different. The 20 courses are served us 4 or 5 at a time, not huge potions (thankfully) but big enough to get a good taste .
Very well done and most enjoyable from every aspect - the food, the wine, the entertainment, the service and the hospitality. Highly recommended by me to Cape Town visitors.
Eventually we leave Gold, all the other punters have already gone, and we take taxis back to The Portswood, for a nightcap.
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