Cape Town, South Africa

I arrived in Cape Town yesterday morning (Halloween, which isn’t recognized here) and spent the day trying to stay awake so I could adjust to my new time zone. The flight over turned out to be less painful than I thought. San Francisco to London I pretty much slept. Then from London to Capetown I slept for the first five hours. My friend David had a car service waiting for me at the airport when I arrived at 6:30 AM. By time I cleared customs, it was already the morning rush hour commute. The drive from the airport to Sea Point took about an hour.

It was a very interesting drive. The outer parts of Cape Town are where most of the poor people live in Shanti Towns. (There’s an estimated 2 million people living in these conditions.) As we drove closer to the city center, the living conditions improved dramatically. The city center is very beautiful, it sits in between the ocean and Table Mountain, very picturesque. From city center we continued north to Sea Point where my friends David and Kevin live.

After traveling for almost 30 hours, I was happy to have reached my destination and finally take a shower. After a quick shower and bite, David took me for a walk around his neighborhood. First down to city center to see some of the local arts and crafts. Then a quick walk around his neighborhood. Then we were off for a 2 hour walk along the ocean on the promenade. The views on the walk were amazing. looking down you could see the beaches and oceans, and looking up in the hills you could see all these amazing homes. The views must be spectacular.

The rest of the evening we just hung around talking and trying to stay awake. Now here it is, November 1st, my first full day in Cape Town. I woke up fully refreshed and ready for today’s adventure. There’s no particular agenda for the reaminder of the week, just lots of walking and exploring. Time to get ready.

 

Getting Ready

Here it is 4 days before I head to South Africa.  I just wanted to write a quick post to tell everybody to get ready for another adventure.  I appreciated everybody reading and commenting on my last trip to Tofino and I hope this next experience is even better. Stay tuned….

 

2474

2474, that’s the number of miles I drove on my trip. I arrived back in San Francisco around 1 pm yesterday. Overall I have to say that it was a wonderful trip. I’ll be coming back to this page periodically to update the blog with pictures from the week. Otherwise check back again in late October for my next adventure, South Africa.

 

Homeward Bound

Yesterday morning we left Tofino for a quick pass through Ucluelet before heading on to Victoria. At least that was the plan when we loaded up the car. One last walk along the beach then we were off. The first stop was Ucluelet for breakfast. Ucluelet is another town on the coast about 18 miles south of Tofino. The town is just a little bit bigger than Tofino with basically the same offerings.

After breakfast it was off to Victoria. We had a 10:30 pm reservation for the ferry. As we were passing through Nanaimo the electronic display for the ferries was showing availability on the 5:45 pm ferry back to Tsawwassen, so we decided to skip Victoria and head back early. We had a 2 1/2 hour wait for the ferry, but in the end it was the right decision. A light rain greeted us at the ferry terminal and it went downhill from there. By time we were half way home it had turned into a steady rain. It would have been about the time we were at Victoria that the downpour started. Our original plan was to visit Butchart Gardens in Victoria which would have been a wash out, no pun intended. Getting back 4 hours early was a welcome sight.

That brings us to today. In hindsight today played out very similar to yesterday. My original intention was to stay in Vancouver for the day, but I realized that as everybody was going back to work or school that it was time for me to head back. I showered, packed and gassed up the car, and headed for home. I made it as far Medford Oregon. It was a nice stress free ride. Not much traffic and not much to report. A quick pass through the border, Seattle, and Portland, next thing you know I’m ready for bed. The highlight was when I crossed the 45th parallel (half way between the north pole and the equator, thank god for road signs). Tomorrow’s the final leg of the trip. Hopefully it will be a non event as well. Oh and I’ve added a few pictures below. More to come when I get home.

 

Tofino

 

The last 24 hours in Tofino have already been worth the trip. After I shut down the computer last night I decided to take a walk on the beach. About half way down I turned back to let Mark, David, and Milo know how clear the skies were. The night air was still amazingly calm. We walked along the beach for a while staring at the stars and enjoying the smell of the ocean. On our way back to the room we noticed a fire pit off to the side of where we were staying. We walked over and met some of the other guests. Around the pit were several families who vacation here once a year together. The kids were roasting marshmallows while the adults enjoyed their adult beverages. They were all very friendly so we ended up roasting marshmallows with them and hanging out. It was a perfect end to a perfect day. Kind of like Costa Rica without the fear of the jungle at night.

Today gets even better.

 

We had arranged to go on a black bear excursion through the inter-coastal waters. The boat was a 24′ Zodiac vessel that held 12 people. Within minutes of taking off we made a pass through a tiny island that had a bald eagles nest on it. One of the eagles was sitting on a tree as we passed by. It was the first time I had seen a bald eagle in the wild. From there we started up the waters. The only time to view the bears is during low tide when they come to the waters edge to feed. Once again, within minutes we spotted our first bear. The guide drove the boat closer to the shore so we could catch a better glimpse. It was a male adult black bear.

Its hard to describe actually seeing a black bear turning over rocks on the waters edge looking for food, but there we were watching it all unfold. We didn’t stay too long because the bear starting to head back to the woods. The guide took us farther inland and we came across our second black bear. This time the guide turned off the engine and we just floated off shore for about 15 minutes watching the bear feed. There we were about 60 feet away from a male adult black bear turning over rocks looking for food. We were so close at one point we heard the bear let out a sigh. Its a moment I’ll never forget. Everybody on the boat sat in complete silence and watched. Truly spectacular.

We then headed a little farther inland to a tiny island where harbor seals were hanging out. Upon arriving at the island a bald eagle soared off because of the sound of the boat. On the island there were about a dozen seals and another dozens or so in the waters just popping there heads up to see what’s going on. While floating around the island we noticed a dead seal with a severed head, which is what the eagle was feasting upon when we showed up. Keep in mind this whole trip is taking place on a boat surround with mountains coming right up to the waters edge and lots and lot of tiny island scattered amongst the waters. Now I know why Joy called this place magical yesterday. It rivaled only Tasmania in terms of natural beauty.

After heading back to the lodge we took a quick walk along the beach and watched the surfers for a while. Then we headed out to dinner at Middle Beach Lodge. A nice ending to another wonderful day. Tomorrow we’re off to Victoria.

 

On the Road Again…

We’re here in Tofino Canada, half way up Victoria Island on the Pacific Coast. The day started out early, very early, with a 5 am wake up call. We had a 7:45 am reservation on the ferry from Tsawwasen to Nanaimo. The only way to survive this trip was a stop at the local Starbucks. Luckily they were just opening up. One grande and a pastry later we were on the road.

We arrived at the ferry terminal about an hour early so we had a bit of a wait (we were worried there might be holiday traffic). After loading the car on the ferry, we went upstairs and sat down to enjoy the ferry ride. The ride was approximately an hour and 45 minutes. About an hour into the ride a pod of orca whales crossed in front of the ferry. It was so amazing and unexpected.

After landing on Victoria Island we started our drive to Tofino. Along the way we stopped at Lefty’s restaurant in Parksville for breakfast. Lefty’s gets it name from the three original founders who were all left handed. The food was surprisingly amazing. If you’re ever in the area make sure you stop by. After refueling our bodies it was on to Tofino. The remainder of the drive took about 3 hours through some beautiful winding mountain roads. If you’re prone to motion sickness be prepared.

After we checked in to the lodge we dropped our bags off and walked down to the ocean. The room we’re staying in faces the ocean which is about a 100 yards away. As we were walking along the beach, we ran in to this older lady named Joy who told us all about the area.

She’s been coming here for 15 years, several visits each year and calls this place “magical”. She told us about the Sunset Trail that she said we must go on. So we walked on over to the Sunset Trail, and let me tell you, when you encounter a little Joy, don’t pass it up. The trail leads you to these cliffs where benches were located about 10 feet away from the edge. All you do is sit down and stare out at the Ocean. Once again, beautiful.

We then just wandered around the rocks taking pictures of anything that caught our eye. There were times it reminded me of being back in Tasmania. I could have spent the whole day there with my camera just wandering around. Very peaceful.

By this time it was starting to get late and the hunger pains were setting in. We walked back to the room, got ready and headed in to town for dinner. We ate dinner at The Schooner and had the most delicious halibut I’ve had in a long long time. After dinner we took a quick walk through town. The town sits right on the water. The sun was setting and the air was very very calm tonight. There was absolutely no breeze with the mountain silhouettes in the background. Once again, breathtaking.

As we were walking down to the water we came across one of the local tour companies so we stopped in to get some information on what to do the next day. This is where today’s story ends. Tune in tomorrow to find out which option we chose.

 

Rest Stop

Today was a rest day. Ran around town with Mark doing errands. Not much else to report. I did make it to yoga one more time. Now its 12:15 and we just got home from dinner and drinks and we’re leaving at 6 in the morning so I’m going to make this quick. Good night, see you in Tofino.

And coming soon.  Pictures.

 

Border Crossing

Well here I am, in Canada. I arrived in New Westminster around 4 this afternoon after a slow crawl through the border.

I started the morning in Portland which a quick drive through downtown. What I didn’t get to see on foot yesterday I thought I’d traverse via car on my way out of town. The town was just coming to life so there’s wasn’t much going on. After about a 1/2 hour I decided it was time to hit the road.

Crossing into Washington was pretty much a non event. There’s a bridge that crosses over the Columbia River from Portland that lands in Vancouver Washington. I had my camera all ready to snap a picture of the Welcome to Washington sign, when I realized it was this little sign on the top of the bridge that came and went without much notice.

The only stop I made in Washington was in Olympia. I took a quick walk around the state capital and government buildings. The whole layout reminded me of a mini Washington DC. In between each building were lots of open space, grass and flowers. The whole atmosphere was really quiet and serene. Not what I would expect from a state capital.

After a few pictures it was time to hit the road. My intention was to have lunch in Seattle. Well that didn’t go so well. First of all even with a navigation system I managed to make a wrong turn which caused a minor delay in getting back on track. Then as I approached Seattle, the traffic was extremely heavy. It was stop and go traffic for miles. At this point all I wanted to do was get as far away as possible from the craziness. I basically stayed on I-5 pulling over long enough to grab a quick bite.

Then came the border. I was so excited to drive across the border for the first time. I’m not sure what I was expecting to happen, but it just seemed like it was going to be something special. Well that something special was waiting in line for an hour and half to go a 1/2 mile. Then to top it off the border agent only asked three generic questions and I was back on the road. They don’t even offer to stamp your passport. On they way back I’ll look for the suggestion box.

The last leg of the trip was a 20 mile drive to my friends place in New Westminster. I was so excited when I saw the first speed limit sign and it said 100. I forgot I was in metric country. 100 kph is roughly 60 mph. I’m just hoping I don’t get a ticket over the next few days.

The remainder of the night I hung out with my friend Mark catching up. Tomorrow we’ll just lay low until Mark, Milo, and myself hit the road for Tofino on Saturday. Until tomorrow…..

 

Boregon

I chose this title after my drive from Eureka to Portland today. Basically until I hit the California/Oregon border I drove along the Pacific Coast. In order to get to Portland a little earlier and enjoy the city I decided to take Interstate 5, from the border. Need I say anything else. I guess you can’t have it all, speed and beauty.

The remainder of my drive in Northern California was even more beautiful than the last two days. The road zigzagged between redwood forests and the coast. Trinidad and Orick California were both surrounded by redwood state parks that I’m putting on my short list of places to revisit. You could easily spend a week in the area just hiking. The area was particularly impressive at times because you would come across these fresh water lagoons in the middle of nowhere. After a while you go into sensory overload because its just one beautiful turn after another. The final city on my drive along the coast was Crescent City, which was another seaside town that seemed to be frozen in time. Very quaint and quiet.

This is where the trip gets boring. From Crescent City to Portland it was all interstate highways. And with I-5 being the only interstate connecting the Pacific Northwest it was basically a truckers haven. The whole drive was spent zipping in and around trucks, which was a little nerve racking at times. I was counting the minutes until I reached Portland. And to make matters worse, basically from Eugene to Portland it was solid traffic. Not much else to report there.

I arrived in to Portland around 3 pm. I checked in and keeping with my commitment to myself, grabbed my yoga gear and headed out to class. The temperature in Portland was already 95 degrees which made for an unusually hot and humid yoga class. The teacher said the room was averaging around 107. A little to warm for me, but I did the class and felt rejuvenated afterwards.

Then it was back to the hotel for a quick change and a walk around town. I have to say that Portland is a beautiful town. The Columbia River runs through the middle of the town and the downtown has some really cool old buildings from the late 1800’s early 1900’s. There’s also a really nice parkway that runs along the river and tonight the symphony was playing in the park with the river and bridges as a backdrop.

It’s now a little after 10 and I just finished dinner. I’m sitting on a bench overlooking the river and watching the almost full moon rise in the distance. The weather is still incredibly warm and stale. I wouldn’t mind a nice breeze right about now. I’ve very relaxed, but the mosquitoes are out and unfortunately they love me so I’m off to my room for the night.

I’d also like to take this opportunity and thank whoever’s wi-fi I’m using at the moment. Thank god not everybody password protects there’s. Until tomorrow, have a beautiful night. Next stop, Vancouver.

 

Avenue of the Giants

After waking up from a short night sleep, I started out the morning with a quick stroll around Mendocino. For those who haven’t been there, Mendocino is a beautiful town that sits on a cliff surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on three sides. There was the usual morning fog that blankets Northern California almost every morning, which adds to the charm. The coastal air is so crisp and fresh that you want to just sit back and breath it all in.

After checking out of the hotel I took a drive through the Mendocino Headlands stopping several times to take in the majestic views of the light fog sitting right off the coast, giant rocks coming out of the ocean, and the blue water in the distance where the fog had receded. I noticed several artists sitting outside amongst the headlands with their easels and paint brushes capturing the moment. It was a beautiful start to the day.

Then it was off for Eureka. The first part of highway 1 was very similar to yesterday’s drive with the winding roads and fog. I stopped only a few times to try and catch a glimpse of the coast, but the fog was too thick. Luckily it barely came onshore so it didn’t impact the driving conditions.

Then suddenly highway 1 starts to go inland and within minutes you find yourself on the outskirts of the redwood forest. There was a definite temperature change as it climbed from 60 degrees to the high 80′s within 20 minutes. The higher I climbed the higher the temperature went. The road peaked at about 2000 feet. I kept stopping along the way to take in the smell of the warm air and pine needles. It was great opening the sunroof and rolling down all the windows while I drove in the mountains. All along the way there were campers, RV, and tents setup at campsites, which brought back some fond memories as a kid going camping with my family.

Then came the Avenue of the Giants. The Avenue of the Giants is a 31 mile road that winds through the Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which has the largest remaining stand of virgin redwoods in the world. The skies were clear and the temperature was around 84 degrees. Once again I kept the sunroof open and the windows down. Its a fantastic drive, especially on a weekday when the park is pretty empty. The trip takes about an hour and half, depending on how often you stop. There are several places to picnic and take in a hike or two. The best part is just standing next to one of the redwoods. You feel so insignificant against these giant trees that soar up to over 300 feet tall and knowing they’ve been there for several centuries and will be for several centuries to come. The whole drive made be really appreciate how much natural beauty there is on this planet. I encourage everybody to visit this area at least once in their life. If you come, just take you time and enjoy what mother earth has to offer.

After leaving the Avenue of the Giants I ended up on Highway 101, which leads in to Eureka. This is where the story gets a little boring. On the drive up from Bodega Bay to just before Eureka I was impressed that the small town charm still exists with local coffee shops and diners still in existence. That all changes when you hit Eureka. You’re greeted with strip malls, fast food restaurants, and big box stores. I just wasn’t prepared for it. I remember Eureka from years ago and I thought it was one of those old charming coastal towns. The old historic district was run down and not much life to it. I drove around for a while but couldn’t find anything interesting, so I found myself a room for the night, took a nap, then went to yoga. When I got out of yoga around 7:45 I was surprised to find that most of the town was shutting down. Restaurants close around 8 or 9 here, so I decided to grab a quick bite and call it an early evening. Tomorrow I’m going to try and cover more miles with a drive up to Portland.

And by the way. I guess last nights Lunar Eclipse was one of the best one in years. At least that’s what the lady in the hotel in Mendocino told me. She said that’s all everybody was talking about. It was still the highlight of my day yesterday.