Hermanus, South Africa

June 4
After my 8 hr evening flight to London, plus 9 hr lay over there, and the 11 and 1/2 hr flight to Cape Town, I arrive on morning of June 6th. Luckily, no one was sitting between me and my Isle neighbor, who offered to cuddle my legs so I could lay down across the 3 seats. As I opened my window shade I was welcomed to South Africa with a beautiful green, blue and orange sunrise, jagged rocky mountains reaching to the ocean, with very low lying clouds on the ground!

Ian, my guide and driver greeted me at the airport (both of have a birthday tomorrow!). We started our drive to Hermanus, a resort town in the Western Cape Province, 1 hr outside of Cape Town. Cape Town was founded in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company as a trading post. Trade ships came through the Cape of Good Hope with goods traded between the Spice Islands and Europe. They needed fruits, vegetables, and supplies.

Bushmen, and Khoi Khoi, short honey colorer hunter gatherers who are genetically the closest surviving people to the original Homo-Sapien, inhabited the area. Some of them became cattle herders and traded meat, skins, and milk with the settlers, and by decree of the Dutch East India Company could not be enslaved.

We passed through Stellenbosch, named after Simon Van Der Stel, a governor of Cape Town who explored this region and found it to be fertile and have an abundant water supply. More food supplies for the trading ships were needed, so he offered land in Franchhock (picture 5) to Protestant settlers who were being prosecuted in Europe. Many of them were skilled wine makers and farmers. Van Der Stel brought high quality vineyard cuttings from France to begin the wine making industry. He also tried to start oak plantations to use for wine barrels and building ships, but the oak trees grew differently here and the wood was porous.

The black Africans, came from the eastern half of present day S Africa, to work in the diamond mines begining in the late 1800's, and to work on the settlers farms.

South Africa has 47 mil people of whom 70% are black, 12% are White and 8% are Colored (Cape Malay-interbreeding of white settlers and Malaysian slaves, and Cape Coloreds-all others of mixed blood). There are 11 official languages: English, Africaan, and as of 1994, 9 tribal languages. Africaan is a mixture of many languages including Dutch, German, French, English, Khoi Khoi, and officially became a language in 1870.

From across the street, my room at this contemporary guest house overlooks on all 4 sides a rugged coast with turbulent waves. After checking in, Ian drives me a few miles away to walk on a trail on cliffs looking down on crashing waves. There are over 200 benches overlooking the ocean in this area for viewing the approximately 2000 whales that return to this area every year between June and Nov. to breed and give birth. Luckily we spot 2 whales breaching in the distance. We will try again tomorrow, but it is supposed to rain.

June 7
From a deep sleep I am woken up at 11am by the housekeeper telling me that the driver is waiting for me. It had been raining but as I quickly eat breakfast the sun peeks out to wish us a happy birthday. As we reach Grotto Beach on the other side of town it starts raining, so we sit in the car about 45 minutes until it stops. Grotto Beach, is 10 miles long and very shallow with layers of breaking waves. The entire Bay is protected, and from August to November the whales can be seen laying next to each other all along the shallow waters of this beach. Today is very windy and cold, and I am barefoot, wanting to enjoy the feel of the soft, clean sand. On my walk, I see 2 men digging mussels out of the sand near the water, unusually pretty seaweed, and beautiful shells from the shellfish. This is the winter, so during my 2 hrs on this spectacular beach, I see very few people. I loved my 30 minute jog.
Nearby, we walk part of the 'cliff walk', famous for watching whales, waves crashing against the rocky cliffs, and viewing the entire Walker Bay area. I am starting to get a chill, so we take a ride through the sophisticated, quaint village of Hermanus. It is Saturday afternoon, so everything seems to be closed. In S Africa it is customary for most shops and banks to close around 12:30pm on Saturdays, and stay closed on Sunday. Only the big stores and malls stay open.
I am dropped off at my Guest House at 4pm and take a walk on a sandy path along the ocean through rocky, bushy areas, onto small beaches. Again, watching layers of huge crashing waves on the way. On my way back I am lucky to see a beautiful rainbow out in the ocean. I say the blessing I say everyday: Thank you God for giving me life, sustaining me, and bringing me here to this place at this time!!!!! And then give thanks for all of my many blessings, including my children, my family and friends, and Israel.