May 22 2007
Cape Agulhas – The Southern-Most Point Of Africa
I continue to go through my ups and downs as I struggle through my current “growth spurt.”
Despite this, I thought I’d continue to share with you my experiences in South Africa. I felt a great deal of peace and connectedness there: the beauty of the country, the love of my friends, this all reminds me of the beauty, wonder, love and abundance I have in my life.
[Monday April 30, 2007...after lunch]
We’re back on the road and in between watching the beautiful landscape roll by; I’m dozing off in the back of the car doing my Chinese Bobble-Head act. I manage not to drool, not an easy task.
We end up at Cape Agulhas (pronounced uh-gull-us), the southern-most point of Africa. This is the place where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet.
The rocks thrust out of the water like magnificent crumbling cities.
I hear the crashing surf, smell the fresh salty air and know that I am experiencing a moment like no other. I place a hand on the rough and sun-warmed stones and feel their energy. I realize that I have to bring a part of this beauty home and select 4 large stones.
When I later thought about rinsing them off, Shirley said, “Don’t. Let the salt of the ocean remain on them.”
We visit the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse and admire its limestone towers.
It was late afternoon by this time and instead of heading back home, we decide to travel on to Arniston, a seaside town northeast of Cape Agulhas and on the Indian Ocean side (the western side is the Atlantic).
We had the choice of seaside thatched cottages or this chi-chi hotel. I was in the mood for the cottages. It wasn’t just the price – I stay at generic business hotels all the time and I wanted, well, homey and slightly beat up and funky.
It did turn out to be all that including a cockroach in the tub and when I woke up the next morning I saw a small lizard above my window. I am not sure what is up with me, my bedroom windows and small wildlife.
We had dinner at the chi-chi hotel since it was the nearest and best place to eat. We sat outside on the large patio, Shirley and I ordered Margaritas and Laverne tried a Bloody Mary for the first time. We sat outside and watched the sun go down.
We did what we always do, which is share a bottle of red wine over dinner. Of course my friends had to take photos of me looking like I do all the drinking.
We drink in the beauty of the moon.
A glass of wine for each hand? I guess things are worse than we thought…
So, what did the plaque say and did you grab a cup of water from each ocean and mix them up or anything?
HMTKSteve: there were actually 3 glasses as I was doing all the pouring for me and Laverne and Shirley!
I would think you’d think things were BETTER than you’d thought!
The plaque said: “U is nou op die mees suidelike punt van die vastland van Afrika Kapp/Cape L’Agulhas. You are now at the southern-most tip of the continent of Africa.”
I’m glad it included an English translation!
I have no desire to drink at all right now. Looks like I’m the type that drinks when I’m happy. I have no desire for chocolate or fat, either. I’m not drowning my sorrows or finding comfort in food, that is for sure. I crave running and getting outdoors. The Sadness Diet. It’s Nail-in-the-eye FUN!
These are all wonderful stories and I’m glad you continue to share them with us. Amazing how the growth spurts never seem to stop right?
Ricardo: I’m glad you’re enjoying my stories! It’s still gratifying to read that, especially from someone whose stories I’d admire! I caught up on your stories about your family and father…I feel for you.
I know these growth spurts are a very good thing. However, this one kinda snuck up on me – I’d gone through a long extended one earlier last year and thought it would be awhile before some new issue reached Critical Mass.
The last one was more gentle – I slowly figured out a few things. This one is something out of a Road Runner cartoon: anvils and ACME cannons dropping on me from out of nowhere despite the fact that I’m in the desert.
I disliked the Road Runner and was always rooting for the coyote.
HA! And just what would would happen if that coyote caught up with the road runner? We will never know.
These things do sneak up on you and, if you can keep your wits about you, serve as wonderful teachers. Well not always wonderful but you know what I mean.
Thanks for reading. I’m hoping to make some headway in these contests.
Ricardo: good luck with your screenplay as well as the dramatic relay competitions! I can’t even imagine the stress and adrenaline generated by the relay.
There was a special years ago (like 2 decades!) advertising that the coyote finally catches the road runner. Of course it was a trick! I can’t recall how but either the road runner is made ginormous or the coyote is miniaturized because the last scene has the coyote “catching” the road runner who is something like 50 times bigger than him so the coyote is left barely grabbing an ankle.
Yeah, gotta love these lessons in life.
Ms. Q you are so lucky to visit such a beautiful place. I have personally never been to South Africa, but after sharing your experiences, it just gives me more motivation to add it to my list of places to visit. Thanks!
Christian: I have been lucky! I first went to Cape Town for work and I fell in love with the area! I never would have considered going there otherwise.
If you liked San Francisco (I know you were there for Ad:Tech conference), then you will like Cape Town. I love San Francisco and there are many similarities between the two cities: the ocean, the wine country, the winding 2-lane coastal highway, the island prison (Alcatraz for San Francisco, Robben for Cape Town), the defining local feature (Golden Gate Bridge, Table Mountain).