The Other Two Capes

I started my last day of exploration in the Cape region with a North African classic dish - Shakshuka. I have loved Shakshuka since first being introduced to it almost a decade ago. It is a marvelous sauce of tomatoes, peppers and spices in which two eggs are poached. This version had the addition of garbanzo beans which was a nice twist that I will be incorporating into my recipe in the future. I found this wonderful little delight at the Whole Earth Cafe in Scarborough on the way to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.

True African Shakshuka…so good.

The Cape Peninsula was originally discovered by the Portuguese mariner and explorer, Bartolomeu Dias in 1488 when he became the first explorer to round the Southern tip of Africa. I have known of the Cape of Good Hope since I was in 3rd grade, yet I had no idea it was the least significant of the three. The other, besides Agulhas, more prominent - in both size and nautical significance is Cape Point. The original Cape Point Light House was built in 1859 and stands 238 meters above sea level. This turned out to be problematic as it was visible by vessels far too early causing them to sometimes turn into the rocks along the Cape. At other times it was covered in a marine layer mist and and intermittently visible to vessels. This is what happened in April of 1911 when the Portuguese ocean liner the Lusitania was misguided and wrecked on Bellows Rock. After this final wreck the Government built a new lighthouse much lower on the cape at only 85 meters above sea level.

The Old Cape Point Lighthouse

The New Lighthouse

The lightkeeper's path winds down from the old lighthouse to the new one some 150 meters below. At one time tourists were encouraged to visit and stay over night in these buildings for free and share a meal with the lighthouse keeper. This was primarily to keep him from loneliness and possibly insanity.

The Keeper’s Path

More Fynbos! I truly find these plants fascinating. According to this sign found on the keeper's path, it is the harsh conditions they have been forced to endure for centuries that have allowed them to adapt and develop a very strong portfolio of coping mechanisms. Who doesn't need good coping mechanisms? It is both strange and inspiring to me that in this harsh environment nature can have such a wealth of biodiversity and harmony. Perhaps there is hope for us humans some day.

The Cape of Good Hope (pictured below from Cape Point) was originally called the Cape of Storms by Dias. Which is very ironic considering he lost his life years later off this same cape in a storm. It was later renamed the Cape of Good Hope by King John II probably to put a more positive spin on it and encourage trade with the East along this new East-West route.

The Cape of Good Hope has no lighthouse, but it does have a Ghost Story. The Portuguese were really only interested in exploration for the sake of trade. It was the Dutch however that began colonization of Cape Town and beyond in the 17th Century. While the origin stories vary throughout the tales told in the 18th century, two themes remain true throughout many of the stories. A Dutch vessel was lost off the coast of the Cape of Good Hope while attempting to reach Cape Town. That same vessel was often seen by sailors off the coast of Africa either in storms or as a harbinger of storms. So, the Cape of Good Hope is also the home of the Flying Dutchman.

After Cape Point I headed to Simons Town home of one of only two Penguin Colonies on the continent. While I could sit and watch Penguins do their thing or do nothing for hours.   I have to say that the commercialization of this colony by the parks made it feel more like a zoo than a natural habitat.   I can see how this would be hard to avoid and still protect the Penguins but the cafe-gift shop you are funneled through in order to exit with every possible combination of crap merchandise and penguin was the icing on this cake.  Seen it.  Done it.  Check.  Next?

I will say though, watching some of them burrow out their nests in the sandbank was cool.