Day 3: Rules of the Road & the Garden Route

Today was another adventure-filled day. Not only did we manage to see a good deal of scenery, but we also found ourselves finally getting to experience a bit of the culture, especially as it relates to the rules of the road. The notable activities and encounters for the day included a 10 hour leisurely drive following the N2 highway along the Southern Cape, with detours to the Whale Watching Route and Garden Routes along the coastline. On the N2 we saw the Khayelitsha Township and came to appreciate for the first time the living conditions of the more disadvantaged populations residing at the periphery of Cape Town. We learned the nuances of South African driving etiquette and had an encounter with a family of baboons. We took some time for a wine tasting and cultural exchange at the Benguela Cove Vineyards and followed that with a stop in the whale-watching Town of Hermanus. We traversed miles of lush, sparsely populated farmlands and finally, after some time, arrived in the Town of Knysna and settled into our guesthouse.



Picture of the Day: Baboon Encounter along the Whale Watching driving route.

The day began with our departure from the Chartfield Guesthouse in Kalk Bay. From there, we traveled to the N2 and began heading east. As we approached the far outskirts of the City of Cape Town, we suddenly came upon (what we later learned) was the Khayelitsha Township, a virtual city of shacks constructed of wood, cardboard and tin. The scene was positively breathtaking in scope. For literally miles in the distance, all we could see were the small, cramped dwellings, of the City's lower class.



Above: Dwellings in the Khayelitsha Township



Above: The vast expanse of the Township unfolds as we continue along the highway

It was a sobering scene and one that leaves us struggling for the appropriate words. Suffice to say that seeing this was a moving encounter and one that won't easily be forgotten.

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Our 6-plus hours behind the wheel also gave us the opportunity to observe a number of local driving customs. The first new tidbit for us was the use of the word "robot," as in, "go down the road and make a right at the robot." Obviously we were very concerned about what exactly we would be encountering down the road and to the right, but turns out, "robot" or "robot-light" refers to a "stop light" (in US phraseology). Who knew?!

By the end of the trip we considered ourselves quite adept on the highways. The N2 is a major east-west highway, cutting across the western and southern cape and functions very much like a US interstate highway. Where there are four lanes, the speeds are similar to our interstates at 120 kilometers/hour (~74mph). But, unlike the US interstates, the road does narrow down to two lanes at times. Unfortunately, in these situations the speed holds. We should say here that South Africans are clearly not afraid of speed. Nearly everyone travels at excessive speeds, nearly all the time. Obviously, we weren't quite that daring, so it was here the we discovered how locals pass one another. Its a interesting, informal system. Where there are two lanes, a slower moving vehicle is expected to move - at speed - to the far left shoulder. Often, there is only enough shoulder to allow the passing vehicle half of their lane. So, it is expected that oncoming traffic also move to their shoulder to accommodate the passer. In essence, there is a shared, bi-directional, "middle lane" that straddles the center line. As a pass-ee, which we had the most experience as, you know you've done it correctly when you get a small "thank-you" from the passer in the form of a couple of taps of the hazard lights. Later in the trip, we did manage a couple of passes ourselves, but never with oncoming traffic. We'll leave that for the locals.

Along one of the smaller routes we finally had an opportunity to see Baboons (!) - see yesterday's post for the (!) reference. In fact, we came across an entire group. There were probably a dozen baboons, a mix between males and females with a number of babies (ahhhhh) and adolescents. We were fortunate enough that the entire group crossed the road to our side, where we able - from the safety of our car - to see the animals up close and take a number of pictures. After a bit of time, the baboons crossed back to the other side of the road. We were struck at how careful the animals were before crossing. A number of them, in turn, stopped at the edge of the road -- looked both ways -- and ran across the highway. This is particularly significant since on many occasions we have found that the local people do not subscribe to this practice.




Above: Baboons crossing the highway

Further down the road, we visited the Benguela Cove Vineyards. While Rachel sampled the wine, we had a fascinating discussion with the vineyard staff comparing US and South African cultures. It appears that this area of South Africa compares greatly to West Virginia in the adoption of trends, technology and pace of life. Many people leave this area to go to Cape Town to find jobs at better paying scales, shop, and experience the night life and other cultural offerings of the city. It is interesting to note that even though English is the primary language, it is often difficult for us and the locals to understand each other strictly due to the accents. As a matter of fact, after we tried telling the lady a couple of times where we were heading (the town of Hermanus), she finally said, "Ohhhh, Hermanus." Rachel asked her if she was saying it correctly and the lady replied, "Oh, yes, but with a cute little accent."

From there we made our way to Hermanus as it is the premier shore-based whale watching location. Having heard that a few early arrivals had been spotted back in Kalk Bay, we were hoping to get lucky and see a few ourselves. Alas, no whales for Becky and Rachel, however the views from Hermanus coastline were well worth the trip.



Above: View from the Hermanus shoreline


After leaving Hermanus, we made our way back to the N2 by going through, what must be, a predominant agricultural region. Since it is late fall most of the fields were already harvested and some were being re-tilled and planted with winter seeds. In addition to the crops, there was also a good deal of animal farming. We saw a number of sheep, goat, cattle, and ostrich farming. The drive was wonderful, providing great views of the sprawling farmlands and the misty-topped mountains in the background.



Above: Sprawling Farmlands, opposite view of the misty-topped mountains

Once we joined the N2, it was a pretty straightforward drive toward Knysna, with the only notable encounter occuring as we stopped at the petroport (aka gas station). Here, we were a bit amused to see a small group of free-range chickens wandering through and around the pumps. Nothing more to the story, we just thought that was interesting.

We finally made it to the Town of Knysna, and after a bit of impromptu exploration, made it to our guesthouse in the early evening. Its a lovely little place which we'll provide details on in our next posting.

It's now Thursday morning here. Sorry for the late posting. But, we're off to see the Town. On today's agenda is a guided walk through the Knysna Forest and some afternoon sightseeing. Check back this evening for details on the day.

Becky & Rachel



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Location:Knysna, South Africa