An early morning allowed us to see the sunrise and many animals waking for the day!
This jackal approached our jeep and then backed up, jumped through the fence and walked on by!
As we said goodbye to the park, the safaris, the animals, we were not sad as we were off to the next part of our adventure.
On the way back to Joburg, we stopped at this unbelievable canyon. Blyde River Canyon. We did not know we were stopping here and it was a nice surprise. According to Wikipedia, 'The Blyde River Canyon, officially the Motlatse Canyon is a significant natural feature of South Africa, located in Mpumalanga, and forming the northern part of the Drakensberg escarpment. Located in the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, it is 25 kilometres (16 mi) in length and is, on average, around 750 metres (2,461 ft) deep. The Blyderivierpoort Dam, when full, is at an altitude of 665 metres (2,182 ft). The canyon consists mostly of red sandstone. The highest point of the canyon, Mariepskop, is 1,944 metres (6,378 ft) above sea level, whilst its lowest point where the river leaves the canyon is slightly less than 561 metres (1,841 ft) above sea level. This means that by some measure the canyon is 1,383 metres (4,537 ft) deep.
While it is difficult to compare canyons world-wide, Blyde River Canyon is one of the largest canyons on Earth, and it may be the largest 'green canyon' due to its lush subtropical foliage. It has some of the deepest precipitous cliffs of any canyon on the planet.'
The vastness of this canyon, the green, the water, the rocks, allowed us time for climbing, running and reflection.
Arriving at the airport, we loaded the plane for our flight Cape Town. These smiles never get old!
Our hotel was very 'hip'. The Radisson Red, inspired by art, music and fashion, on the Waterfront was a drastic difference from our last accommodations. The boys were excited for their own bed equipped with their own TVs and headphone jacks!
The view from our window. The mountain in the background is Table Mountain. More about this in the next post.
We were exhausted and everyone slept (including Alden which was incredible!) until almost noon. We took the day to explore the water front area and then hopped on the Red Bus for a tour of the city.
The water front area is full of art, designed by local artists and inspired by nature.
The Red Bus took us all around the city. Each of us had earbuds the plugged into the bus giving us a guided tour including so much history. Cape Town's history includes Portuguese, German, and Dutch influence.
While the eastern side of town lies on the bay, the western side lies on the Atlantic Ocean. According to the tour, many famous people visit and stay in this area due to the pristine beaches and views. Off the coast lies an island. Similar to Alcatraz, Robben Island was originally used as a place for exile and then became a prison and once held Nelson Mandela. Now, used as a touristic area it has a museum and acts as a wildlife conservation site.
Created for the 2010 World Cup, Green Point Stadium lies near the Atlantic ocean!
The story goes, according to the tour, that the wind is so powerful coming from the ocean and bounces off the buildings back onto the trees.
After our tour we decided to check out the aquarium eager to learn about different types of marine animals.
After entertaining the boys, we headed to the waterfront area again and visited a local brewery. Next to the brewery was the Ferris wheel and a park. The boys played while mom and dad tried some local brews.
After sunset, we enjoyed the night time views, walked around, had some ice cream and headed to bed knowing we had an early morning!
Next up, Table Mountain, Cape Point, and Boulder Beach!
I love the "hip" hotel room. The bunk beds were probably the coolest I have ever seen. I wanted bunk beds when I was little. Never got them. So I guess you could say I was overly excited about seeing that the boys got to have bunk beds this trip. Pictures look very beautiful. You guys all look pretty cute too ;)
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