Oliphantshoek

To get over the mountains and head south to the coast from Franschhoek, we drove over the Franschhoek Pass, a little scary at times but an excellent road nevertheless. The blip is taken from the summit of the Pass looking over the Franschheok Valley, the main settlement being the village itself. 
 
Before Europeans arrived here there were nomadic hunter-gatherers and later nomadic herders. Even at the time of the European settlement, large game such as elephants, hippos and rhinos were a common sight in this valley. Indeed, the valley became known as Oliphantshoek (Elephants’ corner) after the elephants that came over the mountains into its relative isolation to give birth to and rear their calves. The last elephants left Franschhoek around 1852. 
 
Now we are in Arniston in a hotel right by the Indian Ocean. It is still windy, nowhere near as windy as it was when we were last here a few years ago, but great for waves which we can watch from our balcony. This is the south coast of South Africa, next stop Antarctica, in fact just along the coast from here is Cape Agulhas, which is the southernmost tip. 
 
The extra illustrates how roadworks are done round here. Just close off one lane for several miles and then make everyone wait. It helps of course that there isn’t much on these roads.