South Africa – Travelling Worm

Category: South Africa

Atop Table Mountain in the clouds

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 36-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC spent a few days recently in Cape Town, South Africa. A must-do is the trip via cable car to the top of Table Mountain. The day we’d scheduled for the outing dawned cloudy and cold. We went up the mountain anyway. The TC is like that. Tomorrow may never come, she opines, and even if it does, there’s no guarantee it’ll turn out better than today.

The book I’m in

A Slim Green Silence, by Beverly Rycroft. This is a beautifully-written and engaging read. The author melds Afrikaans phrases with English prose, and a dash of Xhosa here and there. For a reader who’s lived in South Africa, it’s a pleasure to experience through the book the mix of cultures in a small South African town.

Travel tips

If you have a clear day, use it to go up the mountain. Even if you don’t have a clear day, go up the mountain anyway.

The photos

Me among the fynbos atop Table Mountain:

Fynbos is the name given to the vegetation in this area of Southern Africa. It’s uniquely hardy and beautiful, and it feeds and shelters the animals and birds of the mountain too.

The next shot shows Table Mountain in all its splendour, photographed from The Waterfront at the Cape Town harbour. On the left of the photograph is the mountain named Devil’s Peak. In the middle is Table Mountain itself, with the hotels and docks of the Waterfront in the foreground. The hill on the right is Signal Hill:

To get to the top of the mountain, we drove through the city, up Kloof Nek road through Tamboerskloof and Oranjezicht, until we reached the lower cable station. From that vantage point, we saw the city of Cape Town and suburbs laid out below us:

The lower station was clear and sunny as we started our ride to the top:

There are two cable cars, as you can deduce from the two housings in the station. They travel at the same time, one on its way up the mountain and the other on its way down.

The ride up was lovely, though a little eerie when we entered the cloud layer and the rest of the world disappeared. We couldn’t even see the hulking huge mountain that was just outside the window. I’d show you a photo, but all you’d see is a blank wall of grey.

What’s it like on the top of the mountain when cloud is rolling up from below? Watch this video to find out:

On the western side of the mountain is the seaside suburb of Camps Bay:

On the eastern side is Devil’s Peak and the suburb of Oranjezicht:

A pinky orange lily poked above the rocks:

An Orange-breasted Sunbird perched on an aloe:

A couple of Red-winged Starlings flitted around us. Needless to say, yours truly stayed under cover while these formidable creatures had their beady eyes on us:

Daisies did their level best to brighten up a grey day. That’s what daisies do:

The top of Table Mountain really is flat. There are some good paths, especially on the front table near the top cable station:

Due to the mist, we decided to restrict our trip to just the front table. On other trips, we’ve made the crossing to the back table and walked all the way to Maclear’s Beacon. That’s a round trip of a couple of hours, and we didn’t think it wise given the current low visibility. So, back to the top cable station.

This picture shows both the top and the bottom cable stations. It gives a good idea of the steep trip ahead of us!

The two cable cars pass each other, one on the way up and the other on the way down:

Aboard the cable car once more, we saw the cables descending into the cloud:

On the way down, we passed the other cable car on its way up. Here’s a view taken from our cable car, showing the upper station in the mist behind the other car:

Table Mountain is a natural wonder and a place of calm and beauty. Heed the words of a wise worm: It’s well worth a visit.

That’s all for today, folks.
Views from Melkbosstrand, Western Cape

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC are in Cape Town, South Africa for a few days. Melkbosstrand is a beach on the west coast of Africa, about 35 kilometres north of Cape Town.

My impressions? Wide open skies. Silver sands, azure seas, sunsets to die for.

The book I’m in

The Martian, by Andy Weir. A good yarn featuring Matt Damon (well, he’s in the movie) being rescued yet again from a far-away place. The book includes intriguing technical details of NASA equipment and how to use it in ways it was not designed for.

Recommended accommodation

Bontkop Guest House, First Avenue 43, Melkbosstrand, South Africa. The views are spectacular, the hosts are gracious, the fittings and breakfasts are top quality.

Travel tip

Hold on to your hat. The wind is mighty in Cape Town. This worm’s mortar board nearly took wing a few times. Since I’m rather attached to it, the consequences would have been dire.

The photos

Me, unmistakable even in silhouette, at Melkbosstrand on the west coast of South Africa. In the distance is Table Mountain, another thing that’s fairly well known in silhouette.

Zooming in for a closer view of Table Mountain and Table Bay:

Turning round and looking in the other direction across the bay, you can see Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in the distance, right on the beach (click the image to zoom in):

This short video shows the view at dusk from Bontkop Guest House, Melkbosstrand:

On the beach at sunset:

The TC, bless her cotton socks, is partial to silhouettes:

That’s all for today, folks.
Table Mountain – what’s it like on top?

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC were in Cape Town, South Africa, last week. We spent a day on Table Mountain. This worm has been there before (blogged too). The top of the mountain is one of the TC’s favourite places to be. This worm is fond of it too, though it can be a trifle draughty. I find myself hanging onto my hat, and the TC hanging onto me. It’s lucky one of us is the strong and silent type.

My impressions? A place of quiet and beauty.

The book I’m in

The Secret She Kept, by Amelia Carr. Tangled secrets, tangled emotions. The TC is moving me through this well-written book at a good pace.

Travel tip

If the mountain is clear, go up it. Do not delay. Tomorrow may never come. Or the cloud may roll in.

The photos

Me at Maclear’s beacon on top of Table Mountain:

We walked across the top of the mountain to Maclear’s Beacon. It’s a two-hour hike there and back, mostly flat with a short scramble when crossing from the front table to the back table. Great views, unique vegetation. Sir Thomas Maclear (1794 – 1879) was the queen’s astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope. He was a good friend of David Livingstone. One of the craters on the moon is named after him. Hmph, pretty famous, I suppose. He didn’t have a blog, though, unlike this worm.

Maclear’s beacon is at the highest point of Table Mountain – more than a kilometer up, at 1085 metres) It’s not much to look at: Just a heap of stones, built to act as a trigonometrical beacon. Still, it’s a good destination to aim for.

A view of Table Mountain draped in cloud, seen from the Waterfront in Cape Town. The TC took this photo after we intrepid explorers had come back down the mountain. You can just make out the top cable car station, towards the midlle-right of the photo where the cloud cover ends:

What on earth is that giant Lego man doing there? He is 18 metres high, made of 4200 Coca-Cola crates. A little bird told this worm the statue is called “Elliot” and is making a statement about recycling.

A close-up view of the top cable car station, with one of the cars visible near the bottom of the picture:

The next photo shows the view from the top. Those cables swoop down at a seemingly impossible angle, don’t they. At the end of the cables is the bottom cable car station. Also in the picture is Lion’s Head, the odd-shaped hill on the left of the cables. Cape Town city is to the right. In the bay, partially obscured by the cables, you can just make out Robben Island:

If you’re lucky enough to be at the top when the cloud moves in, you’ll see it flowing off the mountain and dissolving in the warmer air. This video also shows the coast on the west side of the mountain, ending with an eagle-eye view of Camps Bay, a popular Cape Town beach:

Walking into cloud on the mountain top is atmospheric and eerie:

The TC will take pot shots at plants wherever she goes. Pot shots with her camera, of course:

A plant in the mist:

Another pink plant:

A protea bush:

A protea flower in bud, with a dead bloom behind:

Back in the pink:

Walking back towards the cable car station, we chose the city side of the mountain. The cloud was advancing, swooping off the edge and rolling down towards the city:

That’s all for today, dudes.
Patting lions and licked by a giraffe in South Africa

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC have recently returned from a trip to South Africa. While in Johannesburg, we visited the well-known Lion Park, in Honeydew. Get up close and personal with a lion, be licked by a giraffe, or chat to a meerkat.

This post is mostly about lions. But I’ll tell you a bit about Johannesburg while we’re at it. In contrast to my usual adventure-filled writings, this is a post in which a whole lot of nothing happens. But it’s attractive nothingness, with just a hint of hidden violence.

I see that the Lion Park has a celebrity wall. This worm is sure they’ll add my picture to it soon!

My impressions? Somnabulance. Slow-moving pedestrians on shimmering pavements. Umbrellas wavering in the haze of the summer heat. Barbed wire atop high walls. Electrified fences. Gorgeous shopping. Intense industry. Building, ever building. Chaotic crossroads. Hawkers. Quality and squalour. Awesome. Much inthe last few sentences describes the lions too. The giraffe is all awesome.

The book I’m in

Code to Zero, by Ken Follett. Titbits of rocket science, Soviet spies, CIA and NASA. Just want you want for a good, fast read.

Travel tip

If you’re going to get licked by a giraffe, have a wet wipe handy.

The photos

Me looking nonchalant, with lion looking uncomfortably interested:

I twaut I taw a puddy tat:

Sleeping lions – that’s all that happens in this video, honest:

Lions are not always dignified:

And then, that effortless dignity of the jungle king:

I was safely inside the car with the TC when she took this photo:

Safely? When a lion is just a few feet away and looking right at you, the thin metal of a car door seems a flimsy barrier.

The other denizens of the park provide some light relief:

You’ve just gotta love a face like that.

Fancy being licked by a giraffe?

The TC discovered that a giraffe’s tongue is long and slightly rough to the touch. The saliva is plentiful and sticky.

Mmmm:

That’s all for today, dudes.
Hartbeespoort Dam and Magaliesberg, South Africa

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC have just returned from a trip to sunny South Africa. One day we drove to the Magaliesberg mountain range, near Johannesburg. We headed up in the cable car to catch the view, then drove round the Hartbeespoort Dam.

The TC, bless her cotton socks, keeps humming a ditty from her childhood in South Africa (the RSA):

Braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies and Chevrolet

Braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies and Chevrolet

They go together, in the good old RSA

Braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies and Chevrolet

She’s even found it on YouTube. Ah, “the horror, the horror,” this worm weakly whispers.

My impressions? Sunny skies, a touch of chaos, some green scum, and many friendly people.

The book I’m in

I, Spy? (Sophie Green Mysteries, No 1) by Kate Johnson. A good, humorous read. The TC read the book on a Kindle. I felt a bit of an outsider, worming my way in and nibbling at the words whenever I could. The electronic bookmarks littering the pages were ten a penny and rather characterless, I feel.

Recommended restaurant

Squires on the Dam, Hartbeespoort Dam (opposite snake park). Things were a little rocky at the start. Indiana Jones would have felt right at home when the roof opened up and dumped a torrent of icky-smelling water all over the TC. This worm had to make a quick run for cover. My cardboard constitution is not compatible with water. But the restaurant staff recovered quickly, as did the TC, and our party of 13 people had a good meal and plenty of fun.

Travel tip

When travelling by air in South Africa, don’t put anything valuable in a suitcase that you’re checking into the hold. The TC’s luggage was rifled through on her trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

The photos

Me and a green doringboom, the famous thorn tree of Gauteng. Grandma, what big thorns you have!

A cable car going up to the top of the Magaliesberg:

The view from part way up:

The green roof at the end of the cables is the lower cable station. Behind that is the Hartbeespoort Dam.

Another view from part way up:

Off to the right of the picture is the dam wall.

The top cable station is quite pretty:

Me gracing a plaque about “Harties”, as the locals call Hartbeespoort Dam:

The vegetation at the top is scrubby and grassy:

We came across the occasional flower:

A worm’s eye view of a sprig of grass:

Things can be pretty when viewed from underneath:

More from a worm’s perspective:

We came back down via cable car, and continued our drive around the Hartbeespoort Dam. This is the Romanesque archway that guards the dam wall:

The dam wall:

I’ll leave you with this idyllic picture of emerald green water… Wait! The end of this video is not for the squeamish:

Why is the water green? This worm heard many theories from concerned South Africans. Tons of raw sewage pumped into the dam. Nuclear waste from the nearby Pelindaba nuclear power plant. Uranium-containing water from nearby goldmines. Algae. Weeds. You name it, Harties suffers from it. Ag siestog, man.

That’s all for today, dudes.
On top of Table Mountain

This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC) .

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC have been in Cape Town, South Africa, for the last week. While we were there, we went up Table Mountain.

My impressions? “The purpose of evolution, believe it or not, is beauty.” (Joseph Brodsky.)

The TC is feeling philosophical at the moment. This is affecting me and all who travel with her. The top of Table Mountain is a good place for quiet reflection.

Travel tip

To boldly go where no man has gone before — that’s “marvellous”, as the TC’s father would say. This worm adds: Do split those infinitives and question other rules that may prevent you going where you need to go.

The book I’m in

World without End, by Ken Follett.

Dedication

For Peter and Kay, the TC’s parents, two travellers dauntless and generous.

The photos

Me and Peg on top of Table Mountain, near the cable car station and looking out over a fog-covered Atlantic seaboard:

On top of Table Mountain

We went up the mountain on a day when the city and coast were shrouded in fog. At first we thought the cable car would not be running. But as we drove up Kloof Nek Road we rose up over the fog bank into the bright sunlight.

Here’s a view from inside the cable car going up, seeing the other cable car coming down to meet us:

On top of Table Mountain

Below is a closer view of the top cable station as we approach it. Those last few metres are very steep. The cables creak and grind and the ground falls away on both sides to reveal a breathtaking view of Camps Bay as well as the city. When they’re not covered in mist, that is:

On top of Table Mountain

The top cable station is at an altitude of 1067 metres. Take a look at the cables that anchor the station. The man sitting on the wall next to the cables gives you some idea of scale:

On top of Table Mountain

Here’s another view of the cables with the back of the top cable station behind them:

On top of Table Mountain

The cable car going down, with the top cable station on the left and Lion’s Head (the round mountain top) on the right:

On top of Table Mountain

The cables leading downwards, with Lion’s Head (669 metres) on the left and Signal Hill (350 metres) on the right:

On top of Table Mountain

Dassies on a rock overlooking the Atlantic seaboard beyond Camps Bay:

On top of Table Mountain

What is a “dassie”, you may well ask? It’s a cute fat furry creature, about the size of a cat. And it’s the elephant’s closest living relative! You’ll see many of them sunning themselves on the rocks on top of the mountain, especially on the side that overlooks Camps Bay. They’re not too bothered by humans but if you get too close they disappear into a crevice. Here’s one that we saw on the city side of the mountain top, taking advantage of an empty bit of path at a viewing site:

On top of Table Mountain

Starting from the top cable station, we walked along the top of the front table with the Atlantic seaboard on our right. The vegetation up there is lovely:

On top of Table Mountain

The Cape Floral Kingdom is famous for its diversity, and Table Mountain in particular is home to many unique and lovely species. There are only 6 floral kingdoms in the world, and the Cape Floral Kingdom is the smallest but richest. The vegetation is called the “fynbos”, which means “fine bush”.

On top of Table Mountain

It really is flat on top of the mountain. Most of the plants are short, because the soil is shallow and the mountain-top climate is harsh. Still, even up there, you see some beauties like this protea overlooking an empty dam:

On top of Table Mountain

A closer view of the protea:

On top of Table Mountain

Another bit of fynbos that caught the TC’s eye:

On top of Table Mountain

Still overlooking the Atlantic side, here’s a view of Hout Bay:

On top of Table Mountain

Now you’re looking over the eastern side towards Fishhoek and Simon’s Town, except that they’re covered in fog today:

On top of Table Mountain

If you’re more energetic than the TC, you can walk up the mountain via Platteklip Gorge or one of the other gorges. You do need to be careful, especially if it’s misty. Every year a few tourists simply walk off the edge and fall to their deaths. The mountain seems friendly because it’s right in the middle of the city. But it’s a mountain after all. One of the gorges is named “Skeleton Gorge”, appropriately enough. Here’s a view of Platteklip Gorge, at the point where you would emerge if you walked up it:

On top of Table Mountain

Below is another view over the top of Platteklip Gorge. The TC’s sister Tracy crept to the edge and attached me and Peg to a meagre bush overhanging the precipice. It seems that that ruthless desire for adventure-by-proxy, with this worm as the proxy, runs in families!

On top of Table Mountain

Back to the mountain-top restaurant safe and sound, and a rock pigeon joined us for tea:

On top of Table Mountain

That’s all for today dudes.
Bloubergstrand in Cape Town

This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC) .

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC are in Cape Town, South Africa. Cape Town, the place where “gravel” rhymes with “level”.

Now that the TC is back in the city of her birth, this worm has noticed her accent regressing. She has been sitting with her father, reminiscing about her teenage years when people used to say things like:

“Ja no, man, it’s level with the gravel.”

Translation: “It’s cool.” Note that you must pronounce “gravel” as “grevel”, otherwise you just don’t belong in Cape Town.

Or: “Lekker like a cracker.”

Basically, that means it’s good. “Lekker” means tasty, and the same rule applies to the pronunciation.

Travel tip

Tread lightly on this Earth. Crawling or slithering is good too.

The book I’m in

World without End, by Ken Follett.

The photos

Me at Bloubergstrand, a beach on the shores of Table Bay where most of the chocolate-box pictures of Table Mountain are taken:

Bloubergstrand in Cape Town

Behind me in the above picture are Devil’s Peak on the left, Table Mountain in the centre and Lion’s Head on the right.

Do you remember Jonathan Livingstone S, whom this worm first encountered in Surfer’s Paradise? Here he is again, attempting to look picturesque in Bloubergstrand with Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak as his backdrop:

Bloubergstrand in Cape Town

Me and Peg got up close and personal with a puffer fish on Bloubergstrand. You can see one of the fish’s gray eyes and its yellow beak at the bottom:

Bloubergstrand in Cape Town

Here’s a worm’s eye view of some pebbles in a pool of crystal sea water:

Bloubergstrand in Cape Town

And a collection of shells:

Bloubergstrand in Cape Town

The TC is feeling unaccountably sentimental about this VW Chico. It used to be her car. Now her parents have it and so she gets to drive it around while we’re in Cape Town:

Bloubergstrand in Cape Town

That’s all for today dudes.
Armed response in Cape Town

This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC) .

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC are in Cape Town, South Africa. This worm is feeling a tad jaded today. As a result, you may find yourself exposed to some purple prose. Here it comes.

Table Mountain looms with imposing and impervious beauty. Birds soar with ancient elegance across a huge sky over a pounding sea. Under the mountain and the sky, next to the sea, lies a city that is at times impressive too.

At other times, it’s not.

Nothing bad has happened to this worm, I hasten to assure you. But coming back to the land of my printing, I am struck again by how careful everyone is at every step they take, how many layers of steel and locks they put between themselves and the outside world before they can relax, and the edge of excitement this puts on every day life. By the way, the TC is fine too.

Armed response outside the window

Cape Town, 2am. The burglar alarm blares next door. The TC has already been awake for an hour, because in Sydney it’s now 10am. She’s a bit sad because coffee is a long time away. She perks up at the prospect of some excitement.

Armed response arrives fast. Two big men with guns. From the way the TC was reading, or rather not reading, her book, this worm could feel her excitement levels rise.

Big-man-with-gun number 1 phones the absent owner of the blaring house. We hear the entire conversation on his walkie-talkie. Including the part where the absent owner asks him for the secret code to confirm his identity and he tells it to her. Now the TC knows it, I know it, and any would-be assassin lurking in a nearby bush knows it too.

Absent owner wants big-man-with-gun to leap over her wall and check her house for intruders. Armed response control centre asks big-man to comply with the request. “Negative, control, negative. Wall is too high and is covered in spikes. Negative. I can’t get over it.”

So, would-be rescuers cannot get in. That’s bright huh.

At this point, the TC and her mum meander outside to offer assistance. That’s probably not too bright either. This worm stays snugly inside a book on the window sill.

TC’s mum shows the armed response guys how to get onto the vlei so that they can check the back of the neighbour’s property for any baddies.

TC’s mum to big-man-with-gun: “Be careful hey, they hunt in packs.”

Big-man-with-gun number 2: “Ja, but we shoot in packs.”

Wrapping it up: They did a thorough check. An hour later, the SA Police drove round too. And at 4am the absent owner arrived, escorted once more by armed response. A false alarm, yet another big man with gun announced, but there were two robberies in the area yesterday. At this point, the TC gave up on any prospect of sleep and brewed that first cup of the day.

Travel tip

Double lock everything. Look around you always. Don’t trust anyone who approaches you. Ever.

The book I’m in

World without End, by Ken Follett.

This is the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth. Both are marvellous. Even if you’re not a Ken Follett fan, this worm highly recommends that you give these books a try. Especially when travelling through a part of the world where much seems chaotic and the course of events arbitrary, it’s good to dive into a book where people make do and live their lives despite having little control over them.

The photos

Me not quite under lock and key in Table View near Cape Town:

Armed response in Cape Town

Table Mountain lurking behind a veil of rushes at Flamingo Vlei, Table View:

Armed response in Cape Town

Table Mountain lurking behind a sign post in Table View:

Armed response in Cape Town

“Beware. This may be a high risk area.” And so on.

Ag man, what a shame hey.

That’s all for today dudes.
Apartheid on the beaches

This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1.

Twenty-five years, and I don’t look a day older than one! Alas, I can’t say the same for my Travelling Companion. I spend most of my time inside a book (well, duh) while the TC sees the world. Read all about me and follow my blog posts to share my experiences as bookmark and travelling worm.

I keep saying:

I’ll keep it meaningful. Like a t-shirt.

So here we go, a “meaningful” post at last.

I’ve been spending some time in the TC’s scrapbook

Me in the Travelling Companion’s scrapbook:

Please excuse the quality of the next couple of images. The TC is not a great photographer at the best of times. These pictures are scanned in from a photo she took in 1979, using who knows what cheap non-digital apparatus.

The scrapbook entry shows a signpost on the beach at Simons Town, near Cape Town in South Africa. The year is 1979.

Looking closer:

Here’s what it says:

SIMONSTOWN MUNICIPALITY NOTICE

WHITES ONLY BEACHES

MUNISIPALITEIT SIMONSTAD KENNISGEWING

NET BLANKES STRANDE

There may be a few readers who can’t even imagine what that means. You might have an inkling, but doubt that it can possibly be true. The sad fact is, the signpost does mean this: Only white people were allowed on the beach.

“White people” — what does that mean? It means someone who has been classified as white. Short and simple. But not easy.

If asked, the TC will narrate in great detail how weird it was growing up as a child in apartheid-governed South Africa. At first, of course, you accept that there are separate buses, separate trains, even separate benches in the park. Every child learns the environment as it is presented to her. But then you start wondering, seeing the absurdities and questioning the sanity of all around you.

That might be when the TC started taking photos like the one above.