Whale Rock Lodge Hermanus

Greetings from a very wet and rainy Hermanus! The rain began yesterday evening just as we arrived and it has continued without stopping. We are staying in another lovely B&B, Avalon on Sea. The quality of the places we have stayed has been superb, they have all been very different but we have enjoyed them all. Avalon on Sea has an uninterrupted view of the ocean. Everyone come here at this time of the year to watch the whales which come right into the bay ...

... br>It was a very happy party who left Hermanus in the afternoon to go back to our appartment and we lazed around and even jumped in our house pool with a glass of rose for company. Dinner was spent in a delicious fish restaurant on the sea front, more wine, sherry and springboks. It was a tired, happy and little sunburnt group that finished the day off and an early night before packing and home tomorrow.

... showed us about a dozen of these behemoths playing in the water. They weren't breaching (apparently it's more common in some areas than others and also during certain weather), but several were playing with their fins and doing something like tail-slapping. I say that the charts called it sailing, but Travis insists that is only for boats. Because they didn't slap their tails, they just stuck them up in the air! Our hostel, Hermanus Backpackers, was rather in ...

... only the hobs were useable since it was stowed in a corner so preventing the doors being opened. .We then drove around the township a little more, before Sam explained she was on the waiting list for a place with her feller and kids, the eldest of whom was 9. They all lived in a two room house (not bedroom, room) with I think 8 of them. She then pulled the van onto the pavement outside a house who's occupants were waving at us, and explained we were going for ...

... days. Transportation - it was easy to walk around Boulders Beach and Simonstown. We took the metro which was a bit scary but if you go with someone during the day. Also there is the Biggsy Restaurant Carriage which goes to Simonstown. Stayed - Simonstown Backpackers - the staff was great, the bathrooms were brand new. They were constructing and changing a lot right now. The location was great. We rode to ...

Today was an early start, we were on the long road back to Cape Town, with a stop off to hope to catch some whales at Dyer Island, with the plan being to be back in Cape Town to take a helicopter tour at 6pm. Upon arriving at Dyer Island, we were told the boat was runing late by an hour and so that put the kaibosh on the planned helicopter tour later. I think we are not destined to go in a chopper as this is the 3rd time we've tried to go and either weather or some other factor ...

... for the two rocket launcher pipes flanking my pack! The torso, after I sowed closed the orifices left by the amputated limbs, has been made into an interesting case for my goose-down pillow. Strapped on the back of my colossal red backpack, it looks like a memento from a vicious shark attack. I will wait and see if the kids will still shout Mzungu, which Wikipedia describes as: "the Swahili word for "white person", shouted by children, accompanied by pointing ...

... and the small museum on Apartheid they had. I was going to buy a few things but while I was in line to pay I was told if I didn't return to the bus right away I would get Dock Time (you're not allowed to get off the ship until a certain time the next day) and I had a trip the next day so I didn't want dock time at all! So I left my stuff and returned to the bus. Then we headed to Khayelitsha Township where we went to Becky's Bed and Breakfast, which was a small two room 'hotel' in ...

... s of various girls so I think I'll steer well clear of him! He also claims to be a tarot reader, he read my tarot for me.... which involved me picking a card from the pack which happened to be the Wheel of Fortune and his interpretation was that my fortunes were about to change. I won't hold my breath.... So Penguins!!, first stop was Hout Bay to take a boat trip out to Duiker Island to have a look at the seals that bask on the rocks ...

... small seaside town of Hermanus and really S L O W E D down as soon as the ocean air hit my lungs. It was rainy yesterday for the first time really since I got into Africa so it was a good one for relaxing by the fire, watching movies and visiting with the locals. Today is another sunny one so I must take my leave...there are meant to be whales in the bay so I am on a mission to spot them.