Cape Town and Road Trip

Wednesday night we we went out to a Mexican restaurant, to say goodbye to Mayumi who was unofficially voted best overlander. Couldn't really sleep that night because of drunken dickheads shouting and laughing all night. Yes, i know its a hostel but you are still a dickhead. It was worse cos we had to get up at 345am for our road trip........

We hired two cars and went away for 2 nights. We started early because the boat was launching at 7am and it was a 2.5 hour drive to Gassbai and cage diving with sharks. I slept on the way and when we got there it was just light enough to see that it was squally out in the ocean, and looked very cold and bleak. I couldn't figure out why i would want to go out on a boat in the ocean that morning, nevermind jumping in!

But it was on. After a small breakfast 20 of us went down to the boat and we set off with the cage in the back. It was a pretty bumpy ride out there for 30 minutes, having to hold on tight. Then we stopped. The crew were great and explained exactly what would happen. They throw in a tuna on a line, and a decoy seal as bait. After just 15 minutes the first sharks arrived. 3 metre long Great White Sharks, right by the boat.

So the crew called for the first group of 8 people to get into the cage in the water. Well, i wasnt worried about the sharks cos there is a cage between us but i didnt fancy hypothermia. So i went with the second group, and the crew gave us 7mm wet suits which was much thicker than i have had before. They also give you a mask of course (its not really diving you just duck your head under the water!).

Its easy to get into the cage. About 8 inches inside the cage there is a yellow bar to grip and another one lower down to put your feet in. They close the cage then the 'fisherman' throws in the bait and then tells you which side the shark is approaching from. It was amazing; there were about 5 different sharks, one after another passing right in front of our noses, attacking the tuna, and sometimes they came head first right upto the cage. It wasnt really scary as you know the cage is there, although one time when one darted towards us, me and the English girl did let go of the bar as a survival instinct. It was so much fun. Lots of shouts of 'awesome'! and 'Did you see that?'. Definitely a trip highlight and surely better than jumping from a great height!

When we got back to shore we continued the road trip. We bought some bread and salad and made sandwiches at picnic stop by the roadside. Seemed a bit strange for 6 guys to be doing this, rather than eating steak somewhere but it was cool. And the chutney was very popular. Chutney is a very popular condiment in SA. Arrived at 7pm at Mosselbai. Our hostel accomodation was an old disused sleeper train; we each had our own cabin in one of 4 carriages! Right by the ocean.

Next day we started the Garden Route which is famous for the rivers and mountain and coastal plains. Picturesque. We got as far as the Eastern Cape and Bloukrans River Bridge where some of the guys did the world's highest bungy jump. Then he headed back towards Cape Town. Stopped and bought some meat then headed to a hostel in Cape Agulhas. We cooked Osterich burgers and steaks which also went down well with the chutney.

The other hostellers were impressed with the team efficiency and teamwork of 6 guys in the kitchen but we have had lots of practice since November, with fewer resources. In the morning we took the short drive down to the most southerly point of all of Africa (there is a more touristy point near Cape Town, but its not the most southerly). Of course this is where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean so i got to paddle in 2 oceans in the same day (actually the same 5 minutes). It was very rough so only up to my shins!  After cooked breakfast back at the hostel, which we shared with the manageress, we drove back up to Cape Town. And i sat and watched football for the rest of the day! Some of our guys who leave the trip here have been delayed here by the ash, and some who are supposed to be joining us havent made it here, presumably for the same reason.

We leave Cape Town on Tuesday and have 3/4 days to make it to Botswana............