South Africa

Hello, and thank you for joining us.  For the last week or so, we explored South Africa. 

Our first port of call took us to the city of Gqeberha. Now I know that some may think that I am a bit hoity-toity about explaining how to pronounce the names of the places that we visited, but you will be relieved to know that I am not going to spell out the pronunciation this time. This is simply because, I flat out can’t pronounce it or ( phonetically) write it. This is because it contains a “click” sound that is not in the English language. Here is a 10 second video where you can hear the city’s name pronounced by a local. 

The South African government changed the names of several of their cities in 2021. The previous name of this city was “Port Elizabeth”, and most of the locals still refer to it by its nickname, the initials “PE”.

So today, we visited PE, on the North Eastern coast of South Africa. This port was a hub for many of our fellow travelers to deport and begin various overland safaris being offered. Having been on safari previously, Karen and I opted instead to stay with the ship and explorer the culture of the various ports that we will be visiting over the next days and weeks. 

None of the local places to visit really grabbed us in PE, so we opted for a trip to a local restaurant instead. And we were glad that we did. After a bit of research, we opted for the best burger in town, and we headed out to The Balkan Burger. It turns out that 15 or so years ago, this brother and sister team went out to find something to eat at their local food court. At 1:00 in the afternoon, they found that everyone was sold out. They came up with an idea, and bought a food truck. A few months later they returned and stoled the show.  You see, one was a baker, and the other, a grill master. They combined the best bread you can imagine, with a burger stuffed with African Peppadew peppers and cheese, and their secret spicy sauce. What a treat! Definitely one of the best burgers we have ever had. Throw in a few local beers, and be found that we had spent the entire afternoon being true foodies. Yummo!

A day or two later, we docked in the harbor town of Mossel Bay in the Western Cape Province. It is known for its natural beauty, its beaches, and above all its shell fish. Months ago, we had made reservations for an excursion that took us through the country’s scenic mountain passes  known as the Garden Route, to the town of Knysna (pronounced ny-znah). This waterfront community is famous for their seafood restaurants, which can be found along their colorful boardwalks.   

Arriving just in time for Sunday brunch, we located the perfect shady table, overlooking a picturesque lagoon, at 34 Degrees South restaurant. While this establishment offered a full brunch menu, we were excited to try the house specialties. The local oysters and mussels!

At the recommendation of our friendly server, we started with the “34 South Oyster Experience”. These local oysters on the half shell come in 4 sizes, small, medium, and large, with the large being nearly as big as a golf ball! It also provides a smaller (farm-grown) “cultivated” oyster, and included a glass of their local sparkling rose wine. (Oh, by the way, South Africa is world renowned for their excellent wines. More on this later.)

Well, all I can say is, once you have had their oyster sampler platter, you know you need some more. Next up, we tried a warm blue cheese oyster, and a Mexican oyster that was served in a tall shot glass with jalapeño salsa and a splash of tequila. These were yummy appetizers, which perfectly compliments our main courses, mussels. 

Karen opted for mussels with a creamy white wine and garlic risotto, while mine were served in a spicy Thai red curry. After several long minutes of debate, we both agreed that this was one of (if not the number one) best meals we have had during this trip, and possibly even ever! Paired with a bottle of a local Prosecco, we made an afternoon of it. (Sorry, that means no photographs of the rest of the quays.)

Arriving back at port, I was afforded a great photo opportunity, the sunset from the wharf, as we awaited the tender to return us to the ship. What a great day!

The following morning, we watched the sunrise as we rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and docked in Cape Town, one of three capital of the country of South Africa. (Apparently, there is one capital for each of their three branches of government.) Cape Town is known world wide for its wines. For many centuries, it was known for many other commodities, but with the opening of the Suez Canal, in the late 1800s, a vast majority of the trade ships bypassed the country. While the trading of many of their goods tapered off significantly, (thankfully) their wine production continued its tradition of excellence, and they continue to produce some of the world’s leading nectar of the gods today.

During our first day in Cape Town, our friends at RCCL treated us to a tour of the country’s leading winery. Our visit to Groot Constantia Wine Farm was phenomenal. Founded in the late 1600s, they are the oldest and largest winery in the country. This place was huge, and very beautiful.

Of the many stories that they shared during our tour, we especially liked the story of Napoleon. It is said that, for the last five years of his life, he spent each evening with a bottle of the winery’s “Grand Constance” porto. (Jokingly, some believe that he may have once said “Give me Groot, or give me guillotine”!)

We enjoyed tasting a number of their wines and many appetizers before returning to the ship at sunset.

The following day, our adventures took us to Table Mountain. Prominently overlooking the city, this flat-topped mountain affords views of the city to the north, the cape to the south, as well as the South Atlantic and Indian oceans to either side.  It is one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. 

To get it the top, one takes one the “cableway” (which is what we would call a tramcar). The two cars each hold ~60 tourist. The trip each way only takes about 5 minutes. But what is really cool is that, as it moves the car’s floor rotates, allowing riders a full 360 degree revolution before reaching the top, one-half mile up.

The top provides several miles of hiking trails as well as a handful of restaurants and the likes, making for a nice day of fresh air and unobscured views. 

Upon our return, we ventured to the nearby Victoria Waterfront. This very nice venue has many outdoor restaurants and ocean-front site seeing spots. Flanked by a Ferris Wheel and glass front shopping centers, it was a perfect way to unwind and do some people watching before returning home for tomorrow’s day at sea.

Next stop, the village of Luderitz, Nambia to explore an abandoned mining town. But that, my friends, is another story…

Thank you again for dropping by. Please check back in a few more days. Miss you guys and gals!

– Mike
“I’ve been to almost as many places as my luggage.” – Bob Hope, American comedian, actor, and frequent traveler