Hermanus/Plettenberg Bay

Sunday brought a near cloudless day , perfect for our second cliff path walk. This time we made it to the lagoon where we ate our sandwiches and watched enviously as people barbecued all manner of delicious foodstuffs on the public braais. No whale sightings though, they’ve moved on – we were very lucky to see them on Friday.

Our last meal in Hermanus was at The Rock and it didn’t disappoint. The fish is so fresh in Hermanus we can’t stop eating it.

Still, all good things…

This morning we set off early (well, 9.15am which is early for us but not for South Africans. They very much follow the “early to bed, early to rise” rule.)

It was a 5 hour drive from Hermanus to Plettenberg. Not the most exciting drive but I did spot some more Ostriches, some kudu and some zebras. The game reserve thing is big here – landowners add to their profits by getting in some African (but not local) animals and driving people around to see them. Personally I don’t get it, it’s a bit like a safari park in the Uk, but as long as they’re not hunting and killing the animals, I guess it’s not doing any harm.

I also hadn’t realised how much wheat was grown in South Africa – miles and miles of wheat fields and very little else.

Eventually we arrived in Plettenberg. This is the first time our accommodation has been near a township. And it’s massive. I imagine it’s several that have ended up pretty much running into each other. Apparently you can go on a visit of the township. I’m ambivalent about this sort of tourism. Some may say it raises awareness and brings funds into the township which is obviously a good thing but I find the thought of these “visits” uncomfortable . From what I see, some of the living standards look pretty dire – I can’t believe that anyone wants to live in those conditions – and I would feel very uneasy about looking at people as if they were in a zoo. There also seems to be a trend to describe these places as “uplifting “ and “innovative “. I suggest those people go and live there for a few months and see how they feel about it then.

Anyway, Plettenberg itself seems a fairly laidback and quiet sort of place. It doesn’t have the buzz that our previous places had but our accommodation is nice and the views are beautiful. There’s some great things to do so I’m looking forward to our time here.