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Southern Africa's Deserts
Kgalagadi: Cheetah - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
The nights in the Kgalagadi Park at this time of the year are cool but they are forgiven by giving you an amazing starry sky.
The alarm clock rings early today as well, very early, we want to take full advantage of the time available and the early hours of the morning are the best to watch animals because they are more active, the central hours of the day are too hot and especially the felines tend to sleep in the shade.
We begin well by seeing a beautiful example of pale chanting goshawk and a rare lanner falcon.
South Africa: Northern Cape - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
This morning we woke up, early as usual, not for a safari but for our departure, today we have a long day ahead to travel through the Northern Cape that will take us to Clanwilliam, located in the Western Cape; it is to be said that South Africans did not have much imagination in giving names to these provinces.
We leave early from the campsite of Twee Rivieren, within the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and, as a first step, we must do the immigration to South Africa.
South Africa: Clamwilliam - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
This morning, for the first time since we started our trip we woke up after 7.00 am; we are so accustomed to waking up before dawn, that it seems to have slept until midday.
From our terrace we have a wonderful view of the artificial lake, formed by the dam, on the Cederberg Park and on some of the Cederberg Range; what a landscape, for a moment we want to not go out of the house, stay on the terrace all day and admire this sight, but then we decided to prepare and to leave, today a good day of roaming around awaits for us.
South Africa: Eland’s Bay - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
After taking a ride around the streets of Clanwilliam center we took our car and left for exploring this part of the Western Cape province.
We take the R 364 from Clanwilliam leading us to the Atlantic Ocean, that, though not from the mountainous landscape, it is just a few tens of kilometers away.
The road climbs on a couple of promontories, to then falls down in the midst of cultivated fields and wilderness bushes that spring in a thousand colors with bloom.
Our first stop today is Lambert's Bay, or Lambertsbaai.
South Africa: West Coast National Park - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
Today we went to visit the West Coast National Park in Langebaan.
This park is mainly visited in the months of August and September, since here you can see the blossoming of wild flowers; but it is a very nice park that, in my opinion, deserves to be visited all year round.
There are no predatory animals, therefore, in addition to the car, it is possible to ride it on motorbike and mountain bike as well as walking along some trails.
South Africa: West Coast National Park - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
This morning, after breakfast, we left Clanwilliam, the capital of the rooibos tea, and located in the Northern area of the Western Cape.
We took the N7 to the South and drove to Moorresburg; the road is panoramic, in the beginning the Cederberg Mountains still make us a little company, then leave the place to a larger valley; finally, at Citrusdal, we cross two passages and head South-East; in this area there are several orangery plantations, that it is a shame we are almost at the end of the trip, otherwise we would buy them.
Cape Town: Waterfront - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
This morning we wake up a bit later than usual and we take it quietly, we are in Cape Town in a wonderful 5 star hotel in a great suite almost as big as our flat so we want to enjoy it a bit after a lot of camping.
When we get downstairs we have breakfast and then go to take the hotel shuttle that leaves us directly to the Waterfront.
Today the weather is variable and it could rain, but it does not matter because we do not have to drive on the dirt road but just hang around and relax a bit.
Hermanus: Whale watching - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
This morning after breakfast we took our car and headed to Hermanus; from our hotel we take the N2 that leads us out of town immediately.
Fortunately, we travel in the opposite direction to traffic because on the other side there are km of queue, probably all the people who are going to work in the city.
The N2 runs through a giant township, it is the same that you see when you arrive from the airport and head to town; it is impressive to see its size.
Hout Bay - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
Today we went to Hermanus to see the whales and we have seen several, what a wonderful animal.
Driving back to Cape Town, we do not go directly to the hotel, but we meet a couple of friends who, with their children and dog, have recently moved here to Cape Town.
We downloaded Google's offline map, that, before arriving in Cape Town, where there seems to be a lot of traffic, makes us divert and drive along a wonderful road in the greenery behind the Table Mountain.
On the road - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
This morning we leave from Cape Town and, with a couple of stops, we will return to Johannesburg where we will leave our car in a parking lot and unfortunately we will fly back home.
To tell the truth we are already planning other trips and expeditions, but in the while we have to return to our Milanese life.
We will spend three days and two nights going from Cape Town to Joburg, the first stop is today that will take us to the Karoo National Park, and tomorrow we will stop at Bloemfontein from where we will depart the following day to head to the airport in Joburg.