It never felt like I was at the tip of the world until I had gone to the Cape of Good Hope, or its original name the Cape of Storms. I can tell you though that this changed quickly upon reaching the historic lighthouse at the top of a sheer cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and the rocks below. From this point you can see for miles into the deep blue horizon of the South Atlantic Ocean, with the cold spray of the sea filling your senses. This is what it feels like to be at the farthest Southwestern point on the African continent, as the Cape of Good Hope served as the homing beacon to the calmer waters of the Cape Town harbor for hundreds of windblown sailors over the years. At the cape, the scenery is breathtakingly green with the mountains of the Western Cape filling the background with some of the most picturesque views you will ever see. Often times the lucky traveler can even be afforded a glimpse of the wildlife that serves as the crowning piece for the rugged South African terrain. With mischievous baboons that are known to bother anyone with food and sleek antelope running along the trees it is impossible not to be drawn into your surroundings. To make it even more interesting, once you have satisfied your interest in the mountains and cliffs the numerous nearby beaches make excellent places to further your exploration of the cape. The only advice I would give when exploring these sandy havens of natural beauty is to not limit yourself to only the rolling sands, but to also explore the rocky borders of the water where colorful tide pools form to temporarily trap the riders of the ocean waves. With barnacles, fish, starfish, and all sorts of other unique marine species the tide pools represent a unique picture into the marine world around South Africa with every glance taken. For all those interested in the things we share this world in Cape Town is the place for you, this city continually surprise me with new adventures to the point where I would not rather be anywhere else. This place has been a wonderful experience, and I hope that others will be able to find the joy that I have found here in the future.
