2021 SA CT Home via Hout Bay

Zoonie
Tue 2 Mar 2021 07:11

Homeward via Hout Bay

Hout meaning wooded, the first thing the Dutch colonialists did on arrival was chop down most of the trees for their own numerous uses and along with the urban development over the past fifty or so years there are now few indigenous trees left. Fire also ravages these hills on a frequent basis so the vegetation is mostly indigenous recovering low growth.

After the delightful World of Birds we hopped back on to the red bus that was taking us along the blue route around Cape Town; a much longer three and a half hour journey, than the red route we had done before, if one didn’t hop off at all for just over twelve pounds each. On the map the route continued right to left along the ‘blue’ Hout Road at the bottom of the page past the Imizamo Yethu township where in non covid times there are tours for the likes of us to introduce us to a ‘no holds barred’ view of township life, its cultural, colourful and creative side and the dark side of danger, violence and crime.

I would have liked to have joined such a tour but not only is the risk of disease great in these hopelessly overcrowded areas but, ignoring Covid, the danger from fires that start frequently are heightened even more because the firefighters cannot get their equipment along the narrow alleyways. There are many townships around Cape Town and the government drive to do something about them is slow to rarely existent.

People in townships live close to walled and fenced estates with guards on the gates and regularly patrolling the perimeters with dogs, day and night. Many indigenous men and women are employed in the security business as well as in roles as gardeners, council workers, nannies and in the myriad of jobs within the service industries; but still unemployment is very high. Many people come to Cape Town from other African countries escaping their own form of tyranny and poverty and put added pressure on the sparse infrastructure. The situation is complex and ever-changing in this country which is politically young but ancient in terms of the feudal land ownership system.

Our next stop from where we sat on the top at the front of our bus was for lunch at the beautiful Hout Bay, number 24 after the township and just off the bottom left corner of the map.

“Stand astride him he won’t hurt you!” The friendly guy was saying to me as I stroked the soggy neck of the tame fur seal. “What if he goes into reverse, I’ll end up in the drink,” I complained and made do with a carefully positioned cuddle, he was soaking wet after all, but a real opportunist who has gently fraternised with the naïve visitors like me for ten years, bringing in a meagre reward for his human minder. From what we have seen fur seals retain their anger and tempers for their own kind, at least that is what I thought as I stood next to him for a picture and I wasn’t disappointed.

There is a marina at Hout Bay which is not used much by passing cruising yachts who are keen to get to Cape Town and all the things there are to do there. Instead, it is full with local yachts, many left there by owners who have had enough of the salty life, although there are a few liveaboards.

We had a delicious lunch in the Restaurant on the quay its interior attractively designed like the interior of a wooden ship with panels everywhere, brass fittings, portholes and a fine bust of Nelson before he lost his eye. Run by a man from March near Cambridge who, like all the other restaurant businesses, was keenly looking forward to the resumption of foreign visitor travel.

Young local lads on the beach were surfing using slabs of discarded polystyrene which were not ideal in the fresh breeze that was blowing, on second thoughts I think the wind was adding to their fun. A lovely stroll around the bay blew away any stray cobwebs before we resumed our bus stop journey past all the popular bays on the Atlantic coast between Hout and CT, including Llandudno with its homes of the rich that you see in the picture.

 

 

 

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