Lesotho Infinity And Beyond: 23 November 2016: South Africa- Agulhas

I woke up early to get a good start to Agulhas, as it would be a long drive to get there. I drove in the rain (what else is new?) for about three hours to get to Cape Agulhas, the most southern point in Africa. This is not to be confused for the Cape of Good Hope outside of Cape Town, which is the most southwestern point in Africa- even though there are souther and wester parts of Africa. Whatever. All these superlatives are a little ridiculous.

I arrived at Agulhas Backpackers (R100 for camping, R140 for dorms) and went to the reception. The lady and I started talking, then suddenly she stood up and was almost yelling, saying stuff about drying the grass and having a wanderbout. I automatically assumed that she was talking to someone else in the next room due to her increased volume and her switching to words I was barely understanding in her thick Afrikaner accent and South African vernacular. Maybe she was calling out to one of the staff members to do something with the grass? Who knows. At this point, thinking she wasn’t talking to me at the moment, I totally tuned out and started absentmindedly looking around the room. Doot do doooo. A pause. Then she busts out, “Do you speak English?!” Jeez, yes, I speak English. I told her that I thought she was speaking to someone else. She said that there was no one else here. Yeah, but you were kind of yelling, and there are, in fact, people in the next room. I tried to play it off like I was just really tired and out of it because I’d been driving all morning. Plus her weird, electric blue mascara was really throwing me off. But she just gave me this look like I was the dumbest person she’d met in a long time. Phew! I realized that she was saying that, because it had been raining that morning, I should go on a “wanderbout” around town and come back in a few hours while I wait for the grass to be dry to pitch my tent. Way to make me feel super dumb first thing in the morning. Thanks.

So I did go on my wanderbout. I went to the lighthouse and to the southernmost point where the Indian and Atlantic currents/oceans meet. Then I found a shipwreck a little bit farther down the coast. I also walked along the beach/harbor, which didn’t look too promising for surfing. Dang. I guess I’d have to wait until I got to Cape Town.

The southernmost point, where the two oceans meet

The boardwalk along the shore

Lighthouse

There's the shipwreck. Right there.

Agulhas harbor and dock

After my wanderbout, I was able to set up my tent and explore the hostel. It’s really cool! Indoor/outdoor kind of vibe, very colorful, border collies that go with you to the beach and steal pool balls off the table, a green parrot that is very squawkey, and a great atmosphere in general. I had a stellar nap in my tent after my exhausting drive and wanderbout, then just relaxed by the fireplace.