The days flow by in a relaxed manner. Our team is busy servicing the vehicles used for the African leg of our journey as we await the ships bound for Antarctica. In our downtime, we explore the vibrant city of Cape Town and visit its many fascinating attractions.
On the fourth day of our stay in Cape Town began with a visit to one of the city’s nearby attractions — the 3,000-hectare West Coast National Park. This protected area safeguards a significant part of Cape Town’s natural and cultural heritage, including the Atlantis aquifer. The reserve comprises two priority natural sites: the Silwerstroomstrand reserve and the Atlantis dune fields. These areas protect the local vegetation and sandy landscape from the threat of extinction. The scenery features sandy beaches, rocky shorelines, and stunning white dunes. We experienced the beauty of the dunes during an exhilarating hour-long quad-biking adventure, which left us energized, pumped with adrenaline, and in great spirits.
Next, we headed to the other side of Cape Town, towards Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town. We stopped by the sign that read, “Check for penguins under your car,” gave it a look, and then made our way to the penguin beach. Thousands of amusing, businesslike penguins in their traditional black-and-white attire greeted us on the rocks and sand, as well as in the dense coastal vegetation. Nearby, the closest genetic relatives of elephants, the rock hyraxes, also known as dassies, scrambled across the road and basked on the sand with their families. These charming, agile climbers resemble large guinea pigs and are entirely unafraid of both humans and penguins. It was truly a day filled with unforgettable experiences!
One of the days, we met with our partners regarding the shipment of continental vehicles to Punta Arenas. We reviewed documents and coordinated logistics for port entry and loading procedures. All agreements were made, and we hope everything will go smoothly.
The team continued exploring Cape Town’s attractions and visited the iconic South African Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Established in 1913, the garden spans 528 hectares and is home to over 7,000 plant species, mostly endemic to South Africa, including rare and endangered species. Kirstenbosch was the first botanical garden included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The garden features a unique canopy walkway with viewing platforms that rise 12 meters above the ground.
Next, we visited the Bo-Kaap district on the slopes of Signal Hill, predominantly inhabited by South African Muslim ethnic groups. All the houses here are painted in vibrant colours, creating a festive atmosphere. These historical houses with their original structures were formerly inhabited by skilled artisans.
On the fourth day of our stay in Cape Town began with a visit to one of the city’s nearby attractions — the 3,000-hectare West Coast National Park. This protected area safeguards a significant part of Cape Town’s natural and cultural heritage, including the Atlantis aquifer. The reserve comprises two priority natural sites: the Silwerstroomstrand reserve and the Atlantis dune fields. These areas protect the local vegetation and sandy landscape from the threat of extinction. The scenery features sandy beaches, rocky shorelines, and stunning white dunes. We experienced the beauty of the dunes during an exhilarating hour-long quad-biking adventure, which left us energized, pumped with adrenaline, and in great spirits.
Next, we headed to the other side of Cape Town, towards Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town. We stopped by the sign that read, “Check for penguins under your car,” gave it a look, and then made our way to the penguin beach. Thousands of amusing, businesslike penguins in their traditional black-and-white attire greeted us on the rocks and sand, as well as in the dense coastal vegetation. Nearby, the closest genetic relatives of elephants, the rock hyraxes, also known as dassies, scrambled across the road and basked on the sand with their families. These charming, agile climbers resemble large guinea pigs and are entirely unafraid of both humans and penguins. It was truly a day filled with unforgettable experiences!
One of the days, we met with our partners regarding the shipment of continental vehicles to Punta Arenas. We reviewed documents and coordinated logistics for port entry and loading procedures. All agreements were made, and we hope everything will go smoothly.
The team continued exploring Cape Town’s attractions and visited the iconic South African Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Established in 1913, the garden spans 528 hectares and is home to over 7,000 plant species, mostly endemic to South Africa, including rare and endangered species. Kirstenbosch was the first botanical garden included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The garden features a unique canopy walkway with viewing platforms that rise 12 meters above the ground.
Next, we visited the Bo-Kaap district on the slopes of Signal Hill, predominantly inhabited by South African Muslim ethnic groups. All the houses here are painted in vibrant colours, creating a festive atmosphere. These historical houses with their original structures were formerly inhabited by skilled artisans.
