Hermanus ♥️

When we arrive in Cape Town, back to Cape Town, I tell Mama M and Mama B about my trip to Mozambique before we pick up the car. We're getting an upgrade, and given the number of suitcases we have, it's better that way. Off we go to Hermanus.

It quickly gets darker, it starts to rain and it doesn't stop either during the journey or during the day. The weather is scary, I'm hungry too, I'm cold. When we arrive in Hermanus, we quickly look for a restaurant, feast on pizza and salad and then drive to the accommodation, where Karo is already waiting for us. As we inspect we realize together: it's nice here (even if there's not enough toilet paper, it's quite fresh and there's once again no socket near the mirror). We set off again so that I can attend my massage appointment at Marine Hermanus, oh my god, this hotel is sooooo classy, I can't help but be amazed.

My massage fits into this picture, I don't know what it does but I keep falling asleep and seriously think it's the best massage I've ever had. Our route takes us to “Mozambique” or rather “Mozambique” for dinner. I am not hungry and stick to a drink while the other three enjoy their Mozambican dishes and find them very good.

We still have 20 minutes to buy something for breakfast because that's when the last supermarket closes. I ask someone for directions and he walks the entire route with us. It was only later that we realized that they should have given him some money because he was wearing a vest that said he worked for the city/tourists. Therefore, it is appropriate to give some money after the “performance”. Unfortunately, that wasn't quite clear to me yet. The guilty conscience hardly left me (the next day I went to the place where it should be and I was lucky: it was there again, so I could make up for what we had missed).

Either way: first go to bed.

Today I might see whales, I can hardly believe it. Our travel group travels to “New Harbor” and receives an initial briefing from guide Pete about the types of whales that can theoretically be observed and about important safety measures. We get on board, dressed very appropriately and warmly, in contrast to some of the other passengers who only go out to sea in a thin shirt;).

The journey is wonderful, the water splashes against the boat in a high arc, and to our right and left we see the beautiful landscape of Hermanus and the surrounding area, with the high mountains always towering in the background. After about 20 minutes of driving, our vehicle stops and from now on we alternately look at 12, 1, or 6 and 7 p.m., depending on where a whale (with calf) is. Peter explains to us that the whales are in a good mood today because they jump out of the water, fall back into the wet water and wag their fins. I can't understand what I'm seeing so closely here and I keep falling silent. The view from the deck is perfect. We learn a lot, for example that when whales give birth they have a kind of midwife who immediately looks after the child and:

-Hermanus prides itself as the “Whale Capital of the World” as the bay has been visited by Southern Right Whales between June and November since time immemorial. Every year the whales travel up to 8,000 kilometers from the waters of Antarctica to the Cape to mate in the bay and give birth to their calves.

-Southern right whales are very large, rounded baleen whales with a broad back. Their coloring is predominantly black with white areas on the belly and chin. They have no dorsal fin and a remarkably large head, which is about a third of the total body length. On the head and rostrum (upper jaw) there are so-called “calluses” that are covered with whale lice (small crustaceans). These have individual shapes for each whale and so individual whales can be identified. The southern right whale's mouth line is strongly arched to accommodate the long baleen plates. They have two breathing holes and produce a V-shaped breathing fountain up to five meters high when you exhale. Their pectoral fins are large, broad and paddle-shaped. The caudal fin (fluke), which is usually visible when diving, has a wide trailing edge and a deep notch in the middle.

- Although they are slow swimmers, southern right whales are very acrobatic: they do “headstands,” meaning they hang upside down in the water and wave their flukes in the air. They can also “wave” and slap the water with their pectoral fins. They often jump up to ten times in a row. “Sailing” is another commonly observed behavior: the whales extend their tail fins out of the water and use them as sails. They also like to look around above water or slap their fluke on the surface. Southern right whales live in small groups of two or three to a maximum of twelve individuals. Large concentrations of these whales are often found only in food-rich areas.

- Southern right whales feed on animal plankton, and in colder waters also on krill. When feeding, the whales swim with their mouths open near the surface through large schools of their prey and then sift them out of the water using their baleen.

- Southern right whales live in the Southern Hemisphere and undertake regular migrations between their feeding grounds in the colder Antarctic waters and the warmer breeding grounds further north. Important mating and birthing sites are close to the coast of Australia, South Africa, South America and some oceanic islands

- A female right whale can weigh up to 80 tons and grow to 16 meters long — the length of an articulated bus!

- Despite their immense size, they are surprisingly agile and acrobatic. They can be seen sticking their flukes out of the water for long periods of time, as if they were sailing with them. Or how they slap the water violently with their outstretched tail fin when flapping their flukes . And when they jump , they shoot out of the water, only to fall back down again with a loud bang. This can be seen even from a great distance.

- The right whale has several whitish or yellowish calluses on its head. These are horny skin growths that are populated by whale lice, small crustaceans (Cyamidae). “Each callus pattern is as unique as a fingerprint and makes it possible to identify individual right whales. Right whales feed on krill, which are tiny crustaceans. They have hundreds of baleen plates on each side of their upper jaw that act as filters. These horny plates are lined with hairy fibers. When the whales swim with their mouths open, the incoming water is filtered through the baleen and the tiny animals get stuck in the fibers. A whale can consume up to 2 tons of krill per day.

• Southern right whales spend the summer (January/February) in the food-rich waters of Antarctica to eat a thick layer of fat. This so-called bubbler provides excellent thermal insulation in cold waters and is an energy reserve for long journeys.
  

• From the 18th century onwards, right whales were hunted relentlessly in the southern hemisphere. Their English name “right whale” comes from the fact that whalers saw them as the “right” whales to hunt. Why? They are slow swimmers and were easy prey even for whalers in rickety wooden boats armed only with hand harpoons. And unlike other whales, their extraordinarily thick layer of blubber means they float on the ocean's surface when killed. Therefore, whalers had an easy time towing them onto the beach.
  
• At that time, the baleen and blubber were sought-after raw materials. The whale oil extracted from the blubber was used in street lamps and as a lubricant. Baleen, also called whalebone, was made into riding crops and used to shape corsets and umbrellas. Even the baleen of a single whale turned an entire whaling trip into a profitable business.
  
• At the beginning of the 20th century, merciless hunting reduced the right whale population to such an extent that whaling eventually became unprofitable. The last whaling station in Brazil closed in 1973. Since then, populations of some species have been slowly recovering. But other whale species remain critically endangered.
  

Two hours later we find ourselves back on land - with a few great photos, but much richer in experiences.

We want to digest the impressions over lunch together, the restaurant is located right in a bay and offers a fantastic view to metabolize what we have just experienced, and my Pinca Colada also helps me with that. We are about to go for a walk along the Coast Trail when we notice drumming and singing. Instead of going for a walk, Mama Barb goes shopping and Karo and Mama M lie down on the grass next to the musicians and listen to the music while they look at the sea (or fall asleep - see Karo). I bring our clothes, which are now too warm, into the car and have to walk back and forth again and again because I always forget something, but that doesn't matter: Hey, I'm in South Africa, I'm not complaining.

But I'm struggling and I think about it again as I walk back and forth to the car: the gap between rich and poor, primarily between black and white, is immense. It breaks my heart. In Mozambique it feels like everyone is poor (I don't know if that makes things better), but in South Africa everything I already knew in theory is really so tangible. the townships, the jobs (who works in which area?) are a reflection of this.

But now our little hike can begin (with a break because Karo goes into the cold sea on the way, it's 16 degrees). We see great flora and fauna and Karo spontaneously falls in love with the cliff hyrax, such a funny little animal that she talks about during the trip I can't keep my mouth shut for the rest of the day ;).

Thanks for the great day. And we're slowly getting the hang of how to open the gate to our gated community using a rental cell phone. It's going home ;-)

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On October 23rd, 2023 we decide to drive in circles a few times because we can't find the entrance to the gas station before we get to the

Drive Fernkloof Nature Reserve. It is located near the city of Hermanus in South Africa. In the Fernkloof Nature Reserve, which can only be explored on foot, you can observe a variety of flora and fauna. The entire area covers around 1,800 hectares and is equipped with several hiking trails that invite you to go on extensive hiking tours. However, while there are only a few mammals, there is a lot of activity here with a wide variety of bird, insect and reptile species. In addition to nice people who give us help, we meet turtles. I love watching how slowly they make their way. There are also signs on the roads that lead to the hiking trails warning drivers about crossing turtles. Of course, the four of us don't go hiking so much as just take a great walk in the mountains and enjoy the view of the sea (Groot Beach) and Hermanus in front of us. The sun is shining relentlessly, I'm getting nice and tan and marching in single file up and down the mountain (Karo and I get lost in the... in debates about zoos). We're hungry and with enough steps on the clock and decide to drink some wine. Google Maps shows one winery after the next, we choose the Ulumbaza Wine Estate (https://www.springfontein.co.za/barn/).

Apart from two other ladies, we are the only guests and are courted. The area is huge, green, there are two cottages for rent, a pool for swimming, etc. And it drafts like pike soup. But it doesn't matter, because we eat our food and wine inside, there is cheese, great bread, risotto, salmon, salad, just everything. And that is urgently needed, because the wine is amazing. As a driver, I only drink one glass! We have a good time and end the day at the beach (oh my god, what a great recommendation…). But only for a short time, because it is winding non-stop. But with towels wrapped around your head, anything goes. The next day, however, we want to spend a little more time at Grotten Beach.

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Morning class has yoga in your mouth on October 24th, 2023. We're going to Pauline Leppmann's yoga studio on Goede Str. We, Karo and I, are the youngest people who are there for a drop-in class. Everyone else belongs to the weekly yoga group, which focuses on stretching. Karo and I can really use this, we are completely stiff from all the driving and flying and enjoy every movement of our musculoskeletal system. The associated café and garden are very attractive, but I am advised that Hermanus is currently experiencing a water shortage and flushing should be avoided. After the yoga class, we both go home to change clothes, then we meet Mama B and Mama M in the “fusion” restaurant. We make a plan so that Barb can continue her shopping (she started in the morning and I don't know how she'll ever fit on the plane with all of her things) and Karo can now also shop for her loved ones. I grab a little, but then decide to look out over the sea and am amazed when a few cliff hyraxes join me on either side of me, it's so wonderful to watch them eating and playing. Barb finds me, we find Mama M and also manage to locate Karo before we head to the beach. this beach is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. There are a few people with their dogs, but otherwise there is just the vastness, the endless beach and the water. The mothers each receive a private lesson. Karo teaches Barb her first yoga class on the beach while I go through my asanas with my mom. The ladies work up a sweat, Barb later even goes jogging on the beach, I walk and think about it and enjoy this indescribable view and peace. I repeat, Grotto Beach is certainly one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen and experienced.