Cape of Good Hope

10 a.m. and our travel group is heading to the Cape of Good Hope, but since Karo has been there before, we drop her off at an ostrich farm, where she will wait for us with tea, water, and a good book.

On the way to the Cape, we encounter many baboons; I find them certainly interesting, but I also have absolute fear, you can't trust these monkeys with sharp teeth. There are signs everywhere indicating just that, namely that you should keep your distance, as they are dangerous and wild animals.

The nature reserve of the Cape of Good Hope is infinitely large, and we go to the southernmost point - the Cape of Good Hope - enjoying the wind and the sun. I affectionately call it the Cape of German Hope, as you see and hear Germans everywhere. Instead of hiking up the path to the lighthouse, we take a little train up; the view from up there is truly breathtaking. I could stay here for hours, but we have a heart and don't want Karo to wait for hours at the ostrich farm.

We return to our number three, and there is something to eat. The fact that we eat ostrich meat while watching the animals outside, I will let pass unnoticed at this point.

We decide to join a private tour of the area. We learn a lot about this special bird species, but since the ostrich farm is also a rescue center for reptiles from illegal wildlife trade, we also expand our knowledge regarding turtles, snakes, and alligators.

What do we learn?

• About 20 chicken eggs fit in an ostrich egg
• Ostriches cannot kick backward
• Nanystrausse are brown spotted
• Ostriches have no teeth and only a memory span of 3 seconds
• A male always has 2 females (poor guy)
• …

The young guide Leon asks Karo and me if we also want to feed them, and we, of course, enthusiastically say YES. However, it turns out to be a difficult endeavor, as although they have no teeth, it is not exactly pleasant to feed them. The animals are so frantic and peck so fast that you really get startled. I push through, Karo in theory does as well, meaning she gets brave again only to pull back. She never feels comfortable about it until the end.

I am laughing hard.

Karo has something in her ear and wants to go to the clinic. Said and done!

In Fish Hoek, we go to a public hospital, and we just have to quickly go through the metal detector and hand Karo ("Hello, I am German.") into safe hands.

Mom M and I head to the sea, almost getting blown away (I’m not lying), and enjoy a vegan meal. We stay in touch with Karo and then follow her request to spend the remaining time with her in the hospital and waiting room.

This time, I even have to fill out a form when going in, and he says goodbye to me with the words "Mama."

I look at him and ask why he thinks to call me Mama, do I look that old!?

For your information: The Mama debate here is – for us women – a big topic. Mama M noticed at the beginning of our journey that she didn't like being called Mama all the time. I told her it’s a compliment. A few days later, Karo comes around the corner and is delighted that she is called Sissi. Sissi apparently stands for a young woman. Shortly after that, her joy regarding this is clouded because someone called her Mama. Again, I comfort her.

I can talk freely since I have only been called Sissi so far. I apparently look very young. Well, until the man at the hospital called me Mama. So I ask him if I really look that old, and he says he would say Sissi is appropriate for women between 18 and 32. So I ask him if he thinks I’m older than 32. He starts sweating quite a bit and says, well, he would call me Mama because I drive so responsibly here. 😃 Okay, thanks, I can live with that. We spend the rest of the evening in the hospital, we won’t be watching the rugby game, and at the exit, the man and I have the same debate - Mama, Lady, Ma’am, Sissy. He again talks himself into a corner.😃