5th Day - Hermanus

This morning when we woke up, my first thought was: 'Oh man, today you get to run 12 km, that's farther than from home to work...' After a brief lack of motivation, we set off for the Cliff Path, a hiking trail known for the possibility of spotting a whale along the coastline. My goal of wanting to spot a whale was so deeply ingrained in my mind that I was walking with one eye on the path and the other on the sea. After about a quarter of the way and still not spotting anything whale-like, Hermann gave me a hint to 'relax' 😄 I think he was right. But one of the many conversations with whale watchers - this time with fellow countrymen - gave me hope again when I heard that they had already seen three whales today. Fortunately, this hope was soon fulfilled. We spotted our first whale. What a moment. I admit that when I looked at the photos (please look closely!), the distance seemed huge and it was. Nevertheless, the moment was really cool! We didn't get to see a whale surfacing up close, but I am already so happy. Throughout the hike, we spotted a total of three whales in different sections, and each time it was exciting, especially because the whales showed off their acrobatic skills with jumps. Spotting whales is a matter of pure luck. A local told us that the Whale Festival will be celebrated here in Hermanus next week, as September/October is the best time to see whales. However, there have also been Whale Festivals where not a single whale was spotted the entire week... Apart from the whale moments, the rest of the hike was also really beautiful! At times, we didn't encounter any other hikers for half an hour, especially towards the end of the trail, as most people only hike a section of it. I was even more proud when we completed the 12 km and in better shape than I initially expected. The reward for this was a big milkshake or beer😊