Experience It!: Roadtrip

The Road Trip to Cape Town

3:00:00 AM

Where to begin? I've been planning the trip in my head for such a long time and I knew there would be no better time than this. I had just finished an entire month’s worth of meet and greats, staying with family and friends each week. It took almost 5 weeks before I could get on the road to Cape Town and then it just suddenly arrived.

I had 1400 km of driving to do and since I wasn't in a hurry, I decided to make a road trip out of it. Stopping wherever I wanted for however long I wanted, but I knew I wanted to get to Cape Town as soon as possible.

The first night I stayed over at Bloemfontein. I visited the Woman’s monument the next morning before I got on the highway. I still had 1000 km to go from there. The Woman’s monument was erected in honor of all the woman and children who had died in the Anglo Boer War, more than a hundred years ago. I couldn't visit the museum, because it was still closed when I got there.

I didn't drive too long before I saw a sign that said, Gariep Dam. I had never been there before and have heard about it. Without thinking twice I took the exit and drove towards it. I didn't know it was so close to the highway either. This dam is suppose to be used to generate electricity in South Africa, but I’m not sure if it’s still in working order. Nonetheless, I stopped and took pictures of the beautiful Gariep Vacation Resort as well as the dam. I then took a back road all the way to Colesberg Town, where I got back on to the highway. I was heading to Prince Albert.

I once accidentally drove through this town and found it quite beautiful and wanted to see what it was all about. Although one night and a morning hardly give enough time to see and experience it all, I could see the charm of this little Town. Prince Albert has few vineyards, olive farms, a dairy and world class artists like Avoova. They also made a locally produced cooking show there and although empty now, the place could still be visited. Prince Albert lies in the neck of the Swartberge (Black Mountains) and has one of the most famous passes in South Africa, leading towards the Cango Caves and then Oudtshoorn.

On day 3 I finally had the last 400 km stretch to Cape Town, which seemed endless. The Karoo is a very dry place and when the wind blows from the front of your car, it feels as if you’re not going anywhere. Then suddenly you arrive at the stunningly beautiful De Doorns. Not visible until you drive over the mountain. From there the road seemed to melt away with stunning views along the road.

I had arrived in Cape Town and I was excited to see what’s in store. I hadn't been to Cape Town in 13 years and felt like possibility was knocking at my door, not knowing about the setback that I would experience soon. More about that in a later post. Make sure that you follow me along as I show and tell you about my month long journey through Cape Town.