My friend Mariano just sent me this photo of Table Mountain from a short way up the West Coast. What’s cool about Table Mountain, is that it climbs over 3000′ straight up from sea level. Dramatic. Stunning actually when you approach the city. Magnificent. A big table with water on three sides. An attempt was made to vote Table Mountain in as the 8th wonder of the world. Didn’t happen, but I think it is one of the “new” 7 wonders. Something like that. Yes, that’s right. Just checked. 

That’s Lion’s Head on the right. Looks like a lion lying down. Rump on the far right. They actually do call that the rump! There’s an old cannon there that they shoot off daily. 

I’ve been up there for the blast. You have to squat down and cover you ears as it fires! I forget the story…I think it was meant to be a warning shot. I’ll get back to you on that one. Ahhh. The guns were a signal to the city that a ship was approaching in need of provisions. The locals would prepare all sorts of things from food to gunpowder to drink! 

Today, it’s shot off every day at noon since 1902. That hill, the “rump” of the Lion, is now called “Signal Hill.” The cannon is called the “Noon Gun.”

I’m finally getting excited to go! I didn’t want to stop hiking and the trip always gives me some anxiety. I like being other places but I don’t like to travel. It’s 18 hours in the air. Way up in the air. 18 hours. 

I was just texting with my two best friends from Cape Town. Mariano  and William. Mariano works in a rehab and William is a spy. I’ll hike with Mariano even though he’s too fit for me, and play golf with William. We’ll meet up, often I hope, at my favorite coffee shop/breakfast spot. Lazzari! They sell the World’s Best Cupcake there. It’s yellow, very moist cake, with pink, white chocolate icing! They taste like Christmas morning. 

It’s pretty much the only really sweet thing I eat there. The food is so good and fresh that it feels wrong to not eat well. I will lose a few pounds while I’m there. There are only two fast food restaurants in the entire city! When Burger King opened a few years ago, every day there was a line out the door and down the block! Sad really. 

I’m in my tent at Cheesequake State Park again tonight. I bolted up to Sandy Hook,  then called and got a campsite, the same one I had last time, for just one night. I don’t fancy driving to the mountains or the beach anymore, without spending the night. Camping is so cheap and I can’t take the 5 hours in the car anymore. 

So, I went to Gunnison Beach until about 2:30, when the wind blew my beach tent over, and drove the 30 minutes here to the park. 

I’m finishing a John Sanford, “Virgil Flowers” book, and will start a Sue Grafton, “J is for Judgement” alphabet mystery tonight. She just keeps going down the letters. 

This will truly be my last entry for a while. 

Hi Marta. Hi Jennie. Keep Well.  😀