Most people, especially us Americans, think that The Cape of Good Hope is at the very bottom of Africa. Wrong. That would be Cape Agulhas. You’ve never heard of that one, I bet. 

Hangklip and Agulhas are both farther South. There’s not much there. 

In this closeup of the Cape Peninsula, the body of water called False Bay, sits between Cape Hangklip and The Cape of Good Hope. Above Cape Town is Table Bay. (top photo) These two bays used to get mistaken for each other. 

If you were on a boat in Table Bay, this is what you would see. 

Farther out on the western shore of Table Bay, it looks like this. 

That’s Devil’s Peak on the left, then Table Mountain, and Lion’s Head on the far right.  Back to the point. 

If you were traveling around the bottom of Africa from the Far East with goods and spices to be delivered to Europe, you might think you were in Table Bay when actually, you were in False Bay. That’s how it got it’s name. It was the wrong bay to enter for supplies. 

That’s how Cape Town began. As a stopping off point to refresh supplies, going in either direction, West to East or East to West. 

So, that’s the bottom of Africa explained VERY, briefly. 

I’m going down there on Wednesday. The entire Cape of Good Hope is protected. National Park. 7,750 hectares of land. It’s a huge area filled with flowers, animals, and  has a magnificent coastline. 

Notice, South-Western point!

Yes, there will be baboons. Yes, they are very dangerous. We will keep our distance. I believe wildlife is WILD. I leave it alone. 

I’m going there to hike with one of my many young cousins here, DeVilliers. 

I’m counting on him to not hike me into the ground. He’s young and fit. I’m 66 and sort of fit. We’re going to have a great time. 

Pictures to follow. All the above are stolen by me from Google. 

Boom