TABLE MOUNTAIN (Day 2)

We took a tram up to the top of Table Mountain, which offered amazing views in every direction.

Table Mountain was once a part of the vast 260 million year old Peninsula Mountain Range (for comparison, the Andes are 250 million years old, the Rocky Mountains are 60 million, and the Himalayas are 40 million). These mountains were almost 10,000 feet high. Over millions of years, they were carved away by the powerful forces of wind, rain and sea. Since Table Mountain is composed of sturdy quartzite rock, it could withstand the erosion very well. However, today it is only approximately 3,000 feet high.

While often called 'rock rabbits', these animals are not related to rabbits or even rodents at all, but rather to the elephant and manatee. Rock Hyraxes or Dassies (as they are called here) are found in rocky areas in southern Africa and parts of the Arabian peninsula... and nowhere else. They have tiny tusks, a flexible trunk-like nose and elephant-shaped feet.

We slowly made our way across the top of the mountain. South Africa contains the richest (and tiniest) floral kingdom in the world. One familiar plant for us was the proteas, but so many others we had never seen before. The diversity was spectacular!

After a while, we hiked down the steep Platteklip Gorge. It had been an extremely hot day and we were quite sunburned.

We tried to visit the Castle of Good Hope but it had already closed for the day (at least we got a view from the outside). So we spent the remainder of the day arranging a rental car, perusing a flea market, having some lovely dinner, and sampling a few local beers.

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