Agulhas - Southern tip of South Africa

Folks,

Can you believe it - I am sending this from Cape Agulhas, from a cosy B&B hostel that is the second most southerly building in South Africa.

Email as above - do not reply to me by replying to this message. Make reservations instead .. Meg will be happy to take them.

For sixty years it was the MOST southerly - but with the fast tourist development there is now another place the other side of the point.

Service (as you can see) is from aztec - a Cape Town based company - and costs R49 ( ~ $10 US) per month - but with a long distance phone call in the way.

I stopped in Bredasdorp - the adminstrative center here, and about 30Km north, and asked at the library if there was anywhere that had Email. Hmmm .. whats that ?? See the manager - well - the Doctor in town has it - and there is this B&B in Agulhas.

Bredasdorp has an excellent Shipwreck museum - somewhat morbid, maybe, but well put together, and an excellent collection of figureheads (thingys at the from of the ship, usually maidens holding torches and the like) of various wrecks. They have a historical collection of diving gear too - you would not believe what people risked their lives with over the years.

I am basing myself out of Swellendam - a central town that is actually the third oldest town in South Africa. They had an airshow over the weekend, with a number of notable planes, including a Tiger Moth. They had a flyby by some South African Airforce planes, incuding a modified French Mirage that they extended the nose and stuffed full of avionics. They also had a party and dance afterwards.

The most interesting were the microlights - basically hang gliders with Rotax pusher engines and a tricycle set of wheels. What a blast. The in thing (of couse) is GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation units, including (an addin ROM cartridge) moving maps, like James Bond in Goldfinger.

Swam in the Indian Ocean this morning - Martin always insists that the oceans are swum .. and exploring inland. They grow wine even in these districts.

Heading down to the Garden Route tomorrow or the next day.

Cheers, Andy!