Relishing in the relax culture of Cape Townians, we headed to Signal Hill and the waterfront on two separate evenings to picnic. Terence cooked Asian fried rice, I packed salad, we picked fruits and had the most relaxing and undisturbed dinner in a long time.

Determined to pamper ourselves silly before we head on home, we booked us a room at Rouge on Rose, a charming boutique hotel on the corner of Rose Street at the Bo Kaap District. The owner, Ursula was a stylish and motherly. She took care of all our needs making sure we had breakfast on time so that we don’t miss church on Sunday and our flight on Monday. Her small fleet of staff felt like family as we laughed and exchange stories of how our day has been. We were spoiled with fine hearty meals cooked to precision. Imagine French toast coated with honey, crisp bacon and light cream cheese – who would have thought of that concoction?!

Needless to say the room was a delight. Spacious, modishly designed with a touch of rouge here and there. The designers have adopted an open concept, which means open indoor showers and gaping archways leading from lounge to bedroom.

Alas a cherry on top to cap our awesome two and half month adventure – there would be no better place to toast and cheer than at Mount Nelson. This Victorian vestige is pearl of pleasure with majestic views of Table Mountain and superior service. Decorated for splendor, the hotel serves up a full table of lip smacking pastries, desserts and savories for tea. With an endless list of teas to choose from and the perpetual delights that come floating out of the kitchen, it was hard not to over indulge. I guess that’s the reason why buffet tea time menus like this only exist in luxury hotels because guests have to keep their backs straight, laugh with hands over their mouths and munch on incredibly delicious food instead of stuffing their faces silly. Table etiquette as we know it is actually practiced here!

It was hunt number 3 for the monstrous beast. Hunt number 1 failed due to bad weather. We checked in to the backpackers and they told us the weather wouldn’t permit for the next 3 days.

Undaunted, we rescheduled as we had more than a week left. Then the day arrived, I got into the shuttle and midway driving, the driver announced that the weather at Gansbaai isn’t turning out well and we have to turn back. Bad luck!

Took my chance again to rescheduled (3 more days before we leave) and it was big risk, considering the weather (at Gansbaai) doesn’t look too good.

This time, no turning back and minutes after the briefing, we were in the boat ready to hunt. Upon anchoring, our divemaster gave us a briefing and a rundown about the island and surrounding. He mentioned that we could wait up to 3 hours to lure the sharks and we’ll be hoping to spot at least one today – since it’s summer and not the greatest time to view white sharks.

Then all of a sudden, we all clamoured to the side of the boat as the crew sotted something… lo and behold, the sharks! Very quickly, we got into our wetsuits and with sheer excitement I was the first to get into the cage. Only 5 were allowed in the cage at once. As they lure the shark to its bait time and time, we got full view of the monster and sometimes it would “crash” into the cage leaving us a sheer thrill to savour!

After four hours either viewing the Great White from the boat or in the water… it was an unforgettable experience to say the least!

Interesting fact: In February 2009, across all shark diving industry in Gansbaai, they spoted 0 sharks. Fast forward a year, and they’ve spotted countless of them already. That goes to show how the weather and seasons are changing across the world. Maybe it’ll snow in August (in Europe) one day!

We stopped over at Storms River to spend a few nights and explore the adjacent Tsitsikamma National Park. Tsitsikamma is a khoi word meaning “place of abundant or sparkling water”. It is hard not realize the expanse of water around this region as vegetation remains fertile and drinking water from the tap is even sweet!

Noted for its spectacular scenic hikes and perfect camping spots overlooking the Indian Ocean, this park is a holiday haven for locals and visitors alike. We spent the day exploring two trails; one to the mountain top and another to a waterfall. The hike into the waterfall was a new challenge, climbing between and on rock boulders, balancing on stony ridges and negotiating loose sandstones.

However it was not the final destination that gave us the greatest satisfaction, instead it was the adventure along the journey that allowed us to truly take in the beauty of God’s creation.

Coffee Bay named after the coffee plantations in its nearby surroundings is off the beaten track. We decided to pay a visit after much rave and recommendation by locals. ‘The Hole in the Wall’ was a must-see, so we hired a hike for R100 to bring us there by foot. He introduced himself as Eric, small in stature with a blue beanie and a little drawstring bag carrying no more than his wallet and a handphone. We started our hike up a dirt road and veered onto the edge of the mountain. The views were fantastic as we saw waves lapping into the coastline and big boulders causing magnanimous waves. The next 3 hours brought us up and down 4 mountains on almost invisible trails. We walked on the edge of rocky mountains posing possible threats to accidents at a slip of the foot. We treaded on gentle grass sharing spaces with busy sheep chewing their breakfasts and lazy cows having a sleep-in. We hobbled on pebble trails and followed the sturdy goats up the mountain range. At each ascend a greater view awaited us, from generous gorges to steep crevices. We stopped for photos and the much needed water breaks every now taking in the beauty of hidden paths.

After 3 hours of treacherous but rewarding walking we finally arrive at ‘The Hole in the Wall’ – literally what its name connotes, it is a hole in the middle of a rock wall. Waves crash into it creating dramatic washovers. This window in the middle of the water was a natural wonderment. On a less windy day, daredevils jump off the wall into the hole and wait for waves to carry them into the quiet beach. We settled under a tree and enjoyed the view while munching on our toasties and cold drinks eventually snoozing for a few minutes before starting our 3 hours hike back to Coffee Bay.

With our bodies all relaxed and hardly any energy to tooth-pick our eyes open, walking back was a difficult feat. Eric had mentioned that maybe we could hitch a hike back if we spotted any vehicles going that direction. We prayed hard for a car, but continue walking. Up and down dirt roads praying for a miracle. No car was in sight, the roads look lonesome with 3 hikers trudging along. Finally after much prayer and buckets of sweat, a police truck veered by, Eric stopped the car, we put on our puppy dog eyes in hope for some sympathetic-empathy and…. sure enough! The policewoman waved us into the vehicle. Terence and Eric climbed into the open trunk at the rear and I at the back seat sharing the seat with a half-dead chicken.

The ride back was bumpy but much appreciated.

The odd sense of familiarity strikes again. Driving into downtown Durban was a traffic chaos where traffic lights are disregarded and pedestrians rule the streets. Heaps of people fill the sidewalks and run-down shops line the roads. We whiz our way through the busy streets dodging the odd pedestrian who seem to be ignoring his own business and fearless of cars.

This scenario played itself all over the CBD and as we ventured further out, the quite harbour provided much needed solace. We spent 3 nights close to the harbour away from madness in hope to enjoy Durban and what it has to offer.

A visit to UShaka Marine World’s Wet and Wild was on our list. Time to shake some adrenaline off and hang our hair loose on their water slides. We splashed down high slides, spiraled into water pools, tubed around lazy rivers and got ourselves a wicked tan!

Durban also has the highest population of Indians in South Africa. There were many shops selling spices and Indian munchies. A famous Indian-African must-eat is ‘bunny chow’, a half loaf of bun cored in the middle and filled with chicken, beef or mutton curry with a side serve of salad. ‘Bunnies’ are found almost on every street corner. We dived into our bunnies with delight as our taste buds recognized the tasty curries.

Bunny Chow – half loaf of bread dug out and filled with curry.