WESTERN CAPE: REVISITING OUR FIRST LOVE, THE WEST COAST

In 2013, before Wandering Wolfs was even a thought, we had our first travel together. We didn’t realise it at the time, but I think this is where the travel bug first bit us. Our love for travel and each other just bloomed from that trip forward.

This was probably the first, and only trip T planned all on his own…

Our Honeymoon on the West coast of South Africa.

Sadly, we didn’t keep any record of our trip, except for some phone- and point and shoot photos. But we were back and ready to add to that trip and make some more memories.

Langebaan

Our first choice when thinking of extending our trip was Jacobs bay. It was our favourite little holiday town when we last travelled along the coast. The problem was that T had to do a little bit of work, and we couldn’t take the gamble of not having enough internet.

We thus decided that we would take up residence in Langebaan and explore from there.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Langebaan. It’s a beautiful town, central to many attractions and great for holidaymakers. We usually prefer calmer environments with the less hustle and bustle, but this was perfect for our needs.

On the days T had to work, we made the most of our days by enjoying the late sunsets and beautiful lagoon in Langebaan itself.

Kite Surfers

Wind + Water = Kitesurfing.

The Cape is known for its windy conditions and beautiful ocean. Langebaan’s lagoon is especially popular as it offers more flat and calmer waters. In contrast, Blouberg has the waves, offering them the opportunity to achieve more height in their jumps. Well, that’s what it looked like for a novice like me, purely there for the photo opportunities and enjoyment of watching them.

Westcoast National Park

Our other close by attraction we visited a few times was the Westcoast National Park. Like most other parks we visited during this trip, the park doesn’t have big game.

It’s more known for its flora, especially during spring when the fields transform into a flower wonderland. We haven’t had the opportunity to experience this yet, but have a look at Lani4travel’s trip and amazing photos of the flowers here.

While the flowers stayed on our bucket list, we enjoyed the slow season with the smaller animals and birds. But most of all, we loved how quiet and soul-soothing the park was.

Our most epic and nostolgic daytrip

Hopefield Windfarm

We passed by the Hopefield windfarm on our way to Langebaan. One of our struggles that we are trying to work on is that we lose steam and enthusiasm by the end of a long day’s drive or travel. Thus we didn’t stop for photos on passing them the first time.

Then when we started planning our big day trip, I did some research and added this as our first stop of the day.

I find wind turbines fascinating. They’re like the gentle giants of electricity. Absolutely huge, but quiet, pleasing to the eye, and gently doing their own thing.

The morning was magical, and the light couldn’t have been any better. I took numerous photos and am fairly happy with some of the results, although I’m still not sure they do any justice.

St Helena

This was one of our first steps back into time. The estate around the beach and lighthouse has expanded quite a bit since our last visit. The lighthouse is just as we remembered and as photogenic as it was almost nine years ago. The only difference is that back then, you could climb and walk around the lighthouse, whereas it has been closed off this time around.

St Helena Nursery & Coffee shop – Westcoast’s best-kept secret.

Almost nine years ago, we stumbled upon this little coffee shop. It was cold and rainy, and we needed something sweet and warm in our bodies, if I recall correctly.

T ordered a cup of tea and a piece of carrot cake, and I personally feel that mixing vegetables and cake is the biggest sin on earth. So I ordered something else. I can’t remember what that something else was, but it really doesn’t matter. T insisted that I should taste it and must admit that it was a sin worth overlooking.

Since that day, the carrot cake was T’s new benchmark, and nobody has ever been able to beat it or even come close. We’ve written it off to rose-coloured glasses and honeymoon vibes and that he makes it better than it really was.

With loads of research and hoping we would find the same coffee shop, we did.

It looked more or less the same, except for the furniture and art that had changed a bit. T holding his breath, asked if they had carrot cake. With big expectations and holding every thumb we had, he hoped it would be the same cake or at least live up to that day a little.

And it was the same. Just as he remembered. The tannie (aunty) that bakes them have been the same didn’t mess with her winning recipe and was able to win my husband’s heart all over again.

I hope that if and when we visit again, T would still be able to have his piece of heaven. And if you’re ever in the nearby vicinity of 200km, drive there, support them and enjoy a piece for T’s sake.

Their family also grew a bit, and we just had to take a photo of the new member.

Doringbaai – Fryers Cove Winery

Our last stop was another brilliant, off-the-beaten-track suggestion by Lani4travel. Our first time around was also overcast, cold, and very wet weather, and my parents were so disgusted that we couldn’t enjoy the pure beauty of the Doringbaai ocean.

The weather didn’t take anything away from our time there, but we saw what they were on about this time. It really is something to see, feel, and smell.

Fryers Cove is not your typical Winery; and it doesn’t have that typical french look and feel to it, and the climate isn’t really ideal. Their story is fascinating; if you can’t visit them to hear them tell you, you can read it here.

As I’ve mentioned, their look is different. One would be tempted to think that it’s an ugly winery, whereas it’s actually just different and beautiful in its own way, as it fits in so well with the fishing community around it.

Their speciality is their white wines, and the tasting experience is always well worth it. Every time we visit them, we leave with a box of wine under our arms, and we somehow and with some magic always manage to get home.

Lastly, no visit to Doringbaai would be complete without having fish & chips or calamari & chips on the jetty.

Food and Drink.

If you’ve been reading all my blogs of our trip thus far, you must have thought at some stage, “Gees, but they eat and drink a lot”, or “All they did was eat and drink”.

And I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, but we did.

I once came across a blog about a foreigner visiting SA, and I can’t remember their exact wording, but it basically boiled down to the fact that SA food is pretty “blah”.

We have to disagree…

I understand that tastes differ, and SA cuisine is my home- and comfort food. But if you can’t find something yummy to eat in SA, you’re doing something wrong (in my opinion, obviously).

Dubai feels like one of the most expensive places to dine out. With us being used to that and the weaker SA currency, we ate and drank like royalty for what felt like small change. Apart from the good food, the Cape’s restaurants have the best locations, and almost all of them burst with personality. Every meal feels like an occasion.

Still in love

The last leg of our trip was unplanned but worth every extra penny and minute we’ve spent.

Both of us agreed that our last road trip of retracing our honeymoon steps was the best day of the entire trip. We laughed, babbled on about everything, had sing-alongs in the car, and truly felt joy the entire time.

Our list of places we still want to see and explore is so long, that most of the time, it feels like a waste to visit the same place twice. But this was different; it still had the magic it did the first time we’ve explored it.

Maybe it’s because it was our first real trip together, or because of the amazing person sitting next to me, or that’s just how magic it is.

Whatever the reason, we’re still and probably will always be in love with the Westcoast.

Sadly, this was the last part of our holiday, but not the finale.

Since we’re still stuck in SA, T started working again and would have to come back to Cape Town for some business. We’ll squeeze every bit of joy out of our time in SA by adding a final weekend in Cape Town.

In our next and final post, we’ll eat in what looks like a pawn shop and stay almost on top of the ocean.