One Mountain and Two Oceans – January 2021
After our road trip, we revisited two of our favorite national parks near the southern edge of Africa.
Table Mountain – We opted to pay for the easier, faster cableway ride rather than tackle the strenuous hike to the top of the sandstone mountain, with a height of about 1050 meters. The aerial service, which started in 1929, now features cars that rotate 360 degrees during each ascent or descent. Fortunately, the morning fog lifted before we reached the summit.
Waiting patiently for our ride up to the top
For our 2012 visit the cable cars displayed Visa Inc. logos. Now MasterCard Inc. sponsors the cableway.
Non-living points of interest during our exploration of the tabletop
Fog harvesting pilot plant for 3 year study of whether fog can be an additional water source for Cape Town 
Helpful trail markings in large rocky areas 
Maclear’s Beacon – highest point on Table Mountain
Built in 1865 by South African astronomer Sir Thomas Maclear when he recalculated the earth’s curvature in the Southern Hemisphere.
We had grand views from the top!
Cape Town and Table Bay 
Jerry and our daughter soak up the sun and the sights. 
Points of interest from left to right:
Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, Signal Hill, Cape Town World Cup Stadium
Robben Island is visible just beyond Signal Hill
Over 1470 floral species live on Table Mountain, most of which are endemic to the tall mass of sandstone.
Watsonia 
Blooming pink erica 
Watsonia 
One of almost 470 orchid species indigenous to South Africa
After the 4 or 5 minute ride from the top of Table Mountain to the lower cableway station, we drove to nearby Signal Hill for another look at one of the most recognized landmarks in South Africa.
View of Table Mountain from Signal Hill 
Table Mountain and Lion’s Head
Cape Agulhas – The name for the southern tip of the African continent is roughly translated Cape of the Needles, descriptive of the many, many rocks where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. Ship captains also have to be cautious of strong winter storms and up to 30 meter-high waves coming from multiple directions. It’s definitely not an area for swimming!
Official dividing line between the two oceans 
The waves were rather small during our visit. 
Concrete relief map of Africa, added since our last visit
Built in 1848, the still-operating lighthouse also serves as a museum and was, sadly, closed during our visit. During our walking and driving exploration of the park we spotted just one of the seven shipwrecks in the immediate area.
East view of Meisho Maru 38 shipwreck in 1982 
Meisho Maru 38 was a small Japanese fishing vessel.