Route 62 – From Cape Town to Port Elizabeth – South Africa

For the way back from Jeffrey’s Bay to Cape Town, we chose Route 62, which was the most important connection between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth before the construction of the N2 and leads through the small Karoo Desert. This route is really great to drive, as there is practically no traffic and wonderful atmospheres can be observed in the hilly, relatively dry landscape depending on the sun. We were totally surprised when we even saw mountains with snow peaks in the distance. Since we were really lucky with the weather, we sometimes forgot that it was actually winter and that the great pleasant spring weather is not necessarily standard for this time of year. At the day’s destination in Oudtshoorn we visited the Cango Caves, stalactite caves, which are worth a detour. I didn’t make the trip to the ostrich farm and contented myself with an ostrich steak for dinner because I don’t think much of such animal presentations. But everyone has to decide for themselves.

Montagu: Thermal Baths

The next day we went on to Montagu. Special in this fertile area are the many orchards. Montagu is a beautiful town with numerous well-kept Cape Dutch and Victorian buildings. Since we read in the travel guide that the biggest attraction is the thermal bath, we naturally wanted to test this. We then had to redimension our ideas of this “thermal bath” a bit, as it consisted of only a rather small water basin. But it also has an outdoor area, which is certainly the better alternative in summer. This alternative was a bit too cold for us, and so we relaxed in the mini indoor pool.

Finally, we drove via Paarl through the famous South African wine region to Stellenbosch. Arriving in Stellenbosch, I regretted a little that the chance for a university semester abroad is over because this is a charming little university town. After strolling downtown, we found the cutest (in every way) cupcake shop imaginable in a backyard. We took the chance and enjoyed the delicious cupcakes and drinks. A great end to this very varied route.