Grotto Beach

So you ask, "Where in the world is Mabret Levant?"  That was the question posed and answered by Mr. K's 4th grade class at the Wallenpaupack North Intermediate School.  This morning we received a picture of a bulletin board which is proudly displayed by Mabret's classmates.  The picture brought smiles to all of our faces.  We love the Waldo hat.

The answer is that Mabret and Roman were finding adventure on Grotto Beach just outside of Hermanus, South Africa.  Grotto Beach is a World Heritage Site as defined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  The UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. The World Heritage Fund provides more than $4 million each year to protect and preserve the World Heritage Sites.  Grotto beach is also a Blue Flag Beach which is a label given to Eco friendly beaches throughout the world. 

Grotto Beach stretches for almost 10 miles so there are vast areas to run and play.  Behind the beach are mountains which provide a stunning backdrop. As it is off season, we had the entire beach to ourselves.  

It did not take long for the adventurers to find sand dunes to explore. 

The Atlantic Ocean provided further adventure.

Do not be fooled. It was COLD on the beach and colder in the water. It did not seem to phase our young explorers. However, Dad took a selfie while "life guarding". 

Mom found some time for relaxation.

After several hours of beach and nature explorations, we ate lunch.

After lunch, Roman and Mabret changed into more appropriate clothing for the cool tempatures which were in the 50s with heavy winds.  And promptly decided that more swimming was in order.

To our classmates, we did have to earn the beach by doing our school work in the morning.  We also have a spelling test in the morning. Ugh.  

Tomorrow we depart Hermanus for Oudtshoorn which boasts ostrich farms and the Cango Caves.  We have a four and a half hour drive.  Plenty of time for Mom to really enjoy the ride.  

Onward to Hermanus

Today was a travel day as we departed Cape Town for Hermanus, the whale watching capital of South Africa and perhaps the world. 

Before we left, the boys said goodbye to Fred, the dog who lives at Salty Crax.  We all miss our dogs Ella and Zeke terribly so Fred filled a void in our hearts.

Our first stop after hitting the road was HouwHoek Farm which was about the midpoint between Cape Town and Hermanus. We stopped for "snacks and supplies" as the Red Hot Chili Peppers sing in Road Trippin which has become one of our travel anthems.  Roman selected crackers in memory of our first stop on this adventure. 

 

Below is a picture of Mom, Mabret and Roman outside the farm store with the countryside behind them. 

Mabret and Roman amused themselves in the backseat playing travel games including the alphabet game in which you must find a word on signs and other vehicles that begins with each letter in the alphabet except for the letter "x".  You cannot move onto the next letter in the alphabet until finding a word for the previous letter.  Any Wallenpaupack kids who have played for Coach Bob know this game well.   

We arrived in Hermanus around 3pm.  We settled into our room at the Whale Coast Hotel which we must admit is a few stars beyond SaltyCrax on the Tripadvisor ratings.  As we are headed into several places where we will be roughin it, we decided that cozy quarters would serve us well moving forward.  

Hermanus is a town on the southern coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa.  It is famous for southern right whale watching during the southern winter and spring.  The whales can be seen from the cliffs in the town center as early as June and usually depart in early December.  Hermanus hosts an annual whale festival at the end of September to celebrate the returning of the southern right whales to this bay during the calving and mating season.  The whales were once hunted in the nearby town of Betty's Bay, but are now protected to ensure the survival of the species.  Unfortunately, we have been told that most whales have departed for the season.  

Hermanus has the world’s only Whale Crier. The Whale Crier sounds a kelp horn to announce where whales have been sighted.  In 2005, Zakes Mda wrote the novel The Whale Caller in which the Whale Crier of Hermanus is the main character.  

An interesting and strange side note about Hermanus is that Hermanus still boasts a historic railway station building without a railway line. The founders of the town decided not to lay any tracks as this would have made Hermanus more commercial and felt that Hermanus needed to stay a small Fisherman's Village. To this day the locals still refer to it as "the village."

The area beyond the town is largely wild and mountainous.  As seen in the below pictures, the surrounding landscape is beautiful.  

Once we got settled in, we headed out to the cliffs which over look the water and the majestic mountains beyond the town. 

Roman and Mabret convinced Dad that it was a good idea to walk to the cliffs' edge.

And a little closer...

And finally...

Soaked and lovin it. 

After getting bundled up from the soaking, Mom and Mabret discussed the intricacies of whale spotting.

After almost a week of adventure travel, we finally broke down and took the obligatory selfie.

Pretty good view from the monkey bars. 

On the way back to the hotel, the boys found plenty to keep them busy.  One of the great things about being out of the normal routine is the ease at which Roman and Mabret make fun from the little things.

We are just going to take tomorrow as it comes. 

Our calendars are marked that Saturday is the first game for the 2013/14 Paupack Power.  Mabret, Roman and Coach Bob will be with you in spirit if not in person.  We will be pulling for you and await news from the game.  Go get'em Brett, Jack, Luke, TJ , Dane,  Andrew,  Zachary,  Tyler, Karter, Jake , Evan  and Coach S---!  Make us proud!