The Old Cape Road across the mountains

02 February 2013

But now I wanted to tell you about our drive across the mountain road they call “Ou Kaapse Weg“.

This is the start of Ou Kaapse Weg – or the Old Cape Road

Honestly, I just couldn’t get my tongue around those words – the first time they said the name, I thought they had choked on something and were clearing their throat… I think it’s Afrikaans, and it’s supposed to mean “Old Cape Road”. Reggie tells me that it’s not really such an old road at all, because it was only built in the late 1960s or early 1970.

The road goes over the Silvermine Mountains, where Reggie pointed out the sign to the Silvermine Nature Reserve. The sign says you can go hiking and picnicking here.

One day, we will visit the Silvermine Nature Reserve – even if it doesn’t have a silver mine

“Is there still a silver mine in these mountains?” I asked, curious.

“No,” laughed Reggie. “Sometime in the 17th century, it was thought that there might be silver in the mountains, so the people sunk a couple of shafts. But they didn’t find anything.”

I think this is just as well, because the area on the top of the mountain pass looks like a beautiful nature reserve. Richard remarked that there is a boardwalk around a large reservoir, where they could take me for a nice easy stroll and a picnic sometime. That sounds nice!

On our way home from lunch in Noordhoek, we stopped at a viewing site at the top of Ou Kaapse Weg, near the entrance to the Silvermine Nature Reserve. What a view!! Who knew that Cape Town was sooo big?!

What a view! Below us is the Constantia and Tokai valley

It was extremely windy up here, though, and Reggie kept a firm grip on me, as she didn’t want me to fly off!

When we drove down the hairpin bends to the valley below, I felt like sticking my head out of the window and shouting with joy – such fun!

This is the way back doooown – what a thrill!