Mossel Bay: Where it all began

Day 6 - Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay is the spot where the first Europeans landed on South African soil, when Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape and arrived in 1488. 

However, Mossel Bay was occupied long before the Portuguese discovered it. Archeological digs have discovered that Mossel Bay's human history can be traced back more than 160,000 years. All human life today evolved from a core population that lived in Africa, and it is believed that Mossel Bay provided perfect living conditions for this original population who were the progenitors of modern humankind.

Mossel Bay is also regarded as the beginning of the 'Garden Route'.

It's a pretty amazing thought - that after a long and hot drive, we arrived at the beginning of all human history. 

After settling into our hotel, we hurried off to the beach for a refreshing dip in the rock pool. I was scared to go beyond the rocks into the open ocean. Sharks. 

We had dinner near the hotel. It wasn't very good, especially after Brinny Breezes. I would have to be Bill Bryson to elaborate wittily on how bad the meal was. 

We then walked up to Cape St Blaize Cave, right under the lighthouse and near another amazing natural rock pool. While it's not much to look at, it is regarded as one of the most important caves in the world. Archeological excavations have revealed that early man, believed to be San or Khoisan people, lived here some 164,000 years ago.

Today it a popular spot for whale watching during the right season. In fact, you can even watch from online.