Today I drove over Chapmans's Peak, one of the big five
attractions here in the Western Cape. It is a must see for the millions of visitors who come here every year and since June 2008 it has been closed. It is also the shortest route from Fish Hoek where I live to Hout Bay which I enjoy. Why is this important. For one, it is a marvel of nature's beauty and human engineering. Named after the mountain of that name, the winding road slowly snakes along the base of vertical
mountains that rise gradually and then to heights that give you panoramic views of the Western side of the Atlantic Ocean. Man however is no match for nature and rock falls,about which you are warned at every bend in the road, caused the closure at first, and then struggles with the government and the firm chosen to repair it delayed it even more. Today as I drove along, I could see men rappelling up the sheer mountain side as they continued to work to secure this wonder of the Cape. I was amazed to see how much of the mountain side was now encased by steel curtains and hanging steel hammocks to catch stones. For me, this mutes the brilliant beauty, but then again, I don't want a rock on my car either. I was also shocked at the cost to travel one way and this led me to take the longer and less scenic route home. But the opening of this road has more significance than just its breath-stopping beauty. Many small businesses depend on the road to bring tourists to their shops and some of these shops sell the bags the women make. One shop even closed down, both because of the recession and the closing of Chapman's Peak. With the mega football -soccer-games less than seven months away, it was time to get the road going again and I pray the shops going again. So as I stopped to take these photos and refresh my memory of the sights and sounds of the peak, I thanked God for what it will mean to the women who need the income this spectacular road helps to bring in.
No comments:
Post a Comment