Soaking

‘Don’t be alarmed’, Krystyna the Polish host of the Airbnb had warned. ‘On Monday we will have a water fight.’

‘On the street?’

‘No, in the house.’

For a woman who looks to be very house-proud it seemed an unusual activity. I then learnt it’s a Polish Easter tradition that youngsters will ambush the elders with water pistols as a ritual representing the washing away of winter. It’s autumn here in South Africa but I get the sentiment. I was ready to confront Krystyna’s grandchildren toting water guns around corners.

I also spent the morning bracing myself for another dunking, this time in bracing Antarctic waters. Duiker Island, around the headland at the entrance to Hout Bay harbour, hosts thousands of Cape fur seals. Incidentally duikers are small to medium sized antelopes that perhaps used to be far more numerous on the Cape Peninsula, likely leading to the naming of an island after them.

An outfit known as Animal Ocean does snorkelling trips to swim with the seals in their natural habitat. People donned their wetsuits, including hoods, gloves and booties for the cold rough Atlantic waters, and boarded a speedboat at the harbour. The water was indeed rough and visibility poor after recent churning, but it was a very unique experience to be amongst the seals shooting around and barrelling through the water. The best moments were around shallow rocks with incredibly long kelp swooshing around, and playful adolescent seals circling and keeping eye contact with their new human friends. After an hour, numbness was setting in so everyone hauled back onto the speedboat and warmed up with hot chocolate. A must-do activity for anyone visiting Cape Town.