Here I am in the heat of an October spring sun in South Africa, having just clambered atop the promontory at the Cape of Good Hope. The Cape is the little hook of land that spurs out of the southwest corner of Africa. It's about 45 minutes south of Cape Town. Contrary to popular belief, it's not the bottom tip of Africa (that's Cape Agulhas, about three hours east). But the rounding of Good Hope is what made trade through the Indian Ocean possible for Europeans, which in turn encouraged the enslavement of much of Africa. Ah, beautiful nature! By the way, that white spot near the base of the cliff is one of the shoals that gave explorers such a hard time.
© 1998 Jason Cochran