End Points

I do not believe myself to be an obsessive person, but I do own up to one obsession: end points of land. those spots beyond which you cannot step on terra firma and which constitute the most western or southern point, etc. of a land mass. there's an allure in it for me -- the ability to say at that moment no man is further south, east, north or west of me. it's a bit silly, I know, and most definitely self-congratulatory, but I persist. Key West was one of these; Cabo de la Roca in Portugal another (western most point in europe). and, this trip has delightfully provided two. the first was a few days ago on the trip down to the Cape of Good Hope at the bottom of the peninsula stretching south from Capetown. Its spectacular setting of craggy mountains and crashing waves only enhanced the fact that you could stand on a spot and claim in that moment that no man could stand more southwest than you and still be on the African continent.

A few minutes ago, we had a similar experience at Cape Agulhas. It is here that you can stand on the absolute southernmost point of the African continent, and also where you can figuratively have one foot in the Atlantic Ocean and one on the Indian Ocean. perfection.

Next, I want to straddle the equator, but that's for another time.