I found myself burning along the coast last week, wind blowing in my hair, sunlight glimmering off the mighty Atlantic Ocean, a sparkle in my eye, a car full of food and booze…not a care in the world. I railed around the coastal route in search of Hout Bay and Chapman’s Peak.

In the summer of 2008 I was still listening to “Summer of ‘69″ over the boom box in the car. The breeze was cool, my vibe sick, my guns tanned. The girls were chilling and happiness rolled through Cape Town.

Then I saw a billowing cloud of black smoke from my location at Llandudno.

I summited at Suikerbossie and realised that something quite spicy was unfolding! At first I thought a bar-bee from the Australians. I didn’t have time to stop and look for two reasons:

• I was on my way to Chapman’s Peak to drink champagne
• I didn’t want to look like a tourist.

So I later read on the news that 1000 people were left homeless after the fire. Or 1000 homes had burnt down. Or whatever…I’m not a numbers man (31% for Standard Grade maths in Matric. BOOM!)

Well anyway, while the residents of Imizamo Yethu were  trying to escape the fire, I wasn’t in quite the same predicament. The only predicament I had was what to do next. Buy a yacht, drink champagne, mingle at yet another social event where free food and booze are the order of the day or just chill.

Imizamo Yethu — Spot of bother

I decided I would chill with the champagne and get mildly acquainted with my surroundings.

The last of the fire smouldered. I drank champagne. What a cruel world! 

Always over cater for yourself 

What a glorious day on Chapman’s Peak! Remember, you can still access Chapman’s Peak for visits. You can’t actually drive the length of it because it is still being repaired. But you can access the picnic spots which are stunning. I will get onto those later and what exactly we did at Chapman’s Peak…on a Thursday afternoon.

We entered from the Hout Bay side and merely collected a day pass for free, and then chilled and toasted the sparklers to a lifestyle well lived.

You really should do it. Tell your boss to stick it, take a cruise along the coast on a Monday morning, enter Chapman’s Peak from the Hout Bay side and meet all your buddies for a booze fest filled with sun, laughter, chicks and nothing but that stunning view in front of you. You know the view. Yes that one.

You don’t?

Let us tease you for a moment…

Ohhhhh that’s naughty. Is that a sidecar in the picture? Were we silly enough to take a sidecar trip to Chapman’s Peak? Was I even in a car?

My mysterious life and occupation continues to elude most. But it’s all coming together.

Just wait…take a Prozac, two roofies and down a bottle of wine. I’ll see you after that. You’ll be calm enough to handle the full extent of this lifestyle journey I’m taking you on.

Sean Lloyd

Editor