On May 31, 1836, the HMS Beagle, at its most famous passenger, Charles Darwin, arrived at Simon’s Bay, at the southern tip of Africa. The next day, Darwin traveled to Cape Town.
Yesterday, on April 25, 2010, a replica of the HMS Beagle sailed into the Cape Town port as it wrapped up its historic recreation of one of the most influential ocean voyages ever recorded. This voyage has been the focus of a documentary series on Darwin’s life and his scientific observations and theories, in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of his birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of OnThe Origin of Species.
During his stay in Cape Town, Darwin visited Sir John Herschel, the director of the new Royal Observatory at Cape Town. Their conversations included a variety of subjects, including volcanoes, the movement of continents, the origin of mankind and how new species came into being.
As an interesting historical aside, Darwin is buried next to Herschel in Westminster Abbey.
If you are visiting any of the southern African safari destinations, we recommend you consider a visit to Cape Town. It is the perfect place to relax after your initial international flights or to wind down at the end of your private wildlife viewing safari.
Tom – you make it sound so ‘next door.’ i guess it is for you and that is largely what you help others discover – the worlds next door.
Thanks, Kim. In today’s world, just about any destination is reachable, depending on one’s dream. We love hearing travelers express their dreams and, then, helping them find a path to make them come true.