It was a mere month ago that Jean-Pierre (JP) de Villiers – Cape Town-born, London-based adventure athlete, and life coach – first found out about the magnificent Cape Camino when co-founder, Peggy Coetzee-Andrew called him up with a proposal.
As an extreme challenge and means of raising awareness about the 150km peninsula pilgrimage route, how would JP feel about running it in two days?
True to form, the adventurer was immediately on board and plans were put in place.
With Cape Town local and co-founder of Sustainable Brothers & Sisters, Damien Hewitt, to keep him company, JP’s journey would take him to a diverse range of sacred sites – from those associated with the Khoisan tribes to churches, mosques, temples and everything in between – and introduce him to the individuals who make this pilgrimage route so special.
Apart from this, JP and Damien would also visit the Cape Town Big 6 – V&A Waterfront, Robben Island, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, Groot Constantia and Cape Point – as we recently joined forces with the Cape Camino to offer pilgrims the opportunity to connect with a few of the Mother City’s most prominent attractions.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and JP and Damien have completed their journey, ending off 48 gruelling, but amazing hours with a glass of Groot Constantia bubbly and a round of toasts on top of Table Mountain.
“As the name of my organization – Love in Unity – suggests, I truly believe in the transformative power of sharing the love, rather than spreading division and hate. And this is, essentially, what this journey was about – sharing my love for my home city, its incredible sites and – most importantly – its amazing people,” JP said.
During the two days, JP’s GoPro was constantly recording with the goal of putting together a short and punchy video about this unique Cape Town experience that he hopes will reach at least 1 million viewers.
“I was really blown away by the people we met on the journey. There are so many incredible initiatives happening in communities across the peninsula and it would be great for more people to find out about them first-hand like we did,” Damien added.
Commending JP and Damien for their perseverance, stamina and – most importantly – open-hearted approach.
Peggy just reiterated the intention behind the Cape Camino: “A Camino is a retreat. A time away from your normal routine. To use how you like: asking and answering life’s questions; healing hardships and heartaches; challenging your physical ability; a space to be quiet and alone or just an adventure- open to whatever it brings you. And I think this is exactly what JP and Damien did.”
For more information about the pilgrimage route, visit the Cape Camino website.
One Destination, 6 Unbelievable Experiences
There is no one way to explore all of the Cape Town Big 6, and much of what makes each of them so special is the variety of things to see and do at each. So if possible, take your time to explore each of the city’s most visited tourist attractions in as much depth as possible – as any local will tell you, you can spend a lifetime at each of the Big 6 and still not tire of them. Find the 3 and 4 day itineraries and tips here.