Four Days In Cape Town
Written: Jan 24 '09
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Pros: One of the most amazing cities in the world.
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: One of the most beautiful cities in the World and a fantastic place to visit. Cape Town is a city that has a Good, Bad, and an Ugly past.
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| TheSmartTraveler's Full Review: Cape Town |
Wendy and I flew into Cape Town the evening of December 26, 2008. It seemed to us like eveyone was visiting Cape Town during the holidays. We stayed at the Protea President Hotel located in one of Cape Town's suburbs, twenty-five minutes from the International Airport, five minutes from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, fifteen minutes from the Table Mountain Cableway, a fantastic location in which to explore the city.
Cape Town, with Table Mountain visibile from anywhere in the city, is truly one of the most stunningly beautiful cities in the world. We were fortunate to have seen Table Mountain in spectacular clear weather and with its famous Tablecloth. The Tablecloth is a meterological phenomenon that causes clouds to tumble down the mountain slopes like billowing fabric. Our guide also told us about a tale that Cape Town locals have been telling forever. A retired pirate, Jan Van Hunks, encountered the devil on Table Mountain, and in order to save his soul, challenged the devil to a smoking contest. They filled up their pipes and have been smoking ever since. I know people who had smoking contests in New York and never smoked up a cloud like that. I liked the meterological phenomenon better. The Table Mountain Cableway has been in operation since October 1929. There are two sixty-five passenger cable cars with the VISA logo that take five minutes from Tafelberg Road to the summit. The round shape of the cable car's floor rotates 360 degrees, affording everyone inside the car breathtaking views of the city and ocean. Our guide told us that Table Mountain is at least six times older than the Himalayas, which we trekked last June and July. It is also at least five times older than the Rockies. Table Mountain National Park is the single richest floralistic area in the world. The King Protea flower, which is South Africa's national emblem, was spectacular in full bloom. We also saw dassies or Rock Hyrax while walking on the mountain. The dassie, which looks like a rabbit, has as its closest relative the African elephant. We thought that fact was a stretch. The mountain is also a sanctuary for porcupines, mongooses, lizards, snakes, butterflies, black eagles, rock kestrels, sugarbirds, orange breasted sunbirds, and other species. At the top there is the Table Mountain Cafe and the Shop At The Top that is located in the old stone building above the Twelve Apostles Terrace. After visiting Table Mountain, I can see why Capetonians feel that this is the spiritual heart of the city.
Later that day we headed off to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. It seemed to me with the Christmas Holiday season this spot attracted many if not all of the city's visitors. This complex has more than four hundred stores, restaurants, and bars for any taste or budget, movie theaters, the Two Oceans Aquarium, amusement and boat rides, and the ferry to Robben Island, site of the former prison where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were incarcerated during apartheid. For over four hundred years colonial and apartheid rulers banished those they regarded as political troublemakers or social outcasts of society to this rocky outcrop in Table Bay. The tour included a visit to B Section, which held many leaders from different organizations, including the cell of former President Nelson Mandela, who spent eighteen hours a day locked up in eighteen of his twenty seven years of incarceration on Robben Island. Former prisoners are tour leaders at this touching place. We also saw a colony of penguins on Robben Island. In 1999, Robben Island was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. If you are planning a trip to Cape Town and want to visit Robben Island, make your reservation on the internet weeks before you arrive, or visit a local travel agent. Cape Town travel agents can get you a last minute booking but only if they sell you another tour that day.
On another day we combined a trip to the Cape of Good Hope and Boulders Beach. The ascent to the top lighthouse at Cape Point, the tip of the Cape Peninsula and the most south-western point in Africa was exhilarating with the blustery wind and the light mist. Many people on our tour opted to take the Flying Dutchman funicular to the lighthouse immediately. Others on our tour gave up walking halfway to the top and returned to take the funicular. They missed the sight of tourists puffing their way up the steep incline and stony stairs to the top. It was a great workout getting to the top, and a great feeling knowing that the blustery wind hitting you along the way came straight up from the Antarctic. Our guide told us that many people think the Cape of Good Hope is the meeting point of the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. Actually, it is the meeting point of the cold Benguela current on the West Coast and the warm Agulhas current on the East Coast. Spectacular views of the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Maclear, and Cape Point are yours. The Two Oceans Restaurant is set into the cliffs high above the south western most tip of the Cape Peninsular. This restaurant has fantastic views over False Bay. Every one of the 400 seats in this restaurant have magnificent views of your surroundings. There are more than eleven hundred species of indigenous plants, of which a number of them do not grow anywhere else on earth but at the Cape. There are also more than two hundred and fifty species of birds here. We also drove around the national park where we saw Zebras, ostriches, and troops of the Chacma Baboons, which happen to be the only protected population of baboons in Africa.
That day we also drove along the cliff-hanging, ocean view road called Chapman's Peak Drive. The view was classically beautiful with unparalled panoramic vistas of the Atlantic Ocean.
The highlight of that day was a visit to The Boulders, which is nestled in a sheltered cove between Simon's Town and Cape Point. Boulders Beach has become world famous for its thriving colony of African (formerly called Jackass) Penguins that dwell on that stretch of sand. Although the Boulders are set in the midst of a residential area, these charming little chaps in their black and white water suits often wander into homes and make themselves feel right at home. We walked down the boardwalk and observed at very close range, hundreds and hundreds of penguins wandering freely in a protected natural environment. Our guide told us that in 1982 from only two breeding pairs, this penguin colony has grown to over three thousand. The penguins thrive in this sheltered area because of the huge granite boulders that are 540 million years old and an abundant supply of pilchards and anchovy which form part of the penguins' diet.
On another day we took a walking tour of downtown Cape Town and the Bo-Kaap and Malay Quarter of Cape Town. The Bo-Kaap was built in 1836 for the newly freed slaves of that time, artisans, and craftspeople who had been brought over from mostly Indian Ocean countries like Madagascar, Indonesia, India, and Malaya. The Desmond Tutu church is also in this area. Our guide told us that he presided over the Christmas Eve service a couple of days ago.
The colors of the little houses in the Malay Quarter, dashing orange, lime green, sea blue, hot pink, initially had the purpose of saying which trade each family worked at. Our guide told us that during apartheid, the bright colors were not encouraged, but today these houses and colors sparkle like jewels. This area is truly one of Cape Town's hidden jewels.
Our guide also walked us by an area called District Six. From the mid 1960's to 1980, she told us that nearly 70,000 multiracial (mostly so-called colored) people including the streets were removed from this area and this community was totally destroyed. The South African Government has pledged to accept the land claims of those who used to live here. Our guide told us that maybe ten familes have moved back.
Our guide told us about some of the apartheid race tricks, one being the pencil test. If a pencil stayed in your hair when your head was bent downward, you would be classified as black or colored. This classification determined the course that was chartered for you the rest of your life; where you could live, what jobs you could work at, how much education you could get.
We also walked past some of the old bank and insurance buildings built in the early 1900's. Amazingly, the exterior carved facades on these old buildings were in excellent shape. These buildings are slowly being gutted and modernized into apartments. From what we saw, there is a long way to go to renovate these buildings.
Another great place we visited in Cape Town was Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. These spectacular gardens are a celebration of South African flora - showcasing only indigenous South African plants. Fynbos, proteas, cycads and rolling grass are intermingled with streams and ponds. We saw many happy South African families enjoying this special place for a picnic, and thousands of younger South Africans enjoying a Sunday concert here later in the day.
We finished our four days in Cape Town with a short flight to the port city of Durban, and many lasting memories from this amazing city. Four days was not enough time to submerge ourselves there. My neighbor taught a class and lived in Cape Town for nine months. We talked earlier today about our trip and his experience there. He said that he would love to return to Cape Town some day. I totally agree.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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I get the shakes if I don't take at least 5 good trips a year.
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