We fell in love with Cape Town, right from the start driving in on a beautiful sunny afternoon. We hit the ground running trying to do as much as we could in a city offering a million things to do. A number of times we looked at each other, mouths agape saying “this place is AWESOME!” We really have a way with words. We even had the discussion whether or not we could picture ourselves living in Cape Town (Sadie & Anna emphatically yelled NO from the back seat as
images of leaving their friends and family for good crept into their minds). Ok, so we’re not going to pick up and move to Cape Town any time soon. But the city is stunning, funky, interesting, brimming with history and from what we have experienced, friendly and safe. Yes we know, the fact is, there are alarming crime issues there. We are just saying, we adhered to general guidelines of how to be a smart tourist in a large African city and we felt safe & happy.
We rented a flat (when in Rome…) in an area called Camps Bay, about a 10 min. drive from downtown and the infamous Waterfront district. Camps Bay is right on the beach (and so was our flat) with a stunning western view of the ocean and setting sun. We were immediately awestruck with the groovy west coast surf and urban vibe; cafes, fancy cars and healthy people (many in bare feet) cruising around. One of the first things we noticed was the number of road bikers and runners. After a few initial blips trying to get into the flat (picture the Gosney family forming a human chain passing our luggage over the security fence and up on the balcony), get internet and get our bearings, we settled in to get clean and get hooked in to the electronics. It was so fabulous to have our own kitchen and stay put for a week. Cape Town is really easy to get around (not by public transit though, hence our car rental after we had to give back the camping truck) and all the amenities were close by.
I’ll try to stick to the highlights. We finally met up with Michael McWilliams (the guy we missed in Jo’Burg) and his wife for an evening. They had been traveling many of the same areas we had, a few steps ahead so it was fun to trade stories and have a few drinks on the deck as the sun went down.
We had two days of stormy weather but in hindsight, it was fabulous to see the coast like this. The waves were huge crashing into our beach. Kind of like going to Tofino and seeing a storm there – you just have to experience it to get the feel of the place. We used our time in poor weather (the first rain we’d seen in 2 mo.) to explore the Waterfront district shopping, Long St., see a movie (My Sister’s Keeper, Janet provided a full water works display), and catch up on internet. And just in time, the weather broke. We woke to a clear day and set about experiencing Cape Town in fine weather.
Cape Point & Cape of Good Hope. One of the most incredible days you can spend around Cape Town is touring down to Cape Point. Just the drive there is gorgeous. Driving through the various historical surf towns lining False Bay, we made our first stop at Boulders Beach. Boulders is famous for its sheltered white beach and being home to a large colony of African Penguins, formerly known as the Jackass Penguin because of the loud braying noise the males make when they are trying to find a date. We had been advised it wasn’t necessary to spend the entry fee to
go right into the park. The Penguins are wild animals and freely roam up the banks, into the brush to nest above the park. So, a walk down the boardwalk above Boulders Beach was all we needed to do to get really close to a number of penguins. However, never being the ones who want to feel like we have missed out on something…Anna, Sadie & Janet bought tickets and went into the park. The park has boardwalks meandering through the nesting area and large viewing areas right down on the beach. We were not disappointed. We saw young penguins still molting and large groups we could observe from about 2 feet away. We found watching them waddle around hilarious! Ron had found a great spot right amongst the penguins outside the park, so we sat down and ate lunch after we caught up with him.
The drive out to Cape Point is about an hour without dawdling. It is a stunning point of land where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. The original light house in now closed as it was too often hidden behind cloud. They have built a new one just below 90 m. which is more visible. There is a cable car to take you up the 250 m. to the original light house but we decided to walk up. The views were breathtaking. After checking out the top area, we hiked a trail on a narrow ridge out to the very tip, above where the new light house is. It struck us that Cape Town people are a hardy bunch, their park trails and look outs are not for the faint of heart. It was a full day between driving and hiking, we arrived “home” happy to have a kitchen, space and TV!
Our next thing to check off the list was Table Mountain. We had been told; when the weather is good GO RIGHT AWAY. The weather changes so fast there and often, if you delay, you have missed your chance. We decided to hike up what’s called Plataklip Gorge – kind of the Grouse Grind of Cape Town, a 700 m elevation gain over about 2 km with a final 1 km walk across the “table top” to where you can take the tram down. The girls were awesome, it wasn’t easy – very steep. Luckily it wasn’t hot. Actually it was really cold at the top in the wind. And we
remembered lots of snacks and water this time – good parents, good parents. Sadie, Anna & Ron had a great time watching Janet ease her way out on to the various viewing platforms to peer over the edge of the table top. We were immediately humbled though when we saw a rock climber scaling the sheer rock just below the most precarious platform, the last stop for him would have been 700 m. below at the base of the mountain. The tram down was STEEP and it wasn’t until ½ way down it dawned on us, the floor was rotating. Duh. The exercise (much needed for us) and the view was the recipe for a perfect day.
Next adventure? Lion’s Head. We cautiously asked the girls if they’d be up for another hike the following day – NO! We let it ride for the evening and when we woke to another fabulous day, we
pulled all stops (including promises of finding gelato) and convinced them to hike Lion’s Head. Actually, it didn’t take too much. I think they realized how great it felt to get the exercise. Lion’s Head takes about 1 hour or 1.25 hr. if you don’t stop and a bit more if you stop along to way to take photos or try to ease your mounting panic – the top 1/3 of the hike is scrambling over the rocks with the occasional assistance of ladders, chains and handles bored into the rock. Given the exact same trail 10 feet off the ground and nobody would give it a second thought, we don’t often fall off things the width of a sidewalk do we? Put the trail at the top of a very skinny mountain and one can get really freaked out. Ok, the girls really didn’t give it a second thought and Ron is much better at this kind of thing than me. I was ok too, at first. But as we got higher and higher...the panic set in. I made it to about 100 steps from the very peak, but then the view below (and it was 365 degrees when you looked down) was starting to swirl. I knew I’d have to make it down if I made it up. I crouched down and announced I’d wait. Sadie elected to stay and take care of me (she definitely saw the panic in my eyes) which I really appreciated. Ron & Anna went the last bit and conquered the peak. I wish I had known that descending was actually easier than going up but my breath returned to me with every step down. A helicopter buzzed Ron & Anna while they were doing the victory dance on top which added to the excitement. We did find gelato and huge satisfaction having experienced another great thing in Cape Town. 
I’ll remind you and ourselves again about the friendly bird watcher with broken arms we met at the side of the road with her husband fixing a tire up in Namibia. Sally & Nicholas Harris from Cape Town. Sally was so insistent we call them while in Cape Town, we did! And so our last evening was spent with amazing company, laughs and lots of wine. Sally & Nicholas hosted us at their house for Champaign and followed with an amazing meal out at a local hot spot – noisy, casual, fun and unbelievable food, The Olympia Bakery & Deli. We would have never found it on our own – besides the company, it’s so great to see a place through the eyes of people who live there. This life is very different from the one we brushed with in Tanzania at Usa River. The contrast is interesting to think about and remember – Africa is so vast. Life there is so very different from one place to the next. We feel lucky we were able to see so many layers and realize there are so many more to experience, hopefully next time.
Time to move on. We were sad to leave Africa for sure but excited for the next chapter. India, first stop Mumbai.
images of leaving their friends and family for good crept into their minds). Ok, so we’re not going to pick up and move to Cape Town any time soon. But the city is stunning, funky, interesting, brimming with history and from what we have experienced, friendly and safe. Yes we know, the fact is, there are alarming crime issues there. We are just saying, we adhered to general guidelines of how to be a smart tourist in a large African city and we felt safe & happy.We rented a flat (when in Rome…) in an area called Camps Bay, about a 10 min. drive from downtown and the infamous Waterfront district. Camps Bay is right on the beach (and so was our flat) with a stunning western view of the ocean and setting sun. We were immediately awestruck with the groovy west coast surf and urban vibe; cafes, fancy cars and healthy people (many in bare feet) cruising around. One of the first things we noticed was the number of road bikers and runners. After a few initial blips trying to get into the flat (picture the Gosney family forming a human chain passing our luggage over the security fence and up on the balcony), get internet and get our bearings, we settled in to get clean and get hooked in to the electronics. It was so fabulous to have our own kitchen and stay put for a week. Cape Town is really easy to get around (not by public transit though, hence our car rental after we had to give back the camping truck) and all the amenities were close by.
I’ll try to stick to the highlights. We finally met up with Michael McWilliams (the guy we missed in Jo’Burg) and his wife for an evening. They had been traveling many of the same areas we had, a few steps ahead so it was fun to trade stories and have a few drinks on the deck as the sun went down.
We had two days of stormy weather but in hindsight, it was fabulous to see the coast like this. The waves were huge crashing into our beach. Kind of like going to Tofino and seeing a storm there – you just have to experience it to get the feel of the place. We used our time in poor weather (the first rain we’d seen in 2 mo.) to explore the Waterfront district shopping, Long St., see a movie (My Sister’s Keeper, Janet provided a full water works display), and catch up on internet. And just in time, the weather broke. We woke to a clear day and set about experiencing Cape Town in fine weather.
Cape Point & Cape of Good Hope. One of the most incredible days you can spend around Cape Town is touring down to Cape Point. Just the drive there is gorgeous. Driving through the various historical surf towns lining False Bay, we made our first stop at Boulders Beach. Boulders is famous for its sheltered white beach and being home to a large colony of African Penguins, formerly known as the Jackass Penguin because of the loud braying noise the males make when they are trying to find a date. We had been advised it wasn’t necessary to spend the entry fee to
go right into the park. The Penguins are wild animals and freely roam up the banks, into the brush to nest above the park. So, a walk down the boardwalk above Boulders Beach was all we needed to do to get really close to a number of penguins. However, never being the ones who want to feel like we have missed out on something…Anna, Sadie & Janet bought tickets and went into the park. The park has boardwalks meandering through the nesting area and large viewing areas right down on the beach. We were not disappointed. We saw young penguins still molting and large groups we could observe from about 2 feet away. We found watching them waddle around hilarious! Ron had found a great spot right amongst the penguins outside the park, so we sat down and ate lunch after we caught up with him.The drive out to Cape Point is about an hour without dawdling. It is a stunning point of land where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. The original light house in now closed as it was too often hidden behind cloud. They have built a new one just below 90 m. which is more visible. There is a cable car to take you up the 250 m. to the original light house but we decided to walk up. The views were breathtaking. After checking out the top area, we hiked a trail on a narrow ridge out to the very tip, above where the new light house is. It struck us that Cape Town people are a hardy bunch, their park trails and look outs are not for the faint of heart. It was a full day between driving and hiking, we arrived “home” happy to have a kitchen, space and TV!
Our next thing to check off the list was Table Mountain. We had been told; when the weather is good GO RIGHT AWAY. The weather changes so fast there and often, if you delay, you have missed your chance. We decided to hike up what’s called Plataklip Gorge – kind of the Grouse Grind of Cape Town, a 700 m elevation gain over about 2 km with a final 1 km walk across the “table top” to where you can take the tram down. The girls were awesome, it wasn’t easy – very steep. Luckily it wasn’t hot. Actually it was really cold at the top in the wind. And we
remembered lots of snacks and water this time – good parents, good parents. Sadie, Anna & Ron had a great time watching Janet ease her way out on to the various viewing platforms to peer over the edge of the table top. We were immediately humbled though when we saw a rock climber scaling the sheer rock just below the most precarious platform, the last stop for him would have been 700 m. below at the base of the mountain. The tram down was STEEP and it wasn’t until ½ way down it dawned on us, the floor was rotating. Duh. The exercise (much needed for us) and the view was the recipe for a perfect day.Next adventure? Lion’s Head. We cautiously asked the girls if they’d be up for another hike the following day – NO! We let it ride for the evening and when we woke to another fabulous day, we
pulled all stops (including promises of finding gelato) and convinced them to hike Lion’s Head. Actually, it didn’t take too much. I think they realized how great it felt to get the exercise. Lion’s Head takes about 1 hour or 1.25 hr. if you don’t stop and a bit more if you stop along to way to take photos or try to ease your mounting panic – the top 1/3 of the hike is scrambling over the rocks with the occasional assistance of ladders, chains and handles bored into the rock. Given the exact same trail 10 feet off the ground and nobody would give it a second thought, we don’t often fall off things the width of a sidewalk do we? Put the trail at the top of a very skinny mountain and one can get really freaked out. Ok, the girls really didn’t give it a second thought and Ron is much better at this kind of thing than me. I was ok too, at first. But as we got higher and higher...the panic set in. I made it to about 100 steps from the very peak, but then the view below (and it was 365 degrees when you looked down) was starting to swirl. I knew I’d have to make it down if I made it up. I crouched down and announced I’d wait. Sadie elected to stay and take care of me (she definitely saw the panic in my eyes) which I really appreciated. Ron & Anna went the last bit and conquered the peak. I wish I had known that descending was actually easier than going up but my breath returned to me with every step down. A helicopter buzzed Ron & Anna while they were doing the victory dance on top which added to the excitement. We did find gelato and huge satisfaction having experienced another great thing in Cape Town. I’ll remind you and ourselves again about the friendly bird watcher with broken arms we met at the side of the road with her husband fixing a tire up in Namibia. Sally & Nicholas Harris from Cape Town. Sally was so insistent we call them while in Cape Town, we did! And so our last evening was spent with amazing company, laughs and lots of wine. Sally & Nicholas hosted us at their house for Champaign and followed with an amazing meal out at a local hot spot – noisy, casual, fun and unbelievable food, The Olympia Bakery & Deli. We would have never found it on our own – besides the company, it’s so great to see a place through the eyes of people who live there. This life is very different from the one we brushed with in Tanzania at Usa River. The contrast is interesting to think about and remember – Africa is so vast. Life there is so very different from one place to the next. We feel lucky we were able to see so many layers and realize there are so many more to experience, hopefully next time.
Time to move on. We were sad to leave Africa for sure but excited for the next chapter. India, first stop Mumbai.
Hi its Max Peiffer and im wishing you a safe trip in India. also asking what when you'll be back? the weather is fine here the snow is just pokeing over the mountian top and we'll be able to ski in just two months. Hope your having fun on your adventureous trip in Aisa.
ReplyDeleteMax Peiffer.