CAPE TOWN, South Africa – The sun slowly peaked over the small mountains far into the distance magically revealing our next city with a glorious flat top mountain mountain rising straight out from its back. Yes,this must be Cape Town. The first smell of the city was a gross fishy yuck from the surrounding port at which we would be docked the next six days but my excitement let me ignore that fact. Cape Town was probably the stop I was looking forward to most on this journey. I had a list of items that I wanted to accomplish that would keep me busy for the six days we had to enjoy the region.
The ship was docked in a prime location in Cape Town right next to the V & A Waterfront. The waterfront is a magnificent setting and I’m sure it is one of the best in the world. Great restaurants, shopping, a movie theater, a huge mall, or anything you can imagine. To say the least, it was a major contrast to Ghana. Once again we had awesome weather with cloudless skies everyday in the middle of the South African summer.
Once off the ship for the first time I had some time in the morning to check out the waterfront area beforegoing to some city highlights in the afternoon. We were taken to the Castle of Good Hope, the oldest building in South Africa. In the middle of downtown, there is a huge park area called the Company Gardens which is a great place to walk around with the Parliament building and museums surrounding the area. Cape Town is a very unique city full of many diverse people. Its unique location has made it a favorable asset of nations over time as a major trade route between Europe and Asia. So overall Cape Town gives off a more European vibe and not the feeling that you are in Africa. In the city, there are people from all over the world offering a diverse cultural experience.
The second day I made sure that we had great weather because I was going to hike up Table Mountain, voted one of the seven natural wonders of the world. I opted for the Plattekip Gorge hike, one that was a little steeper but shorter. The hike was pretty much straight up the face winding its way back and forth in order tomake it possible to hike up. It was hot and the drenching of the sun was relentless as I reached my foot for a new rock with each step. Apparently in pretty good shape I was able to make it to the top in an hour and fifteen minutes drenched in sweat. At the top there are several hikes that you can take around the top to see different viewpoints. The top is really table like with rocks sticking out of the ground, small bush like plants, and a dusty lightbrown soil. A cool pure breeze blows off the bay behind me to dry the sweatpouring off my face. Visually the mountain itself is not too exciting but the sites from the top provide stunning views of the Cape Town up the coast andthen on the other side extending down the Cape Peninsula. We were on top on a clear day, which made it even better glancing out for miles to the ocean and then all the way down to Cape Point. Sometimes there are clouds that hover over the peak, which is known as the tablecloth. I opted for the cable car ride down the mountain and that afternoon, I walked around the central downtown area checking out the District Six museum. District Six is a unique part of the city where it is just open deserted space. Not something you would expect to see in a bustling city area. This was a community effected by the Apartheid era inSouth Africa and was eventually just razed. The museum honors the interesting community of the city that was lost. Inside there are from floor to ceiling, different street signs from around District Six offering a reminder of the area that was lost. The open area itself is scar in the city from the Apartheid era that ended not too long ago. I also toured the Malay Quarter, which is the Muslim area in the city. As I mentioned before Cape Town is rich of many different cultures. This is a cool area because of the contrasting colors that each home has as you walk down the narrow streets. As you probably know, the 2010 World Cup was in South Africa and Cape Town was one of the host cities. The stadium is in a pretty close location to the waterfront along with mountains behind it. Thestadium is in an awesome spot for a sporting venue. I thought it would be acool idea to see the inside of it and luckily there was a game that evening. The soccer game was some local South African Premier League type game. I knew nothing about what the implications of the game were so I just went to see what the atmosphere was like. The stadium was not sold out and they even closed off the half the stadium because of how large the seating bowl is. People get really into the game and there are bands like we have in college events and of course those awesome Vuvuzela’s that people blast all game long. The constant buzz from those things rings in your ears for hours. The game actually ended in a 1-1 tie, which I know is something that really bothers Americans about soccer so that was pretty funny.
On the third day, I opted for a cycling trip through the wine lands traveling to the different wineries in the region. Wine is very popular in South Africa and also very tasty. Overall, I cycled a little over 20 miles traveling between several different wineries to do tastings. This was a great way to get around because it allows you to enjoy the atmosphere more than just going around on a bus.Some of the estates they have in the region are also a sight in itself along with the miles of vineyards. The countryside just builds onto the beauty of the Cape Town area.
The fourth day I planned a day trip to the Cape Peninsula to explore the coastal towns, Cape Point, and the Cape of Good Hope. From Cape Town, I took a train to Simon’s Town that takes you behind Table Mountain then wraps you down the coast right next to the ocean so it’s a very scenic hour-long trip to get there. The train wasn’t exactly up to our American standards of luxury due to graffiti but it provided great views of the ocean down the coast. To get into the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve is actually not the easiest thing to do. You basically need to rent a car or hire a shuttle/driver to take you into the park. So we had to get on a shuttle, which gives you two hours down at Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. Anyone traveling down here and around South Africa I’d recommend renting a car because you could easily spend a day or two in the park alone. The drive down the coast provides more breathtaking views of the coast from the winding road hundreds of feet up above the ocean nestled into the mountainside. Signs warning of you of wild baboons and penguins line the road. At Cape Point it’s a small hike up to see a lighthouse with more great views of the treacherous cliffs being bombarded with thunderous waves crashing onto the rocks from the ocean below. Down at the Cape of Good Hope, which is more of a point of geographic significance because it’s where you can start rounding the African continent to head further east. This spot gives you a bottom of the world feeling knowing that only Antarctica remains below you to the south. The cool salty air breeze along with the massive sound of crashing waves provides a great spot to just sit down for a little while. Once I hadspent the two hours in the park I headed back to Simon’s Town where I got dropped off at Boulders Beach. This is another cool spot because it’s a beach with an African penguin colony. So yes you can actually go swimming with African penguins. The beach gets its name from the massive boulders surrounding the coastline. It’s not the biggest and best beach you’ll find but the massive boulders make for great places to wander and find different areas to explore. In general, the penguins are pretty friendly and you can get within feet ofthem in the beach area. Once finished swimming, I walked through Simon’s Town before catching the final train back to Cape Town for the day. Simon’s Town is a small town where South African’s navy is based and is cool little town right on the bay so you can also see the marina area.
The fifth day I attempted to do some shopping on the waterfront looking for possible items to buy for all of you back in the U.S.A. My tour of Robben Island left in the afternoon so I had some time to kill. Robben Island is where political prisoners were kept during the Apartheid era in South Africa. It’s a short few mile ferry ride to arrive on the island. Most notably is Nelson Mandela’s cell where he spent 28 years in prison before being released and becoming the first blackSouth African president. The tour is an interesting experience in itself because former political prisoners guide you. While I was on the island cool misty weather rolled in adding to the gloomy experience of hearing stories about the prison. It’s hard to think that prisoners that were right in front of us experienced this place not too long ago. For my final night in Cape Town, I headed out to Long Street, which is Cape Town’s main bustling street with shops, restaurants, clubs, and bars. After having some dinner and bar hopping, a group of us headed to Camps Bay. A lot of the people from our ship were heading to a club here, which is pretty cool spot because it’s right next to the beach. It’s also in a more upscale suburban area.
For my last day in Cape Town decided to get on one of those city sightseeing tour buses. I had been seeing them all week and it looked like a really good idea to do. More than anything it provided a cheaper alternative than paying a taxis to take me some of the places I wanted to go. My first stop was at Kirstenbosch, one of the top botanical gardens in the world. As you drive through this area one of the main themes of Cape Town comes into focus, which is contrast. From the botanical gardens through the wine lands to rich homes and estates, then all of the sudden you find yourself in a township where you are reminded that thisisn’t just a country that’s all rich and beautiful. South Africa is actually the country with the biggest gap between the rich and poor. 25% of the population remains unemployed and many of these townships are direct results of Apartheid a little over two decades ago. To this day the city remains very segregated and it’s obvious. At this township, I was given a brief tour where we walked around and saw a kindergarten class. This was another surreal experience walking into a class where everyone is so happy to see you. The teacher stopped her class just so she could have a small conservation. I’m always interested in how people in these townships feel about tourists coming in to see them. The response I got was interesting and I feel that I’m doing my duty by publishing it. They want people to come in because they want people to become aware of their situations. It is a very interesting experience goinginto a township because it’s typically not safe for you to enter into them. The experience wasn’t too different from seeing villages in Ghana or seeing the favelas in Brazil. Here it was a little different because of the stark contrast in seeing how close the rich were to the township. As South Africa develops one of their biggest struggles will be pulling people out of these townships and providing more modern living conditions. Our guide showed us public toiletsthat are shared by over 300 people! South Africa will still have to addressthese questions as they rise further up the economic ladder. Another main issue that remains is crime. In conservations with locals, crime has become so ingrained in people’s lives that they actually don’t want to work and would instead rather rob tourists because it’s more profitable. Back on the bus, I stopped at Hout Bay and Camps Bay before heading back to the waterfront to catch the ship. This furthered my amazement of the township experience as we headed back into more upscale areas not too far away. Back up the coast to Cape Town is an awesome ride through rich suburbs like Camps Bay and Clifton providing more great views of the ocean on a road carved right into the edge of the cliffs cascading down to the ocean. Once back at the waterfront I had one final walk around before heading to the ship. Luckily I made it to the ship on time. I walked to get in the line at 5:15 and made it on by 5:35, which is cutting it really close when you have to be on by 6.
After six glorious days in the wonderful city of Cape Town, the ship unfortunately had to depart. The waterfront area where the ship was docked was beginning to feel like home. I sure could have got used to sticking around the waterfront area on a daily basis. Unfortunately, reality is setting back in as seas have become rougher after rounding the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean and it is crunchtime for midterms before we were supposed to reach Mauritius.
Apparently we are near a storm in the Indian Ocean that is forcing us to go a lot slower in order to avoid it. Because of this our one-day Spring Break stop in Mauritius has been cancelled. I’m pretty sad about it because I was looking forward to seeing the island. Mark Twin described Mauritius as “heavens prototype”. We will now only be docking there to refuel and then continuing on to India in order to arrive in Cochin on time.
I loved Cape Town and would definitely recommended that anyone make a trip to South Africa although I hear the flight is not much fun from the States. It sure doesn’t seem like you are in Africa when you are in Cape Town. South Africa is another country on therise and solving problems with people in townships and also crime on tourists is another major problem. Although I notice in the city they try really hard to protect tourists with crime prevention units stationed frequently throughout the city. It was tough to leave such an amazing setting with so many different things to do but I’m looking forward to India next. Let me know your thoughts and questions about South Africa, is Cape Town Africa’s best competition with the rest of the world or is Cape Town just a small little island isolated from the rest of the continent? We know that it is but is the city a sign of good things to come?
Food ~ Ostrich (tastes just like normal beef), Lamb Curry dish, Fish and Chips, Snook (local fish), Sushi, Cray Fish only caught in Indian Ocean, Red Roman (fish), tea & scones. I basically had a lot of seafood, which was excellent. The eating experience was very similar to theU.S. although obviously the seafood was fresher. Also, they have Cape Malaycuisine that involves curry ingredients and Indian inspired.
Drinks ~ Lots and lots of wine. (White, Rose, Red, Bubbly). Bar scene was pretty similar to Europe.
Wineries visited: Lanzerac, Solms Delta
They also serve Havana Club rum (Cuba’s rum) there which I enjoyed finding.
On a side note, good luck to the Elon basketball teams as they start up the SoCon Tourney tonight! I wish I could follow more closely!
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