Cape Town, South Africa
- May 11
- 3 min read
I entered Cape Town internationally by way of Mozambique. One of the first things that made me feel at home was the big sign in the airport that says “Welcome to the Mother City”, it just screams all are welcomed.
One of the first things you notice when you get on the highway is no matter where you are you have a visual to the Twelve Apostles mountain range. It stands out of everything in the city.
I arrived at the Hyatt Regency Cape Town not long after and settled into my room. I must admit, after Johannesburg and Durban I was a little disappointed. The hotels there are larger in space and felt like apartments with kitchens , so to move back to the standard room was a bit underwhelming but since I wasn’t cooking anyway it would have to do.
The very first thing I did was go around the corner to Bo Kaap. The colorful neighborhood is one of the reasons I chose the hotel. I had read about it nearly ten years ago in a magazine and to finally see it, pictures did it no justice. It’s mostly residential but I was able to visit a few shops and museums in the area.
I then walked south to an artisan market, one of the many things I was able to see on my journeys. I was in search of authentic African food but unfortunately I missed it. The front desk person didn’t have a name and after following the directions and coming up a miss, I returned to the hotel for dinner. I honestly forgot what I had but the desert was the star of the show, crème brûlée.
The next day I sat patiently for my tour guide. I was the last stop which made sense as Bo Kaap was the first stop on the tour. Stop two was Table Mountain. We stopped here for a few hours to allow time at the top. It’s here I learned Table Mountain was one of the new seven wonders of nature, and because I didn’t want another list to be chase, I quickly dispelled the others.
I took the cable car up of course but if you’re more adventurous and have the time, hiking in an option. We then visited the Clifton area of the city to see more breathtaking views. Another stop was Hout Bay and the Tokai Forest Reserve. Simon’s town was the next stop, one of the former British towns of the world and the architecture was eerily similar to that of my hometown. We were here for lunch, as well as to see a Penguin colony.
Next up was the Cape of Good Hope, the most south western point on the contingent and might I add a place where ostrich run freely. Matter of fact a lot of animals run freely here so if you’re a bit worried of animals, a guide won’t be a bad thing. They are all friendly but for people like me who are not accustomed to wild animals just crossing the road it worried me a bit. Wasn’t scared, just didn’t know the protocol.
Last stop on the tour was Cape Point. Another one of those places you go just for the views. Making the journey up to the lighthouse is well worth it but the crowds will deter you. It’s a heavily visited place.
The next day I geared up for the main attraction of my visit. I took an Uber to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and found the docks for the Robbin Island ferry. We took the ferry over and then loaded up on buses and visited several areas on the island before coming to the main prison. Peter Khupe was my guide, a former prisoner in the time of Apartheid who stayed at the prison at the same time as Mandela. He gave us great insight on times in the prison and how Mandela wrote the Long Walk to Freedom behind those very walls.
Ending a trip on such a somber note wasn’t the best thing but it gave me better insights into what the atmosphere was like in South Africa all those years ago.
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any parties mentioned. None of the entities mentioned has reviewed, approved or endorsed the content listed in this post.
Comentarios