Cape Town holiday

Cockails on the beachfront strip in Camps Bay- very fashionable place to be seen and for people watching!

After our New Year's celebrations in Joburg of way too much beer, spirits, wine and a little karaoke, we flew to Cape Town for 4 days of relaxation.

We were very excited about the visit, having seen so many photo's. Cape Town surpassed all expectations- the scenery of 'The Cape' region is stunning. The city is sprawled along the ocean with lovely white sanded beaches and the rugged and imposing Table Mountain is in the middle. Unfortunately as you drive into the CBD from the airport you also realise that it really is a city of extremes. Black settlements line the highway (they were forcibly moved here during apartheid from their homes in the CBD), whilst there is extreme wealth in the bay side suburbs. I guess not really different from any other city in South Africa.

Wednesday
We drove along the rugged coastline to the Cape of Good Hope, the most south-western point in South Africa. The road to reach the point at times makes the Great Ocean Road look very tame. Parts of the road have been cut out of the cliff face making semi-tunnels to drive through. It was incredibly windy at the Cape- to all people who think Warrnambool is windy, take a visit to The Cape of Good Hope!

Thursday
There was a howling wind at Cape Town today so we escaped the coastline and drove inland to the wine region of Stellenbosch. We had a very informative wine tasting session at Neethlingshof winery followed by a yummy lunch. The visit to the second winery wasn't as impressive- too much wine at the first winery and over lunch!

The region is dotted with quiet oak lined streets and old Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architecture. With a backdrop of the Franschoek and Bainskloof mountain ranges, it is a lovely and very easy way to pass a day.

Cape Dutch architecture at winery (& Bin enjoying wine!)

Friday
We rose early to try and beat the crowds to the cable car to take us to the top of Cable Mountain. Luckily we only had to wait 1.5 hrs to get to the top! It was well worth the wait though. The view of the surrounding region was stunning- and it really is a table top. Very flat on the top and easy to walk around. It is quite common for Table Mountain to be covered in cloud (what locals call the 'tablecloth'). Luckily it was a clear and sunny day for us. The mountain range stretches from the CBD of Cape Town to the Cape of Good Hope. Table Mountain (section of imposing flat topped mountain which Cape Town is famous for) is 1086m high.

Next time we visit we hope to hike to the top.

View of CBD from the top of Table Mountain.

Seeing it was a lovely day we decided some beach time was in order. We were staying in Camps Bay so we walked down to the Glen Beach, Camps Bay. There is soft white sand and giant granite boulders along the foreshore. The Altantic coast was freezing- literally. Only able to run into the water and run out- way too cold to frolic or swim!

Beach at Camps Bay

After some beach time we headed into the Waterfront area of Cape Town. Again, another picturesque seaside part of the city- although it definitely is a tourist trap. We caught a ferry from here to Robben Island, the prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years of his 27 years imprisonment. It was only turned into a museum and world heritage site in 1996 after the abolishment of apartheid. We had a tour of the island and passed historical sites and a former political prisoner gave us a tour of the prison. Mandela's prison cell was tiny- not sure how he managed to fit in bookshelves and a bed.

The waterfront (with Table Mountain in the background)

Robben Island

Saturday

After a run along the beach and swim first thing in the morning we visited the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. The gardens are nestled at the base of Table Mountain and almost appear to merge with the vegetation on the mountain slopes. Very pretty.

We drove through different parts of the city. It definitely has a European type feel to it, and even some evidence of apartheid remains for historical purposes only (refer to photo's below- the signs and chairs remain). The Bo Kaap district near the CBD was originally occupied by the Cape Malay. There is still evidence of their vibrant personalities through the extremely colourful houses within the district.

The colourful houses in the Bo Kaap district.

This 'non-whites only' chair sits beside a 'whites only' chair outside the Justice court.

Sunday

Off to the wine region again, this time to near Franschoek. Whilst we didn't enjoy the wines so much at Boschendal winery they had delicious lunches in a very quaint and relaxed setting.

We loved our time in Cape Town. It's such a picturesque city- we will be sure to return.