Our next stop was Cape Town for a bit of an extended stay, nearly two weeks. Of course, we could have seen everything in less time, but we are into slower travel these days. In addition to Cape Town itself, there are wine regions nearby to explore, and the Cape of Good Hope. Our visits to these places will have to wait for the next articles.
About the City
Because our stay was more than one week, I booked us an apartment instead of a hotel. This apartment was actually a cross between the two. But it had underground parking, and it was right across from the Victoria and Albert Waterfront.
Overall, Cape Town is pretty small, more like a sprawling suburb, but there are a few tall buildings. The most distinguishing feature is Table Mountain, nestled between the town and the more rural agricultural areas. Because it is so distinctive, you can see it from pretty far away, so it helps you identify when you’re close to town.
Regarding the weather, we brought jackets and layers, as well as scarves and gloves, but most of the time in Africa, I was still cold, since it was winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
The town was developed by the Dutch East India Company as a port city. The city is actually on the Atlantic side of the Cape of Good Hope. Cape Town was influenced by the Dutch, the Portuguese, and the indigenous people, and was occupied on and off by the British. Cape Town was also very active in the slave trade; there is still a slave auction building downtown preserved as a museum. Because it was a port city, there were many people from around the world who decided to leave their ships and stay in Cape Town. This was especially true when there was a diamond rush and a gold rush in the late 1700s. All of the immigrants have made Cape Town a cultural melting pot, especially relative to the food. Our trip to a food court-type market showed us that.
There is an interesting neighborhood called Bo-Kaap within the city that has block after block of very colorfully painted houses. The houses are a symbol of freedom and cultural identity because they were painted after the area’s formerly enslaved residents were allowed to purchase their own homes.
Today, Cape Town is a major tourist destination, and the port is still active. There isn’t much other industrialization these days.
Table Mountain
Table Mountain is a striking landmark and won’t be confused with anyplace else. Obviously, it got that name because it is flat at the top, and views from there are spectacular. Today, you can climb to the top or take the cable car (gondola) to the top. There is a trail that circles around the top so you can take in the view from all different directions. You can’t see all the way to the Cape of Good Hope, but you can see pretty far, including the vineyards on the North East side of the mountain.
We learned about an interesting animal that inhabits many open space areas around the Cape, called a Dassie (Dashy). I guess they don’t have predators because there sure are a lot of them, and they are out in broad daylight. They entertained me while I waited for Mike to make his way around the trail, which took me maybe half an hour. And I can tell you that during the other half an hour that I waited, I was freezing, and there wasn’t much shelter. I did have a jacket, but it was incredibly cold and windy.
Heading up the last road 
Protea 
View from the wharf 
Table Mountain from a distance 
I can see the cable and the landing 
The actual gondola rotated around so everyone got a view as we went up 
View to the south west 
View of the city 
Port 
Another city view 
The landscape is pretty barren 
View to the south 
Smaller peak near Table Mountain 
I was sooooo cold 
All about Dassies 
They just do their thing 
Looking for food
Victoria and Albert Waterfront
Another landmark, must-see attraction is the Victoria and Albert Waterfront. Because we don’t like to shop, we were attracted by the number and variety of restaurants. It was within walking distance of our apartment, so we visited a few times. One time, I was curious about what was inside the series of buildings that looked like old warehouses. It turned out to be a mall, a really nice one, but still a mall. Mike couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Fortunately, the restaurants were accessed from the outside.
Robben Island
Cape Town also has an island prison out in its harbor called Robben Island. The island is infamous for housing political prisoners. Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison on Robben Island. The island became a symbol of the struggle against apartheid. Today, Robben Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, accessible only by special ferry.
I was very surprised to learn that our guide on the island was also a former prisoner. He walked us through the buildings and showed us where they prepared the food and where they slept. Today, there are about 150 permanent residents on the island, including our tour guide.
Our transportation 
View of the island from a distance 
From the island looking to Table Mountain 
Looks pretty lonely 
Scattered houses 
Entrance to the prison complex 
Entrance to the prison 
Description of the kitchen 
Part of the kitchen 
Hall in the prison block 
Nelson Mandela’s cell 
Inside the cell 
Plaque just outside the gate
Food in Cape Town
Finding food was pretty easy in Cape Town because so many restaurants were within walking distance. We had some recommendations for fine dining places, but we just didn’t feel like that kind of food. Some of the time, we just had pub grub, and Mike took himself out for Indian food when I didn’t feel like eating.
The first night we walked to V&A waterfront, we were tempted by the seafood restaurants. So, in we went to the Harbour House. We started with a sushi roll, and then I had Miso Seabass and Mike had a local fish called Kingklip. We tried an Italian restaurant across the street called Lievita and had pasta and pizza. There was a Korean place right down the street called Bao Down that had exceptional food. Another night, we decided to try food from Mozambique. It was pretty plain but interesting.
Gold Restaurant and Drumming
Gold was a recommended restaurant focusing on African food. They also had a special feature, which they just called Drumming. I messed up our reservations, and we were going to miss the drumming, but they found us a spot at the front at the last minute. Mind you, I thought the drumming was a show; it didn’t turn out that way. As soon as we sat down, we were handed a drum. The show was all about audience participation, color me surprised. It turned out I was incredibly bad at following the drum sequences, but Mike was pretty good at it.
After drumming, we were shown back to our table, where we had a seven-course African meal along with more music and traditional African dancing. The dishes were from all over the continent, so it was an interesting meal.
What interests you about Cape Town?
