32 Around Cape Town

Pictures
Route
1 Windhoek to Joburg
2 Views and gold
3 Kruger bound
4 Elephant and rhino
5 To Olifants
6 To Blyde River
7 Swaziland beckons
8 Ezulwini Valley
9 To Dundee
10 Zulu battlefields
11 To Hluhluwe
12 Hluhluwe & coast
13 to Winterton
14 Wits End
15 The Sphinx
16 Bus day north
17 Kimberley mine
18 Through the Karoo
19 Plettenberg Bay
20 Pootling about
21 Buffalo Bay
22 South of Africa
23 On to wine lands
24 On to Paarl
25 Wine and port
26 Cheetah and eagles
27 Paarl and Stellenbosch
28 Paarl to Cape Town
29 Museum and art
30 Robben Island
31 Cape of Good Hope
32 Around Cape Town
33 Table Mountain
34 Going home

South Africa

Cape Town

Saturday 20 May 2006

Driving along the Cape Peninsula

Yet again we woke to cloudy and overcast skies. Lying in bed I watched the clouds as they raced across the sky with odd clear patches giving a glimpse of a few stars before the clouds came over again. The mist was very low and I watched as the tall building about 100m away vanished into the clouds, reappeared and then vanished again.

We’d hoped today to make it up to the top of Table Mountain but with the rain still lashing down we doubted that we would be able to. Our suspicions were confirmed as we made our way out of the back of Cape Town and up the hill to the cable car only to see the “closed” sign hanging at the entrance to the car park. We decided to go and take a look at the views down and over Cape Town anyway although I have to admit to wimping out and staying in the car while Stef got soaked outside.

It was a strange sight. In front of us Cape Town was partly bathed in sunshine but also partly covered in clouds. The sea shimmered away towards Robben Island and we both thought of the people taking part in the sailing regatta out in the bay – not the greatest of days for a sail. Behind us Table Mountain was a dark mass of thick clouds with no sign at all that it would clear up in time for us to make it up to the top before we leave in two days time. You could make out the cables from the car that goes up to the top but they soon disappeared into the clouds.

We weren’t alone in hoping to get to the top. The open top tour bus with, not surprisingly, no-one sat outside had pulled up outside the entrance as well and a few desponsent and slightly soggy tourists were staying firmly indoors waiting for the bus to do an about turn and head back to Cape Town. Not wanting to give up just yet we decided to head over to Signal Hill in the hope that the clouds, which race across unbelievably quickly across the sky, would have cleared up a little more by the time we got there.

The road wiggled around to the top of the hill where a few others were braving the weather to get a view. We went for an amble to the highest point to see if we could work out where our apartment block was and were surprised to be able to see it below us. We had fabulous views over Cape Town and from here could also see out to Robben Island in the bay. Our walk though was cut short as the rain soon started to pound down again drenching everything in sight. We took refuge in the car and watched the clouds playing across the sky.

At a loss really for what to do we headed down the hill and took the back road down to Camps Bay, one of the small coves we had driven through yesterday. It is one of the more developed of the coastal resorts with a small strip of restauarnats and a few shops along the way. We opted for Nando’s, a strange choice for us as it’s the type of place we avoid like the plague back home, but the branch here looked appealing and the staff were friendly and welcoming.

Stef feels on top of the world after an invigorating dip (up to his ankles...) in the cold Atlantic waters

Ah, do you remember China?

We opted for a light lunch as well as a drink and Stef chose the peri-peri chicken livers. Being a man with a penchant for things spicy he went for the hot option rather than just the normal level of spice. It has been a long time since I have seen him suffering with pain eating food that really is incredibly spicy. A tiny dip the size of half a little finger nail was enough for me but he struggled on through the dish claiming to love every mouthful. Half of my wine and a bottle of water were needed to help cool the pain along the way!!

After lunch we went for a short walk along the sandy beach. Stef did his by now obligatory test of the waters and declared it to be very cold, not a big shock really as its now the Atlantic Ocean which isn’t renowned for its warm waters! A couple of dogs, one large one small, were playing about with each other on the beach. I still don’t have a clue why the little dogs always seem to be controlling the big ones but this pair were no different. They were quite happily yapping away and chasing each other along the sand.

As we drove into town a little while later we looked up to see the top of Table Mountain clear of clouds, although they were still hanging a little way above the top, and the cable car running up and down the side of the mountain. With tickets already booked for the cinema we didn’t have enough time to go up to the top know so both agreed to run the risk that it would be closed tomorrow, our last real day. The weather stayed pretty iffy for the rest of the day so we just ambled around on the waterfront at a loss for something to do killing time until the evening. Sea lions graced one part of the waterfront and in another a live band was entertaining the crowds.

The Da Vinci code filled part of our evening, not a bad film in our opinion and one that made for pleasant viewing for an hour or two. A rather dodgy Chinese meal rounded off our evening and transported us back briefly to Asia. The bright lights illuminating the red decoration were friendly companions to our chopsticks and had us both reminiscing about the Chinese leg of our travels.

Prev | Up | Next

Top

Visitors:
Home \| Info \| Blog \| Travel \| Pictures \| Site map \| Search \| Guestbook	Copyright © 2001-2007 Stefan and Vanessa Aalten-Voogd