Mike's Moz Blog: Visit to Cape Town

When Jane first suggested we have a holiday in Cape Town in South Africa I wasn't keen. I had it in my head that Cape Town would just be a large city and that there were other more exotic places we could be exploring. I was totally wrong. Nestled in a scenic bay with the backdrop of table mountain, Cape Town is a a beautiful city with fabulous restaurants and lots of interesting things to do and see. The countryside and coast around Cape Town in the Western Cape province has gorgeous scenery and places to explore including the surrounding wineland areas.

We went for a week and hired a car at the airport. Our hotel "The Glen" was to the west of the city centre and was apparently the first "gay friendly" hotel in Cape Town. Anyway it was great and the staff were fantastic. The choice of restaurants is huge. We had some great seafood, and at a restaurant called The Fork, the best tapas we have ever had, and some lovely wines. The harbour area known as the waterfront has been nicely redeveloped with shopping malls, restaurants, and entertainment venues.

There were five real highlights for me. A trip by cablecar up to the top of table mountain, the district six museum, a visit to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, a drive into the wine district, and a kayak trip to see some penguins.

Table mountain dominates the sky line of Cape Town. We took a cable car ride to the top and the views were amazing. You can walk all around the top of the mountain which also has a restaurant.

The district six museum tells the stories of what happened when an entire inner Cape Town district was cleared of the black and coloured community under the apartheid regime to make way for white residents. Staffed by ex members of the community the museum records some tragic and heartbreaking stories. Whole areas were cleared and flattened. While much has been done since to try and reconcile the injustices the area remains as a permanent scar with agreement still be reached with the evicted community on how the area should be redeveloped. (Link to District 6 Museum Website) Robben island just of the coast of Cape Town has the maximum security prison where Nelson Mandela and other political opponents to the apartheid regime were

imprisoned. The island and the prison is now a world heritage site and museum. There are organised tours of the island and prison and the guides are ex inmates and warders. Our guide in the prison was a man who had been imprisoned for organising student boycotts in Soweto. We were also given a talk by a man who was one of Nelson Mandela's warders, but who, since Nelson Mandela was released, has worked with him on reconciliation projects accompanying him on overseas visits. The island is a poignant and thought provoking place acting as a permanent monument to the incredible spirit and humanity of Nelson Mandela and his fellow prisoners. The apartheid regime tried to break the spirit if the political prisoners by housing them with common criminals but instead the political prisoners educated the criminal prisoners. Both Jane and I wondered how we could have been so ignorant and naive as youngsters about what was going on in South Africa.(Robben Island Museum website)

We went for a circular drive around some of the wine districts and

the Hottentot mountain range to the east of Cape Town. The scenery was beautiful reminding us in places of the highlands of Scotland. We stopped off at one of the little towns, Franschheok, Known as South Africa's food and wine capital it is a popular tourist destination, with lots of galleries, antique shops, and restaurants, surrounded by mountains and vineyards.

Another day we drove south down to Simon's Town for a kayak trip to the nearby Boulders beach to see its penguin colony. We went

with a group of others in two person kayaks for a paddle down to the bay. Both Jane and I have kayaked before but many of the others in the group hadn't which led to a few collisions. I was in the back seat (responsible for the steering and often called the divorce seat). Jane was in the front seat which unfortunately some fool had marked as the "Navigator" seat. Jane insisted on taking a photo of this as evidence in case we get hauled before the maritime court for unruly behavior on the high seas. Jane confused navigator with Captain and I received a constant barrage of instructions and complaints. I think the others in the group were either amused or scared by this Captain Nemo in their midst. After the Kayak trip we drove down to the Cape Peninsula and the Cape of Good Hope for more stunning views and a funicular railway ride up to the lighthouse.

Cape Town is a fantastic holiday destination and with a favourable exchange rate at the moment is not that expensive. We definitely hope to go back. (Link to Cape Town Tourist info)