Cape Town

Table Mountain with table cloth

When you see photos of the beautiful cities of the world, (Rio, Vancouver, Hong Kong, and Sydney) Cape Town is among them.  The ocean hugs her front and Table Mountain rises at her back.  She is glorious - from the mansions that perch on the mountainside overlooking the city and harbor to the shanty towns near the airport.  This is a city of contrasts.  In the city center are world-class shops, Bentley and Rolls Royce car dealerships, and jewelry stores (think diamonds,  diamonds, diamonds).  At the outskirts are the townships with small cinder block houses and shanty towns build of cast off wood and corrugated steel where most of the Blacks and Coloureds live.  (Honestly, these aren't racist terms, but legal and socially acceptable terms here.)  Wealth and poverty exist side by side.  There's 23% unemployment in South Africa and that doesn't include those who have created subsistence businesses washing cars, cutting hair, dressmaking, etc.  Enough of my social/political views for now...

King Protea

Table Mountain is often shrouded in clouds, known as the "table cloth".  As we approached Cape Town Sunday afternoon we learned the weather was clear so the bus raced to the tram hoping for a chance to ascend to the top when while we had
the opportunity.  It was cold and very windy, but the views from the top did not disappoint.  We'd been there about 45 minutes when the siren blew, notifying us the tram would soon be closing due to excess winds.  Our visit was fortunate as no one has been able ascend since due to high winds and clouds.

Langa Township

We've seen the city and surrounds as part of our Grand Circle tour - Table Mountain, the Cape of Good Hope, Langa Township with it's 50,000 poor to middle-class inhabitants, the African penguins at Boulders Beach, the beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and wine tasting at the Stellenbosch Winelands.  It's been a grand visit.  Tonight we have our farewell dinner as our travel mates leave in the AM for home.

Terri and our new friend Jay

Rand and I will stay on three more days before meeting friends and family in Tanzania for our Serengeti safari.  We'll rest up, get our laundry done and see a few more sights.  Tomarrow we plan to sleep in, then I've got a haircut and pedicure scheduled.  Boring - right?  We're planning a tour to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner, and have booked a white shark cage dive - weather permitting.  Good god, what have I gotten myself into this time?  They assure me it's quite safe.  Maybe the wind will come up and the boat won't go out.  More on that later, assuming they are right about it being safe...