South Africa: The Cape

From Fish River Canyon we crossed the Orange River into South Africa at Noordoewer, a refreshingly easy and quick process with absolutely no fees involved. The scenery in South Africa was initially very similar to Namibia – arid hills with sparse vegetation and not a cloud in the sky – but as we started to draw close to Cape Town, things began to change quickly. The rolling hills started turning ever darker shades of green while the cloud cover grew denser until I saw the first raindrops in weeks. Meanwhile, we started to spot the large Dutch-style farmhouses that are well known in the Cape Region – it really felt like we were back in Europe!

 

We spent the next four days in Cape Town and its environs, trying to pack in as much as possible of this wonderful region. Ideally we would have lingered for longer, but tight timelines mean that we’ll have to come back and enjoy the city again in the future. And we already can’t wait for the next time as this is a very special place.

Overall, in many ways I found Cape Town to be the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited. There were countless occasions when Victor and I, amazed by the splendor around us, either burst out laughing or simply shook our heads in disbelief. When my parents visited the area a couple of years ago, they said it was as beautiful as Tuscany, Provence, and Napa Valley combined and though it seemed far-fetched at the time, I must wholeheartedly agree. Cape Town is a major historical city with handsome architecture and a very diverse culture, which on its own would make it a worthwhile destination. But what really sets it apart is its unbelievable setting, flanked on all sides by the Table Mountain massif and the Atlantic and Indian oceans with their beautiful sandy beaches. And, as we found out to our delight, the weather is great too! Though June is mid-winter and supposedly rainy season in the Cape, we enjoyed sunshine and very mild temperatures three out of our four days in the area. On a trip full of superlative destinations, Cape Town takes the grand prize.

We started out by going on a couple of walking tours in the city center to orient ourselves and get an introduction to the history of the place. Our first tour guide was particularly impressive and, aside from giving us a whirlwind tour of the last 500 years of history, also regaled us with some fun facts that I found too interesting not to share here:

1.  South Africa owns over 90% of the world’s platinum reserves, in addition to its large reserves of diamond, gold, and other minerals and metals
2. South Africa splits its government location between three capitals – Cape Town, Pretoria, and Bloemfontein – because of a compromise reached when the Anglo and Boer colonies were united at the beginning of the 20^th century
3. Cyril Ramaphosa, the current President of South Africa, was Mandela’s choice for successor and held Madiba’s microphone at his famous speech at Cape Town City Hall in February 1990

We also visited the colorful neighborhood of Bo Kaap, where emancipated Muslim slaves moved after getting their freedom. The area is proud of its anti-establishment heritage and its residents form a tightly-knit community to this day.

Next we went down the Cape Peninsula to see the Cape of Good Hope and the beautiful villages that dot the coastline on the way south – Clifton, Camps Bay, Simon’s Town, Fishhoek, and Kommetje. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful region, with sheer cliffs plunging into the roaring ocean below, punctuated only by white sand beaches. Perhaps pictures can do more justice to the scenery than words…

No visit to Cape Town is complete without an ascent up Table Mountain. We initially wanted to take the more scenic route up from Kirtenbosch Botanical Gardens, but had to settle for the ‘boring’ Plettenklip Gorge trail instead to get up in time for sunset. Capetonians are clearly very spoilt as this was a spectacular hike up to the top where we were rewarded by yet more splendid views. On the way down we took the revolving cable car that has several large open windows, which really tested my fear of heights!

Driving through St Tropez-style resort towns full of champagne-sipping couples driving expensive sports cars, one might be forgiven for thinking that this is the Monaco of Africa. But the region has a very dark recent history that casts a very long shadow on its social dynamics to this day. Cape Town was one of the epicenters of the apartheid regime, with the notorious political prison of Robben Island just a few miles offshore. Here Nelson Mandela was held for 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment, alongside other leaders of the anti-apartheid movement such as Robert Sobukwe who was given solitary confienement for seven years. We spent a few hours on the island to get a taste of this history and were guided by a former political prisoner who spoke eloquently about his very personal experiences with apartheid. We also visited the District Six museum, which commemorates the tragic destruction of an entire community in central Cape Town by the white regime intent on 'developing the slums.' It all served as a sobering reminder that this city has since its inception only been fully enjoyed by a small ruling minority. And three decades after the advent of democracy, there is still a long way to go. Highways still physically separate wealthy suburbs from cramped shantytowns and the debate about wealth inequality, particularly due to skewed land ownership, rages on.

Leaving Cape Town with heavy hearts, we set off for the Garden Route first stopping in the winelands around Stellenbosch. I am no wine expert so could not fully appreciate our tasting session at Morgenhof Vineyards but the setting was impressive and we were again graced by sunny skies. Apparently the vineyard was bought by the Cointreau family from France in the 1990s and has been churning out especially good red wine ever since.

From Stellenbosch, a beautiful university town at the heart of the wine region, we headed back to the coast and joined the spectacular Clarence Drive hugging the edge of the ocean. Cue more breathtaking views amid another great sunset...

Next stop - the Garden Route!