Cape Town Vacation

It seems nearly impossible to believe, but I just finished my last big vacation in South Africa. It began last Saturday, with a trip to Durban to meet my friend Kelsey (a PCV living in Southern KZN) and then a plane ride on Sunday down to Cape Town where we spent the week. Although I have been there before, it is a spectacular place to travel with lots to see and do, so I was happy to have a chance to go back.

Cape Town!

At the top of pretty much everyone’s list of things to do in Cape Town is go to the top of Table Mountain. But since it is a very weather dependent activity, you need to be a bit flexible with your plans and go when it looks clear. Luckily, our backpackers had a perfect view of the top and on Monday afternoon, there wasn’t a cloud in sight, so we decided it was a good time to ascend. While we half-heartedly discussed the idea of walking the trail rather than taking the cable car, we came to our senses and just shelled out the cash for the ride. Kelsey was nursing a possible stress fracture in her leg, and I am just plain out of shape. Hearing that the walk could take over two hours and was at a bit of an incline, we both realized that starting off the week with an injury seemed like a bad idea. And it worked out for the best. The ride up and down was fun and the views at the top were beautiful. We tried to stay to watch the sunset, but it got pretty chilly, and frankly we were both bored. I love taking pictures as much (if not more) than the next person, but it didn’t look like we were going to see anything that remarkable – and it was just as easy to buy a postcard.

Our guide on Robben Island, a former prisoner.

We woke up early Tuesday for our trip out to Robben Island. Although it was cloudy, it never actually rained and turned out to be a nice morning for a tour around the former prison (Nelson Mandela was there for 18 of his 27 years in prison.) The 40-minute boat ride there and back was the only down side. Since it was a bit choppy, I felt pretty crappy after each ride, but luckily it didn’t last long. Upon our return to the mainland, we spent an hour or two exploring the shops and markets of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. My big purchase for the day was a hand-decorated picture album that I plan to fill with photos from my time in Peace Corps. It will be required viewing for anyone that I see within the first six months back!

Kelsey and I at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

When we woke up on Wednesday, we were disappointed to hear the pitter-patter of rain on the window, but we had been watching the weather, and it wasn’t really a big surprise. Given the conditions, we spent the early morning taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi at the backpackers, then we decided to go to the South African National Museum since it was just a short walk away. By mid-afternoon the rain had stopped, but we didn’t feel like doing anything major, so we just went to see a movie. I realize that we didn’t need to fly to Cape Town to do most of these things, but sometimes it is nice to just have some down time.

The African Penguins at Boulders Beach on Cape Point.

On Thursday, we were back to being tourists with a trip to Hout Bay (to see Cape Fur seals), Boulders Beach (to see South African penguins), Cape Point (to see an old lighthouse), and the Cape of Good Hope (to stand on the southwestern most part of Africa). At one point we were given the chance to bike about 5km through a nature reserve, which sounded nice, so Kelsey and I gave it a go. Big mistake. I mean, I lived through it, obviously, but it was probably the least fun experience I have had in South Africa. The route was at the slightest downhill incline, which meant it wasn’t physically very demanding, but it was rather uncomfortable. Also, I didn’t realize this, but I’m scared of riding a bike. Well, I’m not really scared of riding, rather I am scared of falling off or being hit by a car. And since we were traveling on a paved road frequented by tourists in cars, that was not out of the realm of possibility. Luckily, it only took about 20 minutes, and afterwards we had lunch and spent the rest of the day traveling by tour bus or on foot.

At the Cape of Good Hope - the southwestern most
point on the continent of Africa.

We debated going on a wine tour on Friday, but since I can’t drink and we were both tired of tours, we bagged the idea and just hung around the backpackers most of the day watching TV. It was a bit weird, actually, since I haven’t seen anything for so long (this place had satellite TV with several hundred channels) but it was a fun way to spend the afternoon before we went out for our last night in town. Saturday morning, we woke up, headed to the airport, and flew back to Durban, and then Sunday I was back on a minibus taxi headed home to my village. As with all good vacations, it felt like the whole thing happened in the blink of an eye. Sigh. I do hope to visit again some day!