Two Weeks in Cape Town

Things just look better in Cape Town.

It probably has something to do with the coastline. I had seen photos, and always assumed that they had been photo-shopped and color enhanced. But the scenery that I saw was just as spectacular as the photos, maybe more beautiful even! The rugged, rocky coast jutting out into the teal crashing waves; the rolling hills of the Constantian wineries; and the old colonial buildings filling the narrow, steep, windy roads and beaches.
Living in such a spectacular place must enhance people’s sense of contentment and joy for life, for the people I met were friendly, generous, and artistic. Oh, and they love the outdoors! Most people go surfing after a day’s work, and spend their weekends hiking Table Mountain or cycling around the coastline in preparation for the big cycling race next month. My kind of place!
I had met a few people back in October at the wedding on the farm that lived in Cape Town. Thanks to Facebook, I was able to get in touch with them before my arrival, and make plans with a few of them to explore the town. Thank goodness I did that because public transportation is not exactly like a European city. Without my friends, all of whom had cars, I would not have been able to see or do as much as I did. A big shout out to them – thanks for helping me make lifelong memories.
Some highlights that I recommend any Cape Town tourist to do, in order of my love for them:
1) Watch the sunset on top of Table Mountain- you can hike up the mountain, but because of my ankle I took the cable car and it was quick and easy, if expensive ($30 roundtrip). There is a shop at the top, so I recommend purchasing a cold (preferably alcoholic) beverage and a snack. Then spend an hour or two walking the trails at the top of this flat mountain (hence the name) before choosing your sunset spot. I was especially lucky the night I went because the famous Cape Tonian winds were mild that night and I didn’t need a wind breaker until much later in the evening. It was probably my favorite sunset ever, and I have seen a lot of them! I love watching sunsets over bodies of water, which you can do on Table Mountain. But what makes this the king of all sunsets is that you are so high you are just over the atmosphere, so it adds an etherial element to the glow of the setting sun. Top that off with amaIng views of the Cape Town city bowl and the surrounding beaches, and some of the coolest rocks I have ever seen (think Lord of the Rings) and it is little wonder this is on every tourist’s list.
2) sunset boat cruise – Another lovely way to watch the sunset, with the wind in your hair, the sea-scented spray of the ocean, and a glass of South African bubbly in your hand! I got to do this 90-minute ride on a fast catamaran! Highlight? (besides the speed and sunset) – seeing dolphins swimming alongside our boat and off in the glowing horizon! Before and after the boat trip, I wandered along the v&a waterfront, eating gelato, listening to buskers (including the famous gumboot dancers), and watching seals.
3) Cape point – This part demonstrates how lucky I was to have a friend with a car. My friend Rory took me on a 10-hour drive! We started by going through the old forests of Constantia on our way out of town. We drove through Chapman’s Peak, which has some stunning cliffside views of the Atlantic coast. We then crossed over to the False Bay bowl, which is on the Indian Ocean side, and beach-hopped. The waters here are supposed to be the warm waters (compared to the absolutely frigid atlantic current), but honestly, to me, the water is still ridiculously cold and I merely dipped my feet. It is still really fun to beach-hop in Cape Town, though, because there are lots of very attractive surfers! I enjoyed surfer-watching! Then we drove to the National Park at the western tip of False Bay to see the Atlantic and the Indian waters meet at Cape Point. Though it I’d not quite as high as The view from Table Mountain, it is quite spectacular to feel water almost entirely all around oneself! And it was well-worth the trip to see the False Bay coastline off in the distance beyond the water.
4) Wine-tasting – On the way home from Cape Point we stopped in Constantia for some wine-tasting. I got to choose 5 wines from the list, and sat in a huge, old, gorgeous colonial building sipping whites, rose, red, and port as the sun set outside over the golden grape vines. Ahhhhh…..
Maybe my time in Cape Town was not spent doing particularly “African” things – and I do wish that I had visited the townships and witnessed some Capetonian jazz, but I did get an amazing introduction to the laid-back, seaside, outdoorsy vibe of Cape Town, and now I have things to do on my next trip! I will DEFINITELY be back!