Cape Town & Beyond

2nd December

It was a real wrench leaving Kruger, definitely wanted more time there and our stay at the Kruger Eden Lodge captured the essence of the park. A great base for access through the Crocodile Bridge Gate into the reserve.

Cape Town is a fabulous city, in a country rife with profound social issues but with plenty of places to enjoy the best of South African hospitality.

After the two hour-twenty minute flight from Hoedspruit to Cape Town, a quick check in at the Rouge en Rose hotel in Bo-Kaap, it was a short ride over to the Gold Restaurant. This pan-African restaurant showcases the best of the continent's culture from the food to music, from culture to language. It's an absolute must visit and was one of the highlights of the trip.

The hotel was located in Bo Kaap, a colourful district of Cape Town that was historically home to slaves during the colonial period. The slaves were essentially incarcerated within these building and were forbidden to paint the exterior walls leaving them whitewashed. On their release, and to commemorate the hardship the slaves faced, the buildings were painted in a variety of vibrant colours each telling a unique story of an undistinguished period in the country's history.

The walk down to the V&A Waterfront from Bo Kaap showed the more opulent side of the city, a facade to the poverty that lies beyond the yachts and boutique shops.

This is Nobel Square where four bronze statues honouring the lives of Nobel Peace Prize winners Nkosi Albert Luthuli, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former President FW de Klerk and former President Nelson Mandela.

A 30 minute helicopter ride around Cape Town was a real treat watching blowing humpback whales

in the seas below, and passing the city's landmarks including Table Mountain, Lion's Head, Cape Flats, and Newlands Cricket Ground.

3rd December

We spent a morning at the lovely Kirstenbosch botanical gardens.

The plan for the afternoon was to climb Table Mountain. It was a gloriously sunny day and very warm so timing the ascent was essential to avoiding the peak temperatures. Apparently, the climb from the Platteklip Gorge requires a decent level of fitness.

On arrival at the start of the trail, there was no one there. The signage states that lone walking is not advised. Waiting for a short while, a small family group offered for me to join them which was rather nice. It was a tough climb, not so much the distance but the gradient. It was steep, my body never really settled into any kind of rhythm but it was fun and a real privilege to make this trip up one of the most iconic natural landmarks in the world taking in the fantastic views along the way.

It was nice to grab a couple of beers and enjoy the sunset.

4th December

A trip to Robben Island was one of the highlights of the trip. I was really moved by its dark history as a prison for the anti-apartheid political activists. The tours were led by ex-inmates. The stories were incredibly visceral, it still felt real. The prison is now a museum but all the buildings are still intact. After decades of subjugation, the doors were opened and the incarcerated were able to taste liberty after decades of struggle. It was a long walk to freedom, but equanimity for the majority black population is not without its problems as seen by the expanse of townships that spread far and wide on the outskirts of the city.

The journey across to the island takes around 40 minutes.

The dorm room where the inmates slept in relative discomfort. Those hard floors get very cold during the winter months.

The bathroom area. Warm water was in very short supply so there was always a scramble to get in there first.

Harsh lifeless corridors, and a place where hope at times hung by a thread.

The cell where Nelson Mandela spent eighteen long years.

5th December

On the road again picking up the car from Cape Town Airport and heading south through Chapman's Peak Drive and south to the Cape of Good Hope.

We stopped off at Hout Bay en route.

Stunning views along the Chapman's Park coastal road.

The Cape of Good Hope was a nice spot although it was quite touristy.

It was all about the African penguins at Boulders Beach.

There were plenty of these 'dassies' at Boulders.

Simonstown was a nice place to stay at the end of a long day.

6th December

While everyone flocks to the Cape of Good Hope, hardly anyone ventures to the real southern tip of the African continent. There were only a few people there. The weather today was very unsettled but the rain miraculously cleared by the time we arrived there.