Cape Town

We were told to be up on the deck when we sailed into Cape Town as it was so spectacular. Not wrong, it was amazing. The ship was greeted by a double water spout from the tug boat, set along a harbour side city dwarfed by a mountainous backdrop. A pod of dolphins and friendly seals accompanied the tug boat just to make us feel more welcome. The feature of course was Table Mountain which had a wisp of cloud on top which they call the table cloth.

We were on a bus tour to the south west peninsula to see the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point lighthouse. The bus meandered around the windy coast, up and downhill. The architecture in the built up areas took us through the varying ages and history of settlement including Art Deco and Victorian. The sandstone cliffs had been reinforced thanks to Swiss engineering genius to control the rockslides.

The views were so spectacular that you nearly became immune to them until they were trumped by something more glorious. We stopped at Chapmans Peak for some photo opportunities and realised that we were getting closer to where the cold Atlantic Ocean meets the warmer Indian Ocean.

From there it was on to the Cape Point lighthouse. Time was of the essence and after catching the funicular rail part of the way, it was a “sprint” up the remaining steep stairs to the lighthouse. Again, incredible views but my thighs were feeling the workout.

The bus passed wild ostriches, baboons as well as Rastafarians selling their marijuana wares.

Not far from the Cape Point lighthouse we descended to the actual Cape of Good Hope marker where we were at the most south-western point of Africa.

Then we were on our way to see the Boulder Penguins. Surrounded by beach and boulders, these penguins are about double the size of the little penguins we have back home. The other thing that surprised me was that these little fellas were quite at home on the beach or waddling around their burrows in the daytime. This differs to our little penguins who spend all day in the ocean fishing and return to their burrows of a night time. They were a huge hit with the tourists. Very cute.

By the time we returned back to the ship it had been a full day. This didn’t stop us from returning to the waterfront area in the evening, to have a local beer. Just needed to choose whether to go to the Irish or Scottish pub which were right next door to each other. We chose the Irish pub as they had music and we enjoyed the Cape Town vibe at night.

Day 2 in Cape Town and we were back on the bus. I was a bit weary after excursions the previous 3 days but as Ruthie said, “you can sleep when you’re dead!” So glad I didn’t sleep as it was a magic day!

First stop was the Villiera winery in the famous Stellenbosch wine region. We arrived fairly early and I was thinking hmmmm….. bubbles for breakfast.

It wasn’t to be. The winery along with 2 businesses alongside, had a game reserve attached! Into the open jeep we piled and again we got a different perspective of African wildlife. We were close up and personal with Elands, Springboks, Zebras, Giraffes, Blue Water Cranes and Water Bucks and so much more. It was another very special experience.

Finally some wine tasting. The bus crowd were becoming happier and louder especially when we stopped for lunch at a 2nd winery. The weather was perfect and the lunch was paired with a wine tasting set amongst the gardens of the beautiful Peter Falke winery.

And to our delight the ship had brought on cases of our favourite wine from Villiera which we now enjoy at Vintages on board. The cruise line have been amazing at providing local food and wine experiences.

The day wasn’t over yet! You can’t visit Cape Town without catching the cable car up Table Mountain. Again, thanks to Swiss engineering, I felt quite safe in the cable car. Or I’m getting better at heights?

The photos don’t do it justice.

1067 metres above sea level and 360 degree views over Cape Town and surroundings. Clear views of the city bowl and the Cape Flats. It is on the city flats which is a huge valley where the informal settlements are. It is estimated that 700,000 informal settlers have taken advantage of the unique South African squatter’s rights in the Cape Flats. In fact our tour guide told us he squatted on government land during Covid as he had no work. Part of it has been turned into a tourist attraction for the buses to cruise through. I hope the tourist $ flows through to them!

Another interesting part of the city we drove through was an area known as Bo-Kaap. The houses here were leased to the slaves whom had been brought to the city to work. At that time these houses had to be painted white. When slavery was abolished and the slaves were able to purchase their houses, they decided to paint them in the brightest colours as a symbol of their new found freedom. Even though they’re touted as an Instagram lovers paradise, the time of day we reached here was considered too dangerous and the tour guide wouldn’t let us off the bus.

Back to Table Mountain, the weather certainly turned it on with cloudless skies and we didn’t need the jackets we were wearing. Simply spectacular, like nothing we have seen anywhere else in the world.

We sat at the back of the ship as we sailed out of the harbour. The sun had set and Cape Town was all lit up as we enjoyed our pre dinner wind down. It had been a very busy 4 days. My mind was racing as I thought of how to describe our South African visit. From the coloured history, beauty, ruggedness, millionaires playground, poverty, thought provoking….. it’s simply a must to visit and form your own memories.