Cape Town

May 23rd to 25th

Arrived at the Cape Town on May 23rd. Zambia to SA is a big change. SA seems so disconnected with the rest of Africa. Apart from its own natural history, it had Dutch occupants and then the Boer wars between the Dutch and British. After 200 years of Dutch ruling them and 100 years of English, their language and accents are very unique. The primary language - Afrikaans is a strange dialect of Dutch. All the names of the towns/roads are in this language.

The vestiges of Apartheid are still visible in the society. Suleman came to pick us up at the Cape airport. He had attended a massive rally by the UDF (coloured, blacks and Indians) all united together against Apartheid. He was so animated in telling us the story. Its only been 15 years. Most of the people here lived through history. They all have tales to tell and I decide to ask for stories from anyone I meet.

Its late evening and I am hungry. We were told many crime stories in the Cape and I was reluctant to head out on foot for dinner. The person at the guest house told it was safe and we walked out to a nice Thai place close by. I guess I would say B’lore is safe too! But the tourists who stop by will think different!

On 24th morning we get a shiny new Honda CRV delivered to our door. Nice to be pampered! I get familiar with the maps - being navigator and all! We start our trip here from the Table Mountain - its right outside our Welgelgen Guest House. The cable cars are visible and it looks clear and sunny. The cable cars here have huge water tanks on the bottom – to carry fresh water to the mountain top.

We set off in the cars – the floor revolves so that the people inside can get a 360 degree vista!

The table cloth – is the name given to the clouds covering the table mountain – was everywhere when we got out. We just walked about in the mist and exited cold and wet!

The company gardens are a nice place in the center of the downtown. A strip of greenery that connects many places. That day we ran out of luck. The planetarium had just completed a show. The District 6 museum had closed minutes before!

District 6 is a classic ‘apartheid’ story which SA is ashamed of today. A huge area near Cape’s downtown was evicted – mostly blacks. Families living there for ages were thrown out and homes bulldozed. After the country became democratic, there are some laws that say if you were forcibly evicted and have proof of that and also proof that you had a title deed, you may get back your home/land.

District 6 is being rebuilt and people are returning – but the process is taking time. The area now is largely empty. Its proximity to Cape’s downtown means the land is very dear to current owners. So you can imagine. Suleman just shrugs’ at the word ‘rehabilitation’.

After all our misses we headed to the waterfront and selected Indian dinner.

Late night conversations at the guest house with other guests – mostly from USA. We met one guy who had visited India in 1978. He took a train from Kabul to India! I asked him to come back to see a new India.

The Peninsula drive was spectacular. There are many routes to head out south to the Cape of Good Hope. We took a scenic drive hugging the Atlantic Coast - Chapman’s Drive, Simon’s Town, and finally the cape point.

It’s a desolate kind of place – with veld forests – that have only bushy plants. The winds and seas are roaring close by and the place is known to get mean and beastly during storms! There are hundreds of wrecks hugging the cape – the legendary being the Flying Dutchman! Flying Dutch man wrecked off the Cape of Good Hope and legend has it that the ship itself is now seen haunting the cape! Wonder why they call it ‘Good Hope’?

After all those years of geography, we were made to believe this is the southern most tip where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. Its not! I want my money back!

The cape here is just like finger out in the Atlantic. The southern most point is actually more to the east and south! Cape Agulhas – and its also the ‘official’ place where the Atlantic and Indian ocean meet.

Lunch at the idyllic Simon’s Town was slow and easy. It was cold and windy when we went to visit the Penguins at the Boulders close by. Jack ass penguins – braying to declare territory. Its so surprising that the penguins decide to colonize this place – so close to humans. The penguins arrived here 1980!

Took a faster route N2 into the town and headed out to eat Ethiopian dinner! One of my favourites because it offers veg options and very tasty – different from Indian but still yummy.

Planning our long drives for the next day. We are driving towards Eastern Cape via the Route 62.