A Different Side of Africa

Would the pace, history, culture and diversity of African cities be sufficient enough to grab our attention, hold it and thrill us like seeing animals in the wild did? That was the question we pondered as we made our way to Cape Town. We had purposely eschewed any of the numerous options to go on game preserve tours, visit natural habitat parks or venture out of any city except for a visit to Zululand at our last port in South Africa.

We arrived in Cape Town pretty fresh considering the length of the trip. We think the two overnight flights made a big difference. I also have to plug the new Bose ear bud noise cancelling headphones. They are incredibly comfortable, have better sound canceling ability and music actually sounds better than the over the ear ones. Plus you can sleep with them in your ears. We think they are a must for anyone who spends time in an airplane

Sometimes when emerging from an airplane, often tired, blurry eyed and disoriented, you see advertising that gives you a distinct sense of place and a wake-up call that your adventure is about to begin. Other times, like in Dubai, the advertising says you could be anywhere in the world and you now have to endure the long lines at Customs and Immigration. In Cape Town, we were greeted by this elephant with Amarula written on its’ ears. Amarula is a distinctly South Africa after dinner liquor, which I love, and clearly gave us a real sense of place plus a great photo opp. Let the trip begin!

On the way into Cape Town we were quickly reminded of the income disparity in South Africa and the fact that most black South Africans still live in abject poverty as we passed mile after mile of shantytowns. These would be called favelas in Brazil, slums almost everywhere and here they are called informal settlements. They are everywhere in the country and while we saw many new homes being built to replace the settlements, it is a daunting challenge for the government and a stark reminder of how life has changed dramatically, but also stayed the same for most Blacks since the fall of Apartheid.

We were warmly welcomed at the Cape Grace Hotel and shown to our room that promised a magnificent view of Table Mountain. Unfortunately, as they say here, the table was covered and we did not see it the three days we were there. We did have a beautiful view of the boat basin as a consolation.

Our hotel was a short walk to the magnificent Victoria and Albert Waterfront, which is Cape Town’s version of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf or Baltimore’s Waterfront. It’s a lively place anchored by a large shopping center surrounded by small shops, restaurants, bars, craft markets and historical sites. We had lunch at a restaurant specializing in African food, the bobojtie was excellent, and as we left our ship was pulling into its’ berth. It was a surprise and fun to watch.

Next we boarded a Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour to get a broad overview of the City. Our last trip to Cape Town included some, but not all of the places it stopped. The tour would help fill in some gaps.

Cape Town is the second largest city in South Africa and the largest in land area. Much like Los Angeles it is very spread out. Home to 5.7 million people, it is a diverse, vibrant place, but not very photogenic unless you are shooting Table Mountain, the Bay or Beaches. The downtown is very compact and frankly, except for a few art deco and colonial structures pretty bland.

There is a ridge that you travel over to get to the beach communities and enter into a different world. The beaches are pristine, the water blue and life is very good twenty minutes from the heart of Cape Town. Like the Bay Area, you also pretty much pick the climate you want.

We had a great time in Cape Town punctuated with a fabulous dinner at Signal Restaurant which was in our hotel. Armed with some South African wines I bought at a small shop on the Waterfront we were ready to board the ship, experience a new cruise line and some hopefully exciting new ports.

 

 

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