We were finally at out very last destination of the trip. We felt a mixture of excitement and sadness.
Before we enter Cape Town, we took a brief tour around Stellenbosch, the 2nd oldest town, which is also a university town and wine growing town. It is also referred to as Oak Town (Die Eikestad), due to unsuccessful attempts to grow oaks by the government. The town is filled with Dutch architecture houses, and they had passed a law that no trees can be cut down and that development must go around trees.
Stellenbosch on the map
The Fort in town
Buildings have to be build around trees
Stellenbosch on the map
The Fort in town
Buildings have to be build around trees
We visited the Bergkelder (a name that Gerhard tried unsuccessfully to teach us to pronounce), a winery for some wine tasting and of course, wine shopping.
Bergkelder
The very first thing we saw when we reach Cape Town was the shanty town, located right beside the middle income houses. According to the guidebook, over two-thrids of its citizen live in these townships and they are mostly the black people.
BergkelderThe very first thing we saw when we reach Cape Town was the shanty town, located right beside the middle income houses. According to the guidebook, over two-thrids of its citizen live in these townships and they are mostly the black people.
Shanty Town before entering Cape Town
Next thing that comes into view is the Table Mountain, so named because it resembles a flat tabletop, and the clouds hanging over it is called the "table cloth". We were hoptful to go up the Table Moutain today, even with the Table cloth hanging over it. There weren't so many people in the city area as it was a Saturday
Postcard on the Cape Town - you can see how flat the table moutain is
Part of the table mountain
City area
But first thing first, we had to do our shopping. We stopped at Greenmarket square. There wasn't much sold there that we haven't seen or bought already but we had a close encounter with the local street kids who stood outside the fish and chips shop we're in. Luckily, the shop lady managed to chase them off before anyone got hurt. I had read about these street kids and found that their lives to be really tough in the streets of Cape Town. I also read that they have a special code of honor or something.
Not sure where to go
Fish and Chips
The pot guy in the market
Next we took a walk along the Company Gardens and passed by the Parliament House, which officials only come to once a year, the South African library, some squirrals and the statue of a guy who found DeBeers. Since it was Saturday and there wasn't mcuh activities about, we checked in to our hotel, which used to be a prison turn campus lodge. It sits right opposite the Waterfront, which is a big mall.
En route, we drove pass the Bokaap, aka the Malay Quarter, home to the Cape Malays. The Cape Malays are decendents of the slaves the Dutch brought from Indonesia and Malaysia during it's colonial rule of both countries. We tried for the Table Mountain on the way, but our luck seems to run out and the tablecloth persistently refused to be removed.
V&A Waterfront is a mojor shopping areas and it is a highly recomended tourist area, which is rather safe compared to the rest of Cape Town. We visited their Arts Market and we found their arts and crafts amazingly rich and unique. Since dinner was free and easy tonight, we decided to have Thai food. It was quite nice and a real treat to our Asian tastebuds and we had a fabulous time eating it.
Thai food in SA
After a night of shopping
Seals in the city
