Capers in Cape Town

Stellenbosch is only 70kms away from Cape Town so our last drive day was really only a drive hour or so.. The weather was decidedly average when we arrived and played ‘When it rains down in Africa’ as our very appropriate last truck song. We were staying in a hostel, called Aardvarks in Sea Point about 15 mins away from the central city but very close to the coastline. It was a public holiday (Heritage Day which no-one really knew about when we asked about – just a day off!) so nothing much was going to be open or happening. Went for a walk along the foreshore and ended up at the Waterfront area in Table Bay which is large, sprawling area with several very large shopping malls, lots of restaurants, a marina and a few hotels. The mall was open (and I had no money or credit card on me!!) and spent an hour or so goggling at the array of nice shops and things on display. Made it out the other side (quite an effort given the enormity of the mall) to stumble onto a free Heritage Day concert and listened to some music by a local band called the Finklesteins. Decided that it was too far to walk back and it was getting on dusk, so got a bus back to Sea Point and was very proud of myself for getting off at the exact right spot on the seafront and ending up on the doorstep of the hostel.

That night was the last official night of the trip, so we all went out for dinner at a place called Cantina Mexicana. Was a relatively quiet night for our group and said our goodbyes there and over a pint at the pub in the hostel (scarily the place actually had two bars!!). The group pretty much scattered from this night on, some staying at the hostel for a few extra nights, others moving to a different one closer in town getting ready to head off for further adventures in South Africa or beyond, either back home or to Asia, Australia or South America. Only two were staying on in Africa for an extended period, CJ to work and travel and Phil to head back to Jinja in Uganda to meet up with Tom the rafting guide!! Most of us will go back to Africa at some stage though as it is such an amazing and varied continent.

Next day undertook the arduous task of packaging up our larger items (for me, Malawi chairs and a large giraffe) to post home. What a mission, down to get some bubble wrap, raid supermarket for boxes to wrap in, wrap up everything, hope that it will all hold together and then cart it down to the post shop. Only good thing was all the said places were in very close proximity to the hostel but I would have struggled if it wasn’t for Jeremy’s help in wrapping and carrying!! I traded the carting of my parcel down the post office for his and Suzanne’s – a good 5kgs lighter than mine. That and arranging washing took up the better portion of my morning.

In the afternoon decided to go up Table mountain as it was a warm, cloudless blue sky day and the weather could apparently change quite quickly. Arranged to go up with Nerine and we caught a Rikki’s cab up the hill. Basically Rikki’s are small tuk-tuk style yellow taxis which were really good fun and lots cheaper than your traditional cab. We thought it was hilarious that we’d traded in the big yellow truck for a small yellow one! Up the mountain we saw the queue for the cable car curl for a long way around the corner, however we took one look up at the towering cliffs above us and joined it nonetheless. Moved quickly and soon we were in the cable car, a large gondola with over 60 people in it that rotates on the way up so that everyone gets a good view of Cape Town below and a sense of the sheer cliff faces along the way. Didn’t have high expectations of Table Mountain, really was just one of those tourist sites that you have to tick off the list when in Cape Town. So it really surprised me that it was fantastic – not just a small viewing platform to look out from but winding walkways to walk along and enjoy the views from every angle. Also we met some fun groups of people, two hilarious guys from the US and then a crazy lot of Chinese people who were there as part of the Homeless Soccer World Cup (South Africa is hosting this year). They not only got us on camera, we were also videoed as part of their documentary and I rescued a cap from the ‘star’ of their team when it blew just over the edge. After such adventures we stopped in for a drink at the café then down the cable car again. Quite a few people from our trip had walked up the hill earlier in the day – a good hour or two hike up steep face and all had burning sore legs. We just smiled.

That night Nerine and I headed out for dinner at Panama Jack’s, a famous seafood restaurant that had been recommended to me by some Australian tourists in Vic Falls. True to their word, it was out of the way in the actual working dock area of the port and nothing much to look at décor wise, however the food was superb and large portioned. Started off with some sashimi and then had the seafood platter which they had generously added on a lobster and a half that we hadn’t ordered. The bonus lobster was going spare and while we hated having to help like that, we did the best we could in demolishing it along with the other tasty treats of kinplin (or something like that) fish, prawns, mussels and melt-in-your mouth calamari. Washed it all down with a Goats-Do-Roam-in-Villages white wine. Was definitely the best meal of the entire trip. Rolled into the taxi and then back to the hostel bar, where had to put in brief appearance as several people were leaving us the next day including my tent buddy Phil.