Well, with speed being again rather slow not a lot exploring compared to what I got to see two days later when we had a "free" day with nothing organised.
Cape Town is certainly a city with an interesting mix between old buildings and new(er) buidings and between European and African (and partly Asian) influence.
Some parts in the city centre look rather shabby as around our hotel on Strand street, others then can impress as the area around Company's garden and the museums etc.
There are some stunning architectural buildings though sometimes some tourist traps have moved in them which is such a shame. Still so much to see too little time.
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| Flower Market |
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Historical Slave Auction Tree site with its plaque to mark spot
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| squirrels often appear so harmless till they get close to you... |
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| fountain in a tree - unfortunately the tree had to logged some while ago an just a tree stub was left |
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| sun looking interesting on that day |
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| Cecil Rhodes statue |
After that we were off to the Bo-Kaap quarter (for whatever strange reason we got the coach for the few hundred metres (realised how close the quarter is the other day), known for its brightly coloured homes and cobble stoned streets.
Once a township it is a historical centre of Cape Malay culture in Cape Town and has a special feeling to it.
Yes, again it is a tourist attraction but most people who live there seem rather undisturbed by the many tourists walking around there during the day.
Back to the hotel for an hour or so and in the afternoon we were off
to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Originally and still being
part of Cape Town's harbour, the area was redeveloped nearly 30 years
ago and combines both residential and commercial real estate.
Real
estate means shopping with apparently over 400 shops, many restaurants,
an aquarium and so on. Popular with tourists and the locals, largely
white and at least middle class as we were told, it feels like being a
bit in a wrong movie (though not as bad as in Johannesburg).
Yes,
you can spend hours there when you are into all these things I can do
at home (saying that, yes, I bought a few things there as there were
shops selling goods made in South Africa (hope that it is true), but I
could do without it.
Several people from my group went on
helicopter tours, I didn't as not my cup of tea and I prefer to spend so
much money on other stuff, I ended up leaving the waterfront behind me
and just walked along the coast. So pretty!
Returned to the waterfront eventually as most of us went on a sunset cruise on a catamaran along the coast.
It
was a lovely cruise with some drinks, the amazing view over Cape Town
city, the harbour, the suburbs and the Table Mountain with the "table
cloth" of clouds over it, later the beautiful sunset.
Yes, the sun may go down every day but it was still a unique sunset as it was that day's sunset.
Dinner at an Italian restaurant at the waterfront, great four cheese pizza to finish off that day.
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| Seals! |
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| It was like they were waving at us. |
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What a view...  |
