Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Cape Town has lived up to expectations and impressed both of us with its beauty and charm. We've had a day filled with highs and freezing moments. However it all began yesterday in the dreary weather of Sydney...
We were lucky enough to get a points upgrade to Premium Economy for the long haul flight from Sydney direct to Joburg. Dangerous precedent has now been set since it was declared that we will struggle going back to economy for any more of our travels. Having the extra space provided a sliver of sanity for the 14 hour flight but we were incredibly glad to leave the 747 and begin another entry through customs with only 90 minutes till our next flight. It was incredibly stressful with long queues and bag transfer resulting in us being told we would have to run to make the connection for Cape Town. While running was not required we certainly stretched out our legs and made it just in time. The two hour flight was a challenge as we stayed awake - getting regular updates from the pilot about the Spingboks and Cherry Blossoms game that was concluding as we flew. The final score update put a bit of a hush over the cabin...
Landing in Cape Town we were picked up by our organised transfer (even though we walked past him once) and taken to the waterfront and our accommodation. Crashing on the bed we enjoyed the feeling of finally stretching out our legs in comfort.
Today we woke pretty early due to jet lag and beat the main rush to breakfast. Seeing that the cloud cover was higher then Table Mountain we took off for the cable car without being properly prepared. Reaching the queue we had to deal with pushy Americans lying to get in front of us - was slightly awkward when we were stuck behind them for a while. The cable car was very impressive, and even spun completely around like a revolving restaurant, giving everyone the opportunity to see down the mountain. Our lack of preparedness caught up to us when we reached the summit (one of the key goals Gareth had for the trip) since there was quite a cold breeze blowing and t-shirt and shorts were not enough protection from the elements. When other tourists were in heavy 'North Face' gear, we looked quite out of place and had to resort to hot chocolates to get feeling back in the extremities. Once we were warm again we ventured out and had an amazing time looking down on the beautiful city and landscapes below us. Such a unique combination of mountain peaks, oceans and city that make Cape Town a very memorable city.
After seeing both sides of the mountain we bought some postcards, sent them from the top of the mountain and decided to return. By this time the breeze had turned into a gale and we were a little concerned we may have to walk down. Luckily the cable car was still operating and we returned to the base of the mountain. We then continued our tour around Cape Town and went past the impressive beaches (with freezing water) of Clifton and Camp's Bay where very expensive mansions were situated looking out over the Atlantic. We eventually returned to the Waterfront and booked our trip out to Robben Island for Tuesday. Feeling somewhat hungry we found a restaurant with an amazing view up towards Table Mountain and enjoyed a delicious and surprisingly cheap meal that made us question whether we had actually calculated the right exchange rate.
Retiring to our rooms for a recovery, we then ventured out in the afternoon and headed up Signal Hill which looks over Cape Town as well. It is a well known site to watch the sunset over the Atlantic and we took up some food to enjoy this spectacle we don't get living on the east coast of Australia. It was a great way to finish our first day in Africa and will hopefully lead to more enjoyable and exciting days to come.
- comments