Sunday August 31st, 2014 – Day 1 Cape town, South Africa

(JS) Today was our first full day in South Africa! How exciting! I woke up at 6:30am.. Not so much by choice than by necessity. Our tour started at 8:30, and we still needed to clean up, lock up, and eat. The rules at this hotel are even more stringent of the hostels I stayed at two years ago in Europe. Here you have to keep your room identification on you to get into the elevators and in the lobby, also lock up and hide all valuables in your hotel room. They caution against theft and looking too much like a tourist. Our hotel has a wonderful open feeling in the lobby. This has a classic elegance to the building. Our beds were firm but soft, a far cry away from the airplane seats. My butt still twinges thinking of it. After packing up, we grabbed our stuff and headed to an inclusive breakfast buffet. Brad delighted himself with typical diner food while my tastes faired more for the cheeses, pastries, and chef special (similar to chicken tandoori). The flavors were delightful and a welcome change to the nutri-grain bar that I eat at work. In the dining room we were greeted by friendly staff, a pianist playing in the background, and coffee!

After breakfast Brad and I headed to the lobby where we met our personal tour guide of the city. Our first stop was at Table Mountain. The elevation was over 3,100′ which doesn’t seem high unless you look over the side of the cliff face down at sea level. The view from the mountain was exceptional, the best part for me was looking at the water marks in the stone. I imagined what it would have been like 100 years ago, and if the holes and valleys in the rocks would have been as visible. We had taken a rotating gondola from the top of the mountain to the base. The views were stunning as the ground below us went from tiny to huge while descended. When on the ground we grabbed water, and headed back with our tour guide to the bus. The parking on the side of the mountain was similar to San Francisco where you park near vertical, bumping into the car behind you to get the most out of your space. On our way down we passed pedestrians and bicyclists at an alarmingly close distance. To the point where my hair was standing on end as the mirror passed inches away from the back of the head of a passing bicyclist. From there our tour guide took us to the Malaysian refuge area. A colorful area of blue, green, and purple buildings which provided a welcome contrast to the tan mountains in the background. Our tour guide mentioned how he grew up in the area and explained that the after the Malaysian slaves were freed, they were given this area. Originally it was all white, until a few years ago when someone painted one building, then everyone followed suit. This attracted tourists, and eventually took over. On our way out, we went down a street that was so tiny I found myself holding my breath as to not expand the vehicle. We passed a light pole with less than an inch to spare. I felt very glad when we turned onto a major road, narrowly escaping a local car nestled in the street to our left. Not so easy when in a mini-van.

We then set off to drive by government buildings, and stop at the first Dutch fort. The fort from the outside is a weathered brick look with a moat while the inside was typical colonial duct architecture with a yellow cascade. The walkway through one building into the torture courtyard was constructed of tiled wood. The torture courtyard led into the back left corner where prisoners were both sentenced and tortured in about 20 square feet. Could this be the first example of a box store like convenience? I’m sure the prisoners would disagree. Of course while there, our tour guide pretended to try to close the door in on us. I quickly escaped and went into a neighboring pottery exhibit. After browsing through several styles of pottery from early usage to modern techniques, we went into a Dutch Military exhibit where we saw several dioramas of the various stages of the fort; and included swords, medals, guns, and uniforms.

From there we were taken to a diamond cutter, then back to the hotel for a disco nap before heading out to Victoria Wharf. The Warf is a local spot recommended by several people where it seems everyone goes on the weekend. There was live music and festivities all day. Brad and my first mission was to eat. We sat beside the water having seafood, wine, and dessert with people watching to-boot. We then did some light shopping and had sparkling water, with coffee while watching some local musicians perform. It was a very relaxing way to wind down from a day of walking. Finally we set off for the Warf where we saw the sun set over the ocean. To the right you could see the night creep in over the calm waters as the left held onto the last bits of sunlight. The sunset was a burnt orange color fading into deep brown. After the sun set, we headed back to the hotel where we started watching some local television, writing postcards to loved ones, and practicing our snoring. The day was adventurous both culinary and otherwise. It was a wonderful day full of pictures which I hope to post soon! Until tomorrow… good night!