We arrived in Cape Town in the early evening on a Friday into the thick of the energy on Long Street, where young people were having drinks on the beautiful New Orleans style verandas lining the street. We made our way just a couple of blocks down to a lovely restaurant called Mama Africa’s, a place we would return to a couple of times during our week in Cape Town. The food was definitely tasty and we made good veggie choices based on the recommendations of our kind waitress. But the atmosphere, with a live band every night, an unpretentious dance floor, and a laid back pleasant crowd, is what drew us back. Our week was packed with visits throughout the town and along the peninsula. Cape Town itself is stunning. In some ways it reminded us of San Francisco, a city nestled along the ocean with beautiful surrounding cliffs and a laid-back atmosphere. Cape Town though is bigger and has the aptly named Table Mountain. When the clouds cleared and the mountain came in to full view for the first time we were struck by its beauty and great size - a 3500 foot mountain rising up in the middle of a major city. Our first day was a bit rainy, as many of the subsequent days were (not unexpected in the middle of the winter) but we ventured out to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
An immense area at the southwestern base of Table Mountain, the Gardens are a beautiful tribute to the amazing flora that is unique to the Cape area. A specific plant “kingdoms” called fynbos dominate the environment, though sadly, many species have been lost with environmental degradation and introduction of alien species. Part of Kirstenbosch’s goal is to preserve and try to reintroduce them to the natural environment. We walked through the gardens for hours seeing so many plants we had never seen before. They also have a scent garden, with both nice and some not so pleasant smells, that is intended for blind people. They also happen to have a great audio tour so we learned a lot along the way: cycads are cactus-like plants that haven't changed in 300 million years, many fynbo seeds require fire to germinate (an adaptation to the seasonal hot winds), etc. The next day we woke up early to head off on the requisite South African wine tour (another reminder of the Bay Area). The wine lands are lovely, with rolling hills and distant mountains. Some of the vines still retained their fall foliage so the landscape was colored in greens, reds, and golden browns. We had a particularly pleasant wine guide and group of tour mates. The guide taught us a few pearls about wine, including that wine originated in Iran (Nima actually guessed this answer right),
that white wine grapes like cooler temperatures, and that screw tops are better than cork (partly for the properties of cork and because cork trees are being overused). He did also talk a bit about the current political state of South Africa such as high unemployment, President Mbeke’s support of their neighbor Mugabe, and the overall misinformation about HIV that has been perpetuated by the higher ups in the South African government. Mainly though, he was unpretentious and wanted to us to just enjoy the views, the wine, and the food (chocolate, cheese, and olives- who could ask for a better combination). We did not find a particular wine we really loved but gained some appreciation for the South African pinotage grape. By the time we returned to Cape Town we were satisfied and a little tired so a nap was definitely in order. We napped in a new hotel (though the hostel was nice, it happened to be in the most musically energetic part of town- read 'loud'- so we moved). The place we stayed in was called Daddy Long Legs. Self-described as an art hotel, each of its 13 rooms was
designed by a different local artist. Because we made reservations so late we were forced to move between three very cool rooms. Our favorite was the first, called Photo Booth. Two walls of the room were covered with 2x2 squares of fantastic black and white pictures of people or parts of people, we think about 3500 of them. Each was beautiful on its own but as we stepped back further we could see that the pictures formed two larger faces- one the artist, the other his father. The last room we stayed in, Palimpsest was reminiscent of an attic room with all of the owners favorite possessions- 1960s record covers, plenty of books, an old typewriter, old formal gowns, and a relaxed spirit.When we awoke from our nap, we were joined by my sister Pallavi. After running into her at the airport in Johannesburg (!!!!) we had made plans to meet in Cape Town. This was a luxurious treat that we had not anticipated which made the few days we had together all the better. Our first night included a rather mellow dinner and a lot of sleep. We woke the next morning ready to make the most of our short time. We headed to the pier hoping to arrange a tour to visit Robben Island, the site of the notorious prison where Nelson Mandela and hundreds of others were held as political prisoners. Blustery winds made it so no tours were running so we walked around the pier and had a nice breakfast before heading back into town. We went first to
District Six- a place that, before Apartheid laws forced separation of people based on race, was one of the most diverse areas in South Africa. The neighborhood had a strong sense of community and it was a thriving center of jazz and art. After the end of Apartheid, many former members of District Six came back together and created the museum. They have petitioned for and won land for many people who were displaced. Families who used to live there are slowly returning home. After a visit to a nearby 300 year old castle we headed back to our neighborhood where thanks to Pal we stumbled into a fantastic Indian restaurant serving dosas and idlis. The place definitely did not take itself too seriously with its pinkish walls and glossy Bollywood style posters advertising the restaurant. The spice and flavors were a welcome taste for all of us.
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