South Africa: Cape Town

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We arrive to Cape Town on Wednesday, March 4thm at a quarter past 13.00. Juanne-Pierre, from whom we rented an apartment, comes to pick us from the airport. We are about to spend a few days in one of the most interesting and best located cities in the world - the Table Mountain towers majestically over it and the water of two oceans – Indian and Atlantic wash it from both sides.

Good to know

Website with a lot of useful tourist information: www.capetown.travel

Population: 3.5 mn; the second largest city of South Africa
Air temperature from October to April exceeds 20°C. The warmest months are January and February, approx. 26ºC. The water temperature only in January and February reaches 20°C
Information points – the most advantageous can be found in the arrivals hall at the airport and on the Waterfront.

Table Mountain stands majestically, overlooking Cape Town

Local transport

Serviced by the Cape Town Integrated Rapid Transit system - in short: myCiTi; www.myciti.org.za
First you need to buy myconnect card (it looks like a credit card) for R35, then you charge it with cash.

There are two types of charging:
- Standard – you pay the 2.5% commission from the amount charged at myCiTi points, and 3.5% at partner points; not less than R1,50; with this kind of charging you can pay in selected retail outlets bills up to R200 value
- Mover packages – you can charge one or several packages of R50, possible only at myCiTi point, no commission, they give additional benefit: journeys are cheaper by 30%; but you cannot use them to pay for purchases

There are two fares:
- Peak - weekdays during rush hour 6.30-8.30 and 16.00-18.00 – journey’s start counts
- Saver - off-peak hours and non-working days
At the beginning, it seems a little complicated, because you have to calculate well where and when you are going and on what tariff to see whether you have sufficient funds on the card, because without them – you will have a problem! In addition, you can combine trips: provided that you are going in one direction, the interval between the journeys does not last longer than 45 minutes, and the total time does not exceed 2.5 hours.

Additional information: going to and from the airport you need to pay an extra airport fee.

Mini-buses (taxis)
In addition to city buses, on selected routes there are mini-buses, called “taxis” by locals – so you have to be careful, because “taxi” is also a name for a traditional taxi.

Taxis
They are quite expensive, an average R10-12 for 1 km; nights and Sundays - more

Trains

In addition to long-distance trains, the railway station in Cape Town offers local connections on three main routes. Trains run quite often, they have two classes (different prices), but I have not noticed much difference between them. Website of the Cape Town Metrorail: www.capemetrorail.co.za

Such a train you may take, among others, to get to Simon's Town, where there is the famous Boulders Beach, inhabited by a colony of African penguins.
Note: when I told my local friends that I took this train, they were very surprised, saying that they would never board this trains for safety reasons!
An even greater surprise caused the information that I took the train to the town of Mitchell's Plain (there is a large shopping center there) – it surprised even a local, black woman! She swore that she would never travel with a suburban train because it's dangerous! Well, that's probably why we were the only white passengers onboard…

When we got off the train in Mitchell's Plain and we looked around, we panicked. What we saw looked like a landscape after the war, broken windows, everything seems to be overturned, torn, broken, smashed... We decide: back straight to Cape Town! But where is the ticket office? – In the town – we hear from a woman we just met. In the town? But how can we get there, not risking our health and life?! The woman offers help, leads us to a taxi, or rather mini-bus, and then leaves us in the custody of the driver. I think I will survive! Bus passes by "our" shopping center, so... why should not we go there first, and then – we will go to the town!

On the way back, with the soul on our shoulders, we get once more on the mini-bus, but in a little better mood. In town, at the bus station there are crowds, which for us is a sign that nothing wrong will happen to us here. Instead of returning to this war-zone-station, we decide to return to Cape Town by bus. We are lucky – it is due to leave in about 10 minutes. We get onboard... After a while the bus drives past the shopping center, which we visited risking our lives...

Juanna-Pierre, from whom we rented an apartment only sighed, listening to our story. He said that he would never take a train to Mitchell's Plain, especially since it passes through the infamous shanty town called Langa. At the same time he adds that the "danger" everybody talks about is a gross exaggeration. He argues that the locals appreciate the importance of tourism to the national economy, and above all for their pockets and employment. If there happens any violence, it is rather among locals, especially in the evenings while or after they have visited a local pub. Therefore: you just have to be vigilant so as not to happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Recent events, which took place in Durban in mid-April (2015), and in which several people were killed, show that the violence can also affect immigrants, as many local people see treat them as those who take their jobs.
And that’s it in the topic of "safety – danger".

In Cape Town we rented a flat through a portal Airbnb - right in the center, on Long Street, which is probably the most famous street of the city, full of hostels, where backpackers and hipsters used to stay. There are also a few classy hotels here. It was not very cheap, but not too expensive – for 8 nights, I paid 421 euros, which my bank calculated as 1,805.25 PLN, ie 225 PL per night (including Airbnb service fee), but there was no other option. We ignored comments like "buzz from the street", who would bother. If we survived a few nights on the main street of Mumbai, then we will survive here. For sure?

Juanne-Pierre comes to pick us at the airport, to welcome us he offers a bottle of white wine, he gives us practical information he prepared himself, a situational plan with shops and popular pubs, and even two tickets to a nearby cinema.
The apartment windows overlook directly on pubs and nightclubs at Long Street. At the beginning nothing indicates what is about to happen. The evening buzz and loud behavior of the people in the pubs is not that terrible, after all we are not going to sit at home, we just want enjoy the city nightlife.

Long Street is quiet during a day,
it comes alive at night, right after 10 PM

The nightmare begins shortly before midnight, when from all the pubs and clubs, as on a hidden signal, the beats of the loud music, played at the highest volume possible, begin to come to our ears. Until… four in the morning. Closing the windows does not help much. I have the impression that the whole building is shaking.
We feel like in a disco. The situation repeats during several days, from Wednesday to Saturday. On Sunday, when theoretically it was supposed to be more quiet, one of the venues arranges a jazz concert, of course with open doors and windows – also until four in the morning. But Monday and Tuesday bring real relief as we can hear “only screams of amused tourists, especially female tourists.

Already in the first night I begin to frantically look for other offers, hoping to get a refund of amount I paid for this place. However I cannot find anything at a reasonable price. I am desperate… How can explore the city and enjoy its charms after a sleepless night.
After four in the morning somehow I manage to fall asleep. Morning brings warm rays of the sun, and with them comes hope that somehow it will endure. And... somehow it did. I survived.
However, I would not recommend this apartment - even though the host is a wonderful person - however I believe that sleeping in a "disco" is not a good idea.

Sightseeing

V&A (Victoria & Albert) Waterfront: www.waterfront.co.za - the favorite part of town for many tourists, along the promenade and the stone steps, there are many hotels, cafes and restaurants, a big shopping mall, amusement park, several galleries and a tourist information office. This is an excellent example of taking advantage of the harbor area.

Table Mountain - rising to a height of 1086 m above sea level, it is a symbol of Cape Town. It is characterized by a unique ecosystem. There are over 2.5 thousand plans, forming fynbos – which in Afrikaans means a small bush. The mountain was declared in 2012 one of the new seven wonders of the world. This is one of the oldest mountains in the world. You need a bit of luck because its peak is often is hidden in the clouds.
From the top you can see the rocky coast and the vastness of the ocean. This is one of the most beautiful views in the world, with rocks in all shades of gray, blue ocean and greenery growing on top. You can see from here Cape Town and the distant Cape of Good Hope.

Getting there from the city center: bus no. 106 (direction Camps Bay) to the stop Kloof Nek; hence the cable car station can be reached by foot – it's approx. 800 m or you can take a shuttle bus – line no. 110 runs daily from the Lower Tafelberg to Upper Tafelberg, roughly from 7 am to 19 pm.

You can take a funicular to get to the top: www.tablemountain.net, with a special rotating floor, which gives everyone an equal chance to watch the landscape on either side. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the lower station; prices – one way: R115, both ways: R225
Note: The mountain is often shrouded in a dense fog, strong winds blow very often and then funicular does not operate. It is good to check the current situation on the Internet before going. Otherwise we may not have a choice but to walk up. So it was in my case. But I'm not complaining. I chose the most popular, which is also the easiest, route called Platteklip. It took me about two hours, but it was worth it. The views are truly amazing, but it was also a test of condition (not complaining!). When I reached the top, the wind subsided enough as not to disturb while admiring the views.
It is worth to spend a little time at the top of the mountain. Its name speaks for itself, it is almost flat, and the views are really breathtaking – a combination of mountains and ocean looks exactly, nay, even better than in the movies or on the postcards. Well, we are in the middle of it all! I will never forget these impressions and emotions!
It is worthwhile to sit for a little in the restaurant next to the funicular station and to eat something or just have a cup of coffee or amarula – a specialty liqueur produced only in South Africa.

You can watch short clips from the Table Mountain on Multigato Travels You Tube channel

Sea Point - beautiful promenade, wonderful views, waves of the ocean

Company's Garden – Plein Street, park in the city center, close to the parliament. Among the lush trees and shrubs you can meet squirrels, buying their friendship with a piece of biscuit. Ducks stroll among the visitors, making little of human presence. In the park there are: National Gallery, Planetarium, National Library, the Great Synagogue, Holocaust Centre, St. George’s Cathedral. There is also a tastefully decorated restaurant where you can stop for a coffee or a glass of wine, or have a lunch.

National Gallery - belongs to the group of 12 objects called Iziko Museums: www.iziko.org.za, it depicts the history, culture, art, etc. of this great African country and its tribes.

St. George's Cathedral: www.stgcathedral.co.za – Wale Street, a seat of the head of the Anglican Church in South Africa, an example of Victorian architecture, in addition to the cathedral, you can make a walk through the so-called labyrinth

St. Mary's Cathedral: www.stmaryscathedral.co.za – in front of the parliament, 16 Bouquet St., on the corner of Roeland, St. John's and Plein streets; Catholic cathedral; Sunday mass: 10, 17

Slave Lodge Museum - close to the Indian Company Gardens; Church Place. Slave Lodge was built in 1679 by the Dutch East India Company, in the square at the entrance to the Gothic church of Groote Kerk, where in the old days, slaves were waiting for their masters, who participated in the mass. It now houses the Museum of Slavery; open Mon-Fri 9-17 ticket: R30. Exhibition prepared mainly using multimedia, photos and movies. In the same building there are also other exhibitions, among others, of the interior of the former pharmacy, weapons, tableware and jewelry.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens: www.sanbi.org/gardens/kirstenboch - Rhodes Drive; more than 7,000 species of plants on 36 hectares; inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List; open daily 8-19; admission: R50; difficult access, it can not be reached by public bus, only by taxi or rented car.

Town hall - built in 1905, in the style of the Italian Renaissance; beautiful mosaic floors, marble staircase, stained glass, organ; now the headquarters of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. From the balcony of this building Nelson Mandela gave the first speech after his release from prison (after 27 years); opposite to the Castle of Good Hope.

Castle of Good Hope - opposite the town hall; once a fort, built by Jan van Riebeeck for the East India Company; the construction was completed in 1679. It's worth mentioning, that once the coastline run right here, which it's difficult to believe it now; for this reason the entrance has been moved because the waves struck the gate. There is a part of the William Fehr collection here, consisting of furniture, paintings, crockery; open daily 9-16.00 (last entry at 15.30); admission: R30.

District 6 Museum: www.districtsix.co.za - 25a Buitenkant Street; in 1966 the government announced the District 6 "white area"; thousands of people have been moved out, and all the buildings except religious once have been demolished; museum reminds about those events.

In the next post I will write about the trip to Inverdoom Game Reserve and Boulders Beach, where he a colony of African penguins live.

The most interesting beaches

Clifton Beaches - several beach in the neighborhood of Cape Town, announced by the National Geographic Traveler in 2015 as being in the top 10 of the most beautiful in the world. You can get here by a public bus (approx. 30 min); the stairs from Victoria Rd. lead straight to the beaches; guide-books claims that the beach No. 1 and No. 2 is a place for models and narcissus, No. 3 – for gay and No. 4 - for families.

One of the picturesque beaches at Clifton

Camps Bay Beach - popular with both locals and tourists; situated at the foot of the Twelve Apostles. You can get here by public bus (lines 106 and 107; approx. 30 min); crowded during weekends; note: even in summer the water is very cold here, approx. 9 degrees, because the melting ice of Antarctica cool down this part of the Atlantic Ocean
Ladundo Beach - a paradise for surfers
Blueberg - with views of Table Mountain
Muizenberg - perfect for surfing

Shopping

The most famous and popular shopping center is the Victoria Wharf shopping and dining complex at the V&A Waterfront. A lot of stores can be found in the Gardens Shopping Centre at Mill Street.
In the town of Mitchell's Plain, approx. 40 minutes away by train or bus from Cape Town, there is located a large shopping center called the Liberty Promenade.
If you like small boutiques and antiquities shops, many of them can be found on Long Street, the main street that intersects the city, and also in the surrounding area.

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