"One travels more usefully when alone, because he reflects more." - Thomas Jefferson
Left to my own devices I had a relaxing afternoon and had a delicious risotto dinner in the Sidewalk Cafe before an early night. Imelio, our taxi driver picked me up and relocated me back to Ashanti - the lovely hostel for a couple of days. As Imelio and I chatted in the cab on the ride over I discovered he was from Rundu in northern Namibia, which made me chuckle as every cabbie in Namibia seems to be from Rundu!
I grabbed some dinner in one of our usual spots and headed back to the hostel reasonably early, the taxi driver who took me back from the taxi rank at the complex promised me a free ride the next day if I found him - the day after he was surprisingly in the same spot and took me back to the hostel - no free ride though, but we did have a good laugh about it!
"A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart." - Jonathan Swift
The next day I headed to the SA museum and had a look through its exhibits, they have a really good collection of animal species and minerals too.
Left to my own devices I had a relaxing afternoon and had a delicious risotto dinner in the Sidewalk Cafe before an early night. Imelio, our taxi driver picked me up and relocated me back to Ashanti - the lovely hostel for a couple of days. As Imelio and I chatted in the cab on the ride over I discovered he was from Rundu in northern Namibia, which made me chuckle as every cabbie in Namibia seems to be from Rundu!
I grabbed some dinner in one of our usual spots and headed back to the hostel reasonably early, the taxi driver who took me back from the taxi rank at the complex promised me a free ride the next day if I found him - the day after he was surprisingly in the same spot and took me back to the hostel - no free ride though, but we did have a good laugh about it!
"A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart." - Jonathan Swift
The next day I headed to the SA museum and had a look through its exhibits, they have a really good collection of animal species and minerals too.
I took this albatross photo for mum as she has always wanted to see one.
This is a quagga foal - a very primitive zebra that is now extinct.
From here I headed to the cinema with the intention of a chill out, but watched the harrowing '12 years a slave'. Having spent a few days between Robben Island and in District Six Museum and District Six itself this reinforced the importance and sadness of the way people treat people. Not quite the chill out I was hoping for, but an important film never the less.
On one of my final days I got approached by a man who seemed in a panic and had locked his keys in his car and had to get them out to get to an important business meeting. No matter my suggestions he always had a reason why they would not work and the whole conversation wasn't adding up, but was leaning toward me giving him my credit card details in order to bail him out. I didn't, be aware, be warned.
On my final full day I took the red bus tour up to Table Mountain and decided to brave the cable car. Mum and I had agreed I could if I had time and worked up the courage to brave the cable car, though I am still pretty sure she wasn't so impressed I actually did it!
“This is a pretty and singular town; it lies at the foot of an enormous wall (the Table Mountain), which reaches into the clouds, and makes a most imposing barrier. Cape Town is a great inn, on the great highway to the east.” – Charles Darwin in a letter to his sister, Catherine, 1836
I had taken the red bus, someone else had brought their limo!
The cable car wasn't as bad as expected - less packed and less swaying than imagined...
...but the ascent is steep!
The guy running the hostel suggested I take some lunch up and picnic, so I found a quiet spot and ate my sushi as I watched the swallows swooping.
As I walked around the top there was plenty of the unique SA flora, known as fynbos...
In addition to the fynbos I also saw a gecko...
Someone recently told me about seeing creatures similar to capybara up here about 20 years ago, but I saw nothing like that, no creatures by birds, geckos and tourists.
As you initially come out of the cable car way there is a bar and cafe and a lot of people on these initial pathways, however if you head further back on some of the trails you very quickly find yourself alone with the most stunning views and total and utter silence, bliss!
"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls." - Mother Teresa
Up amongst the 'table cloth' clouds.
It went on like this for miles!
Great views over the city.
Views out to Robben Island.
Lions Head - one of the rock formations.
Cliff face.
Gorges.
Cairns.
A tricky route up and down.
Great views out to sea.
Trust me I had a look and this route is for the pros.
One of the safer routes to climb up.
"After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb." - Nelson Mandela
Views for miles around.
Reservoir on top of Table Mountain! It really is massive up there and goes on and on!
I could have sat here for hours.
Ship in a rock.
Views out to Camps Bay and surrounds.
Gorges - on the backside of the mountain called the 12 apostles, although there are many more!
Terribly steep on the way down too!
I had a quiet last evening and morning around the V&A Waterfront. Some of the most important statues in this area are in Nobel Square and dedicated to the important leaders involved in the improving of race relations: Nelson Mandela, FW De Clerk, Desmond Tutu, Albert Luthuli.
After my last lovely Cape Town moments I headed back to the Intercape and to Joberg.
"The traveller was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes 'sight-seeing." - Daniel J. Boorstin
No comments:
Post a Comment