Exploring Cape Town Continued

On Tuesday, we were planning on riding to the top of Top Mountain in the cable car but we were given the disappointing news that it was under reconstruction for the winter. Instead we decided to drive up Signal Hill which is said to have views similar to that of Table Mountain, so in the end it wasn’t the end of the world that the cable car was closed. Signal Hill also had an amazing view of Cape Town and we went around 11, so we got a really cool view of the morning clouds clearing out toward the ocean. Atop Signal Hill, there are nice places for picnics, a few cafes, and even places for paragliding. Lots of people were doing it, but I am extremely afraid of heights so I did not want to. Signal Hill is named that way because of the large cell tower that sits at the top of it.

On the way to Signal Hill, we stopped off at Bo-Kaap. Bo-Kaap is a small street with multi-colored houses lining it. Bo-Kaap was used to house emancipated slaves and Cape Coloreds before apartheid times and is now home to a range of diverse communities within Cape Town. We went to the Bo-Kapp museum, and explored around the area, looking at the houses and shops.

Tuesday was mostly occupied with those activities, but we did manage to get a nice hour long sunset walk in. It was Mandy and Steve’s 25th wedding anniversary, so they decided to go out to dinner with family that they have in Cape Town. I met Jeremy and Jen, Steve’s nephew and his girlfriend. I also got to meet Romy, Steve’s older sister, and her husband, Allen. We met at their apartment and then commenced the walk from Seapoint to Camps Bay. Camps Bay is known for having large, grand houses, and is regarded as one of the wealthiest areas in Africa. The houses we walked past were incredible! Some were on cliffs, and had private lifts going up the cliffside, right into the houses. We got to see some sunset, but at times it was cloudy and misty, because that is how it gets during Cape own winter.

On Wednesday, we woke up early and drove to the Victoria and Alfred waterfront, where we went to Zeitz MOCAA, which is a museum of contemporary African art. The museum is built from an old grain silo, which is an important African landmark because they were the industrial heart of the harbor since 1921 and provided jobs and boosted economies. The inside of the museum is incredible, the silo has been hollowed out so when you walk in, you can see the entire building and the skylights. The art was also beautiful, there were paintings, photos, mixed media, graphic design, and short film artworks. Not all the artists were from Africa, but each piece had something very specific to say about the history of Africa, colonialism, stereotypes, cultural appropriation, or womanism. On top of the silo, is a hotel called The Silo Hotel, and it is a beautiful, new boutique hotel, that is considered one of the nicest in Africa. The hotel is known for its spectacular glass windows.

We had a nice lunch at the food market at V&A wharf, it reminded me a lot of a food market my family and I went to in Copenhagen earlier this year. It was a large building with many small shops that specialize in making a few dishes. We met Jenna’s cousin Jeremy for lunch, and we got to see a traveling dog adoption charity. The rest of the day was spent shopping at V&A wharf, and then spent at a beach in Camps Bay for sunset. Native South Africans call that beach the coldest in SA, but I thought it was warm compared to NH beaches.

On Thursday, we went to Robben Island. Robben Island is where the prison where Nelson Mandela and other black, male, political activists were kept during apartheid. They were sent there under false charges like terrorism and sabotage, and many had to stay for over 15 years. Before it was a prison, Robben Island was a hospital for people with terminal leprosy, but all the hospice parts were burnt down in the early 1900s from fear of contamination. We took a ferry over to the island and then took a bus on an island tour, and finished with a tour of the prison, which was led by an ex-political prisoner of the prison itself. I found it very interesting that the island has been converted into a small community. All the tour guides, security guards and ex-political prisoners that live on the island, live in the old prison guard houses, and they have formed that their own small community with a post office, church, and even a school. The island had an incredible view of Table Mountain, and the tour guide said that he and his fellow prisoners looked to Table Mountain as a sign of hope and freedom during their treacherous stays. The boat ride back from Robben Island had an amazing view of Cape Town and Table Mountain.

After we arrived back on the mainland, Mandy and Zoe went shopping while Lydia, Jenna, and I went on the Cape Wheel, which is a small version of the London Eye.

For our last night in Cape Town, Mandy took all the girls to a theater in CT to see Kinky Boots. The show was so incredible and moving. I thought I was going to have a hard time understanding because sometimes people’s accents in CT can be very thick, but I was able to understand it all and I loved the show. I would highly recommend Kinky Boots to anyone who wants to see a show, and I look forward to updating the blog in Durban!