11/18/2008
Here is a quick overview of Cape Town (with help from the “Lonely Planet” guidebook)…
Cape Town is South Africa’s 2nd oldest European settlement and was established on the banks of the Eerste River by Governor van der Stel in 1679. Quiet oak-lined streets feature some of the world’s finest examples of Cape Dutch, Georgian, and Victorian architecture.
Cape Town is “good-looking, fun-loving, sporty, and laid back”—I couldn’t describe it better myself. Cape Town is known as “The Mother City”, and is one of the world’s most stunning locations, with giant mountains placed in the center of the city, surrounded by beautiful beaches and vineyards. Table Mountain’s rugged wilderness cannot go unnoticed and its flora is a spectacle to be marveled.
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This might be the most beautiful place that I have ever been to. Today, Kenz and I arrived in Jo-burg, South Africa (7am) and caught a connecting flight to Cape Town (CPT-9am). When we walked through the Jo-burg airport, we could already tell that we had left Ghana, by the European-style cafes and eatery spots. Needless to say, we were excited for a new palette and an escape to a "little America".
We landed in CPT around 11am, where Bradley, who used to live in an apartment with my cousin Mark in Charlotte, picked us up. Bradley is in CPT working for Maersk, a shipping container company. After dropping off our luggage at Bradley's place (which is so modern, sleek, sophisticated, and a bit nautical--earth tones meeting black, splashed with orange laid perfectly again white brick walls and a spiral aluminum-step staircase), he took us to V&A (Victoria & Alfred) waterfront for lunch.
I can't really put my finger on what Cape Town reminds me of just yet, and maybe it's because I've never been anywhere quite like it, but I think it's an array (conglomerate if you will) of Hawaii, Asheville, Charleston, San Diego, San Francisco, and Colorado--all of the most picturesque and gorgeous places merging together into one majestic city.
Luscious emerald green mountains with table cloths of foggy clouds pouring over their peaks, like a bubbling science experiment, wrap around the cosmopolitan city. The rolling mountains meet the white sandy shores where crystal blue and green waves crash spritz of sea salt up into the air. The vegetation is green, purple, orange, and full of life, as if it's had plenty to drink.
The V&A waterfront felt like a ritzy and more authentic Fisherman's Wharf (in San Fran), with its wooden walkways atop a canal that fed into the Atlantic Ocean. There was live music-a group of African performers, and a man strumming his guitar under the golden sun, each note carried by the breeze while we dined on the freshest produce. I enjoyed a "light and fresh" smoked chicken salad and a tall strawberry smoothie-it was undoubtedly the perfect first meal in Cape Town.
After lunch, Bradley drove us around town pointing out tourist attractions and local hot spots-it seemed as if the town grew more and more dreamlike with each turn. It seriously feels like we are in the pages of a storybook here, because it is simply THAT beautiful and fantasy-like.
We headed to Lion's Head, which faces Table Mountain, to climb to its top for a stunning view of the city. It was a steep climb, but like Bradley said "it would be worth it when we got to the top." We trekked up the "lion's head", as we wound around the sides, then rock-climbed our way up to the highest point. I've never been to the Swiss Alps, but it felt like I was on the top of the peak of the Switzerland mountains, overlooking the rest of the world. When we reached the top, we had a clear aerial view of the mountains, beach, city skyline, residential areas, lakes, and all that Cape Town encompassed. It was breathtaking.
Bradley told us that Cape Town is ranked among the top 10 best cities/places to see a sunset in the world. Some of his friends time the hike just right so that they see the sunset when they reach the top, then descend under the moonlight (on a night with a perfectly round full moon)--how cool?
We enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner tonight; I can't remember the last time I had Italian. Kenz ordered spinach ricotta ravioli (who knew they had cheese in Africa) and I ordered archiabiatta (?), which was a penne pasta with a chili-like tomato sauce that was to die for.
We spent the rest of the night at one of B's co-worker's birthday party, surrounded almost completely by other members of the "Maersk family". Everyone was so nice and welcoming, seeing to it that we enjoyed our time in CPT. It was cool to meet some of the local South Africans. B introduced us to Patrick, the only other American at the party and B's best American friend here, which was also really neat because he lived with Mark (my cousin) in Jersey before Mark moved to Charlotte. Small world.
The birthday girl was so sweet-she even made sure that Kenz and I each got our own big cupcakes (pink, orange, and yellow sprinkled with silver glitter and topped with a fresh white daisy--cute, I know)--from "Mucking Afazing Cupcakes"--I thought it was a funny and ingenious cupcake company name.
What a wonderful first day, wow. And oh yeah, how could I forget to mention that I got to take a HOT BATH for the first time in 4 months. It was so delightful and rejuvenating--just what I needed. South Africa is such a treat.
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