CAPE TOWN

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So Judy, Cathy and I flew from Malawi to Jo'Burg a few days ago. It was a packed flight. They even made us check our carry-on luggage under the plane (poor "Don". He was the guy who took my backpack. I told him that I would be naked for 2 weeks if he lost my bag, and that I would come back and visit him if it happened...In hindsight, maybe that wasn't so nice). Then when we got to Jo'burg we were a little lost. We got off the plane and it was nearly dark outside.

Of course, because it’s me, I got sent to the clinic before I could go through customs… With this swine flu hysteria the airport in Johannesburg set up a computer that checked your temperature using infrared cameras before you could cross into South Africa. OF COURSE they pulled me out. At the time I didn’t know what was going on when I was being pulled out of line. I was worried they were going to have to search me or something. The guy behind the computer just told me to follow some people as he handed me a piece of paper that said 35.25 on it. I was still confused at what was going on as I was being herded with an angry European couple, an American, and another woman who did not speak English to the clinic. As we walked to the clinic I wondered what the paper meant, and thought that surely this could not be my temperature because this was not a fever or anything. I told the American woman that. No one of course listened to me because they were all at least 15 years older than me, but when we walked into the clinic (while the angry couple started yelling) I just walked up to the counter, handed my paper to the lady (clinician? receptionist?) and told her 35 is not a temperature. She agreed (completely ignoring the screamers) and sent us back with a message to the computer guy not to send anyone else with a temperature less than 37⁰C. The angry couple still argued with me that I didn’t know what I was talking about until I mentioned that I was a nurse. That shut them up as well the guy behind the computer. Haha.

Don also would not be receiving a visit from me because luckily I got my backpack. Judy and Cathy were waiting for me at baggage claim.

Cathy, Judy and I then wandered around the airport looking for an ATM (I needed a place to exchange USD) and then afterward we were helped by the women at the information desk (they actually called up the nearby hostel and asked for a car and everything). The woman at the counter was super nice, and even gave us maps and everything. We ended up going to a place called Brown Sugar to watch the football/soccer game. We did not realize that the Federation Cup game would be taking place when we originally planned our trip, but we were happy that it was US vs Brazil and not South Africa for obvious reasons…

Now, our first night in Brown Sugar was awesome. We watched the game (the US was close, but Brazil won), ordered really bad take-out from some sort of pizza place, and hung out with lots of ex-pats from all over. The staff was really accommodating, the place was clean and affordable, and we even were able to get a room to ourselves… Unfortunately we booked a room for our return trip and it was the opposite of accommodating, and believe-it-or-not the prices went up in over the span of 1 week! When I asked if we could get the same price since we reserved the room before (I swear I felt like I was in a Sienfeld episode) the blonde lady was very rude and condescending, and did not budge with the price. Oh well, on the way back at least we knew that the take-out was bad and we got McDonalds instead…I had 2 burgers - we somehow ended up with extra food! Yum.

Monday, June 29th we went arranged for a taxi to take us to the train station. Now this was a little scary. Cathy had tried to reserve our spots on the train for a cabin to ourselves weeks before, and the guy she talked to over the phone said it was okay for us to pay when we arrived. THIS IS NOT TRUE. As it turns out when you make a reservation with the train you have to pay within 48hours or your reservation is cancelled. SO, our reservation was cancelled, and the train was leaving in less than an hour. The woman at the counter was very unhelpful, and we were debating on whether to buy a ticket for economy class (which on an overnight train in Africa is not the safest thing for travelers) or get a bus since there were no more in tourist class available. Then, our savior Ruben arrived. He overheard our problem, took us to the back room, and got us what was the last cabin on the last car of the train. We paid and ran to the train.

The train we were on was called like the Schlotzengmyher or something similar and Dutch/Afrikaans sounding…(I hope I didn’t just spell something bad in another language) It was a 4 bed cabin, and there was an actual toilet and shower on every car (unlike the horrible Tanzanian bus I traveled on over New Years). We were in cabin “H”, which was the last one. We paid R100 (something like $12.50) for blankets and pillows (so I guess if you are backpacking with a sleeping bag that would have been helpful) because it was FREEZING. Breakfast, lunch and dinner could be ordered on the train (along with expensive snacks) but if I was to do it again I would have brought snacks on with me. In all it wasn’t a bad way to travel and see the country-side. We left Johannesburg at something around 10am, and arrived in Cape Town the following day in the afternoon.

When we got off the train we wandered to the information desk at the train station. These guys were helpful, but no one could contend with those women at the information desk from the airport. They gave us a map of Cape Town and tried to tell us how to get to Long Street. A German ex-pat from Brown Sugar recommended the Cat and Moose on Long Street to us. At first we went the completely wrong direction, and when we finally ended up at the castle, I took the map and attempted to turn us around. Eventually we found Long Street, and from there our hotel.

Now, South Africa is developed. Cape Town could be any city in any state in the US. It was clean (well, definitely cleaner than Malawi. Granted, I thought NYC wasn’t dirty after visiting it again for my sister’s graduation in May), busy and everything was available (Mexican, pedicures, movie theatres…). We found Cat and Moose at the end of Long Street, in a quieter area. It was perfect. The guy at the counter showed us around, and we were able to get a double and a single with a shared bathroom for R150 a night. One thing that I like about Cape Town is that everybody takes VISA!

So, we dropped our stuff in our rooms and decided to head up to Table Mountain since the weather was perfect. But first: FOOD. The receptionist told us to get food at Mojitos, a Cuban restaurant a block or so down from the hotel. I GOT NACHOS. And they were awesome!

Afterward we got a taxi, paid for the cable car, and made it up the mountain with about an hour and a half to wander around before sunset. We took one of the smaller trails around the mountain. It was beautiful, and worth the trip.

We came down from Table Mountain at sunset. Cathy changed and we headed out to dinner. We decided to first go to an Irish Pub on Long Street. From there we walked back toward the hotel and ate game food at the restaurant next-door to Mojitos. Cathy, Judy and I shared an appetizer of bushbuck, kudu, crocodile and ostrich, and a pot of some sort of antelope stew. It came with some sort of mouse desert that was delicious. In all the food was good, but a little pricey. I liked the crocodile and ostrich the most…

The following morning Judy and Cathy got up early, and I showered. Judy had been unable to use her debit card anywhere, so we all decided to go to a mall called Garden Court. Just being in a mall was enough to blow our minds after the villages of Malawi. Cathy and I got our hair cut, but Judy got her card eaten in an ATM. We waited around for a few hours for her to be able to get her stuff out, and eventually Cathy and I decided to go check out some tours we could go on in the surrounding areas and meet up with Judy at the District 6 Museum.

The District 6 Museum was very interesting, and worth going to. We walked up at the end of a guide’s tour of the museum. Apparently many of the workers at the museum actually grew up in District 6 before it was destroyed, and it was interesting to hear their stories.
After the museum we booked our tour through an agency next to our hotel on Long Street and then went to the Malaysian district to see the different colored houses. It reminded me of an island near Venice in Italy. Once we walked through the neighborhood we were going to go to Marco’s to eat, but changed our minds. I looked like a nice place to eat, with live music and such, but a little expensive and we wanted to save up money for when we ate at the waterfront on Friday. Instead we walked back to Long Street and ate at Mr. Pickwicks. The milkshakes were delicious. We heard that Mama Africa had live music, so after Cathy and I walked Judy back to the hotel we went back to listen to some music before turning in.

The next day we got picked up at our hotel for the “Best of the Cape Tour” that we had booked for R540. On the tour we stopped at Maiden’s Cove, Boulder Beach, and Cape Point before dropping half of the group off at the coast where we looked for sharks and whales in the surf. Judy, Cathy, myself and another woman from Australia continued with our guide to a Cheetah Sanctuary and wine tasting at a much more leisurely pace after we left the others who had only paid for a half-day tour. We did not get to spend a lot of time at the places at the beginning, maybe 20 or 30 minutes at each, but we did see a lot in a short period of time. I believe there are cheaper and more relaxed tours, but this was perfect for us (penguins for me, wine for Cathy and Judy). We were dropped back at our hotel after dark, completely exhausted. We were tired, and Judy and I were craving for nachos, so we went back to Mojitos (and Cathy ate Mediterranean outside and joined us for a drink. We were trying to sneak her in with her food, but no luck).

Friday we dedicated to the V&A Waterfront. After an amazing strawberry smoothie (with yogurt) and muffins at Lola’s Café, Judy and I went to an internet café (Geek’s Internet: it was connected to a small coffee shop and their mocha’s were great. They also have online gaming there too…) while Cathy wandered up and down Long Street. We met up at the hotel and headed straight for the waterfront. On the way we got a light lunch, Cathy and I got SUSHI, in this food market at the end of Long Street towards the waterfront.

At V&A we wandered around until we found the recommended Blue Shed to look for African crafts. I personally believe that I would have been able to get cheaper prices for masks and stuff with the street vendors, but if you don’t like to bargain the prices are fair. I got a beautiful wall hanging and a painting. The three of us also got a pedicure. Then we treated ourselves the Balazaar. I had a king prawn, but Judy had kingclip which is now my favorite fish ever. AND, Balazaar had the best cheesecake I have had in a long time. Warning: this is a very pricey restaurant (at least in my Peace Corps opinion). But it was a good end to an awesome time South Africa, the next day we boarded a plane to Namibia!

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Photos

Cape Point
I think I see Antartica...? jk