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Published: April 18th 2018
Up until now, the enchanting landscapes that are synonymous with Capetown and it's surrounding coastline, had been hidden from us, due to steady rain and fog. Part of me was actually quite fine and content with the fact that it was raining again during our stay; Capetown is enduring one of the worst droughts in it's history, so every drop was very much needed. There has been so much speculation about "day zero" this year; the day that all taps will get turned off. Many water restrictions have been in place for months now. But the weather reports seem to point optimistically at the chance that they may get the rainfall they need by winter... only time will tell. We all hope that this beloved city will recover from this crisis soon. It has definitely been a humbling experience to be made aware of our water usage overall, and it's possible impacts.
We started the day early, but once we realized that it would continue to rain, we decided to modify our plans. We were scheduled to rent a car and drive the peninsula, but instead we chose to push back the car rental one more day and
see if the weather would clear up a little more... and we're both really glad we did, because our last day in Capetown was a gloriously sunny one. So in the meantime, what do two jetlagged parents of two, do on a rainy day abroad? Well, they take a long nap and rest. Oh how the times have changed! Honestly, I think that resting is SO underrated. Do you agree? Is it because we are getting older? I'm suddenly finding the appeal in jetting off to the Caribbean where I can just listen to the relaxing sound of the ocean, and fall asleep under a palm tree.
The rain continued, but we eventually mustered up some energy to get out and explore. We asked the receptionist for an umbrella, and then went out. Walking distance from our hotel, there is a very popular area called Long Street. It has a bohemian vibe, and has some areas that reminded me of New Orleans. On that street, we ate at a restaurant called The Royal Eatery. If you go on their website, their slogan is " Royale is a restaurant. We serve Burgers. Not Just any burgers. Burgers that
make your soul tingle and your dreams come true." Now I'm down with that. We ordered two veggie burgers, which were pretty good. But want to know what
actually made my soul tingle, and my dreams come true? Their vegan strawberry milkshake! I am allergic to dairy, so it has been years since I have been able to just go somewhere and order a milkshake. This one was made using non-dairy ice-cream and a homemade strawberry jam, and it was perfection. Thank you Royale, thank you!
Just as we finished up our meal, the clouds broke away revealing the bluest, clearest skies. We could finally SEE Cape Town in all it's glory. It suddenly occurred to us that we should take advantage of this change in weather and go on a hike of Lions Head. We went back to our hotel, changed into hiking clothes, and called up a taxi to take us to the base of the mountain.
The Lions Head Hike Where ever there is a hike, you can be sure that Victor and I will find it. We love mountains, and we love hiking. Lions Head is a pretty challenging
hike. It's not the longest one we've ever done (this one takes 40 minutes to an hour to hike), but it's the first that involved actual rock climbing and extremely steep areas. The mountain doesn't look like a Lion's head at all... I think they should rename it "The elliptical on steroids." Your thighs and shins will feel the burn, that's for sure.
We did the hike rather quickly in some areas, and slowed down for the climbing parts. Victor was good to remind me of the 3-point reference rule: that as long as you've got three points of contact at all times, using your arms and feet, you can hoist yourself up safely. There definitely were some parts of the hike where I thought to myself, "what the heck did I get myself into?" Victor admitted to me afterwards that he was really impressed that I was able to conquer the difficult climbing areas with very little help... thanks babe! There were a lot of people doing this hike late like we were. I think most of them were trying to stay for the sunset, which I've heard is a great idea. There was a policeman
at the base of the mountain anyway, so it's pretty safe even at night. I just don't know how you could go rock climbing in the dark! If you do this, please take a flashlight with you.
When we finally made it to the very top, the view was stunning. It was extremely gratifying, and I'd say the view here is even better then it is up on Table Mountain. You can actually get a 360 view of most of Capetown from here. But just as a tip, if you aren't interested in going the whole way up, you can still hike up approximately 10 minutes, which is enough to get the western views of Camps Bay and some of the coast, and it'd still be worth it. We took a lot of pictures, and we were so happy. You know that feeling when you are present in a moment, but you already miss it? I got that feeling here.
Just as the sun was beginning to set, we started our descent from the mountain. It took us a while to get down, due to the fact that we had to wait for the
people climbing up to finish. As the sun went down, we stopped several times to get photos. The sunsets here are very beautiful. Luckily we made it to the base before it got completely dark out. A taxi took us back to the hotel. You can request for a taxi to come get you at a certain hour (like we did) or just find one in the parking area. Uber is also a viable transportation option in Capetown.
African cuisine at Gold Restaurant Feeling high on our experience at Lions Head, we made a quick reservation to Gold Restaurant for a fun evening dining experience. If you are ever in Capetown, I suggest you go eat at a restaurant that serves authentic African food, and this one in particular was recommended by everyone. It includes an amazing show, and a seven course meal. It was quite an experience like we've never had before, and a one time splurge if you are on a tight travel budget.
As soon as you arrive, they greet you at the door and you feel like you're being escorted into a theater. We were in awe as we
passed various large African art pieces. Every wall, nook, and table had some kind of beautiful cultural design. The whole place just screams "Africa!" After being led up to the second floor balcony, we sat down at our own table, and got a fun African face painting. Soon after, a theatrical group appeared and started singing and dancing, and a few musicians played the drums. It was so beautiful, and I wanted more. Luckily this was just one of many performances they do throughout the night, making their rounds around individual sections of the whole restaurant. They also have a few shows on a stage at the very back-center of the restaurant. They got a few people to participate in the African dancing, and I was one of them. Although, they didn't choose me, I just voluntarily jumped in. Victor's not sure that was even allowed, haha!
Gold Restaurant is extremely vegan and vegetarian friendly. We ordered some wine, and then started getting food brought to our table, starting with salad, and then small portions of different foods from around the African continent. It was so much food! Some of the meals included in the 7 courses
were: Egyptian lentils, Moroccan vegetable cous cous, Zambian Kondulo (sweet potato balls,) Botswana chickpea curry, Tunisian potato and garlic briouats, and Tanzanian spinach. The night ended with some fruit and a sweet desert. We had such a lovely time eating here.
The Spectacular Peninsula Drive The next morning, I pulled open the shades and smiled. The sun continued shining into the next day, and we couldn't have been more happy about it. Out of all the time we spent in Cape Town, this was our favorite day for sure. When you see Capetown on a sunny day, everything about it so vibrant. You get to appreciate the pretty indigenous trees, the magnificent Table Mountain in the backdrop, and so much more.
Capetown and the surrounding coastline is a perfect place to take a road trip, that is; if you are brave enough to drive on the opposite side of the road. You don't have to rent a car at the airport like we did. There are many car rental companies sprawled around the city. I love the flexibility of being able to create your own road itinerary, and make as many
stops as you like. There are so many stops and places you can chose from. You can drive to a winery, or to the many beaches along the coast, or look for national parks and botanical gardens. The top things we decided to explore on our full day road trip (in this order) are: Boulder's Beach in Simmons town, The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, and the famed scenic Chapmen's peak drive overlooking Hout bay. We ended at Camps Bay. It is best to leave for your road trip as early as possible so that you can go at your own pace and not miss out on anything you wanted to see.
The Route: It couldn't have been easier. From the city, you take highway M3 all the way down to Simmons Town for Boulder's Beach to see the penguins (45 minutes.) From there, you take M4 until you see a sign for the Cape of Good Hope Park sign, and turn right. You pay a small fee to continue driving until you reach the park (25 minutes.) Once you are done exploring, leave the park and head out on M65 until you reach
Casually hanging out with penguins
...and trying not to freak out about it!M6. Continue on M6 on the most scenic drive through Chapmen's peak. Make as many stops as you like to take photos, have a picnic, and stretch your legs. End at Clifton beach or Camps Bay beach for some dinner with a sunset... I miss it already!
One of the highlights for me was definitely at Boulder's beach, which was our first stop on the road. It has to be one of the most romantic beaches I've ever seen. Simply postcard perfect. It's name comes from the ancient granite boulders that protect the beach from the strong winds. And what is even more extraordinary are all the gorgeous wild penguins waddling around everywhere. I had no idea there was even such a thing as African Penguins! They settled here a long time ago, so this is their natural environment. It's important to note though, that they are classified as endangered, and are very much protected and guarded here, so it's best to keep a respectful distance for their safety. What a privilege it was to lay out on this beach and be surrounded by all of this rare wildlife. It was so surreal, and I
was so elated by the experience, I just couldn't stop laughing and my cheeks hurt so much from smiling! The water is safe to swim in, and it's the most pretty turquoise color. There is a section of the beach where most of the colony lives, and you can view it from a little board walk, but reaching this part of the beach is off limits.
Cape of Good Hope/Cape Point was a very nice visit on our drive, and is the South Western most point in Africa. There's nothing below you from here except Antarctica! We did a short hike, and saw a few pretty lighthouses. Victor really enjoyed the drive overall, especially when we reached Chapmen's Peak drive. The drive gets it's name from the peak over looking the bay. There are a few sharp turns here, but no need to worry if you drive cautiously. There are many passes, and a few rockfall shelters. It's also important to note that there is one toll fee that must be paid per pass. Get ready to see some jaw dropping scenery, and take in the ocean's fresh air. We made many stops along the
way, and got out of our car to enjoy the views.
Once we reached the end of Chapmen's peak drive, we arrived at Clifton beach. Then we left in search of a better beach with sunset views, which ended up being the neighboring Camps Bay beach. This one is a lot more commercial and busy, which was fine with us because we were in search of a restaurant with lots of vegetarian options. We settled for Indian at The Raj, and later sat at a bench on the beach to enjoy the last sunset on our Capetown journey. There is a lot going on here in the evening, and there are security guards all around keeping watch. Once the sun set, it got super chilly and we hopped back into our rental, heading towards the airport to return the car.
The next foot of our journey is going to be an even more exciting part of our Africa adventure, as we were heading to the Limpopo Province for our 3 day Safari in the African bush!
References:
Hotel: Sun Square Capetown Hotel
Car
Rental: Hertz at the Airport
Restaurants mentioned: Royale Eatery on Long Street. Gold Restaurant (make a reservation.) The Raj on Camps Bay beach.
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Dancing Dave
David Hooper
When the drought broke
Of the thousands of photos of our travels there are just a handful of Denise and I together at a view to die for. This for you may be one such pic...for the ages...maybe for the family album. I wouldn't shut my eyes on such a precarious place but hey...you get the photo! Maybe it should be called "When the drought broke"...but only time will tell if that is so.