Cape Town - Finally

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After breakfast at the hotel, we made sure our suitcases were securely packed and walked from the hotel to our gate for our flight to Cape Town. Security at Johannesburg was quick with fewer requirements than ours in the U.S. We made the approximately 2 hour flight with no hitches and Ben, our guide, was waiting for us at the airport. Having lost the morning for seeing the city, we started on our adventure straight from the airport.

Our first stop was the oldest building in Cape Town, the Castle of Good Hope. This fortress was built in the 17th Century by the Dutch East India Company to replenish supplies of the Dutch ships. It is built in the shape of a 5 pointed star similar to forts in the U.S. When built the castle was along the coastline, but land has been reclaimed by dredging the harbor. From the castle we then moved on to the Company Gardens passing the statue of Louis Botha, the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa. The Company Gardens supplied the castle with fresh produce.

From the Company Gardens we walked to the Arch of the Arch erected for Archbishop Desmond Tutu by his church. Words of the new constitution of South Africa boarder the arch. Around the corner sit benches which are the reminder of the Apartheid era of South Africa. Leaving this area we entered the world of colorful houses. The beautiful multicolored houses of the Bo-Kaap make the area a stand out. Largely populated by Muslims, the houses are usually handed down from generation to generation.

Moving from the central area of Cape Town we traveled along the "Lion" Starting at the Lion's Head we traveled to the Lion's Rump at Signal Hill. Looking down we saw a nice view of Sea Point, Mouille Point and Green Point Common where the Cape Town Stadium is located.

We then headed back into town to have dinner at the Victoria and Albert Waterfront for dinner at Tasha's.

We fit a lot into a short day. Tomorrow we will drive the cape to Cape Point, the Cape of Good Hope and the Boulders to see the penguins.

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