Capetown, at the BackPack and waterfront

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Well, I had to leave my lovely walled palace eventually, and despite the wintery weather of 55 degrees or so, I slowly found myself in Cape Town. No more luxury, back to the basic, and cheapie for me. I am staying at the "Backpack" a self proclaimed luxury backpackers in Cape Town. All I can say is that it depends on the room and on the time of year. It is very cold here, and damp this time of year in Capetown, so the rooms, mine which had very little natural light, was also very damp and cold. It was also against a back staircase that was pounded up and down hundreds, no thousands of times day and night, people running up and down them skipping steps. I think my room was a large part of my disappointment, also because I had rented a private with a bath and didn't get that, because the only room like that they had available was something even worse to stay in, no natural light, damp as hell and directly beside reception!. The best rooms actually appeared to be some of the 4 bed dormitories... the lightest, brightest and cleanest. The bathrooms I had to use were actually bordering on disgusting by about 5 or 6 PM each day. Thank you FELLOW GUESTS!

That negative stuff out of the way, the place is well located, the staff is friendly (though my locker in my room didn't work, it took me more than 4 hours to get one outside, as the girl at the desk didn't know how to assign me one, and then finally when I got one, it malfunctioned and permanently locked my stuff in over night... I was not happy), the area convivial with other backpackers of the weller to do sort, and its definitely easy to arrange your trips and excursions through them. The pool area was awesome.

So, I recommend skip in winter, too too uncomfortable a time for an indoor/outdoor place everything is clammy and damp and dark, stay with friends in the 4 bed dorms, and if you can talk to people who have gone and request a specific room. They vary tremendously.

My first wanderings in Capetown, as you are warned by everyone NEVER to walk anywhere alone, not even two blocks by yourself, was in the one area where this rule doesn't apply: The V&A waterfront. These large docks are surrounded by restaurants, shops, hotels, and a mall. (south africans love malls). The area did feel safe and had that quaint "i was once used for actual boating" feeling about it. It also had the look of a place somewhere out of Holland, picked up and screw back in to a landscape I find familiar with some of the hawaiian islands, table mountain and other craggy peaks looming over the bay. I finally broke down and bought something souvenir-y two little tribal figures, one tall and skinny and the other round and fat. I also finally ate some sushi again, from one of those belt restaurants that you'd see in places in Europe or Japan. It was okay... the rice wasn't right. But was sure beating the constant constant meat meat meat meat meat I'd been having for the past 2 weeks. And it was nice to be self directed - I'd forgotten how nice a little spontaneity is for the soul.

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Photos

Pool at the Backpack
how nice, if only it was 50 degrees and about to rain!