Iconic

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Geo: -33.979, 18.5102

Table Mountain - the top tourist draw in Cape Town, with its unique silhouette slicing across the blue South African sky, visible from nearly anywhere in the city ... it's the most iconic image a traveler has of Cape Town, the image seen on countless postcards on display at countless souvenir shops, the one must-see attraction for tourists here.

Part of what makes Cape Town such a beautiful city is this mountain, especially when it stands watch over the deep blue of the Atlantic, continuing the theme of striking contrasts that we have experienced so far in South Africa. But in this case, it's a contrast that paints a beautiful landscape of stone and water, rather than one of exclusion and inequality ...

There is an ideal time to visit, though Mother Nature's fickle ways atop the mountain make it difficult to time perfectly, with conditions changing rapidly, often leading to closures of the cable car on a moment's notice. Sometimes this leads to a picture perfect moment when the Tablecloth rolls in, what Capetonians call the unique cloud that unfurls across the top of Table Mountain, gently rolling off the edge, like - a tablecloth ...

Of course, when Table Mountain is covered in cloud, you would see absolutely nothing up top, making a visit there pointless, leaving it better enjoyed by the masses sitting below at the V&A Waterfront, enjoying the vista over a sundowner. Though we never did get to see the Tablecloth today, nor during the rest of our time in Cape Town, but the conditions for our ride up the cable car were still far from ideal.

Cold, windy, with clouds blocking the sun - we knew it wasn't the best time to visit, but with only one more day in Cape Town, Table Mountain needed to happen today, or never. With storm clouds ominously creeping closer and closer overhead, we weren't able to complete the entire walking circuit up top, which would have afforded 360 views of Cape Town. But the experience was unforgettable, nonetheless - from the unique rock formations, to the views of the Mother City below, Table Mountain is one of those ultra-touristy things that you simply must do.

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Photos

Photogenic ...
... the weather conditions were terrible - cloudy, windy, and cold. I expected the photos to be terrible, but was pleasantly surprised at how well many of them turned out.

Too Little Time ...
... Table Mountain is one of the new Seven Wonders of Nature - this is the second I've visited, five more to go!

For the Birds ...
... we ended up for lunch at Birds cafe, after we weren't able to find the place recommended by our guesthouse owner - fortuitous! Rib-eye steak sandwich - soooo good, with pepper sauce, portabellos, fried onions, with a few drops of balsamic reduction. One of the best sandwiches we've had in a long time.

Chicken Pie ...
... a fancier version of the pie we had in the Karoo, another great dish - great crust, stuffed with pure chicken meat, juicy and tasty. The interior of the cafe was pretty simple, and misleading - who knew such a gourmet experience was to be had in a place where the tables were plywood, and the chairs were milk crates with cushions made out of old potato sacks?

District 6 Museum ...
... telling the story of one of the many lows of Apartheid, when over 60,000 residents of the neighbourhood were forcibly removed as it was re-designated as a whites-only area.

Kloof Street House ...
... more nightclub than restaurant, more style than substance, but still a nice place for dinner tonight. Assorted skewers - kingklip, lamb kofta, and chicken skewers. The highlight was actually the crisp roasted potatoes.

Lamb Shank ...
... I really have to stop ordering this, as I'm really not a big fan of lamb shank, but wanted to see if the excellent South African lamb would make a difference. Other than being tender, there wasn't much great about the dish, especially not the gluey mashed potatoes. Sadly, South Africa has spoiled us far too much, rendering our meal tonight positively average.