Blogs from Western Cape, South Africa, Africa - page 262

After a slight delay...we are getting used to Africa time.....it was off on the Baz Bus to Stellenbosch. It is basically a hop on / hop off minibus service, which has the distinct advantage of being door to door and allowing the total avoidance of the main bus / train stations. Stellenbosch was the first port of call and was picture post card pretty, although the majority of the backpacking circuit probably failed to notice through the alcoholic haze....still if you can't beat them, join them. We'd already sampled South African white wines, but we are now much more informed why we like like them and very importantly, why they are cheaper. Just for the record, we visited Simonsig, Delaire (both outside Stellenbosch), Dieu Donne (In Franschoek - a corner of France) and Fairview (in Paarl). ... read more

Cape Town I arrived in Cape Town in the morning. The sky was blue and bright. Table Mountain was beautiful in the morning sun. I was told that I was quite lucky to have such a nice weather as it had been raining the day before. The international flight arrival area was filled with young white families happily meeting each other. Children with signs made to welcome parents home from vacation or business. They all looked so happy, it made you feel like you where really missing out not being part of their world. I met a very interesting man on my hotel limo service ride. He was in Cape Town for a few days on business. He sold safety equipment to African ferry companies. He had been a merchant mariner of several years. He told ... read more

Capetown, South Africa and the beginning of the safari (April 25-May 7) Capetown... it conjures images of incredible natural beauty and the hope of a new South Africa. But it also lives with the scars of being home to apartheid and the scorn of the world not but 20 years ago. I was incredibly excited to get there and could hardly rest on the flight but did hit the ground running, wandering around Long Street and down to the waterfront. One of the highlights I also did on the first day was to go to Tabletop Mountain for sunset, which showcased incredible views of the city and the oceans. From the top one can see not only the whole city and bay but the surrounding suburbs with their beaches and all the way down to the ... read more

The time at the hospital had come to an end and it was time to head down to Cape Town. Cape Town has the reputation of being much more laid back (some say lazy) and very image conscious. Sounds like the perfect place for a snobby drifter like myself. Cape Town is where it all started for this country. It was originally just a stopping depot, like a 7-11 for the greedy little explorers on their way to pillage spices from the East, but soon the Dutch and British realized that it was a very “strategery” location as a Control Point for the spice route. You can guess the rest of the story: sex, drugs, war, and rock-and-roll. Now Cape Town is a tourist town. It is squeezed between the mountains and the ocean. Table ... read more

Leaving dusty Australia behind, we flew to the surprisingly lush green South Africa. It's very European looking and in places a little like the land of my fathers (Wales). I actually met my first Welshies since November but that’s another story. On arrival in Jo’Burg we soon realized that the stories about how dangerous it was were probably true. The city was very intimidating, security guards with guns, high security fences and lots of razor wire and no wondering around at night. Our plan was to head down the coast to Durban and finish in Cape Town. Although Durban was less slightly scary, we were stopped by a local who informed us that as we were walking down “the most dangerous road in Durban” maybe we would like to get back to the beach - who ... read more