Blogs from Western Cape, South Africa, Africa - page 4

22nd March - Kirstenbosch Cape Town National Botanical Garden #heygo http://www.heygo.com Regarded as one of the great botanic gardens of the world, Kirstenbosch—or rather, the land on which it sits—was bequeathed to the government by Cecil John Rhodes. At the time, it was nothing more than ramshackle farmland overrun with pigs. In 1913 a botanist called Harold Pearson set about transforming the land into a botanic garden devoted to the country’s indigenous flora. It now contains over 7000 species of plants from southern Africa. The origin of the name Kirstenbosch is uncertain, a number of families with the name Kirsten lived in the vicinity and some how the area became known as Kirstenbosch (Kirsten's Forest). We saw life-size sculptures of prehistoric creatures. Through the exhibition of anatomically accurate dinosaur sculpture... read more

Sea Point Promenade Stroll http://www.heygo.com One of the many pleasures of Cape Town life is a stroll, jog, or cycle along Sea Point’s most famous landmark, the Promenade, one of Cape Town’s most lively attractions, bringing together cyclists, dog-walkers, joggers, skaters, amblers, and everyone in between. The Prom, as locals call it, starts at Mouille Point near the Waterfront, and runs along the water’s edge through Sea Point. Once a white-only area, it’s now a great place to observe the city's multiculturalism. The coastline has varied characteristics. Some parts are rocky and difficult to access, while other parts have broad beaches. Sea Point beach adjoins an Olympic-sized seawater swimming pool, which had served generations of Capetonians since at least the early fifties. The underwater enchanted Kelp Forests in Cape T... read more

Unlike Dr. Martin Luther King, I have not been to the mountain top. But I have seen my share of the world's famous mountains. Some we viewed from an airplane, some from land. Some we climbed, at least partially. Mount Everest (29,028 feet) We got to see Everest from a rickety plane, called Buddha Air. We waited most of the day for the fog to clear. When we flew over Everest, the pilot had everyone (mostly Japanese tourists) look out the windows on the left. Yes, the plane tilted significantly. And of course, Nepal was interesting. Sir Edmund and Tenzing Norgay were first to summit in 1953. Mount Kilimanjaro (19,341 feet) An overnight in Arusha yielded a stunning view of Kilimanjaro the next day. We met several people who went on a climb of Kilimanjaro, some ... read more

New development on the return travel front; SWISS is now flying as originally scheduled. We can fly, but must go 10 days into self-quarantine at home. With my parents under the same roof that would be very logical to do. Hotels are not taking you into quarantine and the Swiss Government has prepared nothing. What an unprofessional and pathetic way to handle the pandemic; what a mess !!! Our decision is clear, Namibia. We have to leave South Africa latest 27th. So Nui, Nenad start organising ! Travel 25th to Pretoria, shift flight to Zurich to January, book a flight to Windhoek. Nenad does not need a visa, Nui can get it on arrival. Our Covid-19 test has to be done before departure. In Pretoria we have access to a good medical center, called Pathcare. Our ... read more

We woke up with the weather at its best. No wind, warm temperatures and bright blue sky with uncompromised sunshine. This was also necessary, because today was one of the true highlights of the trip, at least for Nenad. A motorbike ride around the Cape and the city. We booked a Royal Enfield bike tour. Nenad has never ridden a Royal Enfield motorcycle, the tractor among bikes. The Royal Enfield Bullet was originally an overhead-valve single-cylinder four-stroke motorcycle made by Royal Enfield in the UK. It is now owned by Madras Motors, an Indian company and produced in Chennai, India. For many years it was the British army bike being used all around the Empire's countries and roads. Sitting on it and you feel the British Raj is still alive ! Nenad will be riding a ... read more