Destination Cape Town (repost)

This is a blog post from May, 2015. Cape Town is such a great town, I thought it was worth another look.

Top Things to Do in Cape Town, South Africa

It's known as the Mother City, the oldest city in South Africa. It's been called the Tavern of the Seas, a crossroads on the clipper ship route, famous as a place for meeting and “refreshing”. In 2014, it was named the best place in the world to visit by both The New York Times and London's Daily Telegraph. Lonely Planet placed it as #2 for best value destination in 2015. Cradled snugly in the lush bowl formed where the Atlantic and Table Mountain meet, Cape Town is, without a doubt, one of the most vibrant, beautiful cities we've ever visited.

There's so much to do and so much to see, you really need some time to take it all in. We're so fortunate to have visited twice for a month each time. There's much, much more, but we're happy to share with you our picks for the top things to see and do in Cape Town.

1. Table Mountain

It's the backdrop for the whole city. You can hike up or take the cable car. Take a look at the mountain before you head there. Pick a clear, calm day. The views are spectacular and the walks on the plateau at the top are easy and interesting with unparalleled vistas in every direction. Consider purchasing tickets on-line in advance to cut down some of the waiting time. Early morning has shorter lines. You can also hike to the top of Lions Head for outstanding views and drive to the top of Signal Hill for views and the firing of the Noon Gun.

2. Robben Island

You cannot leave Cape Town without having visited Robben Island, Nelson Mandela's prison for 18 of his 27 years of incarceration. The museum is interesting, but it is the tour of the island, seeing Mandela's cell, observing the conditions under which the prisoners lived, the stone quarries in which they worked and listening to the accounts of former prisoners that all hit you emotionally. A 9-mile (~15km) ferry ride brings you to the island where you board a bus for the guided tour.

3. Cape Point and Boulders Beach

Part of the Table Mountain National Park, visit Cape Point for spectacular views and up close encounters with local wildlife. Stand on the Cape of Good Hope, see the lighthouse at the tip of the Cape, take a look at the Dias Cross, but watch out for the Chacma baboons. They're cheeky. Not far away is Simon's Town and Boulders Beach where you can swim with African penguins that call the beach home. There's a national parks fee to enter Boulders Beach, but further up the beach closer to Simon's Town, there are penguins and no admission fees.

4. V&A Waterfront

It's busy and frenetic and definitely a don't-miss part of Cape Town. Shops, restaurants, a high-end mall, hotels, diamonds, museums, pubs, an aquarium, free movies, souvenirs galore, the Cape Wheel, buskers, the iconic Clock Tower, Cape Wheel, a swing bridge, souvenirs ... did I mention diamonds? It's all there. Walking around and enjoying the atmosphere is absolutely free. Diamonds? Well, there's a slight charge for those.

5. Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

Bequeathed to the country by mining magnate and politician, Cecil John Rhodes, Kirstenbosch lies at the foot of Table Mountain and offers a wonderful respite from the busy city. Bring a picnic lunch and plan your visit when there's an evening concert.

6. Company's Garden and Downtown Museums

There are lots of museums in Cape Town and we certainly didn't get a chance to visit them all. We can recommend these four, for sure.

• Company's Garden is a 15-acre park in the center of the city originally planted by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 to supply fresh vegs and fruits to passing ships that plied the spice route to the East. It's wonderful for a stroll and along its periphery are several landmarks and museums to visit.

  

• Iziko South Africa Museums – Located near the historic Company's Garden, this group of museums offers so much, it's nearly overwhelming. The South African Museum is the country's national museum and it's chock full of interesting exhibits and also has a planetarium; the South African National Gallery (of art) is nearby, as well as the Slave Lodge.
• District 6 Museum – a solemn reminder of the apartheid era and its influence on the country and its people.

  

• Castle of Good Hope is a fort in the middle of the city, originally built by the Dutch East India Company for its “replenishment” station. It's the oldest colonial building in South Africa and it's fun to cross the moat and walk on the ramparts and explore.

  

7. Winelands Touring

South Africa has the second oldest wine-producing industry in the world, second only to Europe. Constantia is the oldest winery in the country and there are officially 17 wine routes, mostly concentrated in the Western Cape. The longest wine route in the world is said to be Route 62, a lovely route with vineyards and tasting rooms galore.

8. Downtown Walk

There's lots to be said for just walking around downtown and taking it all in. There's Greenmarket Square for cafes, antiques and Africana. Browse along St. George's Pedestrian Mall. Try the PanAfrican Market for locally produced, high quality crafts. Bo Kaap is the Malay Quarter and its brightly colored houses and cobblestone streets are interesting to wander. Try Atlas Trading for a spices, candles and incense. There are all sorts of nooks and crannies to explore. Be streetwise and enjoy yourself.

A couple of notes …

• Most every sight listed above is accessible by either a MyCiti bus or the on/off red tour bus.

• Though Cape Town is a beautiful, dynamic city, it's only a small part of what South Africa has to offer. Game parks, scenery, wild animals along the roadside … get out of the city if you can.

• Visit the Nine of Cups South Africa page for more insight, ideas and photos

Climbing Jacob's Ladder

David was adamant that he wanted to climb Jacob's Ladder. It's a thing tourists do on St. Helena Island ... though the Saints themselves seldom do it any more. I mean, why would you if you don't have to? You can see the ladder from most any point in Jamestown … clinging to the mountainside.

At night, the steps are illuminated and make a wonderful sight from afar.

Originally built in 1829 as a tramway, the “ladder” was initially used to remove manure from cattle and livestock in Jamestown and haul it “up country” to improve soil conditions. Donkeys were hitched to a windlass at the top to haul carts up the steep inclined plane. People traveled in boxes. A trip to the top took 7.5 minutes. Really? I'm thinking this might take me a bit longer. Standing at the bottom, the top looked a long, long way up, up, up as it stretched to the heavens.

We chose mid-morning for this strenuous task while it was still cool. We started at the base of the steps near the Museum. Did I mention Jacob's Ladder has 699 steps? 699 uneven, crumbling, steep, steep steps!

Fairy terns and tropic birds soared gracefully above and below us as we climbed. I found any excuse to stop and take a rest. A few flowers poking up through the volcanic rock along the side? Absolutely a photo opp.

Oh, here's some graffitti that I feel I should photograph.

Ah, more views of the wharf …

And the half way mark (thank goodness!)

and the red-roofed town of Jamestown below.

Finally, we made it to the top. David was barely winded. Me? Well, let's just say I made it and leave it at that. The record for climbing the ladder is 5 minutes and change. Our time? 34 minutes, 20 seconds. The views made the climb worthwhile (really!). Nine of Cups looked so tiny down below as a tropic bird swooped over her.

At the top of Ladder Hill stands the Ladder Hill Fort, one of the first lines of military defense built by the early settlers. It's in pretty sad shape, but still interesting to walk around.

Some of the old buildings are occupied or used for storage, but most are showing the effects of time and weathering.

Now, of course, we needed to get back down. We chose the long, steep, switchbacked road down to town. The ladder would have been quicker, but we'd already seen those sights. The fastest way down? Some of the locals slide down the handrails on their backs, using their arms and legs as brakes. Yikes! We took the the road.

We noticed a plaque on the cliff above the road as we were heading down in memory of nine people who were killed by a massive rockfall in 1890. Massive chain nets and fences now line the faces of the cliffs to prevent such occurrences.

It was a long, steep walk down, but we finally made it to sea level again. We stopped at the Standard Pub for a well-deserved beer and then made our way down Main Street to the ferry dock for a ride back to Cups … exhausted, and just a little bit chuffed! It's going to be an Ibuprofen night!

Want to climb Jacob's Ladder with us? Take a look at this video.

RMS St. Helena

Last of the Royal Mail Ships

The port was all a-bustle today. The wharf was swarming with busy workers. Forklifts and cranes moved pallets and containers. The RMS St. Helena was arriving soon and all was being made ready for her arrival. The RMS St. Helena is “one of only two ocean-going vessels in the world still to carry the venerable title of Royal Mail Ship, held in the past by so many famous British passenger liners.”

Since the island does not have an airport (yet … a new one opens in Feburary 2016), the Saints have long depended upon passing ships to provide all their supplies and passenger service, as well as deliver the mail. According to Wiki, the island was “occasionally served by ships of the Union Castle Line, which ran between the UK and South Africa. By the 1970s, the number of ships taking this route had declined significantly and Union-Castle withdrew from the route completely at the end of 1977.” The British government purchased the Northland Prince, refitted her as part-passenger/part-cargo ship to service this remote South Atlantic island dependency and appropriately renamed her the RMS St. Helena.

“Originally built in 1963, this converted 3,150 ton ship had room to carry 76 passengers and supplies. The ship was used by the British Royal Navy during the Falklands Wars as a minesweeper support ship. By the 1980s, however, it became apparent that the ship was too small for the island's needs, resulting in the new St Helena, being built in 1989 ... and launched in 1990.” The new St. Helena is modern, has berths for a maximum of 156 passengers plus 56 officers and crew, including a doctor. She also sports a gym, a swimming pool and all sorts of creature comforts. Her normal route is Cape Town-St. Helena-Ascension Island-St. Helena-Cape Town.

We spotted her on the horizon while we were still ashore, waiting for the water taxi. A half hour later, from Nine of Cups' deck, we watched as the St. Helena made her way slowly to the anchorage. We heard the rumble and clang of the anchor as it dropped and then her deep, resonant whistle sounded that she was safe and settled in. Within minutes, officials and passenger transport vessels hovered around her like bees on a flower. Once the passengers were offloaded, the lighters (small transport vessels) began sidling up to her, waiting for her to offload cargo for transport to the wharf.

The next morning, the lighters were still working hard offloading cargo as we headed back into town on the water taxi. We watched a passenger cage offload an older lady, obviously unable to come ashore via the regular passenger vessel. It reminded us of the old gam chairs used by ships in days of old. The cage wobbled and swayed, but the passenger alighted unharmed and seemingly undisturbed by the ride.

As we watched, cars were unloaded and machinery and lots of crates of foodstuffs and fresh produce (we should go to the supermarket soon) and furniture and specialty items ordered from catalogs and maybe even from Amazon. Our friend, Joan, works at R L James, an international company with a one-room branch here in St. Helena that orders items on-line, consolidates them, and arranges for shipment to St. Helena from Cape Town. Obviously, access to internet on the island has been a boon for the Saints. Can you imagine the ordering process via infrequent ship mail in the past?

The St. Helena, operating since the 1970s, has become part of St. Helena's heritage now. The new airport is scheduled to open in February 2016 and the RMS St. Helena? She's to make her final voyage in July 2016 … a part of St. Helena's heritage that will fade in memories of the younger Saints and finally disappear, only mentioned in the history books.

Want to book passage before she's extinct? Check it out at rms-st-helena.com.