CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - DAY 1 - APRIL 2ND

When I mentioned that we were going on the 2019 World Cruise to the manager of the Lotus Spa, Annika from South Africa, a couple of years ago, she said there were three things we MUST do in Cape Town.  First, was a safari, second, Table Mountain and three, visit the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.  Well, I’m happy to report that we’ve done all three!

Situated at the base of Table Mountain in South Africa’s southwestern corner, Cape Town is surrounded by a barrier of dramatic cliffs including Lion’s Head and Devil’s Peak.  It has a population of 3.74 million people.  It has a subtropical Mediterranean climate with cool winters and dry, warm summers.  Languages spoken are Afrikaans, Xhosa, English, Sotho and Zulu.  As a reminder, Cape Town’s Groote Schuur Hospital was the setting for the first human heart transplant in 1967, performed by Dr. Christian Barnard.  

From our Balcony

The excursions offered by Princess were plenty but included many things we’re not interested in; for example, lots of tours to wineries; Table Mountain with morning tea; another game reserve.  We had three days in Cape Town and we wanted at least one day for Table Mountain, one day for the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and one day ….  Just in case. 

Our new friends, Daniela and her father, Josef, mentioned they were going on the Hop On/Hop Off bus to Table Mountain and we’d mentioned that we’d never done the Hop On/Hop Off bus which is extremely popular on cruises.  Don’t ask me why, but we’ve just never done it.  Daniela was kind enough to “take us along” and we made plans to go out on Tuesday soon after we dock.  A few changes in our arrival time due to weather, etc., but we met at the designated time and place and off we went.  

It was necessary to take a shuttle bus to the Hop On/Hop Off bus terminal which took only a few minutes.  We bought our tickets that were good for the whole day and one transit up to Table Mountain.  By now, everyone knows that Michael doesn’t like heights so he agreed to stay below, search for a magnet, and wait for me, Daniela and Josef to ascend and descend.

Table Mountain is a flat-top sandstone mountain and we could expect a 360-degree view of Cape Town.  The skies were clear and bright and the temperature was comfortable.  (In case the weather wasn’t great, we would’ve done something else the first day we arrived and saved Table Mountain to the second or third day.)  We arrived at the foot of Table Mountain by the Hop On/Hop Off bus (#7 stop on the route) and we said good-bye to Michael as he passed me his camera to take with me on the gondola ride to the top. 

On the way to Table Mountain

Daniela and Josef (who now live in Vancouver, B.C.) are originally from Switzerland and Josef, especially, is used to mountain climbing and heights.  The lower station is 363 meters from sea level and the top station is 1067 meters (3560 feet).  The first cable car reached the top of Table Mountain in 1929.  It took nearly 40 years of planning, as well as the interruption of two wars, before Table Mountain Cableway opened for business on October 4, 1929.  Since then, the Cableway has transported over 20 million people to the top – Michael not being one of them.  In 1958, a second cable car was launched; a third in 1974; and the current cable car, which is a hi-tech, world class, rotating version with all round views, was launched in 1997.  The cable car’s base is filled with water and serves as a ballast in windy conditions.  It travels 10 meters per second and it was manufactured in Switzerland.  Very fitting, indeed.  “During the many years of incarceration on Robben Island,” Nelson Mandela said, “we often looked across Table Mountain at its magnificent silhouette…To us on Robben Island, Table Mountain was a beacon of hope.  It represented the mainland to which we knew we would one day return.”  

It would be an understatement to say the views from the top were spectacular.  Table Mountain is home to the common mountain lizard, lesser doublecollared sunbird and the rock dassie, a little creature we actually saw and had never heard of before.  Although it resembles a small rabbit, the dassie is actually most closely related to the elephant!  Their evolutionary relationship is based on similarities in their feet and teeth.  They also have “built-in sunglasses” which allow them to look directly at the sun to help escape from hawks and eagles.  

Interesting looking visitor to Table Mountain

While at the top, I received a text from Michael saying that he was watching hikers scale the side of the Mountain and said he could join us in about 2 ½ hours.  Having no idea whether he was joking or being serious (he had walked to the Monastery in Petra which was way up there), I immediately wrote back, “NO!!!  You would end up on Lion’s Head” (the pointy peak adjacent to Table Mountain).  After about an hour of walking a number of the short trails and visiting the souvenir shop, we got back on the cable car and made our descent.  I had texted Michael to let him know we were coming down and he met us at as planned after Daniela and I bought the obligatory green screen photo of the three of us in the cable car. 

Back on the bus, we continued on the Hop On/Hop Off route which circled Cape Town, passing lovely beaches and neighborhoods, sculpture and the soccer stadium built for the World Cup some years ago, passing the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and back to the bus terminal.  Daniela and Joseph have lots of energy and they opted to take the route again, capturing more photos of their adventure, while we caught the shuttle back to the ship.  We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day of sightseeing and spending time with friends and later on, in the cruise, enjoying a lovely dinner at the onboard specialty restaurant, Sabatini’s, to thank them for including us on the first day of Cape Town. 

MICHAEL’S OBSERVATIONS:   We were really blessed with terrific weather for our first adventure on the Hop On/Hop Off bus.  As planned, I stayed on the ground, hating heights of any type, and, more specifically, dangling cars held up by dental floss – at least, that’s what it looked like, as I looked up and saw these gondolas moving up and down the side of the mountain.  It was interesting to note that the cars are manufactured in Switzerland and Daniela once mentioned to me that I would have a hard time getting around Switzerland without being in one of these gondolas at some point.  Even though they make terrific watches, I will hold off my visit to Switzerland for a while.  I spent an entertaining time talking with the shop owners at the base of the mountain.  I have to say that the folks of South Africa are very friendly and helpful.  It was a great spot where I could enjoy a view of the harbor while waiting for Leona, Daniela and Josef.  Time passed very quickly and, before long, they were back.  P.S.  I was only kidding about the 2 ½ hour climb to meet them at the top.  Given my history of getting lost, Leona was probably right.