Cape Town: The Mother City

This past weekend, Jorge and I traveled to Cape Town, the Mother City.  There were public holidays here this past Monday and Tuesday, so we had a long weekend to see the greatest town in South Africa.  We left on Friday morning around 9 am, and it was raining very hard.  We had a six hour drive ahead of us, so we just took our time.  We eventually drove out of the rain, and we were able so see some of the best scenes of the Garden Route.  Jorge had arranged a meeting on Friday with an engineer that he has been working with in Stellenbosch, so we decided we would stay there Friday night.  Stellenbosch is situation in the Winelands of Cape Town.  It is a beautiful town and hosts Stellenbosch University.  Stellenbosch University is very small, but the atmosphere there is great.  After Jorge’s meeting, we walked around the town and explored the university.  We stumbled across a bunch of students waiting to go into the auditorium.  It turns out that night was an acapella contest showcasing the housing dorms of the university.  We bought tickets and went to see the show.  It was a lot of fun, and after the show we went to a couple of the bars located around the university.  We spent most of the time at a place called Bohemia.  It was a pretty cool place.  We stayed at a place called the Stumble Inn Backpackers.  We went back there after Bohemia, and meet a lot of the people staying there.  It was a lot of fun.  The next day, we traveled to Franchoek; another town in the Winelands.  We spent part of the day driving around and exploring the town.  Next, we traveled to Paarl.  We visited the Afrikaans Language Monument.  I guess it was interesting; it didn’t mean a lot to me.  We decided that we would each lunch in Paarl, so we went to Main Street.  We parked the car and walked up and down the street looking for something to eat.  We came across a fish place that was covered with people.  We figured it had to be good, so we went in.  Jorge and I were the only white people in the whole place.  Turns out the place was known for its fish and chips.  Supposedly it was the best in and around Cape Town.  It was very good, and you get a lot of food for your money.  Once we were done we traveled into Cape Town. 

In Cape Town, we were staying at the house of friend we met in Knysna.  We spent some time driving around exploring, and then we went to the house.  We hung out for a while, and met some cool people.  Saturday night, we went to a bar called the Tin Roof.  It was a cool place.  It was a younger crowd, and I know I am only 22, but everyone in there probably had fake IDs.  Most of the people were probably under 18.  On Sunday morning, Jorge and I got up and went to Table Mountain.  Table Mountain is approximately 1000 meters above sea level.  It was amazing how the mountain just rose up out of the ocean.  It is roughly 530 million years old, and for those of you who know about geography and history, that dates before the supercontinent, Pangaea.  The top of the mountain was flat, almost like a prairie.  We rode the cable car to the top and spent most of the morning there. After exploring the mountain, we decided to head to the Cape of Good Hope.  We started driving from Table Mountain and drove along the coast and across the Cape Peninsula.  That drive was amazing.  We passed through Fish Hoek, and we eventually stopped in Simons Town.  Here we went to Boulders Beach and were able to see a colony of African penguins.  They were very small, and it was strange seeing penguins in a warm climate.  The penguins were originally called the Jackass penguins because of the braying noise it makes, but I guess someone thought that was inappropriate.  We continued our drive and made it to the Cape of Good Hope National Park.  We were able to see both Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope.  At the Cape of Good Hope, you are supposedly at the most southwest point in Africa.  So, now I can say I’ve been there.  It was getting dark, so we called it a day and headed home.  We did not do much that night because we were too tired. 

Monday morning we got up and went to Robben Island.  Robben Island is where all the political prisoners were kept during the South African Apartheid.  This was where Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison for conspiring to overthrow the discriminating government.  It was a very interesting place to visit, but most South Africans have not even visited the island.  We finished our Robben Island tour around three in the afternoon, and we spent the rest of the day exploring downtown Cape Town.  We went to Green Point Stadium which was built for the 2010 World Cup.  I also found a street that was named after me close to the stadium.  Actually, the street was called Stephan Way, but close enough, right?  You can see the street sign and the stadium in my pictures.  We spent some of the afternoon on Long Street which is a touristy area that hosts many bars and restaurants. 

On Tuesday, Jorge and I had to head back to Kynsna.  We left Cape Town and decided to take the scenic route home.  This took us all along the coast through Somerset West, Hermanus, and some other towns.  We made a stop at Agulhas, which is where the most southern point in Africa is located.  So, now I can say I’ve been there too.  We left Cape Town around 11 am, and we arrived in Knysna around 8 pm.  As you can tell, our route was very scenic.  We managed to turn a five hour drive into a nine hour drive.  It was well worth it, and Cape Town is an amazing city. 

This was just a brief recount of our travels in Cape Town.  Maybe I can elaborate at a later time.  Jorge and I both came back from Cape Town with a cold or something, so now we are both fighting illness.  We decided that 4 days is not enough to experience all of Cape Town.  We are back at work now, trying to tie up all the loose ends before we leave.  We only have 11 days left in South Africa.  As far as pictures, I did not take the time to post them here, as I took around 250, but the following two links will take you to where you can see them. 

Cape Town 1

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.197138537013537.48842.100001521768928&l=8909924654&type=1

Cape Town 2

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.197176790343045.48849.100001521768928&l=9af39332ec&type=1

Rastafarian Festival and Golf

Jorge and I decided to stay in Knysna this past weekend to save money for our upcoming trip to Cape Town.  After work on Friday, I did not do much.  I rode my bike into town and walked around all afternoon.  There are a lot of little shops and roadside stands to stop and visit.  Friday night, Jorge and I went to a new bar opened by one of our friends here on Thesen Island.  The great things about the bar are that it is only 50 yards away from our apartment, and we also have a running tab.  It’s a cool little place that has a great feeling and atmosphere.  I turned in relatively early on Friday around midnight. 

Saturday we did not have many plans.  We jumped on a taxi that took us to the townships around noon.  We were going to visit the Rastafarian Festival.  We were a little early, so we just walked up the streets and visited with the Rastafarians that were hanging out.  It is an interesting religion, but the people are some of the nicest people you’ll meet.  They loved meeting foreigners and getting to know about our culture.  We realized that the festival was not starting till way later in the day, so I left around 5 pm.  Jorge stayed behind, and he found a ride home later that night.  When I decided to leave, I walked around the township looking for a taxi ride back into town.  I received a couple of looks, but none threatening.  I guess I did not blend in with the township people, go figure.  Still, walking around the townships was a very humbling experience, and it really made me reflect on what I have waiting on me in Texas. 

Sunday, I went and played golf with Steff and a couple of his friends.  Steff and I work together, and he is the only guy in the office that plays golf.  We played a course called Simola.  It in nestled in the mountains that surround Knysna.  It is by far the nicest most beautiful golf course I have every played.  It is a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, and it was fairly challenging.  Many of the holes were very long.  Several of the par 3s were over 215 meters.  That is another thing that I have to get use to on the course.  Distances are measured in meters.  So, it did change my club selection several times.  I hit a couple of pars and bogies, but overall I played awful.  Still, I was just happy to be there playing.  It was interesting because there were baboons all over the golf course.  They do not tear up the course, but they will try and steal stuff off your cart. You have to watch them because they can be very aggressive.  Playing golf was a perfect way to spend a Sunday. 

Jorge and I will be leaving on Friday to go to Cape Town.  We do not have many plans for when we get there, so we’ll just play it by ear probably.  We will be coming back to Knysna the 9^th of August.  Once we are back, we will only have thirteen days left here in South Africa.