In March 2011 I escaped cold Edinburgh by going to South Africa for three weeks. Cape Town was the start and end point. Initially, my friend and I wanted to take buses to explore the country. When we arrived we were advised to rent a car instead, because bus transportation is not arranged very well and car rental is very cheap. So for three weeks we drove through the Cape area.

I stayed in Cape Town on my first night in South Africa, so I had one-and-a-half day to explore the city.

I didn’t get to see many of Cape Town’s famous sights due to the short stay, but I got a good first impression of the city.

Victoria and Alfred Waterfront

The first stop was at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront from which you can see all the main sights of the city: Atlantic Ocean, Table Mountain and the city itself.

I hope I’m not the only one who thinks the Coca-Cola monstrosity is ruining the views…

The Waterfront is a great place to shop and to go for a bite to eat. People who know me, know I’m obsessed with Orange Fanta (not the yellow coloured one, the orange coloured one), so I had my first can of Orange Fanta in Cape Town. Of course, when you’re in South Africa you have to try Bobotie, so I tried it on my first day. Delicious!

Table Mountain

he second and last sight I visited in Cape Town was Table Mountain. You can either hike or take a cableway to the top. I opted for the latter. When you reach the plateau, you can walk around and admire the view. Unless you’re as unlucky as I was, because when I visited the peak was surrounded by the infamous Table Cloth, which means you are essentially above the clouds. If this happens, make sure you take pictures from the entrance of the cableway because from above you will not see anything.

The start of the cloth.

My first run in with Dassies. These African rodents live on the rocks, so whenever you pass by rocky outcrops keep an eye out for these little guys. They are so cute!

Conclusion

My visit to Cape Town was short but sweet. I was a bit disappointed by the fact that I couldn’t enjoy the views from Table Mountain, but since they made up a name for the clouds I imagine I’m not the only one. After Cape Town, I drove to Simon’s Town on the Cape Peninsula.

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