March 7, 2010
Cape Town, South Africa
J. and I spent two days at one of my favorite hotels in the world, the Winchester Mansions Hotel, in Cape Town, before he left. This is the view from our window,
and this is the Winchester's wonderful indoor courtyard, where lots of glossy starlings and Cape sparrows hang out and on Sunday afternoons you can enjoy a jazz brunch.
When J. left on Wednesday to return to New York, I was sorely tempted to hop on the plane with him. I've been traveling for 10 WEEKS and I still have 3 weeks left to go. I miss my huge king size bed, I miss my cats, and I miss my friends, who are undoubtedly doing all sorts of fun New York things without me. Traveling can be kind of exhausting, I've learned, particularly if it involves lots of transit from one place to another, pitching a tent, and stuffing items into a backpack. Then I regained my senses. New York in March (think grey, slushy, rainy, miserable) vs. Cape Town at the end of summer (think sunny days, 80 degrees+, the Atlantic ocean, sundowners at beachside cafes). Who am I kidding: it's no contest!So here I am in Cape Town. I have a suite at the lovely Villa Rosa
for only R540 (about 70 USD) per night with a sumptuous breakfast included. (Mitch, you'd love it here: it's cheap & sunny!). I visited one of my favorite spots on earth, the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, on the side of Table Mountain, and greeted the guineafowl.
I also hiked up Signal Hill and part of Lion's Head. I didn't summit Lion's Head. Ever since I toppled down a mountain when I was in the Peace Corps (as Nicolette will remember) I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to vertiginous heights. 
I'll be here for another week or so. Does anyhow (like Ben or the RPCVs) have recommendations for must see spots in Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula? What would you do with a long empty week in Cape Town?Books read: Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro. Another downer of a short story collection by the Booker prize winning Canadian author.
You need to climb Mable mountain, or if you can't handle that, take the cable car. You should take a trip to the Cape of Good Hope. Go on some wine tours. Visit Robben Island. Go see the Penguins in Simons Town. Hang out on the Water front. Eat at Limoncello and any of the many other wonderful restaurants in Cape Town. Go the District 6 Museum. Visit the Cape Flat shanty towns.
ReplyDeleteAll great ideas--thanks for the tips! I've done all of the above except for Limoncello. I'll definitely check it out. Cape Town, it seems, is where itineraries go to die. It's so laid back and lovely, with the beaches and the sea, that it's difficult to plan / do anything!
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