Melanie’s South African Travel Story, part 3
Day 4 – Thursday
We spent Thursday in Kalk Bay, a small fishing village located at the bottom of the mountains. Accompanied by Blane and his girlfriend, we checked out interesting shops, some of them hidden, and enjoyed the wonderful views. Do you know that during apartheid, Kalk Bay proudly preserved its mixed-race community? After visiting the town centre and some of its surroundings, we went for pizza and I got to taste the famous Mocca Pudding, a South African speciality. I loved it!
After the meal, we went to the harbour and we had the chance to see several seals that were trying to catch fish. We had a “chat” with them and it was great!
We then returned home and had a nice evening. Gary took me for a walk around the house. Their neighbourhood consists of waterfront houses, like in Venice. Because the houses are so close to the seafront, during sunset, the view was amazing. Then, we did some grocery shopping with Gary and we had Indian food with the whole family.
Day 5 – Friday
Friday was a relaxed day. I stayed home with Hannah and her cousin. It was nice, we spoke a lot and had great conversations.
At 4 pm Gary picked me up. He took me to Blue Bird Garage for my lesson, a market in Muizenberg. After the lesson, we walked around a bit in this rustic and friendly market. Then, I got together with Renée and we went to a salsa class. It was great!
Day 6 – Saturday
We visited Cape Town and its surroundings on an open-top sightseeing bus. The Red Bus runs three routes: the red, the blue and the yellow. We did the blue line that stops at:
Two Oceans Aquarium, the Clocktower, Cape Town Convention Centre, Cape Town Tourism, Mount Nelson, Kirstenbosch, Constantia Nek Wine, World of Birds, Imizamo Yetho Township, Mariner’s Wharf, Camps Bay, President Hotel St John’s Road, Winchester Mansions.
We started by touring Cape Town; we checked out Long Street that is THE party street, perfect for going out thanks to its many restaurants, bars and night clubs. Then, we went to Kirstenbosch Garden, reputable for being one of the most beautiful in the world. Located on the side of Table Mountain, it is an immense botanical garden where you can admire the richness of the South African flora. You can spend hours there.
After, we visited the fields of Constantia.
At lunchtime, we made a stop at Bay Harbour Market, a market with lots of souvenir stands and food stalls from all over the world but with a South African touch. It also has a little stage with concerts of local artists. We sat at one of the big wooden tables and I had a South African speciality made with a croissant. I love these kind of markets, the environment is so warm.
We finished by following the coastline and catching sight of a hill called Lion’s Head. We passed through the famous Camps Bay beach, a sandy beach with clear, translucent water, surrounded by palm trees, white residences and cliffs almost 1000 metres high called the 12 apostles. This beach is always very windy.
Finally, we got home – exhausted – but I was very happy to explore Cape Town! The bus tour was great, I really recommend it to anyone visiting Cape Town.
