Cape Town, South Africa (Scarborough Beach, Chapman's Peak, Table Mountain, V A Waterfront & Mama Africa) - Vacation, Day 2

July 7, 2012

            I woke up this morning to the aroma of brewing coffee, fried eggs and an ocean view that was breathtaking! In the far distance was a rainbow…..I believe this is going to be a good day!  In my room, I can see off in the distance the baboons are coming down from the mountain. I quickly got dressed so I can go with Flo to walk the dogs down by Scarborough beach (about a 10 minute walk) while also getting a close but cautious look at the baboon family making their trek around the area in search of their food for the day. We came across the Baboon patrol whose primary function is to try to control the nuisances that the baboon cause by either searching the trash for food and even gaining entrance to unsuspecting resident’s homes in search for food!

            Later that morning, Bruce and Flo took me on a scenic drive along Chapman Peak Drive. The road takes you along the Hout Bay and the Atlantic seaboard. We stopped, took some photos and just embraced the moment while taking in this spectacular view. After about 30 minutes, we continued along until we pulled up below one of the 7^th wonders of the world, Table Mountain.

            Table Mountain is popular for its profile; a flat –top overlooking the City of Cape Town, Table Bay and the Atlantic seaboard. There is a cable car that takes you from the lower cable station to the top of the mountain. There are also guided walks that also get you up the mountain but it takes between 1-3 hours. We opted to use the cable car instead. Once we were at the top of the mountain, we immediately entered one of the hiking paths to begin our exploration of Table Mountain. The viewpoints were breathtaking!  After about two hours, we decided that were hungry. Our next stop would be V A Waterfront.

            First, we grabbed a bite to eat at a restaurant called Mug & Bean which is known for their coffee, and then we walked around. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, commonly known as V A Waterfront is a port mall that is located at the foot of Table Mountain. We poked our nose into several of the shops and even stopped to watch a street show where the local talent sang and danced for tips.

            Later on we head to a place called Mama Africa located on Long Street in downtown Cape Town for dinner and some local entertainment. There was a local African  band playing called Marimba Vibrations. They were very talented musicians because they each would swap and play each other’s instrument and well as swap off singing lead. For dinner, I played it safe and ordered the spicy chicken wings, but Flo ordered the Game Grill which consists of crocodile, ostrich, springbok, kudu and venison sausage. I tried each entree and found it to be quite tasty.

                     

      After a long, fun-filled day, we headed to Bruce and Flo’s place. I was totally exhausted but anticipated what excitement Day 3 would offer in the Mother Land.

All the best,

GMarie