Exploring the Cape Peninsula

Whatever the season, the Cape Peninsula has so much to offer visitors and locals alike. I know that I've barely scratched the surface of things to do and see in this stunning and unique part of the world.

Disclaimer: According to Wikipedia, the peninsula is 52 km long from Mouille point in the north to Cape Point in the south. As a somewhat assimilated Capetonian, to me the Cape Peninsula runs from around Llandudno to Cape Point and to Muizenberg on the other side. I'm probably incorrect in my classification, but for the purpose of this post, those are the areas that will be included!

Aerial view of the Sentinel and Hout Bay

From my self-proclaimed starting point, Llandudno is a lovely secluded beach, visited mostly by surfers and local residents. It's remarkably clean, pet friendly and mostly sheltered from the wind. Parking can sometimes be tricky as the small parking lot often overflows into narrow spaces on residential roads.

Llandudno beach

Follow Victoria Road from Llandudno to the Republic of Hout Bay. I highly recommend the Hout Bay Harbour market which is open every day of the weekend (and Friday nights). Weather permitting, seal island tours depart hourly from Hout Bay harbour, about R60 for an hour trip. Watch seals cavorting in the waves against the stunning backdrop of the Sentinel peak and the bay. From here you can head to World of Birds which is good fun for the whole family. Walk through large enclosures housing many species of birds and other animals and encounter monkeys clambering on branches (and people!) around you.

Harbour Market and World of Birds are great for the whole family

Chapman's Peak drive

The Chapman's Peak drive starting in Hout Bay is fantastic. Just be aware that this is a toll route and it may close to adverse weather conditions. Enjoy the stunning Cape Atlantic archipelago and indigenous fynbos of the area along many of the scenic stops along the way. Chapman's drive will take you through to Noordhoek, which boasts a sizeable beach and shipwreck. The Foodbarn in Noordhoek is a great gourmet bistro restaurant. Thorfynns Restaurant at Monkey Valley Resort is also a great spot for a family outing and has lovely views of the Atlantic ocean. From Noordhoek, your path may split in various directions and each holds a journey of its own. 

Foodbarn and Thorfynns Restaurants in Noordhoek

Kommetjie lies to the south west and is a quaint town in a seemingly remote spot. On the way you'll pass Imhoff farm which offers camel and horse rides and has several eating spots. You can choose to pass through or head directly to Cape Point, which forms part of Table Mountain National Park. Those with Wild cards will not need to pay an entrance fee.

 

Cape Point is a great day or half day trip. There are various hiking trails across the peninsula, but for those on a tight schedule, it is easy to drive directly to the Cape of Good Hope. Stand in line to snap a picture with the sign! Drive up to Cape Point and jump on the Flying Dutchman funicular or brave the brisk walk to the top to see the lighthouse.

It gets pretty windy at Cape Point!

Submarine tour

From Cape Point, head to Simon's Town, home of the endangered African penguin (renamed from Jackass penguin). Boulders Beach boasts a large penguin colony and visitors are able to get close to these adorable birds. Entrance to the beaches are not free, but a boardwalk starting at Boulders parking lot is open to the public. Kayaking from Simon's Town harbour to Boulders and back only takes about 2 hours and is good fun. Simon's Town is home to South Africa's Navy. The barracks and ships are quite visible in the harbour. Go on a submarine tour of the decommissioned SS Assegaai and explore this metal hulk as it sits in the water.

Penguins at Boulders

From Simon's Town you can jump on the train to Muizenberg and hop off at Kalk Bay on the way. Kalk Bay is a bustling community popular with locals and tourists alike and boasts many popular dining spots and shops. Some of these include the Brass Bell and Polana. False Bay is also good for whale spotting, typically between June and November. Muizenberg is a must for those into surfing. The beach front often boasts markets and festivals.

A mere weekend in the peninsula will not be sufficient to discover all its secrets but it surely will be more than enough to capture your heart.

PS. All photos used in this post belong to me.

Cape Town food market culture

Exploring markets is a great way to spend weekends in Cape Town.

1. Harbour Market in Hout Bay

This is definitely my favourite market and a good one to take touristy visitors to. It's open every weekend for most of the weekend and there's a good mix of food, knick knacks and novelty drinks. It gets pretty busy so it's a good location for breakfast or for some drinks with live entertainment in the afternoons and evenings.

When? Fridays 5pm - 9pm, Saturdays and Sundays 9:30am - 4pm
Where? 31 Harbour Road, Hout Bay
More info: http://www.bayharbour.co.za/

2. Neighbourgoods Food Market at the Old Biscuit Mill

This is probably Cape Town's most well-known market so it's a good idea to arrive early. It has loads of food stalls and artsy things for sale and gets pretty crowded. Please note, parking is a bit of an issue.

When? Every Saturday 9am - 2pm
Where? 373 Albert Road, Cape Town
More info: http://www.theoldbiscuitmill.co.za/

3. City Bowl Market on Hope

I like frequenting this market on Thursday evenings, though they are also open on Saturday mornings, as it's a few blocks from work and a good place to grab a quick dinner or catch up with friends over a glass of wine. They also have fresh produce on sale.

When? Thursdays 4:30pm - 8:30pm, Saturdays 9am - 2pm
Where? 14 Hope Street, Cape Town
More info: http://www.citybowlmarket.co.za/

4. Market at the Palms

My vintage purchase

Open every Saturday, this market is attractive due to its location inside Palms Centre. Light filters in through windows spanning two storeys and gives a nice ambience to this small market. There are vintage items for sale on the top floor and plenty of fresh produce available on the ground floor. Free parking is available in the centre.

When? Saturdays 9am - 2pm
Where? 145 Sir Lowry Road, Cape Town
More info: https://www.facebook.com/MarketAtThePalms

5. Oranjezicht Organic Market

My latest discovery, this outdoor market is good on days where weather conditions are not too extreme. The organic community farm is really great to walk through, nestled on the slopes of Table Mountain with stunning views of the city. The market is relatively small in comparison to others but you'll find a nice range of food and drink options, even if you're gluten free like me. A great market for those with kiddies to entertain as there are jungle gyms and gardening sessions!

Parking may also pose a bit of a worry.

When? Every Saturday, 9am - 2pm
Where? Homestead Park, Upper Orange Street, Oranjezicht
More info: http://www.ozcf.co.za/organic-market/

Living in //Hui !Gaeb

For those confused about the post title, read this article about the new Khoisan name for Cape Town. 

 
I have been in Cape Town for almost a month, and what a month it has been. Most of my time and energy has gone into settling into my new job, and the rest has been spent on searching for permanent accommodation. With regards to the first, I love my job, though it has been an intense few weeks and the people I work with are highly intelligent and driven.

Apartment hunting, on the other hand, has been nothing short of a nightmare. Never mind the fact that places never do their advertised photographs justice, for the most part, agents do not seem to care one nanometer about potential tenants since there is such a high demand for places to rent. In my recent experience, given the following, choose none.

 

 

However, tenacity and perseverance have paid off, and if all things go as planned (which they never seem to do, so touch wood), I will be moving into the new apartment this weekend. And not a moment too soon, either. Anyone living out of suitcases and showering with cold, damp towels should not expect to be in a pleasant mood, no matter how beautiful the city they live in. There also has not been much time left over for exploring, so I cannot wait to get settled so that I can better acquaint myself with the Mother City.

To distract myself from the inevitable disgruntledness resulting from wet towels, wrinkled clothes and cabin fever, I made a checklist of sorts of peculiar things I have spotted in Cape Town thus far. These include:

• A real-life Zooey Deschanel hipster lookalike shopping in Woolworths food
• A man pushing his transportable market stall on a trolley down a main road, being followed by a police car blaring "GET OUT OF THE ROAD!" through a loudspeaker
• One chilly Thursday morning, we had a great view from our kitchen windows at work of some guys relaxing in their rooftop jacuzzi
• A whole family arrived for dinner at an Indian restaurant, all packed into a bus
• An Asian mother teaching her toddler daughter how to walk backwards
• In a restaurant, a little girl came and deposited fresh seaweed on the table  

 

And a few for which I have photographic evidence, in case I hear "pics or it didn't happen".

• An almost indecipherable message left on my car window from an inconvenienced passive-aggressive neighbour:

• A rainbow which lasted for nearly an hour:

 

• A Bos vending machine giving out free Bos drinks for tweets:

 

• A house in the street my aunt lives in caught fire, billowing clouds of smoke, spotted from work:

As the weather continues to behave like a heartbroken teenager, my to-do list is being filled with items that involve indoor activities. Mostly this includes visiting museums, doing lots of baking, becoming a patron of local restaurants and eating banana bread baked by a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Once the new apartment has been furnished, I will get right on that.

Becoming Capetonian

I arrived in Cape Town a week ago, and it's been a pretty crazy awesome time so far. I was in Cape Town on holiday in February and my expectation was framed mostly by my memories of holidaying, which is unfortunate, as there seem to be certain quirks and idiosyncrasies of the Mother City that became apparent to me only once I moved here.

It is not difficult to see why Cape Town made it onto CNN's top 10 most loved cities in the world [link]. My eyes feast daily on stunning views of the mountains and the Cape archipelago. My taste buds delight in the variety of restaurants serving various cuisines. I have been warned that Capetonians are notoriously clique-y, but I've found everyone to be very friendly. There are a few things about this city that I'm still getting used to, though.


Driving in Cape Town is horrific. This might seem like an exaggeration after driving in Gauteng, but it is atrocious in a wholly different way. Not only does it appear as if a drunkard was employed as town planner, but completely different road rules apply. It also doesn't help that the streets tend to be narrow and congested with parallel parked cars which block visibility when attempting to turn or cross a road. Generally, this means Capetonians on the road drive by blind faith and you'll find cars coming at you from all directions. Pedestrians will run across intersections despite the flow of traffic not being in their favour. There are also numerous accidents, usually resulting from attempting to park in tight situations. There would probably be many more if people did not insist on driving at a snail's pace.


Finding parking in Cape Town is a divine gift. There are parking arcades hidden in secret locations known only to a few, with expensive rates and obnoxious ticket booth attendants. Often only street parking is available (even at certain residential addresses) so a refresher course in parallel parking is recommended. It's also best to have a map book when driving because the GPS can often fail you here.


Capetonians are oddly clued up on weather forecasts. Ask anyone and they will be able to tell you when the rain will be taking over and for how long. They also refer to tv forecasters on the news channels as if they are old friends. Knowing the moods of the weather is also fortunate, as everyone assures me the metro police will not be found setting up roadblocks and writing parking tickets when it's wet.


Punctuality seems to be a foreign concept to Capetonians. They are too busy relaxing and enjoying life to notice the time. I arrived an hour and a half too early on my first day of work, despite being on time in terms of my contract. Do not expect anyone to be in the office before 9 am. 


Shopping centres in Cape Town have generally been replaced by "lifestyle centres", characterised by the presence of a Woolworths Food, and are perilously difficult to locate, even with the help of Google. Little unobtrusive cafés selling delicious gourmet sandwiches nestle between car repair shops on quiet streets and would remain largely undiscovered if it were not for the locals leading the way.


Cape Town is a place where cultures converge. All colours and creeds are represented, and there doesn't seem to be any group in the minority here. "Expect the unexpected" doesn't apply, because that which determines what is to be expected appears fluid in a place where societal rules seem to be as elemental as the weather. Instead, "expect nothing" is rather fitting; leave your assumptions behind, and you'll love this vibrant city.

So life makes hypocrites of us all

It's been a crazy few weeks. Heck, it's been a crazy few months. In the first five months of this year I've gone to two life-altering workshops, two holidays (one to South Korea!), been through several interviews and quit my job. So it should really be no surprise that any thoughts of blogging were cursory and far-between. I have just over a week left before I pack up my life and head off to the other side of the country to start a new job.


I was on holiday in Cape Town only three months ago with my boyfriend. Before then, I'd been to Cape Town for "Maths camp", as I fondly call it, in the middle of winter and I hated the weather. In fact, I was determined never to live there. While on holiday in February, with perfect summer weather, stunning scenery, delicious food, a wide variety of activities and excitement, I admitted to myself that it might not be so bad to live there after all... one day. It turns out "one day" is a lot closer than I originally thought, going from "never" to "next week". So life makes hypocrites of us all.


But I should rewind my story a little, how did I end up making such a move? I found myself wandering listlessly down the path of life, when suddenly, quite unexpectedly, I was thrust into a situation where I had to make a drastic decision. I was presented with a job opportunity, and had another in the pipeline. In the past I'd seen job opportunities and let them go by, content in carrying on subsisting on my routine in the comfort zone. Abruptly, the path I'd been walking ended in a T-junction. One of the paths branching off required only a minimal amount of change, and was the safer option - taking a job in the city where I already lived. The other path was very risky but also had potential for great reward - moving to the other side of the country to a city I'd only rarely visited to work for a fantastic company. I'd always seen myself as a "safe" player, ever cautious, rational and definitely a person who over-analyses instead of under-analysing any situation. So it was rather a shock to my system when I made the choice to move to Cape Town, leaving my whole life behind. I had only a few hours to make the choice, without knowing whether my boyfriend would be able to move with me, though he promised he'd support any decision I made.


With a little bit of prayer, late night interview coaching and mass dispersion of my boyfriend's curriculum vitae, he managed to find a job at a great company for more pay in less than a week. And this in a city that everyone assured us is great for holiday, but difficult to find work in and pays less than the South African GDP hub of Gauteng. It just goes to show how people remain stuck in their respective ruts while listening to the general opinion.


All that separates retrospect and regret is a decision. It's easy now to look back on life and realise I'd let so many opportunities go by without even giving them a second thought. It takes a great change in the way my mind processed things to allow myself to consider these opportunities. I'd not been looking for them, and I might easily have missed them.


It's funny how quickly things can change, and even funnier how the word "never" applied to something only seems to fast track that very thing into occurring.