Farewell South Africa (for now)

We are coming to the end of this trip and I shall very soon run out of words to say about it. Phew, you say. But before I do, just some ramblings on Cape Town as a city and refections on the trip as a whole. On a walking tour a couple off days ago, with a local guide Chris, we were introduced to the Eastern Food Bazaar, to which we returned yesterday for lunch. Fabulous food eaten like, and with, the locals. With our hands (well me, you would be proud of me, Ish). In this part of Cape Town it really feels like a black African city. Brilliant.

Too busy eating to smile!

Another classic selfie!

And we found Charley's Bakery for the second time - those cakes just had to be sampled again.

I'd eaten half of it before I remembered to take a picture. Me (adopted) and the cup cake: "Proudly South African".

First visited with Chris a couple of days ago, the only reason I can think of for doing so, is that it is his favourite coffee stop!

Good a place as anywhere for a terrible selfie. Why is the biggest nutter always me? (Though Chris is running me a close second)

Via Company's Gardens and Government Avenue (a long green stretch outside parliament)...

we found St George's cathedral where Archbishop Desmond Tutu preached.

And where (I freely admit I am guessing, but they are on the cathedral windows), he made some of his more memorable statements.

And even better we were priviliged to be able to watch children dancing and singing, we think for Heritage Day (which is tomorrow), but to be honest it could just have been for the fun of it!

Also yesterday, we visited the District 6 Museum which again brought us face to face with the cruelties of Apartheid, this time as a consequence of the Group Areas Act of 1950 which allowed for the redesignation of a cosmopolitan multicultural area of artisans, merchants, freed slaves, as a "white area". This led to the forced removal of virtually the entire population - over 60,000 people in total. The museum speaks brilliantly to this yet another shameful act in the history of a racist regime. But primarily from a personal story perspective as much as a historical account. No less sobering, but perhaps less formal than many museums. But that will do for my politicking, I promised to lighten up. But it is well worth the visit (and Charley's Bakery is just behind it!).

Very personal stories.

To start to close my blog for this trip - our visit to the top of Table Mountain. The weather a couple of days ago, on returning from Robben Island, was simply perfect. Beautiful blue skies, no wind to speak of and visibility to what felt like infinity. Admittedly, since the top has only showed itself one day in the last week, most of Cape Town had decided to go up with us. But the Cableway is pretty efficient and our wait was reasonably short, and with decent cheese toasties to keep us company (just as well, as we all know I was getting grumpy from queuing and too little food!). But the views from the top make it all worthwhile. Looking south towards cape of Good Hope.

Looking north to Table Bay and Robben Island. Lions Head to the left. Devils Peak to the right.

Looking stupid!

Looking contemplative.

Looking happy (I'm just off picture being an arse!)

Looking windswept

Looking ridiculous

Looking up

And finally looking down

The top of the mountain really swallows an awful lot of people - the crowds waiting to go up seem to have largely disappeared once you wander the many paths on the virtually flat landscape of the table. Whole ecosystems exist up there because of the moisture provided by cloud cover, more efficiently than rain. A beautiful sunbird.

A red winged starling. Its wings are actually orange but apparently it was named before there was a word for orange. Believe that if you will.

Stuff growing only here because of the cloud (probably)

And so we come to the end of another trip. Our last morning in Cape Town allowed us just enough time to get down to the waterfront and a visit to the Zeitz Museum of Modern African Art.

The art itself was worth the visit, an extensive display about oppression and resistance worldwide keeping me occupied for nearly an hour. But the building itself was a marvel, hollowed out of an old grain storage facility, a great advert for repurposing of buildings as artistic space. Not many pictures but here's a couple to attempt to convey the beauty of the building, at least.

The polished concrete floor. Nareesa top right.

The same floor - with an eejit!

A spiral staircase all the way up one of the old silos.

As usual I am in the very fortunate position to have been able to make this journey. I find myself again celebrating the diversity, the hope and the kindness of this still new nation. Despite the fact I have been here many times, if I had heeded the advice of my own government I might not have come here again. I am so glad I did. Yes, it still has its problems, it is after all officially the most unequal country in the world, but at every corner, as well as poverty, I have also seen kindness, hope, enterprise and goodwill. And the Tablecloth tried hard to put in an appearance just as we were leaving. Just a bit bunched up in places!

We have eaten in amazing restaurants, drunk some fabulous wine, but perhaps more importantly met some amazing people. Talking of which, I shall close this blog with a mention, with her permission, of the absolutely wonderful Yumnaah Essa, Reservations Manager at Lion Roars Hotels. Almost three years ago when we were originally coming here until Covid struck, Yumnaah helped me endlessly to cancel, rearrange and recover money from bookings via third parties, which at one point I had no hope of recovering. No details are necessary here, but one consequence is that I booked most of our hotels this time round directly with her and the fabulous Lion Roars team. If you are coming to South Africa I can give you no better recommendation than to stay in their hotels if at all possible. Book directly at https://www.lionroars.com and cut out the booking agents if you can.

After almost 3 years of correspondence I finally got to meet Yumnaah at the Kloof Street Hotel (which is fabulous, is our last destination, and is where I am typing most of this junk), to thank her personally for all she had done for us. If you're reading this Yumnaah, thank you again. You have done much to make our amazing trip even better!

And another thanks to Thabang Molefe who brought a whole new understanding of Soweto to this experienced traveler. If you are coming to South Africa please get in touch with him at https://tsalanangtours.co.za (which means "friendship", by the way). I hope our paths cross again Thabang.

We are now at Cape Town Airport awaiting our flight home to London. That seems to be good place to end, for now! Just one last picture. We travel light! The weight of Nareesa's checked baggage. Mine was a massive 9.9kg, but I am sure I am carrying all the stuff we have bought!

Bye!