Climbing 302 metres above sea level, in a pod, this girl manages to challenge her fear of heights again.
It’s hot out today and while in the line-up we are provided some relief with cold air misters. Once you get into the building, you need to walk up 3 flights of stairs. There is an accessibility elevator for those that need it.
The pods hold 60 people at the time, and rotates in order for everyone to appreciate the view. I didn’t care for being jammed in with 60 people and standing Legs were a little jelly-like but I managed fine and it doesn’t take long to get to the top.
We have one hour to spend on the mountain before making the descent.
The view is incredible and my camera was extremely busy. You can see Cape Town, the harbour and the Atlantic Ocean. The view of Devils Peak is awesome! Table Mountain is one of the New Wonders of Nature and I can see why. It’s a must when you visit but pack your patience if you don’t mind standing and queues.
Once at the top, I walled past a group of rappellers, I think to myself, no thank you! Shannon took a cool picture of one of the participants, leaning backwards off the mountain.
I managed to get a photo of a dassie, also known as a hyrax which looks like a large Guinea pig. They are relatively shy but don’t corner it, or it will bite. They usually scurry away between the rocks using their moist rubbery feet that act like suction cups.
I saw an interesting bird called a speckled pigeon and took photos of interesting vegetation and entered them into my iNaturalist app. I know it’s geeky but it helps to identify flora and fauna down to fungi.
Lots of walking. stairs. standing for long periods today. In the heat, it isnt fun, but the view is worth the wait.
Bo-Kaap
We hop on the bus again and head to the Bo-Kaap area (previously known as the Malay quarter). The colors of the buildings are reminiscent of the jellybean houses in St. John’s Newfoundland. Bright pink, turquoise blues, violets and yellow. Very colourful. The cobblestone streets and uneven sidewalks make it a little challenging to navigate but I managed to stay vertical.
There are many art galleries, restaurants and vendors looking for your money. I saw the oldest mosque in Cape Town, but was unable to enter.
The artwork in the shops is incredible. and if it was earlier in the trip, I might have purchased something, but I’m going to wait.
Yumcious
It’s time for lunch at Yumcious Cafe and I was delighted to see some vegetables. Our meals have been mostly a protein and potato and few greens. It was buffet style and contained a salad bar and a meat table with interesting selections (grilled chicken, fried fish, and bobotie).
Bobotie reminds me of a moussaka with its spiced meat and egg custard on top. It is delicious!
Oh no!
I haven’t slept fully in a few days and we have an option to go to the waterfront for some free time but I’ve been 3 times so decided to head to the hotel for a rest.
Dinner is at 7:00 pm at an African restaurant with 14 courses and entertainment that I dot want to miss.
A half hour into my rest, my body proceeds to protest. I am “liquidating its assets”! Oh no!
I felt horrible stabbing pain in the gut but otherwise I felt fine. Perhaps it was the rich food, different spices, the heat or a combo of everything over the last couple of days.
I continued to rest and prayed this would go away soon. It did not.
I’ve been looking forward to the African feast tonight and I will fight through it.
Gold Restaurant
What a cool place! We made our way up to the second floor past beautiful artifacts. I kept my eye on the location of the washrooms.
Beautiful people donning traditional clothing in vibrant colours circulate through the tables. Women bring a bowl and water to wash our hands.
Suddenly another begins singing, the voice is jubilant and loud. It was beautiful, then the first course arrived.
The 14 courses begins with the most fragrant and delicious tomato soup.
Select the link above to see the rest of the menu. Unfortunately, my stomach was too unsettled to appreciate the spices, textures and aromas but I held up for evening and loved the music and entertainment.
At one point, one of the entertainers had us practice Zulu and the clicking language. It was hilarious.
A patron from another table and significantly younger than our group, volunteered to mimic one of the male dancers. He did a fabulous job to a round of applause.
Towards the end of the evening , we had our faces painted which was fun. You can see the dark circles under my eyes in the photo below.
Shannon was in her element with the flavours and spices. It was a fun evening.
Back to the hotel I try to get some sleep but sadly it didn’t come. Maybe tomorrow. Even feeling cruddy, I’m having a great time.
Tomorrow is a boat cruise to Seal Island and the Cape of Good Hope. I can’t wait! I’ll try not to cry tears of happiness. No guarantees!
