My travel report
Impressions from the Cape – Part 2
Cape Town, from Table Moutain to The Waterfront
By Ralph Kratzer
Editor´s note: To remember the first two parts of my travelogue – click Part 1.
After a long and – at least for me – tiring overnight flight with Emirates Airlines from Larnaca in South Cyprus to Cape Town in South Africa with a stopover in Dubai, we reached our destination for the next few days, the Cape Milner Hotel in the centre of the megacity.
Cape Town, capital of the Western Cape province, is the third largest and at the same time the oldest city in South Africa. In 1652 the first Dutch settlers, led by Jan van Riebeeck, ended up here and settled at the Cape.
Since our day of arrival was the same day as my birthday, my partner Sarah offered selflessly, to consult as first step the Cape Town Harley-Davidson shop to buy me a present. And, coincidence or not, the store was not far from the hotel !!! Two hours looking at Milwaukee motorbikes and two donated T-shirts later, I felt sorry for my girlfriend and suggested to find the nearest pub and enjoy a cool draft South African beer. And again, a stroke of luck, right next to the HD-dealer was a nice and cozy place, needless to say that instead of one beer we had two or three. But especially Sarah had earned it this day.
The next day we first of all visited the Table Mountain, the scenic attraction of Cape Town.
In March, autumn begins in South Africa, and just at the Cape, with the different temperatures of the two meeting oceans (Atlantic and Indian), it may happen that you are confronted with several different weather conditions in one day.
So it came about that when we entered the cable car that would take us to the top, a completely clear view and blue sky prevailed, but when we arrived minutes later on top of the majestic mountain, it was covered in clouds. The locals then call it the “tablecloth”. But it was just this “head in the clouds” that gave the whole thing an almost mystical character. Later, on our way down, the sky cleared again, revealing the sight of the beautiful “City Bowl” of Cape Town…….
