Cape Town, wk 2 (Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope, Wine Country, Robben, and more)

We have continued to pick away at our list of things to experience here in Cape Town. It continues to be a wonderful place to home base with countless activities, as well as a comfortable place to do absolutely nothing.

Here again, a picture diary of the past week...

Muizenberg Beach 
Autumn had another "study" day - so Nicole, the boys, and I went to a local surfer's beach to check it out. They weren't up for getting wet, so our stay was brief. Our real goal was to buy some more beads for Zane to craft some more wrist bands. Those Tanzanian crafts really left an impression on him.

They have cool huts right on the beach that used to be where the surfers slept and stored their boards.

Kirstenbosch Gardens
No trip to Cape Town is complete without a stop at this mother-of-all botanical gardens. It is massive and nestled on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. The beauty of this place is the very organic organization of the "exhibits". Whereas most botanical gardens tend to be linear and grouped, this garden contoured to the landscape and blended the plants, trees, creeks, and pathways in to a cohesive mixture.

I really can't get enough of those mountains. More on that later.

A winding canopy walk that purposely undulated and moved with it's passengers. Bryce didn't appreciate the instability. 

South Africa is known for the Protea (the national flower). It's really a lovely flower that changes shape as it blooms.

Domestic Life
We ran the numbers, and it was clear that buying hair clippers for the boys had a 100% ROI after one use.

Braai (South African for BBQ). Filet Mignon is 50% of what we would pay at home. OH YEAH! We havin' filet tonight! And tomorrow night.

Table Mountain
Our Airbnb host, Sam, offered to take our family on a hike across Table Mountain. It's a unique opportunity to ride up the gondola and walk fully across the top and down the other side (because it takes two cars and some shuttling around). We jumped at the offer and off we went.

A quick aside. I really love these mountains. There is something about the texture that is so unique. Whereas we are used to the glacially carved granite of the Sierras with it's smooth and pastel surfaces broken up by tall forests of pine, the Table Mountains are a sedimentary layered rock formed through millions of years of erosion and weather (think Grand Canyon). This creates vertical blocky cliffs on the verge of breaking away that are sort of glued together by the low lying brush and pockets of greenery. It is like a Monet.... from a distance it all blends together creating a mottled and cohesive backdrop, but up close you can see the minute detail and intricate layering.

When we awoke, it was slightly overcast, and we assumed it would burn off like previous days. When we arrived to the Gondola, our positive outlook was growing increasingly dim.

Ascending the gondola overlooking city bowl (it's cool cause it rotates 360 as you ascend). The view grew dimmer and dimmer as we got higher and higher. Our destination was the 1,000m (3,300ft) peak of Table Mountain.

And there it is. The View! Oddly enough, the view from the top of Table Mountain looked just like Mizen Head in Ireland. Weird.

But we were determined to give it a go. That's our host, Sam, orienting us to our day of hiking that lay afoot. If all goes to plan, we will traverse the top of Table Mountain for about 7 miles and drop down near our place in Hout Bay. Sam brought along his buddy Klaus, his son Aiden, Megan (Aiden's girlfriend), and Mykayla (twin of Megan). Great crew. Let's Go!

Setting off. Weather growing dimmer, wetter, colder, and windier. 

The clouds were definitely not burning off....

Klaus, the sensible friend, ultimately intervened and said it was a fools errand to continue our quest along the top, and suggested we drop off the mountain, down Platteklip Gorge. We gladly obliged. 

What ensued was a 3,000ft reverse stair climb on wet rocks that took about 2 hours to complete. There is a reason they put a Cable Car to the top.

Once we got below the cloud layer, the views were magnificent.

We finally stopped for a bit of trail lunch. But the South Africans don't just whip out some trail mix and a Clif Bar. Sam, channeling his best Mary Poppins routine, proceeds to extract from his small backpack: a cutting board, knife, and endless supply of bread rolls, meat, cheese, fruit, a thermos of coffee, and a six pack of beer. Frankly, I didn't even know he was carrying a backpack in the first place, much less a small pantry.

Still dropping.

Protea everywhere

Looking back up in to the gorge we had just rained down from.

Bryce loves bugs. (side note, notice the haircut... Nicole got a little aggressive with the clippers....)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Airbnb has truly made this trip a success. It's like having instant friends everywhere we go.

Later that night was the World Championship of Rugby, pitting the Springboks of Cape Town against The All Blacks of New Zealand. Having never watched a game, we were entirely befuddled by what was going on. But it was exciting nonetheless. South Africa were decided underdogs and put up a valiant fight, only to lose by one point. After dismounting the mountain, Sam actually went to this game being played in Cape Town. 

A Day to Kill - Sand Dune sledding
The mouth of Hout Bay funnels the wind from the Atlantic up it's valley walls, and takes all the sand with it. Sitting atop a nearby saddle is a large patch of sand. It was another Autumn study day, so again, the rest of us went to the nearby grocery store, got some left over boxes and did our best to recreate our winter cabin in the woods.

We soon found that the mu (that's for you Grindle), was a little too high on the sand itself, and found that a combination of grass and sand made for a better sliding surface. 

Looking back towards Hout Bay. As we were leaving, we could hear a hidden group of people singing traditional african songs somewhere up the hill. It was like listening to Paul Simon's Graceland as we walked back to the car. 

Guacamole! If there is something we sorely miss on our journey, it's a decent Mexican meal. That night we made homemade salsa and guac. Yummy. 

Lion's Head Run/Climb
Given the resounding success of our first Airbnb Experience (recall plastic fishing in Amsterdam), we signed up for two more. I did a running experience with a guy named Luke. He is an ultra-runner and takes people running on trails around Cape Town. 

View from atop Lion's Head

When we reached the top, we had the mountain to ourselves (which is apparently quite rare). It lasted for about 1 minute and these two women joined us. They were celebrating their centennial birthday. They were 50 year old twins you see. We got to join in their cupcake and champagne celebration. Icing on the cake of a great run, so to speak. 

Another instant Airbnb friend. The best part of the experience was talking about South African culture. Luke grew up in Capetown and was born during the Apartheid years. He was begrudgingly conscripted to serve in the military of the oppressive regime, and had much to say about where they have been and where they are going. Fascinating. (his hair was shaggy, but it was a gust of wind that turned him in to Sideshow Bob)

It was mostly running. But the last part was more of a rockclimbing experience. Tested my nerves.

Later that morning.... Nicole accidentally bumped in to Autumn, and her Chromebook met with the slate floor. The slate floor won and we thought her computer was toast. Nicole, determined not to give up on it (must be a Nurse thing), went on Youtube, found a video, and 30 minutes later, she had resurrected it from the dead!

Cape of Good Hope
Another must-do in Cape Town, is the compulsory trip to the tip. Contrary to what most people think (me included), the Cape of Good Hope is not the most southern point of Africa, nor where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet (we'll see that next week), but rather, it's the most South-Westerly point. Definitely a good and worthwhile trip.

Baboons! While waiting in line behind some Portuguese ladies arguing with the ticket agent, Zane and I were entertained by the Baboon perched above.

Cape Lighthouse up there. We're wearing our hoods, not because of sun or rain, but rather bird droppings. The place is teeming with sea birds. But here is the thing... This is the first place we have been attacked from below! The place rains poop because of the crazy updraft of wind along the cliffs. The birds lay waste, and the wind blows it skyward before gravity can do it's thing. 

The cape is home to a bunch of wild Ostrich. Ocean Ostrich (that's alliteration) 

Joining the queue to get the compulsory shot behind the sign. Would have worked, but for the flood of insensitive tourists that poured out of the bus that just arrived.

Picture taking turned in to a free for all....

The wind made for pretty awesome surf. Autumn was mesmerized. 

Crazy Kitesurfers

More Domestic Stuff...

In addition to Mexican food, finding decent Sourdough is illusive. It says San Francisco Sour.... It is not, in fact, sourdough. It's like it, but not it. 

Stellenbosch (Wine Country)
Given the Mediterranean climate of the cape, there are a ton of wineries here. It's as big as Napa / Sonoma (So sad to see news of the fire storms there. Our thoughts are with them).

As with the other sites above, a one hour drive to wine country is compulsory. We chose to visit using yet another AirBnb experience, and again, it proved perfect. A kind chap named David picked us up from our doorstep, and drove us to five different wineries and took us on personalized tours and tastings. He is a wine expert and had friendships with all the wine makers, which gave us access to talking directly with the owners and behind the scenes inner workings. To be sure, there is no way to have this same experience in Napa / Sonoma, where it has become so sterile and commercialized.

Waiting for our pickup. Left the brood to fend for themselves for the day. 

Sometimes the most beautiful shots are right there in front of you. View from our front yard, while we waited for pick up. 

David... Doesn't he look like the kind of person that knows his wine?

First stop, Hoopenburg, a small craft winery. I discovered my new favorite varietal, the Pinotage. 

Hoopenburg is known for it's Bush Vines. Instead of stringing them up, their grapes grow in bushes, low to the ground. Apparently it has a lower yield, but makes for a tastier grape. 

Next stop, Villiera, known for their "bubbly" (Can't call it Champagne). We're not bubbly people, but were quite impressed with this one. We bought a bottle.

The weather was absolutely perfect. 

Meanwhile, back the ranch. Noon and still in their PJs.

Next stop, Mitre's Edge, another craft winery. We sat with the owner,Lola, in the cellar of her house and had a cheese pairing. She was so down to earth. In fact, all the owners were.

For some reason, all the wineries had GIANT dogs. This one was an Irish Wolfhound. Massive thing.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch. 2pm, and still in PJs.

A chance to taste some young wine direct from the barrel. 

Final Stop, Annandale, a truly craft vintner. They are known for their ultra small batch wines that are in barrels for 8 years! It is like no other wine we have ever had. They only sell their wine at the winery. Their tasting room was nothing like we have ever seen, plastered with old Rugby memorabilia and random trinkets. It smelled of a burnt wood from the massive fire place, and had cobwebs from the 70s. 

Here is the owner of Annandale, an ex-Rugby (Springbok) player, that does things his way. What an eccentric dude. He knows he can't be profitable making wine as he does, but doesn't care. It's what he likes. We bought two bottles. 

New friends from Brazil. They were with us for this experience. Lovely young couple. 

Annandale's massive dog. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the kids made a fort. When we got home, they were not in their PJs.

Robben Island
Robben Island is the cape's version of Alcatraz, a prison island in the middle of their bay. It is famous for housing Nelson Mandela and other political dissidents during the Apartheid era. Our hope was to visit and better understand this terrible period of South African history. We hate to say it, but this was such a disappointment. We're actually really upset with how they managed to take something that could be so impactful, and make it utterly meaningless. The tour is heavily scripted and you are shuttled like cattle through the prison and on a bus around the island. (This sounds crass, but it kind of felt like we were prisoners.. perhaps that was their goal).

Parts of the tour are given by actual inmates, which could have been moving. However, given their accent, it was really difficult to understand what was said. There were so many things wrong with this tour, and with only minor adjustments, and no more investment, it could be totally amazing. Later that day we find out from our host that our experience was not uncommon.

An inmate lecturing us on names and dates of people we have never heard of. 

We were literally forced to sit. The only spot left for Nicole was on the other side of the room. I had to ask to stand.

Looking back to Cape Town

This is kind of a microcosm of the tour. This frame was clearly meant for taking unique pictures, but it was haphazardly taped off, and they didn't really give us time to take pictures anyway. BTW, Cape Town suffered from it's own fire as well (you can see it off to the right)

Again, jam the tourists in super tight buses, and while we're at it, separate the families too. Then talk about interesting sites, but make it nearly impossible to take any pictures.  

Leaving the island on the ferry

Capetown has their harbour seals too. 

MacTavish
Not sure if mentioned yet, but our Airbnb comes with the coolest scottish terrier of all time. His name is MacTavish (Mackie for short). He is a one eyed dog that just kind of waddles around aimlessly.

Judged by the ingrained smell of dog in this couch, this is clearly his spot.

We love MacTavish (Everybody loves.... A terrier)

Another reason why Cape Town should be on everyone's bucket list:
In 2017, it's cheap as heck. The Dollar is crushing the Rand, and we're living like royalty (well not really, but our dollar goes a long way here). It's effectively like there is a 60% sale on everything. Seriously, everything.