South Africa: Cape Town

Part 1

Decades ago I went to Kenya on a safari. Rather than the lux safaris of today, it was an overland camping trip. Showers were in a tent with a hanging bucket and we enjoyed incredible meals cooked on an open fire. Initially we traveled by safari truck and then traded trucks for horses. Our camp was broken down each morning after we departed and reset at our destination. We galloped with animals, outran storms, engaged with the Masai and swam in water holes. The Masai guarded our campsite at night to protect the horses from the lions. It was phenomenal. One thing we all learned, Africa holds a special allure. Is it “miles and miles of bloody Africa”, hanging with wildlife or something more elemental that speaks to our souls. It doesn’t matter why, it just is. I had to go back.

Sadly the world has become too careful for safaris like the above but there is something to be said for a comfortable bed, indoor plumbing and hot water bottles on a chilly morning. Plus my 20+ year quest to convince Earl to go to Africa would have failed immediately if I even mentioned the word “camping”. 

With a commitment that this trip would include the finer things in life such as air conditioning, we started our research. We highly recommend Rob Slater of Safari Consultants who crafted a wonderful trip that satisfied both of our requirements. We settled on South Africa because there is a nonstop flight from Washington DC to Cape Town and the animal viewing in the north was best when we wanted to travel, our summer and their winter.

What follows is a four part photographic story of our journey beginning in Cape Town where we spent three days before and after our time at the safari camps. 

Cape Town is a good city and has the potential to be great if they can solve their cultural and crime problems. Apartheid was truly abhorrent. It began to crumble in 1990 and was officially dead in 1994. Unfortunately however, South African leadership has not found a path forward culturally or economically that enables the majority of the citizens to lift themselves out of poverty. Crime is a serious problem. It was safe to walk around the V&A Waterfront after dark due to notable police presence but nowhere else.

On the other hand, Cape Town is beautiful, people are unusually friendly, there is plenty to see and do and it’s relatively inexpensive for a sizable city. Plus the excellent restaurants are a foodie’s delight. 

Rob recommended the Fairmount Cape Grace in the V&A Waterfront and we loved everything about it. Another hotel that gets attention is the Silo Hotel. The photo below is from the Silo’s rooftop deck. The Fairmont is the brick building bottom right.

Table Mountain dominates the Cape Town skyline and often has a cloud cap in winter as shown in the photo above, upper left. For a great view, the more adventurous can hike up Table Mountain or, like us, take the cable car and hike the trails at the top. We were walking in a cloud for much of our visit but that too was interesting. 

One of the coolest things about Cape Town is a working dry dock in the middle of the tourist area. In the photo below, they have floated the boat and are in the process of opening the gate. The Fairmont Cape Grace is the structure far left. 

One of the more bizarre happenings was a standing protest every Saturday exactly at 2:00pm with pro and anti-Isreal protestors chanting at each other. What do the nearby store employees say: “Please make it stop”.

During our wanders in the V&A Waterfront, we went to the excellent Oranjezicht Market wishing we had gone before lunch.

We thoroughly enjoyed Kirstenbosch Gardens. Miles of good walking trails in a beautiful environment. 

How nice that this collared sunbird landed in the bird of paradise just as I was taking a shot. 

Share

We visited Bo-Kapp formerly known as the Malay Quarter. It is at the foot of Signal Hill and is famous for its brightly colored houses and the oldest mosque in South Africa. “The houses in the area are a mix of Cape Dutch and Georgian architecture and the bright colours, it is said, are attributed to the fact that while on lease, all the houses had to be white. When this rule was eventually lifted, and the slaves were allowed to buy the properties, all the houses were painted bright colours by their owners as an expression of their freedom.” 

Perhaps it started this way, but my instincts suggest the bright colors were embraced and expanded in recent years to attract tourists. There are a few interesting shops and a photography studio worth a visit. A sketchy guy followed us into a couple places and then started closing in on me, or more likely, my camera. Earl, whose head was on a constant swivel, issued a loud warning as he and the potential thief walked toward me. Not surprisingly, the guy skittered away.

A trip around the Cape is worth it and do stop at Boulders to see the African penguins. Go early to beat the crowds. Note the buses can only travel the Cape road in one direction. Our excellent guide Warren wisely suggested we drive the Cape in the opposite direction to arrive at the penguins before the hordes. I am glad we did because the platform was elevated (not great for photographing wildlife) and if I were not already lying down shooting before the busses arrived, it would have been impossible to do so. 

African penguins are between 24”- 28” tall and weigh 4.9 – 7.7 lbs. These social birds are also known as Jackass penguins due to their donkey like call. It’s very funny to hear this little creature make that loud braying sound. They spend most of the time in the water either cooling off or eating. They can swim up to 12.5 mph when chasing prey, mostly “anchovies, horse mackerel, round herrings, and pilchards. They may also eat crustaceans and squid.”

When on land, it appears that preening is penguins’ favorite activity: “African penguins regularly preen themselves, rearranging their feathers to clean off dirt, ticks and parasites. Preening also distributes natural oils to ensure insulation and a water-proof quality.” It was entertaining to watch parents diligently chase after their babies to preen them. Mom and dad finally corralled this young one who looks super happy about it. 

The Cape itself is full of nice walks and beautiful vistas with ostriches wandering about. I have a thing for ostriches and we both recoiled in horror when we first saw ostrich meat on the menu. We accidentally ate some one day and discovered it a is delicious red meat with a very good nutritional profile. One learns something new every day in Africa.

Our opinion of Capetown can best be answered by whether we would return. Absolutely yes as a starting and ending point for another African adventure.

Now onto the main event, the safari…