Gap Year Experiences

Summer in Cape Town!

Sunday 5 April 2009

After a sun packed weekend at the beach and the cricket the girls woke up to another cloudless sky and decided there was only one thing for it – the beach! Armed with a picnic lunch and plenty sun-cream I thought I’d never seen them so happy, and then they spotted the sun-loungers. This was tanning at its most dedicated and I think the photos show that it’s paying off.

On Tuesday we ventured down the peninsula to Cape Point. The Table Mountain National Park stretches right down to the most south-westerly point in Africa and is home to surely the world’s most fearless and cheeky baboons. I think the sight of a big daddy baboon jumping through an open car window and popping out seconds later with lunch under one arm and a bottle of juice in its mouth will stay with us for a while. Hilarious to us, not so funny for the young couple and baby who would be going hungry.

Despite the group’s not so muffled groans when told of the twenty minute walk to the lighthouse the view was most definitely worth it. Small sail boats cruising around the Cape of Good Hope provided pleasing photo opportunities and everyone had worked up an appetite for a big lunch at the Cape to Cuba restaurant overlooking the picturesque Kalk Bay. This place definitely gets a strong recommendation for anyone with some time to spare in Cape Town; great food and cocktails, wacky waitresses and some pretty unique décor, which is also for sale for anyone with an afro-cuba taste.

Wednesday and Thursday was a mixture of shopping malls and beaches before a second Thursday night out at Tiger Tiger. A venue with all the requirements for a night out; big dance floor, cheap drinks and lots of party people, this was just as big as the previous week’s if not bigger and I’ve got a safe bet that says we’ll be there again this Thursday, especially if Carrie has anything to do with it! As a result, Friday was a total change of pace and we all relaxed (or snored in some cases – no names Lucy!) through an afternoon dvd session.

On Saturday we diluted the beach time with a visit to the Old Biscuit Mill Market in Woodstock. Set in a slightly more run-down part of town than the backpackers and nightspots we’d been to, this bustling mass of people were as happy sniffing out bargain clothes items as reclining to watch a public wine and mushroom tasting session – a very different morning indeed. The evening’s entertainment came courtesy of Stacey, our very own pro-surfer friend and co-instructor from our time at the Secret Spot way back in Durban. Live bands in the form of some pretty heavy rock and a mixture of more jaegerbombs and B52s made for another crazy night out on the madness that is Long Street on a weekend night.

The week’s activities clearly took their toll by Sunday as we opted for the cable car route up Table Mountain as supposed to any number of different hiking trails. A stunning view of the city was followed by yet another picture perfect sunset but even better than this, in hindsight, was the experience of eating at the Bayside Café in Camps Bay. Some of the best steaks and ribs you’re ever likely to see, especially this close to the sea. An emotional drive back to the lodge followed as the realisation that there was only one week of the trip to go dawned on the group. However this was immediately offset by the unanimous decision to make these last seven days as incredible as possible. Evidence of this to come in the next blog…

Doug