Tuesday 24 July 2007

Cape Town Part 2

Our second day in Cape Town was the only rain that we saw over the whole 3 weeks that we were in South Africa. Rather a contrast to the England. It turned into a relaxing day, with visits to the Victoria and Alfred waterfront and Kloof Street.

Sunday, our third day, we visited the Jewish Museum and the Holocaust Museum. Very interesting and very moving. It gave us a good idea of some of the history of the country and the development of commerce there. We learnt about the establishment of ostrich farming in Oudsthoorn, a town we visited on the way to the Cango Caves later in our trip.

On Monday we did the round tour of the Cape Peninsular. Chapman's Peak drive had finally been reopened (it had been closed for 3 years due to a landslide), so unlike on our honeymoon we were able to do a complete circuit. I managed to conquer my fear of heights and make it to the top at Cape Point. Then it was on to Boulder's Bay and the African penguin colony. The penguins had babies of a variety of ages, all fluffy and cute, so plenty of photo opportunities from the boardwalks. Finally it was on to Simonstown for coffee and cake - just as we did on our honeymoon.

Our final full day in Cape Town was spent at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on the slopes of Table Mountain. Even in winter it is worth a visit. We took to golf buggy tour and we rewarded with a view of an eagle owl resting in a tree. We'd never have found it without the botanist showing it to us.

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