Sitting at the top table
From the misty heights of Table Mountain right down to Cape Town’s sunny beaches and colonial cobbled streets, Rosanne Turner discovers a thriving dynamism which continues to inspire PHOTOGRAPHY: PAUL BREHEM
“We often looked across Table Mountain at its magnificent silhouette. To us on Robben Island, it was a beacon of hope. It represented the mainland to which we knew we would one day return.” This is how South Africa’s living legend, Nelson Mandela, described the iconic landmark. Capetonians are passionately proud of their mountain, and are spiritually uplifted by it.
Cape Town (also known as the Mother City) is perfectly positioned according to the Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui; it possesses a positive energy which perhaps explains the laid-back attitude that Cape Town’s inhabitants are famous for. Table Mountain is an icon not only for the Western Cape, but also for Africa. Nowhere else can such a dramatic mountain be found so close to a cosmopolitan city, which is undeniably why it has made the ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’ finalists voting list.
Not to be outdone by the mountain’s accolade, Cape Town holds its ground on the Forbes Top 12 list of most beautiful cities in the world, ahead of London and New York. The city centre is an eclectic mix of architecture, where modern loft apartments tower over painstakingly restored Victorian, Edwardian and Cape Dutch buildings, that house coffee shops spilling out onto pavements; gathering spots where businessmen, tourists or students feel equally at home. Market stalls line St George’s Mall and Green Market Square, where bargain hunters haggle with djembe-playing Rastafarians. “I am here to make money in the World Cup, and experience the vibe,” says a street
vendor from Cameroon. “After that, who knows where I will go?”
Although laid-back, Capetonians are an energetic bunch, enjoying the outdoor activities and challenges that the mountain and city have to offer. “Just relax,” says Ivo Gerov, the tandem paragliding pilot. “Run when I tell you and don’t sit down until I say so – then you will be fine!” Soaring above the city and seafront suspended from a brightly hued canopy, is an exhilarating experience. Ironically, one feels on the brink of death, yet so alive simultaneously. Weather permitting, tandem paragliders fly from Lion’s Head and Signal Hill. The experience is surreal, as if you are transported into the body of an eagle, surveying the land below.
As you rise and turn with the thermals, view the new Cape Town Stadium, cruise ships in the harbour, Robben Island or perhaps a sailing regatta from the waterfront.
Abseil Africa operates the world’s highest commercial abseil from just behind Table Mountain’s upper cableway station, on the Camps Bay side. Their slogan ‘Dope on a rope’ makes you wonder if this implies the ‘high’ of being suspended more than 1,000 metres above ground, as you rappel 112 metres into pure vertical space, or if you have to be a dope to attempt such a feat. “A blind person, a paraplegic and a 70-year old grandmother have all successfully completed this adrenalin adventure,” assures Abseil Africa’s Chris Geduld.
Oceans alive!
Southern right whales swim 2,500 kilometres from Antarctica to mate and calve off the Southern Cape each year, arriving in early June and staying until November. Just 120 kilometres from Cape Town, Hermanus is known as the whale-watching capital of the world. Stroll along the scenic cliff paths, and see whales breaching only metres away or book a whale-watching tour and see them from the water.
Great white sharks also populate these waters. Get up close and personal with a shark-cage diving adventure. Adrenalin junkies can enter the cage, and not-so-brave eco-tourists can view these powerful apex predators from the safety of a boat.
Slightly less daunting is the Table Mountain cableway, which remains a top attraction. “This place is so amazing!” says Federico Uribe Velesquez, a Colombian tourist upon hearing he had become the cableway’s 20-millionth passenger. If you decide to skip the cable car and hike to the top, choose from over 100 varied routes. Don’t be misled by the popular three-kilometre Platteklip Gorge hike on the mountain’s face. The distance may be short, but it is an energetic oneto three-hour hike. “I do this hike twice a week. Today I did it in 40 minutes,” says a lean local along the way, proud of his accomplishment. As you climb, admire the fynbos vegetation. The Table Mountain National Park has the single richest floral kingdom on the planet and is a World Heritage Site. Look out for dassies, small rabbit-sized creatures whose closest living relative, bizarrely, is the elephant, due to evolutionary similarities in their teeth and feet.
Table Mountain is engulfed in history, mystery and legends. In 1503, Admiral Antonio de Saldanha anchored his fleet in the bay, climbed the mountain via Platteklip Gorge and named it ‘Taboa do Cabo’ – Table of the Cape. However, indigenous Khoikhoi people referred to it as ‘Hoerikwaggo’, meaning Sea Mountain. Many legends involve Table Mountain’s cloudy tablecloth, but perhaps the most well-known is that of a pipe-smoking contest between the devil and a Dutch pirate known as Van Hunks. To this day, when the south-easter blows, with a little imagination, the smoke from their duel can be seen in the form of the cloud bank covering the mountain.
The suburbs on the slopes of Table Mountain are as diverse as its people.
Spend a day exploring the peninsula, and it will seem as though you are travelling
through different countries. The area known as Bo Kaap (above the Cape) is
a multi-cultural area at the foot of Signal Hill. It is a lively suburb with
steep, cobbled streets and brightly coloured houses. Its residents are mainly
descendants of slaves brought to the Cape by the Dutch in the 16th and 17th
centuries from Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia. Strolling through this area
creates a sensory overload, with the chant of mosques and children’s laughter
in the street, exotic aromas coming out of kitchen windows and the uninhibited
colours of the dwellings. A short stroll from Bo-Kaap is De Waterkant and the
Cape Quarter, where historical buildings have been reformed, breathing new
life as a sophisticated shopping and residential area where Cape Town’s trendy
crowd live, shop and play.
The Atlantic Seaboard is a sharp contrast to these historical areas, starting at the V&A Waterfront, and stretching west to Hout Bay. Apartments and hotels line the seafront from Green Point, unofficially Cape Town’s gay centre, through to Sea Point, the area known for its night life. The opulent private villas of Camps Bay, Clifton and Llundundo vie for space along beaches that look as though they have been airbrushed.
If you enjoy celebrity spotting, then order a Mojito at one of the beach bars along Camps Bay, the playground of models; you shouldn’t have long to wait.
The beaches of False Bay on the back spine of the mountain are less trendy,
but the warmer, calmer waters make them ideal for families. Kalk Bay is a characteristic
fishing village lined with restaurants and antique shops. Fishing has diminished,
so enterprising locals have adapted their trade, offering tours of the bay
in former fishing trawlers. The locals still know exactly where to go for fresh
fish. Along the quay, a housewife negotiates the best price for a Cape Salmon.
As her dinner purchase is scaled and gutted, seagulls hover and a blubbery
seal waits for the entrails to be tossed into the water. He apparently loves
Cape Salmon, but scoffs at snoek (a local fish, similar to barracuda). A little
further along, is the naval village of Simon’s Town, steeped in British heritage.
At the aptly named Boulders Beach, locals and tourists sunbathe next to African
penguins who sit preening each other, not at all perturbed by the fact that
they are the star attraction of this picturesque cove.
“This cape is the most stately thing and the fairest cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth,” Sir Francis Drake noted in his journal on seeing the Cape for the first time in 1580. Although the slopes of Table Mountain are now covered by a sprawling cosmopolitan city, the Cape is just as impressive as when the early explorers first gazed at it from the shore. Abundant herds of zebra and antelope are now replaced with a city of spirited people, eager to show the rest of the world what Cape Town has to offer.
Cape Town fact file
HOW TO GET THERE
KLM flies direct to Cape Town International Airport fi ve times a week from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
WHERE TO EAT & DRINK
Cape Town prides itself on its coffee culture. These options are sure to please:
Origin Coffee Roasting Rub shoulders with locals and enjoy speciality African coffees in the unique De Waterkant area.
Bread
Enjoy a freshly baked croissant, surrounded by original art, and explore the Bromwell Boutique Mall upstairs for an eclectic mix of art and collectables in the Woodstock district.
The Sweetest Thing
Give in to temptation at this popular Simon’s Town haunt. Try the passion fruit tart.
Eastern Food Bazaar
Savour authentic yet very affordable Eastern fare in a vibrant setting on Long Market Street. Open daily.
WHERE TO STAY
Grand Daddy Hotel
Spend the night in the world’s only penthouse trailer park, on the roof of the hotel. www.granddaddy.co.za
Cellars-Hohenort Hotel
Experience 5-star colonial ,charm on the southern slopes of Table Mountain.www.cellars-hohenort.com
De Waterkant Village Enjoy the central location and character of these colourful cottages. www.dewaterkant.co.za
WEBSITES
www.capetowntravel.com
www.abseilafrica.co.za
www.downhilladventures.com
