Well look what we have! Our very own London Eye. Except it’s a Cape Town Eye. You will find it at the entrance to the V and A Waterfront. This one is probably not as tall as it’s older cousin in the UK, but the views are going to be fabulous. Let’s hope it stays up.
Cape Town is sometimes called the second city of light and the vista of twinkling lights at night will be breathtaking from this Ferris wheel. I sometimes treat myself to a drive along Signal Hill Road, on my way home from a night out, so I can gaze at the city lights.
Africa doesn’t always get a good rap in the press and is often judged harshly by western countries. A nice newsletter to read or subscribe to is – Africa, The Good News. It’s not all despots and tribal wars here. The simplicity of life in Africa can be refreshing in contrast to the gotta-have-it-all culture of wealthier nations.
Where to shop and what to buy in Cape Town?
The main shopping malls are – The V and A Waterfront in the city; Cavendish Square in the near south and Canal Walk in the near north. They feature more or less the same merchandise available all over the world – decor, clothing, foods, etc. Plus cafes, cinemas and the usual extras one would find in a mall. Same old stuff.
My preference is toward the more interesting and unusual. So Long Street and Greenmarket Square (in picture) are where I would go. Explore the edgy decor shops and funky fashion boutiques. You should find a vintage clothing shop or two and and antique traders. If you are fit enough, and walk all the way up Kloof Street, near the top is Stock Exchange. They trade in second hand designer clothing. Look out for Wellness Warehouse on the way up Kloof Street. They are packed full of organic and eco-friendly merchandise. Maybe take in an organic buffet breakfast or lunch while you are there?
Should you have free time on a Sunday then wander around the Green Point flea market for gifts for the family. The Red Shed and the Blue Shed at the V and A Waterfront are indoor craft markets, so you can still shop if the weather is rubbish. Do invest in Environ skin care products. They were developed by a local plastic surgeon and are very affordable here. Environ has cult status amongst A-list celebrities abroad. Your skin will thank you.
These poster boards are put up to help people identify our local fauna. This particular board can be found along The Promenade in Sea Point. There are different ones. They explain more about whales and whatever is of interest wherever you happen to be.
Whales are not so easy to spot because they look like rocks in the sea. But a tell tale sign is water blowing up from their backs. Rocks don’t do that. We get whales this side but they are more frequently seen in False Bay, which is the warm water side of the mountain. They can come up close. They roll about and flick their fins and tails in the air.
Sea gulls are impossible to miss and if you are hoping to have a picnic on the grass in Sea Point. Be prepared to share. They swoop down and pinch your food so fast. In fact in no time a huge amount of them will be hovering about. Even the restaurants along the coast have to chase them away. They eye you out, ever hoping to steal some of what is on your plate. An excellent pocket guide on all that is natural in Cape Town is available from SA National Parks. It’s called Mountains in the Sea.
In South Africa we have a community policing forum. Local residents meet with their police and discuss what the police have been up to and anything residents feel the police should be aware of or monitor.
We get together once a month and do what we call a crime walk. It’s a walking tour of an area. Locals managed to get prostitutes to leave the streets by merely hanging about and making it difficult for the girls to ply their trade. A potential customer is not likely to want to pick up a girl if a group of grannies in fluorescent yellow bibs are chatting to her endlessly.
The yellow bib brigade used passive techniques with great success. Good on them!
We were all set to visit our new urban park and lo … it is a “lock down” area until after Soccer World Cup. How disappointing! Clearly access in and around Green Point is now subject to FIFA regulations. In the picture are the media tents that have gone up on the common. At least some people get to use the common, just not those of us who live here.
It’s not all jazz here in Africa. Some of us are partial to a bit of rock too. We don’t get as many of the major tours and shows as they do up north. South Africa is right at the bottom of Africa and for two shows at best, most musicians can’t be bothered to make the trip. But then again some do. As you can see from the poster Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and Wishbone Ash will be here next week.
And yes I am going to see them. Hope they still up to rocking.
We used to have live acts at the old Green Point Stadium. I’ve seen Bon Jovi, U2, Metallica, Crowded House and Lenny Kravitz amongst others there. After the Soccer Cup is over, I’m sure the stadium will be used for a lot more than just soccer. If you keen to take in local shows look up Computicket on-line.
I also went to the Labia theatre and saw – It might get Loud. A rockumentary on Jack White, The Edge and Jimmy Page. Brilliant! There are two Labia’s. One on Orange Street and the other on Kloof Street. You can see what’s on by looking up their web page. It’s usually interesting stuff and nothing like the rubbish on offer at mainstream cinemas.
The night skies here are are different to those up north. In summer, when we have clear skies most of the time we see the southern constellations – Orion, Pandora’s Box, The Southern Cross and more.
When the moon is full, it is so bright, hikers take a night walk up Lion’s Head. The planetarium which is close to The Company Gardens has a display of the night sky and the constellations for visitors. For a list of other local museums Google IZIKO.
The more serious star gazers might want to take a trip out to Sutherland and the observatory. Sutherland is probably the coldest place in South Africa in winter and not a lot goes on there. Which is why the observatory was built there. Sutherland is in The Karoo, which is semi desert and the landscape is totally different to Cape Town.
Picture courtesy of SA Tourism
Go to – My Holidays and Trips – at the top of this page to read about other places we have visited. Or just click on – this link.
