How do we tell the weather in Cape Town?
Well the old fashioned way is to read a weather report but they are not always reliable.
The other way is to look at the mountains. If the table cloth is coming down on Table Mountain then we have strong winds on the way. If there is cloud on Lion’s Head then we have rain on the way. And if there is no cloud on any of our mountains then the weather should be good.
The wind direction causes cloud formation and in turn they both create our weather.
We can also see a cold front coming in over the sea. A thick blanket of low lying cloud slowly moves in toward land and engulfs us. In the picture you can see we had rain due shortly.
We have a mountain ridge running all the way along the Cape Peninsula to Cape Point. The one side is the rainy side and is lush and verdant. The other side much drier and the vegetation is sparse and bushy by comparison.
Where to eat in Cape Town? There are eateries galore in Cape Town. Being a coastal city seafood is big. The Malay influence extends to curries. And South Africans love their meat. “Rys, vleis en aartappels” – rice meat and potatoes – is the mantra here. Steak houses abound and I am told our steaks rival the Aberdeen Angus and Argentinian meat. I can’t speak on this as I am a vegetarian. The local favourite is the Spur steakhouse chain. Excellent value.
My favourite deli is Giovanni’s on Main Road in Green Point. Their food is to die for, as are their coffees. When I want restaurant food but can’t be bothered to go out, I go on-line and order from Mr Delivery. They will even bring a pint of milk with your food.
A good wine guide is John Platter and the two eating guides are Eating Out and Dining Out.www.johnplatterguide.com or www.eatout.co.za or www.dining-out.co.za
Cape Town city area is packed full of interesting places. In the picture is the Metropolitan Golf Course. Its a 9 hole course but with a set of tees and greens that can be mixed and matched. And it’s only a 5 minute walk from the V and A Waterfront.
The V and A Waterfront has a few places of interest too. One of the museums there is the S A Fisheries Museum – showcasing things relating to commercial fishing. There is also the S A Maritime Museum – all about shipping, harbours and boats of old.
Just outside the V and A Waterfront is Somerset hospital and nearby is the Cape Medical Museum which has displays of doctors rooms from back when, pharmacies and also features traditional medicines and healing practices.
Not far from the Waterfront is Green Point Lighthouse with it’s own museum and also Fort Wynyard, which is a naval museum specialising in coastal defence.
We have a guesthouse here in Cape Town. Find us at Cape Coast Views. We are always amazed that visitors buy bottled water. Tap water in most of South Africa is perfectly safe to drink.
We have The Blue Drop Report which grades tap water in our regions. Jozi tops the list with the best water in South Africa and Cape Town comes in second.
That is not to say all South Africans have access to tap water.
In rural areas people walk miles to collect water in plastic drums. I am always amazed at how the woman carry heavy barrels of water – on their heads! Little girls have little barrels and the older woman carry the heavier containers. I can’t even balance a book on my head.
I was chatting to a friend last night and she spoke of another scary character that exists in our local folklore. Antjie Somers is a ghost man who dresses as a woman. He sneaks into houses at night when there are no men around and steals children.
Children were warned to behave or Anjie Somers would come and get them. How did the legend start? Some say it is a ghost come back to haunt people. Some say it is a combination of the names of two real thugs. Or it could have been parents threatening their children back then with the character of a real life cross dresser.
We don’t know what happened to the children after Anjie had taken them.
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.
There are fearsome mythological creatures from all over the world. Scotland has it’s monster in Loch Ness. The Yeti stalks the Himalayas. Trolls hide under bridges in Scandinavia and dragons slay people in the east.
We have our own scary monster too. He is called Tokoloshe. He is reputed to be a small, hairy ape like creature. He can be bothersome, even harmful. Some people in the villages still sleep with their beds on bricks or blocks so they are high enough to escape Tokoloshe at night.
People will swear they have seen him although it’s supposed to be bad luck to admit such a thing. If a person is highly superstitious they will often get a talisman from the Sangoma (local shaman) to protect them from Tokoloshe.
Sangomas also throw the bones and read them to predict the future. If you want an African version of a tarot reading or local herbs (muti) for an ailment then arrange to meet the local Sangoma.
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.
