The Mother City

I landed in Cape Town at around 9am local time on Friday. My first thought was that I had now set foot on every continent in the world (if you exclude Antarctic and the Arctic, of course). Getting through passport control was quick and easy, and I made my way out of the airport terminal to get a taxi into the city. The sky was immaculately blue, and it was a gloriously warm day - the rays of the sun caressed my winter ravaged skin like an expert masseur in a posh brothel. Or something like that.

I had been warned by many visitors to Cape Town that the journey from the airport is a real eye opener. Sure enough, as my taxi joined the M2 motorway heading towards the city I saw the ramshackle townships beside the road that are home to thousands of South Africans. I wouldn't say I was shocked (my journey through a slum in Mumbai a few years ago toughened me up when it comes to witnessing abject poverty) but it was an early glimpse into how incredibly unequal this country is.

I arrived at my little guesthouse in the Sea Point area around 10am. The owner was quite taken aback that I was able just to walk straight in and into reception (somebody obviously hadn't locked the door properly). I suppose his attitude was an early glimpse into the need for stringent security here.

The owner then sat me down and marked out where we were on the map, and pointed out basic things such as decent local restaurants and where to get the bus from etc. He then proceeded to mark out where the gay village is in Cape Town, which I interpreted as being rather presumptuous. I don't think I had any glitter in my hair or had announced my arrival by skipping around the swimming pool, but it was nice of him to be so thorough in briefing me about the best places to go.

After dumping my stuff and getting changed, I headed down to the sea. The heat was very strong and it was made deceptive at times by strong wind, so I applied loads if factor 50 in a bid to avoid getting fried alive. 

I had a spot of brunch in a nice cafe bar, posted an obligatory gloating Facebook update, and then walked over to the Green Point area where the city's World Cup stadium is. It looked very impressive from the outside, but unfortunately there are no tours or access to the arena itself, so I didn't get to have a look inside.

From Green Point I strolled over to the famous Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, which is resplendent with bars, restaurants and shopping malls. I spent the entire afternoon here - gleefully lapping up the gorgeous weather and cheap fine wines. Cape Town would be a very nice city in its own right, but what makes it such a beautiful place is the stunning backdrop that is Table Mountain. I sat in awe of this incredible sight for hours, simply captivated by it.

I returned to the guest house around 5 and had a doze. After showering and getting changed, I then headed out with the intention of going to the Camps Bay area. I very quickly realised that strolling around the streets at night trying to find a cab is not probably a very good idea, but I found one relatively easily. 

Camps Bay could not be more of a contrast to the townships that I saw earlier in the day. It is a stunning resort sporting a load of swanky restaurants and plush houses. One of the great things about Cape Town is that eating out and drinking is relatively cheap, so I was able to gorge myself on steak and fine red wine for a decent price. After a great dinner and a glass if brandy to finish the night off, I got a taxi back to the guesthouse. It had been an amazing day.