Some things are learned the fun way; others are learned the hard way. In either case, we come out the wiser for it, right? Every time I leave Canada, I feel like I discover as much about myself as I do about the country I’m visiting. This past couple of weeks have been very eventful, filled with lots of great stuff, but also some bad. I guess that’s fairly typical when we travel through.
Two weeks ago I went to a market in Stellenbosch (A University town close to Somerset West) with some friends. The market reminded me of Toronto actually. Lots of interesting foods, and clothing I couldn’t afford. I enjoyed browsing. Afterwards, I went shopping in Stellenbosch with my flatmate. It wasn’t soon after; that I found myself standing at the bank money machine, completely baffled by the thief who had just driven away with my debit card and pin. You are probably wondering how the heck I managed that one. I wasn’t careful enough and let my guard down. I feel pretty embarrassed about letting someone “help” me at a money machine actually. Who does that? Thank goodness there was a daily max. on my account, and the bank is going to refund me the money that was stolen. What a stressful lesson learned. It’s very scary being in another country and having your source of money taken from you. I’m glad I brought a MasterCard with me. Maybe this will be a lesson for whoever is reading this too. Don’t let anyone near you at an ATM. Take 2 ways to access money. Don’t carry them at the same time. That evening, my flatmate took me out for drinks though, and it was a nice gesture to cheer me up.
The following weekend, I went to the Cape Town city centre with a friend who met me at the Long Street Backpacker. It was a relaxing weekend, walking around the botanical gardens in Kirstenbosch, eating out on patios, touring the city on the double-decker red bus (getting sunburnt), visiting the Aquarium at the waterfront, shopping, shopping and more shopping. I am just about ready for Christmas now.
The Long Street Backpacker is a great place to hang out on the balcony and people watch. It’s sort of like a movie. On Saturday nights, it’s packed with people, going to the bars and restaurants. If you sit there for long enough, you will see a fight break out. We went for a walk to the MacDonald’s about 3 blocks away, and 3 guys asked us if we wanted weed. A lady asking for money followed us for 2 blocks until I asked a “public safety” worker to get rid of her, and on other occasions, a beggar threatened to steal from us because we wouldn’t give him anything. It’s something that’s so “normal” for this area of the city, but I wouldn’t go anywhere alone. All of these things happen in Toronto as well, but it’s scarier here for some reason.
I’m going to tell the rest of my stories and what I’ve learned with photos below.
I hope you enjoy!
Stellenbosch – Wine farms area – where we went to a market
Stellenbosch – pretty town with a university in it
Nothing like a couple of shots of.. Whiskey, I think.. to forget you were just robbed. Thanks Tom 🙂
Photo taken from the balcony of the Long Street Backpacker – imagine the street completely jammed with cars and people.. Sorry I didn’t get you a photo of that.
Botanical Gardens in Kirstenbosch – Me with the Strelitzia flowers (looks like a bird’s head)
Botanical Gardens – Eqyption Goose
Botanical Gardens – In the “Enchanted Forest”
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Gardens – looking towards Table Mountain – We actually originally planned to climb the mountain, starting from the Botanical Garden, but the clouds rolled in, so we decided not to.
Some old Capetonians call Table Mountain Rock Man, Sleeping Giant or Old Grey Father as one can see a sleeping giant in the profile when viewed from certain angles. He is thought of as the guardian of the gateway of Africa.
Many Cape Muslims view Table Mountain as a protective force that guards those living within its ring from natural disaster.
Nelson Mandela planted a Pepper-bark tree on his visit
to Kirstenbosch on Aug.21, 1996.
Pretty red/orange flower – Bush Lily (Clivia miniata) – Houseplants since
the 1850s. They were first sent to Europe from KwaZulu-Natal in the
early 1850s. They are in danger of extinction because whole plants are
destroyed for the roots which are used in traditional medicine.
Plants and seeds are removed for the garden trade.
A pair of spotted eagle owls were nesting in the area. Spotted Eagle Owls form life-long pair bonds. They nest in the spring, laying 2 to 3 eggs. The
female parent incubates the eggs, and both parents rear the chicks. The chicks learn to fly at 6-7 weeks and the family remains a tight unit up until the
next breeding season.
While walking in Cape Town, we came aross this wall.. Before I die..
It was really interesting to read what people wanted to do in their life.
The city of Cape Town looks a fair bit like Toronto in some places.
Cape Town
That puff of cloud is covering Table Mountain… Perhaps it’s Van Hunks..
Van Hunks and the Devil: Devil’s Peak was once called Windberg. Van Hunks was a retired pirate who enjoyed sitting on the slopes of Windberg smoking his pipe, drinking rum and enjoying the view. One day he was approached by a cloaked stranger who asked for some of his tobacco. Van Hunks gave him some and boasted that he could smoke any man under the table. The stranger accepted the challenge. They smoked for days and the cloud of smoke grew so thick that it covered the mountain like a giant tablecloth. The stranger finally collapsed and while trying to revive him with rum, Van Hunks noticed the horns on his head and realized that he’d been smoking with the Devil himself. They both vanished in a puff of smoke and from then on, Windberg was known as Devil’s Peak, and whenever the cloud appears we know that Van Hunks is being forced to repeat this duel again.
Dominik (from Austria) and I explored the city on a very windy day.
cool shot of Table Mountain in the background
Interesting Advertisement eh?
This was the largest shopping centre I’ve ever been in I think.. I can’t even see the end of the stip. This is the Victoria Market at the waterfront in Cape Town. The stores are really nice, but too expensive for me.
I read on plaque in the city…
Apartheid (‘separateness’) was a political system which classified people as ‘white’, ‘coloured’, ‘Indian’ or ‘African’ and tried to segregate their lives from birth to death. The apartheid government ruled from 1948 to 1994, extending from formalising older forms of segregation. Africans were classed as migrant workers, forced to carry passes and live in ‘locations’. People classified ‘coloured’ or ‘Indian’ were forced out of their homes in the city to ‘Group Areas’. Integrated neighbourhoods and institutions and all forms of protest were targeted.
All public facilities were segregated, including beaches, public transport, playgrounds, schools, halls, cinemas, even graveyards.
‘Out of experience of the extraordinary human disaster… must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud. The time to build is upon us… Never, never
and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another…’ – Nelson Mandela’s inaugural speech as President, 10 May 1994
I didn’t go in this building, I just thought it was pretty. Long Street, Cape Town
Breakfast outside a little restaurant. I think it was called “Mozart’s”. I had a nice latte from this mug.
On the bus tour, we plugged our headsets into one of these, and chose from probably a dozen different languages.
The castle in Cape Town – sorry I don’t know much about it, becaus I didn’t go in.
Street in Cape Town – Bus Tour
Nelson Mandela gave a speech from that balcony, if I understood correctly.
Stands like this are along many of the streets in Cape Town
People try to sell you things while you are stopped at a light. This women is selling newspapers I think. – Cape Town
Bus Tour
I just realized the constuction worker was waving at me for the photo 🙂 This is near the point on table mountain where people get in the cable car to take them up.
close to the point where the cable car goes up Table Mountain
Near Camps Bay I think.. ? Bus Tour around Cape Town
Nice looking hotel – the 12 Apostles are behind it.
Bus Tour – across from a beach
This is supposed to be a “wind free zone”, but the trees tell otherwise. They said the wind blows off the water and bounces off the buildings, making the trees bend towards the ocean. On the other size of the street the trees are bend away from the ocean..
check out that tree.. shaped by the wind.
Hospital – Cape Town
To tell the sailors what time it is.. Ball drops at 1pm
The view from the Aquarium cafe (where we ate lunch). That’s Table Mountain (in case you can’t tell :p)
Nemo says hi
-Aquarium
shrimpfish -Aquarium
Knysna Seahorse – the only seahorse which is endangered – grow to 12cm in length – there are 30-40 different kinds of seahorses, but only 5 of these have
been seen around the southern African coastline. -Aquarium
ragged-tooth sharks -Aquarium
Giant Spider Crabs -Aquarium
Aquarium
Aquarium
Aquarium
Looks like a toonie, but it’s 5 Rands – Aquarium
Penguins -Aquarium
Moulting Penguins – At certain times of the year, penguins moult to get rid of their old feathers which are no longer waterproof. During their annual moult penguins
don’t swim as they would be exposed to very cold water and die. – Aquarium
Overfishing is a problem, “Eat Mo Chicken”
– Aquarium
So far… against whaling: 49666, for whaling: 6222
The Long Street Backpacker – The best view is from the 3rd story
My first Cricket game was this past Sunday. It was fun, but Baseball is better 🙂
Yellow Strelitzia – named in honour of President Mandela.
It is an unusual golden yellow colour from of the normally orange
species, and it took nearly 20 years of selecting and careful
cross-pollinating to develop.
THE GLOBAL EXPERIENCE BLOG 
Do you mind if I quote a several of your blog posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your website:
https://theglobalexperienceblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/life-in-cape-town/.
Please let me know if this is okay with you. Thank you
Sorry for my delayed response. If you are still looking to use the materials, please go ahead.