Republic of SOUTH AFRICA 5th Day:- Cape Town to Johannesburg- March,26th,2019

Republic of SOUTH AFRICA     

5th Day:- Cape Town to Johannesburg- 26.03.2019

Our flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg was at 06:20 in the morning. We woke up very early and took our breakfast package prepared by our Hotel. We were on time and we went to the gate. I ate some of the foodstuff which I had selected out of my breakfast package at the Hotel.

It was around 08:30 when our plane landed at Johannesburg airport. Our bus took us from the airport and drove us into the city. It is a very green city and the climate looks friendly and calm. The city is extending to a wide geography and the population is said to be around 17 Million. Johannesburg is well known with gold mines. The bus drove in the city and we saw the Mandela Square and a little part of the down town. We stopped at a view point which looks over to the North of the city. That part of the city is covered with green trees and gardens.

The northern part of Johannesburg

Mandela 's House in Johannesburg

Gravel stones with messages at the side of the Mandela 's House

Then we stopped at the corner of the Mandela’s House. This one is the house where Mandela lived until his death. It is a nice looking, moderate house under security control.

After that stop we came to a big souvenir shop. We spent almost 1,5 hour and bought some souvenirs. I also bought a small pocket knife decorated with giraffe bone. In addition to this I also bought two colorful African masks and a small wooden frog which is a kind of musical instrument.

Our guys made an extra plan and we continued on the bus to the Lions’ Park. It is a large natural park owned by a person and there are a few lions’ families living in nature. So far I remember it is an area approx. 180 hectares.

There we ate our lunch and then visited the baby lions in their enclosed garden. The watchmen, there, are allowing the visitors to touch and pet baby lions. I only took pictures though. Then we had been taken by some special trucks secured with cage type enclosures all around to the field. We saw three-four different lion families in the field. A cheetah family, few wild dogs and a couple of ostriches were also animals we met.

Wild dogs

Cheetah family

After finishing the visit at the Lions’ Park we continued to our Hotel “Park Inn Sandton”. This one is a modern city hotel and the rooms are comfortable and big. Our room is on the 4^th floor. After putting my stuff in the room I went down to the lobby bar and drank a local whiskey (Bains’). Then we ate in the restaurant of the Hotel which is on the ground floor.

Then we went to sleep.

Johannesburg is not a safe city. Especially after darkness it is not suggested to go out from the hotels in general. There is a lot of crime happening in the city. We stayed at the Hotel and ate in the Hotel ‘s restaurant.

Republic of SOUTH AFRICA 4th Day:- Cape Town - March,25th,2019

Republic of SOUTH AFRICA     

4th Day:- Cape Town - 25.03.2019

City Tours by Walking

There was strong wind during the night. When I woke up morning I saw heavily shaking trees outside. The wind was very strong. The people said that this is something normal for Cape Town. After the breakfast in our Hotel Lady Hamilton, around 08.00 o’clock, we had been declared that the boat tour and the visit to the Robben Island had cancelled.

We made an alternative plan for today. It was around 10.00 when we left the Hotel and walked to the direction of the Company’s Garden. We walked downwards on the Plein Street and saw the Jewish Museum and SA National Art Gallery from outside. Then we entered the Company’s Garden. It is like a Botanic Park for today. There are various trees and plants. The oldest tree of this area is also to see in a protected enclosure and support. The sky is partially cloudy but the wind is still effective. There are squirrels running in the garden.

Walk in the Company's Garden.

Open market

Starting with 1650 ‘ies the Dutch-Indian Company came here and started with agricultural production. They had used to produce food (vegetable, fruit and similar stuff) for those who were sailing between India and Europe. Cape Town had been accepted as the midpoint of this spice route and the company served for food logistics to the ships.

At 11:00 o’clock we came to the meeting point with the Green Umbrella Tour group.

Green Umbrella is the name of the organization which make walking tours in the city.

We participated at the “Historical City Tour”. Our guide took us through the streets and we saw Houses of Parliament, Grand Parade Square, Town Hall, Castle of Good Hope (from far away) and Green Market Square etc.

Open markets in the Green Market

Open  market

Centre of the Cape Town es established at the Green Market Square

House of Parliament

Town Hall

Town Hall at the side of the Grande Parade Square

As we finished at the Green Market Square we went to the Tiger’s Milk Restaurant. We had finished our lunch and then we walked to the meeting point of Green Umbrella.

At 14:00 there was another Walking Tour: Apartheid Tour. Our same guide took us this time to the street Buitenkant which was formerly the border line of the city. Here from starts the District Six. In the Apartheid time the entrance to the city was restricted and this was one of the bordering lines. We walked to the Slave Lodge. Slave Lodge had been used during the slave trading time and slaves from different parts of the world had been brought to this lodge. Then we walked through the Company’s Garden to Apartheid High Court. There, we saw symbolically two benches. One for the white people the other one for Non-White people. 

Previously Slave Lodge, now Cultural History Museum

Previously Slave Lodge

As we finished the walking tour we decided to walk to Castle of Good Hope. We went there and saw inside of the castle. The castle was first built between 1652 and 1653 out of clay. Starting with 1665 the castle had been built again out of stone. After spending almost 45 minutes here we went out and started to walk to our Hotel.

Entrance to the castle of Good Hope

Swimming Pool, Inside of the Castle of Good Hope

Outer yard of the Castle

 We took a rest in the room and then we decided to go to an Italian restaurant in Waterkant.

We called an UBER taxi and this one took us to the restaurant Osteria Tarantino. They were overbooked and we couldn’t find table. The gentle guy suggested us another Italian restaurant Al Forno which is very close. Al Forno is a nice Italian restaurant and the owner is Italian. The guy (around 65) was also there sitting with his friends.

After we finished our meal we walked back to our Hotel. We always used the busy streets and spent almost 50 minutes for walking. It was good time for being at our Hotel. Next morning we had our scheduled flight early in the morning to Johannesburg.

Republic of SOUTH AFRICA 3rd Day:- Cape Town - March,24,2019 Hout Bay, Cape Point

Republic of SOUTH AFRICA     

3rd Day:- Cape Town - 24.03.2019

Hout Bay, Simons Town, Cape Point

After the breakfast in our Hotel Lady Hamilton, around 09.00 o’clock, our bus ‘Mega Coach’ took us to coastal road on the West of the Cape Town. We drove through Bantry Bay and then reached to the Camps Bay. It was around 10.00. Our bus stopped in a parking lot and we gave a short break for taking pictures.

Camps Bay, South Africa

Camps Bay is the beach where the Portuguese discovery ships came and established their first camp in the last decade of 15^th century. The pioneers to discover this part of the world where Barthelme Diaz and Vasquez de Gama on behalf of the Portuguese king.

Their goal was to turn around South Africa to the East where the spice was coming from.

After half an hour we continued our trip on route M6 which is the so-called Victoria Drive to the direction Hout Bay. The scenic road Victoria is connecting Hout Bay to the Cape Town Since we were heading to the South, the blue and endless ocean was on our right hand side. The sky was partially cloudy but the sun was promisingly shining.

We arrived at Hout Bay around 11:00 o’clock.This is a small fisherman’s’ town. Our bus came to park. We walked in the Mariner’s Wharf. There were a couple of seals around. Small ethnic groups were making music and children were dancing for the tourists.

I bought a coffee. Then we waited for our scheduled boat trip. Our boat took us to a small

rocky island just 2-3 miles away from the coast. There are colony of seals on and around the small island. Our boat approached to the island and we took pictures.

Then we sailed back to the Mariner’s Wharf.

Hout Bay, Mariner's Wharf

Open Souvenier Shops, Hout Bay

Dancing children at the Hout Bay

Marina at the Hout Bay

Just before boarding for the seals

Seal colony living on a rocky island

Seal Colony

We seated in our bus and we started to drive. Leaving Hout Bay, at a view point we stopped only to take few pictures. We continued on the Chapman’s Peak Drive. This is a panoramic road which is good for passengers but not for the drivers. The road is with many curves and getting narrow from time to time. The elevation of the road is changing between 60 and 120 meters from sea level. According to the existing rules it is a one direction route is for big buses. It is a dangerous road section but most scenic as well.

Chapman 's Peak Drive (foto taken from The Vibe Guest Studios' page)

We came to the Simons Town which is on False Bay side. Our bus drove us further down. We passed at the side of the naval base of Republic South Africa.The symbol of this naval base has used to be a Golden Retriever. It was a devoted and sympathetic dog of the base in the past.

Further down we came to a place where a big Penguin Colony is leaving. We were at the East coast of the peninsula. We walked on the sandy beach to the penguins. They were bordered by the wooden hand trails all along the walking deck. We took a lot of pictures and while walking back to the bus I bought delicious ice cream from one of the nice looking ice cream corner.

Penguin Colony in Simons Town, South Africa

A penguin warming the egg.

We arrived at the pre-booked restaurant at the sea side. They served us with sea food, fish and green salad. I took also a cold South African beer. After the lunch we continued our road on M4 to the Cape Point. When we came to the Cape Point the weather changed badly and a thick fog was around. We bought the tickets for the funicular which takes the people to the light house which is located at approx. 180 meter from sea level. It is a huge and powerful light house visible from 100 miles. We took a few pictures and then came down with the funicular. There is a souvenir shop at the lower funicular station and I bought a key ring with Cape Point symbol as a gift to my son. One of the interesting thing and danger was about baboons leaving there everywhere. These animals are eating any food that the visitors have in their pockets or in their bags. Be careful against baboons in the parking lot and on the hill up to the light house as well. They are suddenly stealing the bags and sometimes attacking people for getting the food stuff.

Light House of Cape Point

After that our bus took us down to the place “Cape of Good Hope.”

There is a symbolic wooden sign showing the geographical location at the coast looking to the West. It is a place to remember by photographs. After having some pictures we continued on our bus back to Cape Town. It was a trip back to our Hotel of about 1 ½ hours. It was approx. 18:30 when we came back to our Hotel.

I didn’t fixed the reason exactly but my stomach was hurting me when we were back. The fish or one of the food products on the lunch could be spoilt. I spent the night at the Hotel.

Republic of SOUTH AFRICA:- 2nd Day:- Cape Town, March,23rd 2019.

Republic of SOUTH AFRICA     

2nd Day:- Cape Town - 23.03.2019

Table Mountain, Paarl, Stellenbosch

After we had breakfast in our Hotel Lady Hamilton, around 09.00 o’clock, our bus ‘Mega Coach’ took us to the Table Mountain. After a short trip we arrived at the Lower Cable Station. We bought the tickets. The weather was beautiful and warm. Sky was clear and there was no wind at all. There were a lot people in the queue waiting for the aerial cable car. We waited approx. 40 minutes in order to take the cable car.

Cable car of Table Mountain

Endemic animal of the Table Mountain

Looking the west from the top of the Table Mountain

Top view over the city Cape Town

Looking to the North from the Lower Cable Station

Table Bay view

The cable car has a rotating circular floor. Without holding the handrails or sidewalls of the car everybody can have a circular view around the car. There are two cable cars each with a capacity around 50-60 passengers. While one of them is ascending, the other one is descending downwards. The view from the top of the Table Mountain is fantastic. It is open to 360 deg. In the North direction there is Birdseye view over the city Cape Town.

If someone look to the West direction there is endless/ indefinite view over the Atlantic Ocean. Just in the skirts of the Table Mountain, in the West direction there is Camps Bay.

There are summer houses of some famous people at the Camps Bay. However, the beach and the sea is well attractive there is no interest to obtain benefit out of this. It is said that the water is cold even in summer and there is the risk of the white sharks here around.

Camps Bay :- Where the first discovery ships of Portugal have landed.

The so-called Lions Head (rocky extension about 670 meter from sea level) is also one of the remarkable views from the Table Mountain and from the cable car. We walked on the top of the Table Mountain approx. one hour and took a few pictures of the surrounding.

Lions Head Hill from the Table Mountain skirts.

We took again the cable car in order to go down. There are also trekking routes around the Table Mountain (1087 meter from sea level) and someone can see these in the skirts of the mountain. When we arrived at the Lower cable Station our bus continued in the direction (N1 Road) to the Paarl. There are a lot of vineyards in the East side of the Cape Town.  Paarl is also one of the regions where there are vineyards and wine producers.

After almost 1½ hour we reached to the wine producer KWV Wine Emporium. It is a well-known factory and in the world list top 5. They produce many kinds of wine, brandy.

We paid a tour in the factory and then we stopped for wine testing. The lady offered us 6-7 different kind wines and one brandy. After that we bought a couple of things in their shop.

Imoya Brandy of KWV is advisable.

Wines aging in the Oak Barrels

Biggest oak cask I have ever seen :- 202,301 liter of wine.

Wine Testing

We continued on the bus in the direction of the small city ‘Stellenbosch’. This is a small university city with a very nice and picturesque surrounding. The green and colorful gardens of the houses and the clean streets are romantic. We stopped in a park place and then walked to the restaurant. It is a nice and big restaurant with clean tables and garden.

We sat outside in the garden and ate nice food under the comfortable weather condition.

After the lunch we started to walk to our bus. Our bus took us at a street where we waited some of our people walking slowly. Then we had a small walking in the street. There are nice and friendly coffee houses, souvenir shops and art galleries at both sides of the calm street.

After half an hour we stepped into the bus and the bus drove us to the Cape Town, to our Hotel Lady Hamilton. We took a rest and around 20.00 we called an UBER taxi and this one took us to the Bree Str where there is the Tapas Bar/Restaurant which we had planned to go. It is approx. 4-4 ½ km from our Hotel. Since it was Saturday the street is busy in the night. There are a lot of people in the restaurants, taverns and cafés.

We sat in the ‘La Parada Bree Street’ (107 Bree St, Cape Town City Centre). We ordered

some of their specialties and enjoyed our dinner with a couple of beers.

After that we started to walk along the Bree Street in the direction to our Hotel. The street was safe but in some place we had to be careful. The people do say that usually there is crime in the city. We followed the Kloof Street heading our Hotel.

We were lucky it didn’t happen any bad thing and reached to our Hotel around 22:00.