An African Adventure: March 18 (releaed 3/19): Seeing Cape Town

After an American breakfast of bacon, eggs, fried tomatoes,toast, jam and tea, Ken takes me to the Kirstenbosch Gardens where I pick-up the Blue Hop-On/Hop-Off bus. My plans for the day are to stop at Hout Bay and take boat trip to seal island, travel to the city and visit the Jewish Museum and Holocaust museum and finally walk through Cape Town's Garden area to see the Parliament Buildings and visit St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral.

Riding the Hop-On/Hop-Off bus is a good value...120 rand and you can see the entire city and get off when ever you desire. I get off at Hout Bay and take the boat to seal island. This must be school outing day since numerous public school groups are on our boat.....notice the uniforms and the discipline in lining up to board the boat. The trip lasts 45 minutes, the sun hot but the wind coolly refreshing.

Hout Bay

Hout Bay's Mariner Wharf

Muriel Snacks

School Outing to Seal Island

Seal Swimming Pool

Seals Galore

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After the short cruise and a take-out order of calamari, I catch the Blue bus and head into the city...the ride along he coast is beautiful and we pass though numerous high class communities...Camps Bay, Clifton, Bantry Bay, Sea Point, Green Point, Waterfront. These communities are similar to Southern California beach communities of Venice, Manhattan, Hermosa, and La Jolla.

Exclusive Camps Bay Hotel

Camps Bay Condos

Beach Condos

Sea Point Beach

Additional Beach Area

Green Point Light House

Cape Town Aquariums

Cape Town Skyscrapers

Near Convention Center

Soccer Ball Water Fountain

I arrive at my destination and discover that the Jewish Centers close at 1:30 PM on Fridays.....it would have been smart to check before I left the Baldwin's. I decided to visit Long Street which the Hop-On/Hop-Off bus operator said was Cape Town's backpacker center. The picture of the bartender at the beer tap...the circular device underneath the tap injects a stream of clean ice cold water into the glass...cleans and chills glass in one operation...neat.

Pan African Market

Long Street Pub

Pickwick's Eat Your House

Mama Africa

Mama Africa's Coke Bottle
Chandelier

Device Cleans and
Chills your Glass

I walked the street visited some of the watering holes and caught the bus to Kirstenbasch. The walk from Kirstenbosch to the Baldwins takes about 15 minutes so I stretched my legs with this short walk.

The Baldwins and I decided to visit one of the local vineyards fine restaurants, Constantia Utsig. The ambiance was refreshing being surrounded by the grape fields and the restaurant's decor. I had swordfish ceviche and medium rare springbok medallions covered in a delicious mushroom sauce....small carafe of Merlot wine.... fancy ice cream dessert and a glass of port wine topped off a wonderful evening.