Cape Town

Flight to Cape Town was delayed an hour due to some air traffic controller strike in France. I Arrived in Cape Town around 11:00 a.m. after a non-eventful flight. A British woman, sitting beside me on the plane, mentioned that she works for a doctor in Cape Town. So I brought up Dr. Van Heerden's name (our family doctor in Moose Jaw who is from Cape Town). She said she knew of a Dr. Paul Van Heerden in Cape Town. We both wondered if they were related.

Caught a taxi from the airport to Tulip Hotel. The hotel is a disappointment, run down, really not worth the money. The location is good though, but no amenities, like in-room safe, etc., so I end up having to lug around all my important documents, money and netbook. What a pain.

Cape Town is beautiful, lots of green space, clear air, and clean. Table Mountain, Lion's Head and Signal Hill dominate the city skyline. I took the Robben Island Prison tour (Nelson Mandela spent 18 years imprisoned here during Apartheid years) in the afternoon. The tour lasted for about three hours and was very interesting, but super busy. Boats with about 100 passengers depart every 30 minutes or so and they are all full. It would be better to have more time on the island than what was allotted, but the popularity of the tour just wouldn’t allow it. The guides are very informative with some of them being ex-political prisoners who spent time there.

I had a beer and chicken and chips down at the Cape Town historic V&A Waterfront area after the tour and then headed back to the hotel. The restored waterfront is much like the restored waterfront in Halifax.

I am beat having been awake now for close to 48 hours (just can’t sleep on those airplanes). Tomorrow I plan to book a one-day Hop On/Hop Off bus tour of Cape Town. Ooops…I just fell asleep typing this up. I better retire.