Cape Town, located very near the southern-most tip of Africa, and the birthplace of the enigmatic Tom Kidding, is a beautiful and scenic tourist attraction which brings holidaymakers from around the globe to its sunny, sandy shores. Shown above is a picture of Table Mountain taken from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront development, a popular tourist hangout complete with gigantic aquarium, theatre, movie houses, yacht basin, gift and novelty stores aplenty, five star hotels, and fine restaurants.
Cape Town is located on a peninsula, much like San Francisco where Tom Kidding currently resides.
Let me take on a scenic trip around the peninsula by showing you various facets of this part of the globe. You may click on the thumbnail pictures to see larger views.
To the uninformed, it may appear from this picture as though Cape Town were on some sort of island. It becomes clear when you see an aerial view of the peninsula how such a view of Cape Town can be seen merely by travelling along the coast for a while. Table Mountain is truly a magnificent piece of rock. This comes across well from this type of perspective.
Bloubergstrand ("strand" being the Afrikaans equivalent of beach) is just one of the many long and sun-soaked stretches of sandy white beaches that hug the coast of Cape Town.
For those seeking a broader view of the sights and scenery that Cape Town has to offer, and a memorable experience that will crown a glorious holiday, there is always the Table Mountain cable car.
Take a trip up the mountain in a heavy car that hangs from a precarious, thin wire cable. Sound dangerous? How 'bout bungie jumping from the car when it's half way up? Well, I really don't think that's permitted but I'm sure it's not nearly as dangerous as bungie jumping off the top of the mountain itself. That would give you a good nose job now wouldn't it?
Jokes aside, the cable car station is that small black spot that sticks out at the highest most tip in the picture. The dark black hole is actually the opening into which the cable car "docks". Once atop the mountain, there are many hiking trails that can be followed and there is even a restaurant at the station. Where else will you find a restaurant with that kind of view?
Close your eyes if you're afraid of heights. For the fearless, Table Mountain provides spectacular panoramic views of the peninsula. The city appears as a child's lego playland and the ocean stretches out to meet the sky. The beautiful view brings to mind Brazil's Sugarloaf Mountain.
Lion's Head gets its name from the fact that it sticks out at the end of an elongated hillside, resembling a reclining lion. It's understandable how a lion would be the first thing to come to mind when trying to name such a phenomenon as lions are quite prevalent in Africa. However, I must dispell all rumours that one will find lions, elephants and other nasty wild animals roaming the streets of Cape Town. This is not the case at all. You only find ferocious Hyenas and wild pack dogs that take the occasional tourist. To the tourist industry these are what's considered "acceptable losses".
Actually, take the previous statement with a pinch of salt. In fact, make that a bucket. (They don't call me Tom KIDDING for nothing, you know!)
Snuggled against the sea, with an awesome chunk of rock as its backdrop, Cape Town is a cozy city which can be traversed on foot in little more than an hour. The city sports its fair share of dazzling glass-cladded highrise buildings as well as a good measure of historical buildings, landmarks and museums. The Gardens, a cool getaway from the city's sweltering summer days, is a good place to feed doves and squirrels, the squirrels being so tame that they'll literally eat peanuts from your hand (and they won't even take your fingers with them).
Seen towards the foreground is Adderly Street, the city's main street, which runs through a giant traffic circle, complete with fountain.
Groote Schuur, an example of Cape Dutch architecture and home to South Africa's state president
Groote Schuur, originally built as a barn in 1657 (the Afrikaans name literally meaning "big barn"), was restored for Cecil John Rhodes by Sir Herbert Baker in 1897. Rhodes bequeathed it to the nation and it now acts as the official residence of South Africa's state president.
The more I think about it, the more parallels I find between Cape Town (the city where I once lived) and San Francisco (the city where I currently live). Just like San Francisco, Cape Town has its own distinctive architecture which dates back to bygone centuries. Cape Dutch architecture is to Cape Town what Victorian style architecture is to SF. Granted, Cape Dutch architecture is not quite as prevalent as the Victorian architecture is in San Francisco, but it lends the city a certain charm and character as can be said of San Francisco.
More similarities abound. Both Cape Town and San Franciso are relatively small and "cozy", constrained by rugged and uneven landscapes, and can easilly be walked across. Both cities are located on peninsulas, with harbours and majestic coastlines. Both cities sport fabulous waterfront developments that attract tourists from all over. Both cities boast as being more liberal than the rest of their nation, although San Francisco is decidedly more liberal than Cape Town. Both cities enjoy fairly temperate climates, with the coldest days never getting quite so cold as to freeze one's genitals off. And, like San Francisco, Cape Town has a rich blend of diverse cultures, one of the spinoffs being that Cape Town has many different types of culinary experiences to offer.