Cape Town is often referred to as the “Mother City,” an affectionate term used by both locals and visitors to describe the sense of home we all feel here. Further research, however, reveals some interesting rationale. Cape Town is often referred to as the Mother of South Africa because it gave birth to civilization in this region of the continent. It’s also the original city of South Africa, established in 1652 as a refueling station on the Spice Route for ships bound for the East. Further, a local newspaper published in the 1930s claimed that the nickname stuck because Cape Town was the only city in South Africa that could lay claim to being a metropolis. The word ‘metropolis’ is derived from the Greek word ‘metros’ meaning mother. The Greek word ‘polis’ translates as city and the combination created the term Mother City. The public enthusiastically took to this description. Finally, Cape Town is renowned for its laid-back work ethic and some claim it takes nine months to get anything done! Whatever the reason, the Mother City is always a pleasure to visit and I was eager to explore it once again after arriving from London.
It was about a twenty minute taxi ride from the airport to the Table Bay Hotel. This five-star property in one of the city’s prime waterfront locations is one of my favorite hotels in the world. The 329-room hotel is an elegant grand dame and popular with both business travelers and tourists alike, owing partially to its convenient location in the Victoria Wharf Shopping Center. Rooms and suites are simple but elegant, with classic decor and rather opulent bathrooms. Standard hotel features include a free breakfast buffet with an incredible selection of items from which to choose and a free shuttle that ferries guests to various points of interest around town. The Table Bay Hotel also has a pool, a small fitness center, a few lounges, a restaurant and a business center with private offices. I checked into a lovely 650 square-foot Junior Suite with a wonderful Cape Town view. The spacious suite featured a king-sized bed in the sleeping room and a large bathroom with walk-in shower while the parlor was nicely furnished with a sleeper sofa and a dining table for two.
One of the advantages of staying at this hotel is its close proximity to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, one of South Africa's most popular destinations with more than twenty-four million visitors annually. Since the Cape Colony was founded in 1652, violent winter storms routinely played havoc with docked vessels. In September of 1860, Midshipman HRH Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria’s second son, shoveled the initial load of stone to start construction of the breakwater for Cape Town’s first harbor in order to make it a year-round safe haven for passing ships. He made a big splash with the colonials as no member of the British Royal Family had visited before him and so the first basin of the new Navy Yard was named after him and the second after his mother Victoria, the Queen. The historic docklands around the basins were redeveloped starting in the late 1980s as a mixed-use area with a focus on retail, tourism promotion and residential real estate with a working harbor at its center. The 300-acre site is today a hugely successful entertainment venue with many pubs, restaurants, specialty shops, craft markets, theaters and cinemas. Strolling the waterfront and taking in the sites and the shops is always an ideal way for me to spend a few hours whenever I’m in Cape Town.
The waterfront is also the jumping off point for a visit to Robben Island. The island is most famous as the place where Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected president of South Africa, was imprisoned for eighteen of his twenty-seven years in custody! The island has since become a symbol of the triumph of democracy and freedom over oppression. Situated nearly seven miles offshore, the small, windswept island is now home to the world-renowned Robben Island Museum, a highlight of any visit to South Africa.
The ferry departed from the Nelson Mandela Gateway and the tour took about three and a half hours, including the trips to and from the island. We disembarked at Murray’s Bay Harbor on the east coast and after a short walk, boarded a bus that transported us to all the island’s historical sites. Our tour guide was fully conversant and knowledgeable about the island’s multi-layered 500-year-old history. The tour route included the graveyard of people who died from leprosy as well as the Limestone Quarry, which dates back to the mid-Seventeenth Century and is one of the earliest sites of human occupation on the island. The tour also included the house of Robert Sobukwe. He was the leader of the Pan African Congress who was held in isolation on the island from 1963 to 1969. Sobukwe was not permitted to communicate with anyone, including the wardens, and was forced to gesture as a means of communication. The Maximum Security Prison where thousands of South Africa’s freedom fighters were incarcerated for years was of course included on the tour and it culminated with a viewing of Nelson Mandela’s cell. It was a very sobering experience.
Of course, no trip to Cape Town would be complete without a visit to Table Mountain. This world-famous flat-top mountain forms a permanent landmark overlooking the city. I took the aerial cableway for the five-minute ride to the summit and the car’s rotating floor ensured that all of us on board got a 360-degree view of the city as we ascended. It was easy to understand why the Aerial Cableway is one of Cape Town's most popular tourist attractions with approximately one million people a year making the journey. The upper cable station is on the westernmost end of the Table Mountain plateau, at an elevation of 3,500 feet. It offers spectacular panoramic views over Cape Town, Table Bay and Robben Island to the north, and the Atlantic seaboard to the west and south. Free guided walking tours are available at the upper station and there’s also a Wi-fi lounge for those who wish to stay connected. To satisfy my hunger, I stopped by the Table Mountain Café, which offered a wide selection of self-service meals and snacks, including options for children, as well as pastries and desserts. I also noticed a few dishes inspired by South African cuisine, a selection of fresh salads, sandwiches and pizza slices. Breakfast was served daily from opening time until 11:30. Lunch and light meals were served after 11:30. Drinks available included several South African wines, along with beer, speciality coffees, teas, fruit juices and sodas. Four retail outlets were also open at the summit, offering souvenirs, gifts and clothing. My trip to the summit of Table Mountain was a memorable way to spend time at dusk while watching the city lights come alive in the dark.
On my final afternoon in Cape Town, I spent some time strolling the city center, which is relatively small, compact and easily walkable. Of particular interest to me was the Bo-Kaap area. Situated at the foot of Signal Hill, on the fringe of the city center, and formerly known as the Malay Quarter, Bo-Kaap’s origins date back to the 1760s when numerous rental houses were built and leased to slaves. These people were known as Cape Malays, and were brought from Indonesia and the rest of Africa to work on the Cape. To this day, the houses are a mix of Cape Dutch and Georgian architecture, in distinctive multi-colored rows on steeply cobbled roads. The choice of color is said to be attributed to the fact that while on lease, all the houses had to be white. When this rule was eventually lifted, and the slaves were allowed to buy the properties, all the houses were painted bright colors by their owners as an expression of their freedom. I later learned that many of the families in Bo-Kaap have been living there for generations.
Greenmarket Square proved to be another highlight of my afternoon. Known for its African crafts market, this lively spot is more about soaking in the ambience rather than sourcing real quality goods, One of South Africa's most historic markets dating from the 1600s, I found Greenmarket to be an interesting and fun flea market with vendors selling everything from colorful wall hangings and paintings to costume jewelry and toys, all while musicians supplied a festive background soundtrack for us shoppers.
My British Airways flight to London departed later in the evening, arriving at Heathrow Airport the next morning after a smooth twelve-hour flight on the Boeing B777-300. Several hours later, it was time for the second BA leg back to Washington's Dulles Airport aboard my favorite aircraft, the Boeing 747-400 "Queen of the Skies." If you ever have an opportunity to visit the African Continent, do yourself a favor and add Cape Town to your itinerary for a visit you surely won't regret.
Until next time...safe travels.