First day in Cape Town

Try as I might, I couldn't get upgraded on the flight. I was happy though; the people either side of me were nice and we chatted for a while. I slept, which is amazing, and landed in Cape Town feeling reasonably fresh at 8am.

One thing I forgot to do back home was look at currency. I arbitrarily withdrew 200 rand hoping it'd last me a while. As things go, it was just enough to get me to my hostel in a cab, though I'm not sure if I was ripped off.

The ride to the hostel was eye-opening. It provided me with my first glimpse of a township, but also great views of the waterfront and Table Mountain.

I like my hostel. They have a bar with a pool table, a kitchen, enough toilets and showers, and a parrot that talks. The room is OK and no sign of bed bugs. It's located quite centrally on the main backpacker street (Long Street) where there's no shortage of places to eat.

I wandered over to V&A (Victoria and Albert, I think) waterfront after unloading my stuff. It reminds me of Cardiff Bay. I was seriously disappointed to find that Robben Island (Mandella prison) tours are sold out until 5th July, by which time I'll be in Hong Kong. From talking to people, there may be ways and means of bagging a tour, the most legitimate being to book a Robben Island and township tour package.

Cape Town itself was quiet when I arrived, but then, that was early on Sunday morning. I was a little nervous walking around, and quite rightly so because I've learnt that blacks and whites only mix happily in certain areas, such as at the waterfront and on Long Street and a few surrounding streets. I've heard first-hand stories of muggings from fellow backpackers.

I took a 'rikki' (a taxi) to Table Mountain and queued for 30 minutes with the most amazing backdrop before taking a cablecar to the top. Oh my. It's absolutely breathtaking up there! Down below, it's warm; up there, it's freezing with strong winds and swirling clouds. I'd stupidly dressed in shorts and sandals after discovering how warm it is in Cape Town so couldn't stay too long at the top. I got some great snaps though.


I headed out for a couple of beers last night but didn't stray far from the hostel. I was shattered so slept early and for a long time, and slept well!

My mission now is to get to Robben Island, or if that fails, to at least get to Cape Point where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. I'm already aware of a few 'disappointing' facts: no, Cape Point is not the southernmost point of Africa; no, there is no visible line between the oceans; no, the oceans don't 'actually' meet at Cape Point but a little further along the coast.