:: cape town ::

Cape Town is captivating... Every view is a picturesque moment, and I drained my camera battery dry taking photos there.

We didn't go out in Johannesburg, cos it was only a short stay there. Wanted to head down to Robben Island, where Nelson Mendela was imprisoned, but didn't manage to get the tickets in time. *sigh* But it was clear blue skies all the way, and of course, chilly chilly strong winds.



We went up Table Mountain because the weather permitted, and the cable ride up was fascinating. Once atop the mountain, I headed straight for the cafeteria for hot chocolate cos it was SO COLD! I had frost bite. Sob. But the scenery was breathtaking. I love it. It was a little cloudy, but still we could see the whole of Cape Town.



And because it was the mating season for the whales, we headed out to sea, hoping to catch them in action. But probably they shied away from us, because all we saw were seals, and seals, and seals, and seals, and seals! Boat ride out was bumpy cos of choppy waters, but I enjoyed every moment of it. Some of the seals were daring enough to swim up to us and play around in the waters, "posing" for pictures and all, but no whales.



Lunch was at this restaurant near the jetty. Seafood is cheap here, and lunch cost us less than S$7 per person. Fish and Chips! Delicioussssssss. Love it. Stupid Michael and Melvin started feeding the seagulls and they all strayed near our tables for food. Argh. I was stressed out. VERY.



The lady at the vineyard told us the different characteristics of the wines we tasted. I thought I liked South African wines, but this trip to the vineyard kinda pushed my tastebuds to the dark side. Probably the wines were too young for my liking. The Muscat was SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET. Sickeningly sweet. Painfully sweet. I don't understand how I can love desserts but hate dessert wines. Out at the vineyards it was peaceful and quiet, but we weren't shown around the vineyards. Sigh.

Cape Town is surrounded by the sea, so we were staring out the window, hoping to catch a view of the whales in the ocean. We did sight some, but it was too far away. Argh. The penguins were.... silly. They ran into the crooks of the rocks when they saw us, save for a few brave souls, then when the tide came in they ran out disoriented. The few brave ones strutted their stuffs and posed for pictures. Probably used to tourists in that area. I kinda got too close to a couple of penguins guarding their eggs, and the male one almost snapped off my fingers. *gulp*

Oh, and I didn't manage to capture this on camera, but there was a sign: "Please look out for penguins under your vehicle before you run off."



Lastly, Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. In the past, trading ships passed throug Cape of Good Hope before they headed to places like Europe, before the Suisse Canal was open. Cape Point is where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean, and it's the southern-most tip of the South African continent. We climbed up all the way to the top, braving the cold and the thin air, and... well.. again, the amazing view. Took a break before we headed down, and by the time we reached the bus, the shops were closed and I couldn't get my ice cream.

Flight back was... rather challenging. But I met a lot of nice passengers, had the chance to really chat with them and listen to their stories... and having them come up all the way to find me before they leave the plane to give me a hug and some words of encouragement really made my day. As tired as I was, I wished all flights could be like this, leaving me a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day.

*****

Finally understood why dad did what he did after a long chat. Probably things will turn out better now that everything's pretty much in the works. I just want my family to be happy.