End of the line :)
Trip Start
Dec 19, 2008
1
100
125
Trip End
Dec 19, 2009
Where I stayed
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sunday 20th September. OUR LAST DAY ON THE OVERLAND TRIP OF 49 DAYS. We packed the tent up for the last time this morning and feel ready to continue our travels after this truck trip. We had a short trip south this morning to Capetown. We followed the beautiful mountains south and enjoyed seeing farms and mountain backdrops. Capetown was visible from 40km away as Table Mountain sat high in the clear sky ahead. The traffic thickened and soon we were on a 3 lane freeway. Remembering Nairobi seems soo long ago since we had to deal with traffic. Capetown is a modern sprawling city framed by Table mountain. We all were leaning up against windows as we entered the centre of the city excited and realizing it was over today.We passed through the flat areas where the majority of the less fortunate live in small 2 room houses all the same, and the even less fortunate living in shanty huts made of bits of scrsp wood and canvas. We have seen many suburbs like this here and then further in the more rich areas of mansions and electric fences and security. In the city we arrived at the base of the table Mountain area called gardens and Ashanti Lodge the very nice backpackers we were booked into. Our stuff was cleared off the truck and we were finally OFF the truck trip. Our lodge is near the trendy Long St area and a short walk to the cafes and shops. The cable car to the top of Table mountain is easily seen from the back patio bar of the lodge and from her it is very high up there. This afternoon we settled in and went for a final group dinner but without Jackie who flew back to Ireland this evening after we said goodbye to her.We had a lovely meal of game meats, mine ostrich steak and Wayne zebra kebabs. Pricey but yummy. A few drinks in a bar later and we went to bed in a double room , very cosy.
Monday 21st September. This morning we explore our options for the rest of our week in sth Africa and with help from the travel desk of the lodge we arranged a week travelling aling the garden Route eastwards along the southern coast using a hop on/off bus called Baz Bus as it was cheaper than car hire and an extra bus from Port Elizabeth oon Saturday overnight to Johannesburg arriving Sunday. Our flight to India is next Monday.That arranged we headed to the shops and got a sim card for waynes phone as he needed to call Regina his sister as she had had her 2nd baby a bor Jackson on 15th September- CONGRATULATIONS to Regina and Paul on the birth of a brother for Nicholas. Then we found a bookshop where I got a Rough Guides for India and then we caught the Hop On/Off bus for a Capetown tour as we were leaving this vibrant city tomorrow and needed a qui8ck look at it. The bus wound around the city and showed us the sights and then up to Table Mountain where we took the cable car to the top for a very blustery look over Capetown form above. It was very cold and windy but stunning with the clouds flowing over the top. We were lucky to get up as soon after returning we found that the wind had closed the up journey and was close to closing the down journey. The cable car is great as the inner platform rotates as you travel up and down so everyone gets to see the whole view out to the sea and the prison island of Robben Isle where nelson Mandella was incarcerated for many years. The coastal villages around the mountain are trendy expensive hamlets with beautiful beaches and the beautiful people being seen. The bus took us to the newish waterfront area with touristy shops and cafes and past the big FIFA Cup soccer stadium being built. We got off the bus and walked past Bishop desmond Tutu church and back to the shops where we bought our dinner of roast chicken and salads to prepare in the lodge kitchen and our muesli brekky for the next few days. The wind howled all night and the doors and windows rattled.
