Footprints in Capetown

 

Capetown is one of those destinations that I’ve always wanted to visit, and I promise you, it’s worth all the hype it gets! The eagerness to explore this city was a build-up of excitement created by all the photos and videos i have watched. It’s actually a story that began 2years ago when i decided to apply for a passport but somewhere in between i was caught up with other adventures until late last year when i decided to give it a go this year. Well, i always take a screenshot whenever an interestingly looking destination pops up on my Instagram feed. At this point my camera roll is full of places i should visit. 

People from all walks of life call the 5 boroughs that make up Capetown their home. One borough in particular, city of Capetown, served as the location for my trip to the Mother City. Whether you’re a foodie, an art enthusiast, an adrenaline junkie, a nature lover, a photographer, or just someone who loves the city life, Capetown is the place for you.

My trip to Capetown started at Capetown international airport as i landed on a nice and sunny afternoon. I wasn’t ready for what followed for sure,well,part of it,most of it actually was my fault. I took a cab to town when i couldn’t change currency at the airport with the hope of changing and paying the cab guy once we got there only to get to town and no one could accept Kenyan currency. For the first time i traveled without local currency to my country of destination, something i learned never to do again. I managed to work around it and was later dropped at the apartments where i was staying. The not so sweet experience in between aside, the drive from the airport to the apartments gave me a good feel of the city, better than i had imagined it actually.The table mountain views were stunning to say the least and they got better as we drove closer. Seriously had i known what awaited me i couldn’t have bothered taking any photos along the way.Talking of which,today i’ ll be quite generous with them. I checked in and was led to the elevator that opened on the 17th floor.

Staying in a penthouse has been on my bucket list. When the elevator doors opened to the 17th floor and i was led to my “home for the week” while in Capetown, i was beyond excited! And even more so in love once we opened the doors and took a tour of this beautiful place. This beautiful home was so inspiring words and pictures don’t do it justice! Here are a few of my favorites.

After settling in i had a shower,”ubered” to V&A water front later for diner and was back early enough for a good nap as the following day was something i couldn’t wait for. I needed me relaxed to enjoy the moment.

I have come to realize am more of a sunset person than the sunrise but that didn’t dissuade me from trying my luck at the roof top in the morning.

Day two had excitement wiring my body like i was plugged into the mains. My brain felt like it was on fast-forward and there was no off switch. Paragliding! 

I have to say i haven’t seen anything unpredictable as Cape’s weather. One minute its sunny,the next second its all cold. The morning was quite bright but  when i got to signal hill,it was all foggy. I couldn’t get it. I waited till noon and nothing had changed eventually postponing the activity to the following day.

 

On day 3 i gave paragliding a shot again but it didn’t happen because; the weather was good but the wind,howling winds were blowing from the wrong direction,the table mountain.

It was really disappointing. Giving up bungee jumping at Bloukrans bridge was torture enough i couldn’t add to. The idea of leaving Capetown without paragliding was unwelcome. 

The afternoon was however great for a bird’s eye view of the Cape Peninsula on a scenic helicopter flight from Cape Town down the coast to the Cape of Good Hope and sight of the 12 Apostles mountain range,the table mountain and the stadium.

The fourth day started with a  city tour. A trip to Capetown would be incomplete without it or so i thought.

The tour was to end at the table mountain where i was to ride on the cable car.

I took this shot from the penthouse while testing my lens.

Thinking of it now this was the catch,i don’t think i could have booked the whole thing without it. So we are driving around town from one monument to another building with a story behind it and i notice people flying from signal hill. The first thing that comes to my mind is “where do i get dropped?”. Before i process that am already asking the driver to drop me off anywhere. Truth is i don’t think i was feeling the vibe. I was at signal hill in 10. The anticipation was a nervous kind of energy. I used flyskywings who you can also find on Instagram here. I had tried two times,i flew on the 3rd attempt. Jody was great,she kept me updated on the weather changes. Would i recommend them? Definitely yes

The pilot gave me a taste of his prowess and boy!

Now when you think of a wine country, there’s obviously one thing that comes to mind, WINE, and boy did i have a lot of it! Between visiting wineries, munching on delicious bites, and soaking in the breathtaking landscapes; i can say a trip to Stellenbosch was perfect. Its worth the entire day the activity comes with.

Kanonkop, just like the other wine farms i visited didn’t have my taste of wines. They do have great wines,just not my kind. They were kind enough however to hand me a map of Stellenbosch wine farms and pointed me to this one that had exactly what i was looking for; Muratie. If you ever find yourself there,get me two bottles of cape vintage. The wine is life itself!

My Capetown adventure ended with a trip to Kirstenbosch National botanical garden. Here are a few of my favorite shots.

There is only so much that one can do in Capetown;there is a lot i wished i could do but time was a limitation. Am definitely looking forward to paying South Africa a proper visit. Well, here are some of the things you could give a shot in case you planning to pay Capetown a visit. The world is a playground that belongs to all of us, and we should live every precious day with a happy and free spirit.

Thank you for reading. Till next time,cheers

 

Ray