May 8 - Table Mountain

So, our plan to meet for breakfast at 8:30 a.m. didn’t quite pan out. Colette messaged us at 8:50 a.m. wondering where we were. I was still fast asleep, and Sandy was wondering who was messaging us at about 3:00 a.m. because she hadn’t adjusted the time on her watch! Boy, did we move fast. We hustled across the street and up the steep stairs and ramps to the Queen Victoria Hotel where Colette and Sylvia are ensconced. We fueled up on lots of coffee and a hearty breakfast (great chocolate croissants) and worked out a plan for the day. We planned to go to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 17 years. But the first available ferry was at 1:00 p.m. which would have not given us enough time since we had a pickup time for our dinner reservation at 5:30 p.m. So, we changed course. Colette rearranged our tickets from tomorrow to today for the Hop On Hop Off bus. We wanted, at some time on our stay here, to get to the top of Table Mountain. It is often shrouded in fog, so given that the day was clear, we made Table Mountain our first stop on the bus.

From my good friend Wikipedia:

Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top. Table Mountain National Park is the most visited national park in South Africa, attracting 4.2 million people every year for various activities. The mountain has 8,200 plant species, of which around 80% are fynbos, meaning fine bush. It forms part of the Table Mountain National Park, and part of the lands formerly ranged by Khoe-speaking clans, such as the !Uriǁʼaes (the "High Clan"). It is home to a large array of mostly endemic fauna and flora.

We hopped on the cable car which took us straight to the top of mountain. The floor of the car rotates so everyone gets a view great view. The views from the top of the mountain are spectacular. We could see the beaches, the city, the shipping channels, and all the way out to the ocean. What a glorious place to spend time!Read more