Hit the Ground Running

After the 1st flight got delayed, I still arrived on schedule into Cape Town. While I've been to Africa geographically (Morocco and Egypt), this trip marks the 1st time I feel it's actually Africa. Incidentally, South Africa is country #60!

I arrived at my hotel around noon, it's set in a bit of a residential area. You would walk to Bo-Kaap in maybe 20 minutes, and I've heard that 45 min on foot would get you to the waterfront. The receptionist told me about a half day West Cape tour, which I of course signed up, leaving in an hour.

It was probably one I shouldn't have done, out of fatigue. We drove around mostly, and had two stops, one at the Cape of Good Hope and the other on Boulder's Beach to see the penguins. I'm glad I did it though as I wouldn't have had time the next day (you'll see).

Our stay at the Cape of Good Hope was only 30 minutes due to another group being late and not showing up. Do not buy the funicular ticket as it's not worth it to go up and come right back around. It took about 20 min just to get the ticket and go up. There are viewpoints lower down you can take in the views, or just plan to spend more time there.

We missed the entrance to Boulders Beach by just a few minutes. Fortunately our guide new of another spot nearby we can visit (and free). It was quite the same as seeing them all together on the beach, but hey, you get to see the penguinsRead more