Cape Town, South Africa

One of the perks of living abroad is the possibility of traveling in the region. For the last 9 days we have been in Cape Town, a fantastic city nestled between the Table Mountain National Park in the Western Province of South Africa and the Atlantic Ocean. Table Mountain has been declared one of the seven wonders of the natural world and the setting is spectacular.

View from the top of Table Mountain

Lion's Head- a great hike to the top

Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela served 18 years of his 27 year prison sentence, is seen from the city. He is probably the best known prisoner, but he served among other architects and leaders of the anti-apartheid movement. The island has been re-opened for visitors and former prisoners are guides  within what were the maximum security buildings. Former guards have also returned to work there.

It will soon be 20 years since the end of apartheid. Under the former system of apartheid, I would have been classified as a "colored" had I been born there because of my mixed heritage and would not have been allowed to live, study or work among the white population. Since Mandela's presidency, the ANC has been the ruling party. Unfortunately corruption abounds and the majority of South Africans living in rural areas do not have running water or electricity. Next year's presidential election will be interesting to follow. Mr. Mandela is in ailing health and many posters around the city asked for prayers on his behalf.

Nelson Mandela's cell

We headed down to Kalk Bay, a small bohemian fishing village down the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula. We found several boutiques and art galleries offering something very different from the stores in shopping centers. This water buffalo head is made from scrap tin by a local artist and will soon be hanging on one of our many bare walls.

Kalk Bay lies within the greater False Bay which houses the most numbers of great white sharks in the world. Muinzinberg Beach, a 10 minute drive away, is absolutely beautiful with its white sand and turquoise waters and very popular with the locals for surfing. Up on the hills, "Shark Spotters" sit with their binoculars and radio down if any sharks can be seen. A flag system of black, green, white and red flags are in place. Since the "Shark Spotters" started operating, the number of shark attacks has decreased markedly. Last year a visitor from the UK ignored the white flag and lost both legs.

Since the water is so clear and the spotters are in place, and the waves looked great for a beginner, I really wanted to surf, but the water was freezing! Even with a wet suit, I just could not do it. My husband and son fared the frigid waters and surfed with full wet suits. I know I made the right decision when my son finally leaves the water after 1 1/2 hours with blue lips.

From Kalk Bay, we visit the penguin reservoir on Boulders Beach. The beach and number of penguins are small, but there is a concerted effort for their preservation.

We headed further south to the Cape Point where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. The waters are full of marine life and we actually saw whales jumping from the trails! They can be seen from August to October during their mating season.

Wild flowers are everywhere at this time of year. It kind of reminds me of Big Sur, California: beautiful water with dramatic ridges. The sky was blue and the wind was chilly, but it was glorious!

Wine tasting was also on the agenda as we headed to Stellenbosch and let's face it: the best way to do this is to hire a driver. Our driver, Chris was excellent, himself a lover of wine and he takes us to his three favorite wineries:

Hartenberg is known for its award winning Shiraz and we also buy a more special bottle: Gravel Hill which we will have with our Christmas turkey. This grape is grown in what amounts to solid gravel embedded in clay. The grape is smaller, sturdier, but with an exceptional taste. On to Thelema for Pinotage and their signature wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, "The Mint", which gets some of it flavoring from the eucalyptus trees planted along the vineyard. Then to my favorite: Tokara. Not only did I taste my favorite of them all, the Director's Reserve, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec, but we buy olive oil and olives which they also produce. This part of the country was also incredibly pretty.

If I could have taken this beautiful flower home, I would have. The Protea is South Africa's national flower and it grows in the wild. For me it symbolizes the country with its intense color and striking beauty. I sincerely hope that South Africans will continue moving forward with their very young democracy. We met so many pleasant, helpful and dignified people of all skin colors and walks of life and I wish them all the best. Thank you for a great escape!