Cape Town

Flight to Cape Town was like any other 1000 flights taking off everyday all over the world. Totally mundane and uneventful. It takes around 3 hours from Victoria Falls. Like all the other airports in Africa we had visited so far, this one too was just about! Immigration hall was dimly lit and was extremely dingy. On the top of it only two counters were open, so the queues were long. God knows why but they made us stand in separate queue and did not pay attention to us for long time. After may be 45 minutes our queue started moving. Luckily time taken in the queue came handy for picking up the luggage from the belt as it had reached it much earlier.

As our entourage was leaving the premises, at the exit gate 4 or 5 African youths were chitchatting. I was wearing sleeveless Tank top with tattoo on my Left shoulder glaringly visible. One of them pointed at my shoulders and chuckled, ‘Beautiful Muscles!’ Realizing the compliment many from our group started teasing me. ‘It should have been from a girl!’ my wife commented. Nonetheless I was very happy to be appreciated for the efforts I take in gym everyday!

Bus had stinky lavatory in front of our seats. Shubha objected and asked for the bus without one in the coming ventures. (It was to be complied). Cape Town seemed to be town with kaleidoscopic culture and topography. Though roads were wide and clean, were lined by shaggy shanties for a longer distance, immediately in the vicinity of air port. Though they say apartheid has ended but their housing pattern said the otherwise. But about it, later.

South Africa has its governmental business divided in 3 cities that is it has 3 capital cities, Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Out of the three Johannesburg is the richest and the biggest while Pretoria is the smallest and practically is the suburb of Johannesburg. Elon Musk comes from Pretoria. While Cape Town has the most beautiful topography. It’s mountainous terrain laced with beautiful beaches and ever youthful Atlantic Ocean. It has bays, beaches and superb greenery!

In South Africa like India where every village, town or city has MG Road South Africa has Nelson Mandela Avenues, roads or streets. Cape Town’s is luxurious. Surprisingly there were hardly any big cars.

No limousines, like Ferrari or Lamborghini, all were midsized family cars like Ignis or Kia back home.   Our hotel in Cape Town, Cresta Grande 4 stars, was located in the heart of city, amidst important commercial establishments. The room allotted to us was so stuffy without any proper view that Shubha had to raise the voice again. This time too our request was accepted immediately and we were shifted to room on 10^th floor, naturally it had better view. Our first lunch, we had at the hotel but subsequent meals   we had at ‘Jewel of India’ Restaurant just one block down.

On the very first evening we visited Cape Town’s famous mall Victoria Wharf on the water front. We stay just opposite the biggest mall of Mumbai so jokingly it is described, like attached bath room, The Benurwars have attached mall! It was/is big well spread out and had all the well known brands, some of which are not available in India. Entire ambiance was African, live dance group performances at strategic points with Western bands playing loud music at the other. Only difference compared to R City Mall was it has water front marina from where the boats leave for sea cruises. It had/has 14 screen multiplex. My curiosity pulled me there. I was disenchanted as none of the screens exhibited Indian films, the industry that produces maximum number of films in the entire world!

Atmosphere was also charged for another reason. Cape Town was to hold its Annual marathon on coming Sunday. Adidas was the official sponsor. So runners from all over the world had gathered in Cape Town, some presented themselves in the mall, holding events to spread the awareness.

Next day’s itinerary depended on the climate. Table Mountain was 1^st on the agenda but as thick canopy of clouds encircled it, it was postponed to late afternoon. Instead we visited University Town of Stellenbosch, just 50 km away from the city center towards east. It’s located in Vineyard County with thriving winery industry of South Africa!  Surrounded by lush green mountains it almost is in the valley.

Cape Town in fact was settled by a Dutch colonial administrator in 1652, who worked for Dutch East India Company. He was supposed to provide Provision Station for the ships on the spice route to India. Thus Dutch left their imprint on the early architecture on Cape Town which is still evident in Stellenbosch.

British came much later in 19^th century and snatched away Cape Town along with neighboring Natal, Transvaal and Orange state by military force. Then initially it was known as Union of South Africa, which is now known as Republic of South Africa.

Stellenbosch is second oldest town in South Africa now famous for a university, a town mostly inhabited by students. Surprisingly I saw only white ones. Even for exception Black students were conspicuously absent! Few groups were whiling away time in road side cafes like any other students from all over the world but none had a colored friend amongst them, forget black! Does apartheid still exist? The answer lied in the history of Stellenbosch. It was cradle of ‘Apartheid’. Around 1950 it was proclaimed as White area and the blacks were forcibly evicted. Several Black establishments like houses, churches and community centers were bulldozed. That’s why post apartheid Stellenbosch is still segregated .It still continues to reckon with legacy of racism. My observation held waters!

The Moederkerk or mother church still stands tall. Building no doubt is grandiose but the soul… it is lacking! It would be worthwhile to know about the numbers, of both whites and colored people. In entire South Africa whites constitute only 7.3% while in Stellenbosch it goes up to 17%. Majority of German, Dutch descents speak Africans which is 13.5% while 10% British descendants speak English. Total black population of South Africa is staggering 81% so it was surprising to note that whites though in very small numbers ruled over such a vast population. How? Was it at the gunpoint?! Was the story in India any different?

 

Stellenbosch is also known for its wineries that produce excellent South African wines. There are around more than 130 wineries/breweries in the surrounding areas. Spier Wine estate the one we were going to visit is/was one of them. It is one of the oldest winery in South Africa established in 1692 and is widely popular too. The parlor for wine testing is ultra modern which used plenty of glass in décor.

My experience in wine testing… wide and deep! Had visited Chougule’s Indage India at Narayangaon, and we were drinking wine from morning to evening! Six wines you were to taste in tandem, 2 partners so I was odd man out. I too voluntarily opted out as after the third wine I start feeling tipsy! But the main participants in the game, my wife Shubha and her partner Jayu turned out to be underdogs so I was made to drink the leftovers! In the end I drank much more wine than them. I forget the names but one was sparkling, two were red and rest white! We ended in purchasing few as some scheme was offered, was it one free on one purchase? We had our lunch at ‘Tadka’ Indian restaurant opposite Rodenbosch metro station owned by Chetan Patel who had supplied food to Indian team when IPLs were held in South Africa in 2009!

Interesting point about the metro, it does not operate as frequently on Saturdays and Sundays!

Table Mountain is the most iconic place to visit in Cape Town. It’s known as Table Mountain not only because its peak is flat like table but also because it’s most of the time is covered by Table Cloth of clouds.  It’s almost like a guardian angel in the north west of city center; standing tall at 1086 meters. It is one of the 7 natural wonders of today’s world. It’s a mountain with flat topped peak that offers panoramic view of Cape Town with Table Bay in the back ground. Of course at the courtesy of climate, when the sky is not overcast with clouds! The blanket of clouds though thinned out it was not sure whether it would reappear. One can reach the top hiking, which of course was not the option for us 70 + crowd, or use a very special cable car that takes you to the top in jiffy.

The specialty of the circular gondola is, its inner platform rotates in 360* degrees giving you the view from all the sides. The clouds cheated on us. Halfway through the ride it was very clear but once we reached the top they gathered again at half the height obscuring the view!  Nothing great to write home about once you reach the top, only rocky terrain with flora and fauna specific to the place. We saw few rodents which are local, known as Dassie. It also has/had varying population of Verreaux Eagles. Number varies according to circumstances. Rest of the species, with visitors in strengths of thousands (it was too, too crowded!) it was well nigh impossible to locate them. I am poor in Botany too so the specificity of flora too went over my head.

The main attraction for me was the panoramic aerial view of Cape Town spread below, once denied of that pleasure I lost the interest!

The neighboring mountain ranges are rugged and breath taking. There are few other peaks too like Devil’s peak to the left and Lion’s head at the western end. Don’t know why but it did not leave much impression on me, may be because it was not ‘That’ spectacular! I may be biased but our Panchgani ‘Table Land’ is much more impressive!

We had dinner at ‘Jewel of India’ for the first time. And it unfolded a totally strange connection!  It turned out that hostess of the restaurant; Kalpana was resident of Lokhandwala Mumbai where my in law practices. She knew him very well when I mentioned Dr. Nabar. World really is so small place!