Arriving in Cape Town was a bit of a disconnect at first, after all of the safari camps and countryside we’d been visiting. It was the first big city we were in since Harare at the start of October. The two days of wine tasting we’d just finished in Stellenbosch may have slowed us down a bit as well.

Our AirBnB was right on the edge of the Waterfront, and the views of the lights that first night were captivating. The Ferris wheel was in the center of it all. We had three days planned in Cape Town, including The Waterfront, Table Mountain, and The Cape of Good Hope.

Table Mountain is right in Cape Town. The cable car only takes five minutes to get to the top, but with the crowds, we waited in line for an hour before it was our turn. We could have walked, but age or laziness got the better of us. At the top, the views are stupendous and in every direction. Out to the Atlantic Ocean, of Cape Town itself, and Robben Island where Mandela was imprisoned for so long. The day was hot and after walking the trails for two hours around the perimeter of the mountain, we had a beer at the little cafe there at the top. The crowds didn’t seem so bad now. We eventually took the cable car down and made it back to our penthouse.

That night, Cath and I walked to the Waterfront and wandered among the shops, bars and restaurants. It was a fun area. We eventually stopped and had dinner at a place right on the water called Life Grand Cafe. It was our kind of place – Barrel aged Negronis, a great wine list, and all kinds of seafood. After an appetizer of roasted avocado and tomato ‘ceviche’, we had a Chenin Blanc with our Pernod lobster tail and line fish.

On the walk back to our room we crossed the waterfront and there was the Ferris Wheel. Cath said “let’s go”, and so we did. It was probably the first Ferris wheel we’d been on together since we were 17 and 16. Up we went and circled around. The lights of the harbor, the ships, and the restaurants all intermingled with the lights of the city. We were above everything and feeling young….

The next day, we drove to the Cape of Good Hope and toured, saw penguins, and again faced the crowds. It was worth the trip, and the view, but our group elected to have our picnic lunch, and as it turned out, our last meal together, away from the crowd and on the coast by ourselves. We found a piece of boat wreck and pulled out our cheese, charcuterie and wine. The meal was fine and we talked and laughed with the easy going banter that comes from spending a lot of time together.

There was a bit more time as a group, including Hashing with the Cape Town Hash, who hosted us with grilled tuna and lagers after the trail. A bit of wandering around town the next day with some shopping, and suddenly it was the last morning.

After thirty days together, our group was breaking up. Jim and Bill were flying home later that day. Dave would leave in two days, and Marty in three. Cathy and I were taking a few more days to go up the coast to Hermanus, and hopefully, see whales.

We had a last drink together, and posed for a couple more group photos. Someone commented that, “for all the drinking we’ve done, it’s good that no one had to pull themselves across the floor with their lips.” There was more than a bit of laughter at that. Hugs and handshakes all around, and promises to have a party in January to compare photos, and maybe drink a couple of South African wines.

And then it was time. I knew I would see most of these people in the next few weeks, but it was still a sad parting. We had thirty days of adventures, animals, good food and drink, and shared memories. Good friends and good times that I won’t forget.

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This is the ninth in a series of short blogs about our trip to Africa in September and October of 2018. I’m not trying to be exact in detail, rather, I’m trying to give a bit of the spirit or feeling of the various parts of the trip. Read at your leisure. Or not.

Related Blogs about the trip to Africa:

Wine Safari – Stellenbosch (eighth blog about the trip) https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/06/wine-safari-stellenbosch/

Rra Dinare Safari Camp (seventh blog about the trip) https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/29/rra-dinare-safari-camp-in-botswana/

He was Young and Made a Mistake (Sixth blog about the trip) https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/23/he-was-young-and-made-a-mistake-sable-valley-in-botswana/

Vic Falls – The Smoke that Thunders (5th Blog about the trip) https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/18/the-smoke-that-thunders/

First Safari Camp, at The Hide (Fourth blog about the trip) https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/15/first-safari-camp/

Fishing and Elephants (Third blog about the trip) https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/12/fishing-and-elephants/

The Drive to Lake Kariba (Second Blog about the trip) – https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/08/the-drive-to-lake-kariba/

Harare (First Blog about the trip) – https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/02/harare-zimbabwe/

Zimbabwe (Just prior to departure) – https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2018/09/20/zimbabwe/

Pink Gins (The Genesis)- https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/pink-gins/