Cape Town City Tour

We drove around Cape Town and past the Cape Town City Hall, built in 1905 but no longer housing the city’s offices. On February 11, 1990, a few hours after he was released from prison, Nelson Mandela gave his first public speech from its balcony. The City Hall faces the Grand Parade, a large city square.

Governor’s House

We stopped outside the Governor’s House, Tuynhuys, which was built in the late 1600s. The offices of the president of South Africa are here.

Company’s Gardens

The Governor’s House is next to the Company’s Gardens, where there are flowers and plants and a number of statues. The gardens were created in the 1650s to grow food to supply the ships traveling from the Dutch East Indies to the Netherlands.

Malay Quarter, Bo-Kaap

Our next stop was at the Malay Quarter, the Bo–Kaap, one of the oldest parts of Cape Town. When slavery was abolished in 1830, the Malay residents, who were former slaves, developed the largely Muslim community here. The houses were originally painted white but they started being painted in bright colors to celebrate Eid, the Islamic holiday. Not only were there brightly colored houses on both sides of the main street but also on the side streets. You do wish that this was a no–parking street so to get a better view of the houses.

Table Mountain

A view of Table Mountain seen on our drive. We were supposed to go up it via cable car this morning but the fog on it would have prevented us from having any view from it. We couldn’t go up it either the next day as the winds were too strong. The views from the top of the mountain are beautiful, though I have seen only photos of them.

Milnerton Lighthouse.

Our next stop was at the Milnerton Lighthouse. Over 150 ships have wrecked themselves off the shore here in the last few hundred years, so, in 1960, this lighthouse was built. There is a very nice housing development near the lighthouse.

The Atlantic Ocean

A very rough ocean seen from the beach near the lighthouse. Some of my tour mates had bought tickets to go to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. The ferry ride was canceled due to the rough sea. The next day was no better for making the trip. Later on our tour, we heard that one of the ferries did go out in too rough seas and started taking on water and began to sink. All 69 passengers on the ferry had to be rescued.

Both going up Table Mountain and going out to Robben Island are weather–related. You may have to spend several days pre–trip in Cape Town if one or both of those trip are important to you. Also, if you want to swim with the sharks, an optional offered on are tour, you may need to spend more time in Cape Town. That activity was also canceled due to the rough seas.

Cape Town Diamond Museum

We next went to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (V & A, Victoria for Queen Victoria; Alfred for her second son) to learn all about diamonds. I didn’t go on the diamond tour as I wanted to spend more time exploring the waterfront.

V & A Waterfront

The V & A Waterfront is an area of shops and restaurants while still a working harbor. It had started to lightly rain. I had lunch at one of its restaurants and spent time at a souvenir store. Photo of the Clock Tower.

I have put my photos of our Cape Town City Tour on a slideshow. Go to http://www.peggysphotos.com/cape–town–city–tour/

(Slide Shows, Southern Africa, South Africa, “Cape Town City Tour”).

Township Tour–District Six Museum

I took an optional Township Tour. The first stop was at the District Six Museum in Cape Town, a museum to remember the events of the forced removal of the 60,000 residents in District 6 when it was declared to be a white–only area in 1966 under the Apartheid regime and all non–whites had to leave the area. On the floor of the museum is a large street map of District 6. There are also old street signs displayed, photos of how District 6 looked like before it was bulldozed, and a very long name cloth of memories of District 6 former residents, among other displays. Definitely an emotional experience.

Langa Township

We next drove to Langa Township outside Cape Town. Langa was established in 1927 as one of the many areas in South Africa that were designated for Black Africans. There are many income levels in Langa, from the poorest of the poor to more economically comfortable. Photo: one of the nicer streets in Langa.

Langa Township

One of the poorer streets in Langa. More than one family might live in just one shack.

Guga Sthebe Arts and Culture Center

We made a visit to the Guga Sthebe Arts and Culture Center in Langa.

Drum Lesson–MOVIE-1

We were given a drum lesson at the culture center.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/R21BtFIjcj8

Drum Lesson–MOVIE-2

More of our drum lesson.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/R21BtFIjcj8

Drums and Xylophones–MOVIE

Xylophones played by my very talented tour mates Melody and Karisha were added to the drum section.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/wTsqzS7TKUY

Art Studios

We visited two art studios at the culture center. This one was for pottery.

Sheep Heads

Next, we watched this fabulous woman cooking sheep heads. Each head can feed a family and they are not expensive and are a part of the diet of the people who live in Langa. More photos of her in the slideshow––see next photo.

Langa Housing

The buildings on the right and left of the photo are old, men–only worker housing. Now, three families might share just one room in them and have use of a communal bathroom and cooking facilities. Their hope is to move into the much nicer apartments seen in the middle back of the photo.

I have put my photos of our Township Tour on a slideshow. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/cape–town–township–tour/

(Slide Shows, Southern Africa, South Africa, “Cape Town Township Tour”).

Home-Hosted Dinner

I went on an optional home–hosted dinner this night at a home in Cape Town where the hostess, her children, and some relatives joined us in both eating very tasty food and conversation about us and about South Africa.

Home-Hosted Dinner

Our gracious hostess.