Adventures in Cape Town, Pt. 1

Cape Town, South Africa is at the very tip of the African continent, right on the coastline. It is where two oceans, the Atlantic and Indian, meet. And despite the crazy, unpredictable weather (current conditions: heavy, stormy wind and rain with branches blowing off the trees and down the streets; tomorrow’s predictions: clear skies and sunshine), it is very, very beautiful — an unreal combination of mountain and ocean with a fascinating history and rich, lively culture. Time to explore!!

Two Oceans Aquarium

An African penguin poses for the camera

The marine life at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town is especially diverse since it is where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans converge. The highlight of the aquarium was an exhibit that featured my favorite animals — penguins. We were able to watch a feeding and learned a lot about this species in particular, the African penguin. These little things are freaking adorable. Waddle waddle. I was incredibly saddened to learn that they are endangered, primarily due to some awful human behavior, including eating penguin eggs as a delicacy (why?! over 13 million penguin eggs! were consumed before the practice was banned). Helping to preserve the lives of penguins, and marine life in general, only takes something as easy as using reusable bags instead of plastic bags and drinking from the cup instead of using a straw. Please think about these cutie pie penguins, and other marine animals (dolphins! whales! sea otters! turtles! etcetc.) next time you use something that may end up in our oceans.

Bo-Kaap

The colorful houses of Bo-Kaap with the picturesque Table Mountain behind

Look how pretty! Bo-Kaap is this amazing area in Cape Town that is known for being the center of the Cape Malay community and also for its brightly painted houses — I can’t help but feel happy when I look at them. While we were there, this blanket of clouds was descending from Table Mountain (the main natural landmark of Cape Town, towering over the city — the top is flat, thus “Table”), which looked insanely cool, slightly ominous, and in stark contrast to the colorful buildings in the foreground. Here’s another view:

Crazy!

A nighttime stroll along the coast

After eating at a lovely French restaurant nearby(La Mouette, for anyone who is interested), we decided to walk along the coast back to our hotel.

Not much to say, except that it is just so pretty.

Also, I wanted to be fancy with my camera and tried a manual shot for bokeh:

Other random things I’ve observed/learned while in Cape Town

  • They drive on the right, which means when crossing the street, look right first and then left! I am definitely not used to this one and have to be wary every time we cross the street at an intersection without traffic lights.
  • Everything here is cheaper than expected: we’ve had some amazing meals and the average has been about $15/person, which would be considered pretty cheap for a similar experience in the States. Entry fees into attractions like the aquarium and museums are also much lower than what I’ve seen elsewhere (for the most part).
  • The coffee is so good. Any time we order coffee, it is quality. Even the instant coffee in the hotel. Also, places outside of the US don’t normally have the regular drip or house black coffee, it’s all espresso. So order a cappuccino. They are great.
  • Maybe I should have brought rain boots…