Close your eyes

‘It’s like a dream you try to remember but it’s gone’ Barenaked Ladies – Pinch me

I’ve been back a week, but it’s taken me that long to finsh typing the following up. I have no idea how many entries it will take, so I recommend you get comfy.

I had a couple of pre-conceptions/ideas before I visited South Africa. I thought that apartheid had ended and I always got the impression taht there were a lot of white people. I’d also been told that I should take extra special care of myself and my belongings as everywhere was unsafe.

We left Newcastle on Sunday May 5th, which already seems a lifetime ago, with heavy rucksacks on our backs. We planned on getting to Heathrow early to make sure Duncan’s ticket was sorted. The woman at the SAA desk was rude and actually asked to see the original, lost, ticket before she’d replace it. Er, hello? Ticket is lost, how do you expect us to show it to you? Anyway, the ticket was sorted, we checked in (and were amazed to discover the seats had been correctly booked) and wandered round departures killing four hours. Do you know that you are no longer allowed proper, metal cutlery in the restaurants anymore? It ain’t easy cutting pizza with a blunt, plastic knife, I can tell you!

I hate flying. I mean, it fascinates me how a lump of metal stays airbourne, but basically, it terrifies me. So to board a plane, sit for three hours and then be told I have to come back and do it again tomorrow, is not my idea of fun. Of course something had to go wrong. Turned out to be some fault with the fuel gauges, so instead of flying to Cape Town on Sunday night, we were sleeping in a complimentary room at the Renaissance Heathrow. Not quite what I’d had in mind.

We finally left London at 5pm on Monday, a whole day of our holiday lost, with a letter promising 50% off our next internation flight with SAA in the next six months. They can’t seriously think I’ll be booking with them again after all that’s happened.

We landed in Cape Town at some ridiculous time of the morning (5:30am) on Tuesday and were lucky enough to have Justin pick us up and take us to his (exceptionally cramped) house, where I passed out and slept for two hours. I cannot get comfy and sleep on a plane. I have this fear that something awful will happen, not that being awake for that would be better, but still.

When I woke up, Duncan took me outside for one of the most amazing sights: Table Mountain. It dominates Cape Town. Wherever you are in the city you can see the thing. It was one of those times where you’ve seen something on tv, but it doesn’t come close to preparing you for seeing it in front of you.

Once showered and changed (and damn did it feel good to be out of those clothes!) we headed out. There were a few clouds so we decided not to go up the mountain, but with Justin as our guide we checked out the various shopping centres/malls that are dotted around the city. I had 1,500 rand (about £100) in my pocket and am feeling mildly guilty, Without tips, it would take Justin three weeks to earn this money in his bar job. And I intend on spending it in one week.

The shops are no big difference from the UK. I can’t quite equate the South African version of Woolworths (basically Marks and Spencers) with our own version (toys, cds, kids clothes, cheap), but still. The major difference is that everything is so much cheaper. Cds and books that in the UK would be £15-20 work out to be less than £10. I could go mad and buy tonnes of stuff in one day, but I am restrained. I don’t want to appear like some rich Brit, so I end up buying nothing but our bus ticket to East London for Thursday night.

Wednesday was our most perfect day in Cape Town. Justin drove us to the cable cars and me & Duncan headed to the top of Table Mountain. Despite the gorgeous, cloudless blue sky, we had jackets with us as we’d been told that the weather can change suddenly at the top. The cable car journey takes about seven minutes according to my ‘Rough Guide to Cape Town’ book, but it feels much quicker. The floor of the car revolves, so as you climb you get to see all of the city, which is breathtaking.

When we got to the top we found the place crawling with school kids. May is the beginning of the low/winter season in South Africa, so it’s obviously cheaper for schools to organise trips during this time. We decided to walk along the west side, which was quieter. From here we could see the homes of Cape Town’s richer residents: large and surrounded by green, as well as ‘The Twelve Apostles’ – a range of hills to the west of Cape Town. From the east side you can see the main city, all crammed together, and look out across Table Bay to Robben Island, former prison island where Mandela was incarcerated for far too long. It all made for some amazing photos.

Once back down (the cable car seemed bumpier on the way down, gravity probably), we joined Justin for lunch by the beach before driving back along the coast (and past the beach where Feeder filmed the video ‘Seven days in the sun’) to the Waterfront.

The Waterfront is, apparently, a recent addition to Cape Town, a place most residents are impressed with. It’s basically a small shopping centre with a collection of bars and restaurants outside. It doesn’t look out on the beach, but instead the industrial docks of the town, which are still used. Don’t get me wrong, it’s all very nice and clean, but not quite how the guide book made it out to be.

Because it’s winter (although the weather makes it feel like an ordinary British summer) the sun was setting by around 6ish. Justin arranged for the three of us to have a sunset cruise across Table Bay on a catamaran. It was lovely. The views of the town from the water were amazing, especially as it got darker and everywhere slowly lit up, and the sunset was beautiful, turning the sky so many different colours. The whole thing lasted about 90 minutes, and afterwards, whilst Justin went to work, me & Duncan finished off a perfect day by watching Arsenal beat Man Utd at Old Trafford and win the Double. Like I said, it was perfect.

On Thursday we let Justin sleep late (he works until around 5/6am) and packed our bags ready for the next stage of our journey. Once he was up we headed out to another shopping centre and paid a visit to the Nike and Reebok factory shops. All this way and I spend my money in places like that. Go figure!

It’s sixteen hours and forty-five minutes by coach from Cape Town to East London. It stops just about everywhere and takes longer than flying London to Cape Town. It’s marginally better than National Express in the UK – you get more room and the occasional complimentary tea or coffee (no alternative though if, like me, you drink neither). The people on it? In South Africa it’s mainly black people with the odd white tourist or student on there. This doesn’t bother me or Duncan at all, but from what I gathered from out Cape Town hosts, it bothers the white people of South Africa enough to not use the buses. Apartheid may officially no longer exist, but the mentality will eat away at this country for a long time to come.

cont…