There’s a lot of hype surrounding Cape Town. I’m not sure if I agree with all of it, but it’s definitely an interesting city to say the least. After a long day of driving, we arrived unprepared for the sudden change of pace. Peace and quiet on the open road was swapped for traffic jams, a maze of one-way streets, and pedestrians lining the sidewalks. Oh, I almost forgot about the cyclists – they’re everywhere. Sensory overload, my friends.
After a few wrong turns and close calls, we made our way out of the city. We drove until we saw the ocean and proceeded south. Sometimes it’s best to get your feet wet before diving in headfirst, and this was definitely one of those times.
With the Atlantic on our side, we were able to breathe easy for a while. The drive was lovely, but we had business to tend to: we needed a place to stay. We searched high and low, but came up empty handed, forcing us to return to the madness. We eventually landed at a comfortable (overpriced) guesthouse on a side street, tucked away from the hustle and bustle. We camped out for a few nights, enjoying the little luxuries, like a bed with clean sheets and a kitchen – two things I’ll never take for granted.
On the top of our “to do” list was extending our rental car contract for another month. We also needed to look into switching vehicles, as ours was due for maintenance. It all sounds easy, but I can assure you it’s not. Nothing is. We literally lost days dealing with Avis over the course of two months. Their slogan “We try harder” should be “You try harder,” because that’s all we did. Try. Try. Try… and try again. I can’t even tell you how much time and money was wasted. I hate to say it, but Avis sucks. There is just no getting around it. Let’s just say that if I had a nickel for every time they made me drop an F-bomb, I’d be rich.
To make a long story short, the people at Avis don’t know the meaning of “extension.” They also don’t know that it’s a bad idea to lease out cars due for maintenance, or that a car might actually get dirty after a few weeks on the road – in Africa, no less. So, two migraines later, it’s out with the Polo and in with the Spark.
Once we got our bearings, we ended up having a great time in Cape Town. The area has some great museums, most notable are District Six and Iziko Slave Lodge. You can’t scratch the surface of South Africa without acknowledging Apartheid and the way in which it changed everything. District Six takes you back to 1968, when the forced relocation’s began. It offers a glimpse into what life was like for those at the time, struggling for a voice. The Iziko Slave Lodge was fascinating as well. The exhibit on Nelson Mandela is not to be missed. In fact, I’d love to revisit it. He’s one in a million – the type of person you can’t sum up if you tried. They did a wonderful job attempting to, though.
The next morning we got up early and drove out to the Cape of Good Hope, making several stops along the way. Looking back, that day lands a spot as one of my most memorable while abroad. I’m not sure if it was the weather, scenery, or sidekick that made it so enjoyable. I’m guessing a little of each.
Side note: If you make it to Cape Town, do consider staying at Scalabrini Guest House. All proceeds go directly to the Scalabrini Center, located below it. They’re doing some great things in the community, helping those in need.http://www.scalabrini.org.za/
Also, Table Mountain is worth a visit. Check the forecast, go early, and bring a jacket.
