Slept at Heather's flat last night and then woke up and walked from Kloof to Greenpoint. So much walking the past 2 days, I better get a lot of compliments on how good my calves/legs look when I get back! Walked through a little part of Cape Town called Bo-Kaap, it a muslim area, but the houses are all bright and colorful! Its crazy to see, because for a moment you forget you are in South Africa. We also walked through an area called the Waterkant, its the gay area right above Greenpoint. Not much to see except for nicle littel flats. Upon arrival at Greenpoint, I parted with Heather and Valcan and too a short cut to the Waterfront. They were continuing on to Cliffton ( walking, crazy people) to an India cooking class and I had plans to jump on the city sightseeing bus for a ride around Cape Town. Today is Jeanette's birthday ( and still no invite to the birthday dinner, so I am sticking to my plans. Especially because I asked Amanda if the dinner was for her friends only and she said "Yl.p." not sure that that means but I took it as "yip.") She is turning 60!
Got to the waterfront and confirmed my ticket for the blue mini peninsula tour, and then walked to the shopping center to get a gift for my auntie, a snack for the bus ride and some lunch. Ended up getting her a gift voucher fro Cape Town Fish Market, a place we ate sushi one day and she said it was her favorite place at the Waterfront. Just my luck they had buy one get one free sushi, so that was my lunch! Yummy! I have been eating so much sushi it's ridiculous! Not sure if its a good or bad thing to eat abundantly, but guess we will find out when I get home! Hoping are going to be "oh my Nikki you've lost weight!" That would be great because I definitely feel that total opposite! Any who, finished my shopping and headed to the bus stop to start my tour!
First stop the clocktower at the Waterfront, nothing cool to get off the bus and see just a drive by with a little bit of commentating.
2nd, after a little drive through the city to the convention center (also not a place to get off).
3rd was the center of cape town, here I got off and walked around. They have a big area where all the markets are, but it's very expensive compared to other markets, so no need to buy anything. The bus comes every 25 minutes, so just wandered until it came and then on to the next stop!
which was the Mount Nelson Hotel, its one of the most luxurious hotels in Cape Town. So I hopped off and walked around the hotel and then across the street down Government Lane. Didn't go inside the hotel, but the outside looked amazing!
Back on the bus and headed to Kirstenbosch, on the way there we passed University on Cape Town, gorgeous campus. I begged my parents to let me go there when applying to colleges, but obviously that didn't happen! They have a really good biology program so maybe I can do my masters there...you never know! Also passed District 6, this was a place that whites and blacks lived in harmony and was were some of the best African jazz music was founded. Unfortunately in the 1970's the black were forced out the area, due to the Group Area act declared by the government stating that District 6 is to be a whites only area, because the living of blacks and whites together during the time of the apartheid caused conflict....RUDE! Today it stands empty and is a museum. I really want to go visit it. Finally at Kirstenbosch, and even though I was there on Sunday for the concert I never got to walk around the gardens, so I hopped off and took a walk around. It's one of South Africa's nine botanical gardens, and was created originally as a place for botanist to study plants in a natural environment. Stunning views of the gardens and mountain together and lots of stone sculptures. It would be a great place to come have a picnic, but not very nice to walk around by yourself. Nevertheless, glad I came and took a look.
Back on the bus and off to Constantia neck to get on the wine bus, Beau Constantia was closed so the next one on the list is Groot Constantia. It is one of South Africa's largest, most famous and oldest wine farms. By the way the cape is wine country, Horse creek ain't got nothing on this. Groot in Afrikaans means "big" and this is an understatement. Such a gorgeous wine farm, didn't get off to taste wine because they only do tasting one the hour every hour and I got there just passed 3:00. Plus I plan to come back and do the cellar tour/vineyard tour and tasting another time. Last but not least was eagles nest, nothing compared to Groot but got off and tasted some wines. Yummy whites, but I'll never be a fan of reds, no matter how many awards it has won! Group of girls from the States were sitting near me, so I had a good time listening to their conversations and what they had done in South Africa!
Back onto the Blue bus and head to world on birds, not to go in (because Jared and I spent a lot of time there the other day), but to walk home.
Great day of touring...
While I was in town I finally got the invite to dinner, guess they realized no one had told me. Decided not to go though, let them have a family night. I went to melissa's and ate dinner with her family and then we went to Ocean Blue in Camps bay to wait for Lauren and the others to rock up at Dizzy's. Flirted with our cute waiter, John Fish from fishhoek! He was a cutie, tried to convince him to come to Dizzy's but he never showed. Dizzy's was very busy and it took at least 20 minutes to get a drink, not fun! That always kills the mood, so after waiting for ever I didn't even want my drink. Finished it and left. South Africa is not living up to its party night life style.
Woke up at 3AM (probably because of all the red bull I drank, not a good idea) and went to the toilet, but almost fell over due to my calf muscles being so freaking tight!!! All that walking was catching up to me! They hurt so bad! Hopefully they will feel better in the morning!
