We thank those who follow our adventures in South Africa and send us private messages asking for information about this destination. First of all, I want to answer a question that is found in many of the comments. South Africa is not a destination only for water sports lovers! You have so many places and experiences to discover that just 14 days of vacation will not be enough.
Bo Kaap, bright colors covering past suffering
Bo Kaap, the neighborhood of brightly colored houses in the center of Cape Town hides a not-so-pretty history.
With a majority Muslim population, Bo Kaap's history reflects South Africa's political measures during the apartheid years. The area was declared exclusively residential for Cape Town Muslims under the Group Areas Act of 1950. Ethnics of other religions were forced to leave the neighborhood just 15 minutes from the historic city centre. At the same time, Bo Kaap continued to be atypical. It remained one of the few neighborhoods with a predominantly working-class population that continued to live near the city center. In the mid-XNUMXth century, working-class South Africans were moved to the outskirts of cities under the Slum Clearance Act.
Nowadays, the neighborhood has become a tourist attraction, and the colorful houses are actually an expression of the freedom of the owners. When slaves were allowed to buy property in the Bo Kaap, the buildings, until then necessarily white, were painted in bright colors.
And if you still end up in Bo Kaap, I recommend you also visit the historic center of Cape Town. Buildings erected in 1895 blend beautifully with dozens of storey towers. It is a vibrant area with restaurants, bars and gelaterias.
BRIDGE- try not to draw attention to yourself by wearing large jewelry
PONT- visit the Bo Kaap Museum
Hout Bay, culinary experiences
All the destinations I write about are about an hour and a half drive from where we are staying. Although the distance in kilometers is very small (35-50 km), heavy traffic and speed restrictions make the journey longer. Don't be impatient, you will have time to reach several points in one day even if you are not a morning person. In the hot season, the African day starts at 05.38:20.00 and sunset is at XNUMX:XNUMX.
The photo was taken at Hout Bay, a fishing port turned tourist attraction. Dughenes cooking fried squid, fresh fish markets, a local jewelry and clothing market, tons of ice cream and the buzz of hundreds of tourists.
Hout Bay is also the place from where you can leave with tourist boats to Robben Island, a land now conquered by seals. From 1960 to 1991, Robben Island served as South Africa's maximum security prison. Most of the prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, were black men incarcerated for political offences.
But let's get back to the main reason we came to Hout Bay. On a friend's recommendation, we went to the Wharf Harbor Front Emporium where we had wild-harvested oysters and African-style smoked Snoek (Snoek - part of the Mackerel species).
Two king size oysters (20 lei/both), mackerel, four fish balls and a freshly baked loaf of bread cost less than 35 lei.
PONT – avoid the weekend (it is a destination for both locals and tourists)
PONT- you pay by card even at the counter
Llandudno Beach, a tan session on a spectacular beach
A 20 minute drive takes you from Hout Bay to Llandudno Beach. The scenery changes and you enter a Beverly Hills of the Cape Town metropolis. By the time you get to the beach, you'll be drawn to the villas overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the colorful vegetation and the expensive cars passing slowly on the winding road.
To get to the beach with golden sand and turquoise water you have to go down makeshift stairs made of earth and wooden beams. Not escalators or tons of concrete, as many Romanians would like. Since coming to South Africa, I have appreciated the care the locals have for the environment.
You will not find beach bars or sunbeds on the beach. A few locals walk around with coolers full of cold drinks and others try to convince you to buy umbrellas. Even if the air temperature does not exceed 27 degrees Celsius, the UV level frequently exceeds the threshold of 9.
The exotic landscape will change the moment you enter the ocean. The 11 degrees of water will freeze your blood in your veins.
PONT- sun cream with factor +50
BRIDGE - don't sit near the water (the waves are big and will take your things from the beach)
PONT- it's time to ask yourself why you haven't started the Wim Hof technique (cold water therapy)
The adventure continues! On New Year's Eve we are just like the famous meme with Gheorghe Hagi – "No one called us, no one invited us, but we're not going either"
