Day 12 ... farewell Rovos and hello Cape Town

September 30, 2024

[This is a joint blog tonight … Ian is sharing the writing as we have had a full day. Ian’s words are in italics.]

Today was our last morning on Rovos ... but before we get into that we need to recap dinner last night.

Our final evening meal onboard was a candle lit dinner ... which whilst romantic, filled me with dread that Ian would set himself alight!

Our 4 course meal included  ... a starter of seared scallops (mushroom scallops for me), our main was lamb loin served on bed of pea puree with duchess potatoes, a wonderful cheese course and we were served two desserts ... birthday cake (for some of the travellers on the train) and chocolate fondant with vanilla bean ice cream and strawberry coulis. An absolutely stunning meal!

After a lovely sleep, being gently rocked by the train whilst we were moving (we stopped part way through the night … as we are a private train we do not get right of way on the tracks so sometimes we need to pull into sidings to allow other trains to pass us by), we woke to a rainy and cold morning. Despite Lawrence telling us last night that we would be into Cape Town about 8.00 it soon became evident that we were in fact not going to arrive by the 10.00 that was scheduled. Instead we had a slow leisurely chuff into Cape Town (remember … private train so no priority) and we finally entered the station just on noon! Not that we cared! It was lovely to have a few extra hours to enjoy the service of Rovos Rail. The wildflowers on the side of the train tracks were a delightful welcome to Cape Town.

Arriving into the station we were invited to disembark and collect our luggage at the Rovos Building (having been dragged there by the staff). We were able to head off pretty quickly as we were not waiting for a connecting driver to collect us but rather we were heading into town to pick up our hire car. So bags in tow we headed to Avis/Budget … thanks Google maps … and in the absence of footpaths we just walked on the road!

Car collected … a zippy little white Hyundai with only 599 km on the clock … we began negotiating the Cape Town traffic … which to be honest is very tame! We had decided to head towards the neighbourhood of Bo Kaap but as we began driving we soon realised that the grey morning cloud that had been covering Table Mountain had lifted and a quick Google indicated that the chairlift (having been closed earlier in the morning due to zero visibility) had commenced operating for the day. So, a rapid reset and we were heading to the mountain.

Arriving at the base of the chair lift I jumped out of the car to join the queue to purchase tickets whilst Ian continued up the road to find a car park. Tickets purchased and Ian back with me we headed up the stairs towards the pod that would carry us to the top of the mountain. There are two pods moving backwards and forwards on separate cables and after a very short wait we were onboard and slowly and very steeply ascending … whilst the floor of the pod rotated for 360° views. 

Arriving at the top of the mountain (some 1067 metres above sea level) we were met with incredible views, crisp mountain air, craggy rocks, wildflowers and winding paths. We spent about an hour and a quarter exploring the mountain, clambering over rocks, peering over the side and being enchanted by this beautiful spot. The views back over Cape Town and the ocean below were breathtaking. I was so proud of Ian who overcame his fear of heights to make the most of this location. And we saw a rock hyrax / dassie (small furry rock-loving creature).

We were very glad when we reached the bottom of the cable car that we had indeed changed our plans because the queues to purchase tickets and then the queue to get on the cable car were soooooo long! We think folks would have been waiting up to an hour to get on to a cable car!

Down from the mountain and over to Signal Hill (the name says it all) which overlooks the port and the city below. Stunning views back to Table Mountain, then turn around to look out to Robben Island (where Mandela was imprisoned) and the meeting point of the Atlantic and Southern Oceans. We shared an afternoon snack of biltong (dried beef) and candied nuts (overflow from our train journey).

Then on to Bo Kaap, a village just outside the Cape Town CBD renowned for its colourfully painted houses. Chefchaouen in Morocco, Gamcheon in S Korea, Bo Kaap in S Africa. Vivid greens  yellow, orange, pink and blue. Painted and repainted to make vibrant streets capes that house cafes, galleries and everyday people. We wandered the streets and lanes, enjoying the colourful spectacle.

Next stop was Hotel SKY down near the docks and the V&A Waterfront. The hotel lobby is bling overload, with a real feel of the Las Vegas strip. We are in a room which has a curved window to give us views over the city in multiple directions. And the view from the pool deck on Level 20 - Wow!

Bags dropped, our plan was to walk the 1km to the V&A and see what we could find (apart from the obligatory 8-location AdLab). For Australians think Southbank in Melbourne or Brisbane. Elsewhere Boston, Santa Monica, Navy Pier in Chicago. Here's what we saw and did.

Walked past dock workers on their way home. Saw the architecturally stunning Silo Hotel. Saw cannons, a clock tower and a time ball. Rhino statues. A working swing bridge (that we were on when the PA called everyone to get off - run  run). A working port with tugs and internationally flagged ships. Civic artwork. Massive statues. Historical monuments (SA Nobel Peace Laureates).

Seals at play. Buskers. Crowds of people taking photos, laughing, shopping, dining. What a buzz!

And we loved it so much we decided to find somewhere there for tea, and found a packed tavern overlooking the harbour with live music and great value meals. What a wonderful way to finish another lovely day and the end of Part 3 of our Southern Africa odyssey.

Which just left a 20 minute night time walk back to our hotel, lit up like a red beacon in the distance. With lit pathways, lots of other people walking and plenty of public safety officers along the way we never felt concerned. 

One final word before we close today's blog. Among many carved/painted inspirational quotes we passed at various times today was one by a path on Table Mountain. "One of life's most precious gifts is time." We live this every day and treasure the time we have together.