Winter Break: Part 1!

Time is flying and I've finished my first semester at UCT already! I've been able to take leave this week as my mom is visiting Cape Town - so our time has been filled with lots of sight seeing for me to share! I'll be sharing what we've done our first few days, with more to come soon. If you ever visit Cape Town, these sights are ones you'll want to put on your to-do list for sure!

The first weekend my mom arrived we took a trip to Simon's Town. Simon's Town is about 40 minutes south of where I live, situated on the east coast of the Cape Peninsula. My Rotary mentor Jo was gracious enough to allow us to stay at her rental, which gave us gorgeous views of the beach.

While in Simon's Town we visited the iconic Boulder's Beach, which houses a colony of the only species of African penguins. They are housed in a conservation area but are free to roam as they please. The species was on the verge of extinction in 1982, with only two breeding pairs left. Luckily, with local conservation efforts, there are now about 3000 penguins living in the colony. The birds live along the coast of South Africa and Namibia.

We also were able to visit Kommetjie, a town on the west coast of the Cape Peninsula. This town houses Imhoff Farm, which was built by a Dutch general in the 1700s. The farm now houses shops and a cafe, and was perfect to tour on a rainy Sunday morning. After visiting the farm, we went to the Slangkop Lighthouse. The beach showcased its roaring Atlantic waves, which were huge compared to the inland waves we saw on the Simon's Town beaches.

After a great stay in Simon's Town, we headed to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. This is one of my favorite spots in Cape Town. The peaceful gardens are a great spot to explore all the natural fauna, and every time I go I learn something new. Did you know there are 6 floral kingdoms in the world, and one of them consists only of the Cape Floral Region around Cape Town? Kirstenbosch showcases all of these plants as well as many unique species from other parts of the country.

Next, we went on a cruise in Hout Bay to Seal Island. The island houses Cape Fur Seals, who often travel back and forth from here to the mainland.

The next morning we went to Table Mountain on the cable car. The cable car gave great views on the way up, and even rotates so every rider can see a 360° view. Another option is to hike up to the top, and there are several paths you can take to get there. When we arrived at the top, we took in all the beautiful sights from both sides. We saw rock dassies, which are a small mammal that resembles a rodent but whose closest living relatives are actually elephants. There is so much unique flora and fauna to the Cape, and it is so interesting to see them at every site.

After Table Mountain, we headed to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront to board a ferry to Robben Island. 'Robben' means seal in Dutch, as the Cape fur seals also live here. Robben Island functioned originally as a convict colony, where many exiled persons were sent by the Dutch. It was converted into a prison in 1961, meant to house political prisoners during apartheid. Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years imprisoned on Robben Island. While visiting, we were taken on a tour of the island and then the cells where the political prisoners were kept including Nelson Mandela's cell. Leading the tours are ex-political prisoners, many of whom still live on Robben Island to this day. Our tour guide was imprisoned when he was only 17, and spent 7 years at Robben Island before being released in 1990 when the prison was beginning to close. He said many of the prisoners still live and work on the island, because they have no where else to go. After going to school and graduating upon release, he shared with us that he still had trouble being hired anywhere due to his past. What struck me the most was that at the end of the tour, he said that he has forgiven the guards that had worked at the prison during his time there. Even though he experienced such horrors, he still chose to forgive, echoing Mandela's sentiments as he brought South Africa into it's new era. Touring Robben Island really allowed me to get a better understanding of not just South Africa's history during apartheid, but it's colonial history as well. It is definitely a place I recommend visiting if you ever have the chance.

Over the course of only 5 days, we were able to see so much. I'm lucky that we still have 5 more days to explore the city!

What sight would be your first stop in Cape Town?

• Boulder's Beach penguins & Seal Island
• The top of Table Mountain
• Robben Island