Cape Town Scenes

We were off next to Signal Hill for more excellent views of the area.  This guinea hen isn't really a view, it's in here because I got a good view of that colorful face that looks like a little kid went crazy with mom's makeup.

When the Dutch East India Company first settled at Cape Town they had people up on the hill to signal ships and also signal the farmers to know what provisions might be needed so they could bring their goods to town.  There were different types of flags to signal what would be needed.  This photo was taken towards Sea View, one of the most expensive addresses on the cape.

Looking the other direction you see Green Point, named unsurprisingly for the green sports fields that dot the area.

Interesting bench at Signal Hill.

You get a better idea of the different peaks of the 12 Apostles in this shot.

We didn't even need to get a frame for this photo of us in front of Table Mountain.

Hopefully here you can see the complete lion looking version of Lion's Head, where the actual Dutch translation really has a meaning more like Lion's Peak.  

The 12 Apostle peaks  at an even better angle.

Beautiful blue-green waters and breakers.

The waves on the rocks are always soothing to watch.

Another side of Table Mountain.  Such a lovely day.

Just a bit of South African culture here with this barbecue, or braai (brah then just a long i).  Daniel shared with us this is a favorite activity on the cape and there are lots of these brick structures in the parks for potential social gatherings.  They never use charcoal, always has to be a wood fire, and when the coals are right that's when you put the meat on.  He and his wife like to go for a braai, or a picnic and watch the sunset.

Back in Cape Town itself we drove through the city on pretty much a panoramic tour.  The building in the background, City Hall, was where Nelson Mandela made his freedom speech after being released from Robben Island.

This statue of Mandela is located there to commemorate the event.  He was released in February 1990 after having been sentenced to life in prison in 1964 for sabotage.  In 1994 he was elected as the President of South Africa.

Another historic spot in the city that we drove past was the "Arch for Arch" a memorial for Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, created as a monument to peace and democracy.  It stands between Parliament and the St. George Cathedral where the archbishop officiated.  The church was also an asylum for apartheid protestors.

Part of that darker period of South African history took place in this building, The High Court Civil Annex, where rulings were made to determine race.  One of the "tests" used to determine race was the pencil test.  If a person put a pencil in their hair and it fell out they were white.  If it stayed in but moved if they shook their head, they could be considered colored, a race who had a few more rights than the blacks.  If the pencil didn't move then they were considered black.  Often this test was used more for humiliating a person than anything else.  The benches now in front of the building are a reminder of apartheid when there were whites only and blacks only benches in the country.

Bo-Kaap (meaning "above the cape") in the most colorful neighborhood in Cape Town.  Originally is was the Malay Quarter which housed the Dutch slaves.  

It's now considered a National Cultural site and is an Instagramer's dream.

This elephant was outside one of the homes,

made from what look to be crushed bottle caps.

There was some really lovely street art inside an archway between some of the buildings.

I put this photo in here because we saw campaign flyers all over the country since May 29 was a national election day.  The political system here is the same as in Britain where a party is voted into power rather than a person.  It is usually the leader of that party who becomes president.  There are multiple political parties in South Africa, the largest currently being the ANC, or African National Congress.  Unfortunately for the country, there is so much corruption within that party that there is almost a complete lack of trust in their ability to govern.  If you don't like a party you can just create your own, which helps contribute to the ANC staying in power because all the smaller groups can't get enough people behind them to make any difference.  Daniel told us that government works in the West Cape Province, which includes Cape Town, because the Democratic Alliance Party is in power there rather than the ANC.  He said this year's election won't change anything for the nation.

More street art here.  Note the pencils in the box, no doubt a reminder of the pencil test but at the same time showing how all colors can live together.

Just a cat on a roof keeping an eye on Table Mountain.

Bo-Kaap is currently a predominantly Muslim area.  There were lots and lots of signs in support of Palestine here.

One of over a dozen mosques in Bo-Kaap.

One final street of colorful houses.  It used to be that they were all white but one story goes that when the slaves who lived there were freed they painted their houses in bright colors as an expression of their freedom.  Whatever the reason may be, it was definitely a vivid part of the city.