Capetonians Out and About - Slowly

The V and A Waterfront Cape Town South Africa

Covid-19 has placed the entire world in lock-down and we now have to face a new "normal"
Cape Town with empty streets just seems so sad. However, things are slowly returning to some degree of "normal"

Even the seagulls are looking for scraps - with no people eating at restaurants, they are now perhaps healthy without all those chips!

Seagull in the Vand A Waterfront Cape Town South Africa

For us, as Capetonians, this has been particularly difficult, given that we live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We so love being out and about, on our beaches, on our beloved Table Mountain, browsing around the V&A Waterfront, watching the boats bring in their catch of fresh fish and crayfish, fishing from the harbour wall in Kalk Bay, walking Sea Point Promenade etc etc..

Kalk Bay Cape Town South Africa

So, with brilliant sunshine and the exercise period extending to 18.00 hrs we, and hundreds of others, took ourselves out! It caused a tad of chaos on the mountains - so much so that some areas had to be closed when safe capacity was reached. This affected the very popular Newlands Forest and Lion's Head

Kalk Bay - access via the Brass Bell in Main Road

Walking with a mask and glasses is a dangerous experience, made even more so with a camera stuck to my eye! With the specs being misted up continually (why do I breather so much??) I was lucky to escape the week-end unscathed. With some beautiful memories to soothe my soul and the gentle, winter sunshine to soothe my body.

Kalk Bay Harbour - waiting for the crayfish

Kalk Bay Harbour is always a delight - there was much activity with a number of boats arriving and offloading all those delectable crayfish that we can no longer afford!

Seals at Kalk Bay Harbour

The seals of Kalk Bay love the sunshine but they sure do move quickly once they hear the boats arriving - diving into the water and going up close hoping for a fishy morsel or two. I don't think they were given any crayfish though!

Table Mountain from the V and A Waterfront Cape Town South Africa

The reflections in the water at the V&A Waterfront were incredibly beautiful this week-end. The boats are not yet allowed to take visitors out so there is no movement in the water which allowed for reflections all around.

Table Mountain from the V and A Cape Town South Africa

Hotels stand empty except for those taking Essential Workers or Quarantine guests.
Some restaurants are now open for take-aways but one has to wonder of they are even making any profit by doing this. We hope so as poverty hits so many on an unprecedented scale.

Cafe Alfredo V and A Waterfront Cape Town South Africa

Kalky's in Kalk Bay is very well known and they were doing a roaring trade - people were happily sitting on the quayside with their fish and chips.

Quay in Kalk Bay Harbour

So we battle on with the effects of Corona Virus on our city and our world. But this will eventually pass, albeit with many fatalities. Do we lay the blame somewhere or must we accept that the earth decided it needed a well earned rest from the millions of tourists world-wide, the packed skies, the clogged highways and the millions of people looking for their next adventure??

Empty Streets Cape Town South Africa

It is anybody's guess at this stage.

Take care and stay safe!

Empty Chairs V and A Waterfront Cape Town South Africa

Once our South African borders re-open, please come and visit our beautiful country.

V and A Boat trips Cape Town South Africa

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                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

Cape Town - KIds Day out

Cape Town has so much to offer children (and adults!) and this day outing was just one of the many things parents can do (and enjoy!) with their children.

Our first stop was at the Mouille Point Putt Putt Course. With 2 courses of 18 holes each, this is an ideal way to start the day in the cool of the morning. With the promenade on the sea side, it is also fun watching the many walkers, joggers and cyclists enjoying their morning exercise.

The course opens at 09.00 am 

Next up was the V&A Waterfront - this is one of Cape Town's major attractions and with so much on offer, it is a delight for both young, old, tourist and locals. Unlike many other tourist attractions world-wide, the V&A is frequented by locals all year round. So don't let the perception of a "tourist trap" put you off - Capetonians love the V&A!

Harbour Cruise

We decided to opt for the Harbour Cruise first with City Sightseeing. There are many other operators offering cruises out to sea. This 30 minute ride is ideal for kids and includes views of Table Mountain, the Nelson Mandela Gateway, the iconic Clock tower and the Chavonnes battery Museum. The Bascule Bridge is a pedestrian swing bridge (recently upgraded) that offers a walkway to the Clock Tower precinct. When open for shipping, it is fun to watch the fancy, expensive yachts and other craft moving out to the harbour and sea beyond. 

Before this bridge was built, the famous Penny Ferry was the only means of crossing this section of water. It was a small rowing boat and was used by dockworkers and sailors.

The historic Clock Tower was once the Port Captain's Office and it was built in 1882. It still stands proudly and has also recently been restored and repainted.

The Seal platform is prefect for all to watch the antics of the Cape Fur seals, especially for children of all ages

"The seal family tree includes three main groups: true seals, fur seals and sea lions. There are a couple of differences between fur seals and true seals. Firstly, fur seals have cute little ears on the sides of their heads, while true seals have no external ears. Fur seals also have larger front flippers, which they use to propel themselves through the water, unlike true seals who motor along using their back flippers. There are nine species of fur seal, of which the Cape Fur Seal is most closely related to the Australian Fur Seal.

Once they’ve reached adulthood, males are normally much larger than females, weighing up to 350kg. Females typically weigh in at around 80kg, but can grow up to 150kg"

Info courtesy of:

https://www.animalocean.co.za/2016/09/facts-about-the-cape-fur-seal/

Canal Cruise Cape Town Waterfront

Next up was the Canal Cruise - this starts at the One and Only Hotel and goes as far as the Cape Town International Conference Centre. It's a look into the way of life on the waterways of Cape Town with properties fetching very high prices. This boat offers a Hop on, Hop Off option so one can stop at Battery Park and hire a SUP or Water bike to enjoy some an extra fun activity.

It was time to feed hungry children so we took a break for lunch. There are numerous restaurants in the Waterfront, ranging in price from very reasonable to the more expensive. Buskers are an integral part of life in the V&A so there is always something different to watch or see! The kids were fascinated by the buskers standing like statues until somebody gives them money. I was asked by the kids "Does it always have to be R20.00?" That guy was having a lucky day!!

Before we headed to the toy shops, we went on the Cape Wheel. This scenic ride in air-conditioned comfort, takes you 40 m up into the air and offers 360 degree views of Cape Town.

The ride lasts for about 15 mins and is great fun for young and old!

There is much more to see and do in the V&A but our day was drawing to a close and the toy shops like Hamley's and Toy Kingdom were calling .....so we caved in and took them shopping!

         http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

 For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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