Day 1 in Cape Town

We had a great first day in Cape Town! We woke up and headed to the Castle of Good Hope. It was only appropriate to start there after our overnight stop in Amsterdam, because the Castle is the oldest building in Cape Town and was originally constructed by the Dutch East Indian Company in the late 17th century. We had a lovely guided tour and watched the ceremony of the keys (unfortunately a poor relation to the one at the Tower of London).

We then took a long hike up Table Mountain, which looms over Cape Town and the surrounding areas. Our hike took us up the the Platteklip Gorge, a strenuous but quite short way to the top. Once on top, we took in the spectacular scenery, had a bite to eat, and then rode the remarkable cable car down. After we claimed a prime position in the front of the car, Sarah was surprised when the floor began to rotate and the windows opened. She got off at the bottom feeling a bit queasy! The beginning of the sunset was spectacular--we can't wait to take in the full show over the South Atlantic in the next few nights! We finished a great night off with tapas and South African wine at a restaurant right next to our hotel.

Table Mountain Pictures

Castle of Good Hope Web Site
Table Mountain Cableway Web Site