Experiencing Cape Town
You could easily mistake an aerial view of the Cape Peninsula for a panoramic view of Never-never Land. At the centre of Never-never Land is Table Mountain, standing as a timeless figurehead in all its glory, while all around it, the surrounding rocky coastline protrudes out of crystal azure seas. Take this still picture and add the dynamic movement of the tides, currents, clouds, and weather and you have a breathless 10,000 ft bird’s eye view of the fairyland that is the Cape Peninsula and its surrounding lands.
If the Peter Pan viewpoint doesn’t suit you, let’s examine Cape Town logically. The people are busy here and actively engaging in the finer points to life. Important things like cycling, hang-gliding, running, surfing, eating out, and rock climbing are never far from their minds — less important things are not allowed to get in the way. A multitude of various adventures and sight-seeing opportunities are within easy driving distance from most parts of Cape Town and its surrounding suburbs, so much so that some Capetonians don’t seem to travel to any other parts of the country.
It’s a real challenge for a couch lover to find excuses to stay at home here. There’s just no time to lounge on the couch. Yes, the sea can get cold on the west side. That’s no excuse, you can buy a wetsuit. Yes, the weather is temperamental, but if you’re not careful you’ll miss out. Just because it’s raining down on you in the southern suburbs, and you can’t see your hand in front of your face for all the mist, you’ll soon realise that ten kilometres either way will probably put you back in the sun zone. When the west side is horrid, the east side is great.
You haven’t really lived until you’ve spent some quality time on the beautiful beaches of Llandudno, Noordhoek, Kommetjie, and Scarborough. If you haven’t had a coffee or a cocktail looking out over Camps Bay with the rocky cliffs of Table Mountain behind you, you’ve missed out. If you have, you’ll want to do it again.
Weather bad? Rain often means good surf at Muizenberg! You see, I see the world through the eyes of a surfer and a regular beach-goer. The peninsula has certain advantages that aren’t available to the sea lover in other parts of the country. I grew up on beaches in the Eastern Cape, and for a time, on the north coast. If the wind wasn’t blowing from the right direction, or the weather was inclement, there was nothing else to do but stay home and pull out the Playstation. I spent a number of years away from the coast, and so the move to Cape Town was like coming back home…
…except it isn’t home: it’s Never-never Land. It’s an endless adventure filled with possibilities I’ve not found elsewhere.
This is what I love most about Cape Town and its surrounding areas: its unparalleled beauty, its scope of opportunity, and its tendency to keep you busy doing the good things in life. What a great way to bring up my young boy! What a great place to spend my life with my family and friends!
