36 Hours in Cape Town (pt. I)

THE GARDEN ROUTE--The problem is where to begin when describing a city that has world-class beaches, infamous landmarks, scenic beauty, an underreported history, a uniquely South African vibe and incredible people.

That is what comprises the greater Cape Town area and also what makes it irresistible to visitors. This city did not need the World Cup to highlight its winter, but the folks at FIFA are not as foolish to neglect South Africa’s third largest city and home to some stunning man-made and natural images.

The dichotomy between man and nature is visible from the Cape Town Stadium, which will host eight games during the World Cup. Visitors can easily see Table Mountain rising above the city in the background. In the foreground, one a clear day, they can also see the inhumanity that was Robben Island 10 kilometers off the shore.

Robben Island is where the apartheid government banished Nelson Mandela for 27 years for his acts of non-violent political dissent. It was also my sole reason for seeing this city—at least before I touched down.

Unfortunately, my timing was as impeccable as a Robert Green blunder. My flight from Johannesburg just happened to be on the coldest day of the winter to date. When the seas get choppy the ferries out to Robben Island are closed because the waves can reach as high as 30 feet.

At least the weather cooperated long enough for me to take in the city’s picturesque sights as we approached the Cape Town International Airport. The pilot flew across this metropolitan area of 5 million people, into the Atlantic Ocean for a low profile view of the turquoise-blue waters, before landing just after 10 a.m. Sunday morning.

My hostel, The Backpack and Travel Center, is one of the best in Africa and HostelWorld.com has previously named it one of the ten best on the planet. It certainly lived up to its billing. (Writer’s note, don’t be surprised if you see that sentence again, but in a different contest.)

The goal was to update my blog, book a trip to Robben Island for Monday and go see the city. Little did I know how much my supposedly intricate plans depended on the weather.

Packed and prepared to go on a mini-adventure, I started watching a soccer match. Originally, I was going to stay 10 minutes...then until halftime...then until the first goal before resigning to waiting until the end of the match.

The lure of the Ghana-Serbia match is what allowed me to catch up with a handful of Americans who were also at The Backpack and Travel Center. We all ate, shared which matches we were attending and where we were from. Later, we found out that our hostel usually doesn’t have so many Americans there at one point, but it was a welcome change of pace.

We made plans to eat, but the Germany-Australia match was coming on, so three dozen people watched the game on two screens and cheered that the World Cup finally had a back-and-forth contest that produced goals.