South Africa and Namibia: September 2018: Day 3: Cape Town

South Africa and Namibia: September 2018

Day 3: Cape Town

To be fair, breakfast on most flights is gross. This one included.

Yay for more upgrades going through.

View from the top floor of the Protea Victoria Junction.

Sam looks ready to eat.

Fancy juice at Hemelhuijs. Fish.

Fish.

Very floral ceiling.

That little shack is probably busy on weekends?

Exploring Bo-Kaap.

The art exhibit "Open."

Urban staircases.

Nearly the end of the day in Greenmarket Square.

Food Lover's Market, Greenmarket Square.

Excellent white chocolate hot chocolate at Folk Cafe. Whole chicken at Roast & Co.

Whole chicken at Roast & Co.

Pretty empty mid-week. By comparison, Chefs Warehouse and Canteen next door was packed.

Survived the second 11+ hour flight of the trip and yet another inedible airplane breakfast. Uneventful landing at Cape Town International Airport, killed an hour at the modestly pleasant airport cafe and "library" while waiting for Sam to arrive, then off to Cape Town.

Rental car was a very clean but very basic VW Polo 1.4 with a 5-speed manual. I've done enough driving on the left-hand side of the road lately that that part wasn't bad at all, but driving manual left-handed was definitely a bit of extra concentration. (thanks Sam for navigating!) Then found that the hotel upgraded the room to a crazy "loft apartment"-- did not expect that!

Hit Hemelhuijs for an innovative lunch, then off to see the colorful streets of Bo-Kaap. Honestly it was a bit underwhelming, but for a city of under a half million people, when put into context, Cape Town actually manages a good bit of character. In addition to Bo-Kaap, the "Open" art building (uhh, more like wall?), Company Garden, and the surrounding neighborhoods all feel remarkably accessible and distinctive. Their small size made things feel walkable as opposed to all-encompassing, which is a very different perspective for those used to wandering the streets of Manhattan or Central London.

Tried to hit the delicious Chefs Warehouse and Canteen for dinner, but found that their menu was not dairy-free, so we ended up next door at Roast & Co. for what proved to be a tasty chicken dinner.