Cape Town, S Africa

June 8
On the coastal road back to Cape Town we passed many small towns on the ocean (picture 1 Bikini Beach on Gordon Bay) . S Africa has so much beautiful coast line. Ian told me that Real Estate has gone up 300- 800% since the year 2000, due to many foreigners buying at what is to them cheap prices. I saw signs saying 'On Show' meaning what we call 'Open House'.
Cape Town and its suburbs has a population of 4 mil. The City is enclosed by Table mountain, Signal Hill, Lions Head , Devils Peak and the ocean. The Waterfront is the original Harbor, which is now the main entertainment and shopping area.
Cape Cadogan, my 12 room boutique hotel in the Gardens residential area, is a 10 minute walk to the city center.

June 9
Today I hiked 4 hours, elevating 1086 meters, with a guide up Table Mountain. Table Mountain brings clean water to Cape Town all year since the mountain is a natural filter being made of shale, granite, and sandstone. Starting at the famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, we hiked, and at times climbed rocks, up Nursery Ravine (instead of Skeleton Gorge) through some forest, by small waterfalls, fynbos indigenous vegetation, and proteas large flowering plants, and a carnivorous flower (picture 4). Blue sunny skies allowed spectacular views of all of Cape Town, from Table Bay to False Bay. Five reservoirs on Table mountain, and viels (pronounced flays), large ponds of natural water from the mountain can also be seen near the sea (some of which mix with sea water). Small vineyards can also be seen on the outskirts of the city.

Tonight I walked around the Waterfront and had a satisfying dinner at Baia, one of the best restaurants in the area. It's a combination of malls, bar/restaurants, hotels, and a craft market, on a harbor. I found it to be too dark and touristy, yet many locals go there.
Tomorrow night I hope to go to Camp Bay, an upscale area on the Atlantic coast, known for its beautiful sunsets.
The African National Congress (ANC), Mandela's party, has been in power since 1994. This government, powerful judges, and the president of ANC are tainted by continuing corruption. It is not safe to walk at night in Cape Town. False Bay is a beautiful long white beach most of which is lined with squatter camps and black townships, and is not safe to walk on.
It is very difficult for a white student to gain admission with a scholarship to a University in S Africa, which is based on a point system where blacks start with 40 points and white students start with only 20. Ian, my guide, has a very bright daughter who was able to gain admittance but not a scholarship from a University in S Africa. She ended up taking correspondence course in order to get a degree.