You join us on part two of the holiday, making our way down from the Madikwe Game Reserve at Derdepoort to Johannesburg Airport in our shaken rattled and rolled (well, not actually rolled) hire car.
Jo'burg Airport was somewhat an interesting experience, with a few locals trying to con us at the check-in desk. Under the watchful eye of the airport security they let it happen only to tell us afterwards we should be more careful...An interesting take on things.
Catching a flight on South African Airways from Jo’burg down to Cape Town was swift and the aeroplane had something which I think every flight should...cameras on the tail of the aircraft!
Stepping off the air-conditioned jet in glorious 30°C+ heat felt good, the second leg of our holiday had officially begun. It felt a bit surreal being driven from the airport into the city, passing settlements constructed purely of mud walls and tin roofs, only to be shadowed by luxurious houses a few hundred metres down the road. Extremely contrasting!
Arriving at our waterfront apartment, Cape Town is truly a breath-taking place. Behind us we have the famous Table Mountain, somewhere that we had decided we would have to visit before even leaving England. Across the port there's a plethora of cocktail bars (which, Hannah and I both found ourselves in 5 minutes after arriving), markets, restaurants, live entertainment and shops.
We had four days to spend here, and honestly...we managed to fit an immense amount in! Day 1 was spent in and around Cape Town, visiting the Victoria and Albert waterfront to see what’s what. It was Hannah’s mum’s birthday during this holiday, so meals out and alcohol wasn't in short supply. Thanks to this we got to sample the fantastic South African cuisine.
If your visiting Cape Town, one place you have to visit is Robben Island. We found ourselves there on the second day, travelling across misty waters to dock in a bay inundated with cormorants. Incase it wasn't eery enough travelling through cold mist to visit a prison, arriving to the mass of birds circling the ferry certainly added that to the trip.
It seems a little odd writing that the prison is a must visit, one where Mandella and Robert Sobuku wrongly spent so much time there but the island is now turned into a living piece of history where former in-mates donate their time to personally take you around, sharing intimate stories of their experience there. Truly special to hear such stories, all of which are truly eye opening. The below picture is two of the actual prison itself and it doesn't take much to imagine how awful life must of been for the habitants of Robben Island.
Day 3 saw us hopping on the Red Route bus tour, sampling the delights of Table Mountain and Camps bay. We both highly recommend the bus tour, as it's a fantastic way to get around the area, seeing all the sights it has to offer.
The initial idea was to ascend Table Mountain in the evening, capturing Cape Town at dusk in golden light. Unfortunately, unbeknown to us the cable cars stop running during the evening, and we didn’t fancy missing the last and having to face the 20kilometre trek down! That in mind, we went up in the afternoon despite seeing the clouds rolling over the edge and risking what could be a somewhat hindered view. We are both SO glad that we made the choice to go up whilst it was still relatively cloudy, as being able to experience walking through clouds, still having a fantastic view over all of Cape Town and Camps Bay (other side of the Mountain) was truly unforgettable. We have some 5D2 HD movie footage which we are still to look through, but I can assure you that walking through the clouds is unreal. As you walk through the clouds you're damp and cold, yet when they pass you're warm and dry in the South African sun all at a dizzying 1 kilometre above sea level:
On our way back round from Table Mountain we hopped off at Camp’s Bay. Apparently it's a haven for Celebrities, and it’s easy to see why as it's the most gorgeous beach and backdrop I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Straight out of camera, this image clearly shows why:
Hours past here just lying on the rocks, eating ice cream and stopping for refreshments in the local bar. Someday we’ll have to return to this spectacular place! Credit goes to Hannah for this picture, as she heroically took the picture whilst balancing on top of the moving tour bus (oh her head and that lamp post was so close... ;-))
Day 4 and we’re off to hire another car and visit Simon’s Town/Boulders Beach, famous for it’s African penguins. Now your probably thinking what I was thinking…South Africa…Penguins?! These little flipper birds love the sun, and in between sunbathing on the sand they enjoy walking and surfing! I’m a lover of penguins, so could of happily spent hours here.
On the way back from Simon’s Town we ventured down to South Africa’s southern tip, the Cape Peninsula. At Cape Point, avoiding the mischievous Baboons we got to see the point where two oceans meet. I’m not sure any picture or video will be able to explain how extreme the winds were here. With Hannah’s sunglasses swept from her head, she also managed to break a sandal which made things interesting on the walk back. It was then onto the Cape of Good Hope:
It was time to head back up to our apartment, but not before we stopped off at what was arguably my favourite part of Cape Town….The Vineyards! Groots Constantia Vineyard is a fantastic place, and the best 300 Rand (£2.80) I have ever spent. For this, you get to sample 5 wines of your choice. The heat, and generous samples soon go to your head as Hannah’s parents will testify but once you are finished you get to keep the glass, bargain! Again, if we ever head back to South Africa this is one place I’m visiting again (to explore more of the vineyards of course!). The below photograph is an HDR image, 3 exposures merged together to capture a greater dynamic/tonal range:
Day 5 was one of packing, visting the local markets and picking up some gifts to take home. We arrived in South Africa with 4 suitcases between Hannah and myself, packed to the brim with camera gear and clothing. Not sure how, but with careful repacking we managed to bring back some great items which now stand proudly in our home.
Hope you’ve enjoyed the photographs posted so far, you can find plenty more by clicking this link.
For now, Totsiens (African for Goodbye).
This gives you the ability to create long exposure photographs in all sorts of conditions. A little fiddly to use at first, once the glass is screwed onto your lens the viewfinder is pitch black. Framing and focusing is done beforehand, then locked off. If your going to invest in one, I highly recommend the 'LongTime' iPhone app which is free and will help you calculate your new exposure times. The filter is constructed of brass and then annodised, which prevents binding to the lens.
