Today my original plan was to visit the Botanical Gardens and then explore the City Bowl area of Cape Town’s centre. I reached the Kirstenbosch Gardens without problem by taxi. They are among the oldest botanical gardens in the world, being founded in 1903, and sit in a magnificent setting at the foot of Table Mountain.

The gardens showcase a collection of typical South African flora, of which I particularly liked the cycads.

They also had some pretty walkways, shaded by trees, that provided protection from the hot morning sun.

When I reached the eastern edge of the garden, I saw an intriguing sign to “Skeleton Gorge”. I remembered that this was one of routes to climb Table Mountain. It was not part of my plan for the day, and I was not equipped for walking, since I had town shoes on my feet, and no cold weather clothing. But despite the lack of preparation, I could not resist and set off on a path that led steeply upwards.

After climbing fifty minutes, I reached the “table” of Table Mountain – the place where the ground becomes flat(tish). There were great views back over Cape Town, and an intriguing small lake surrounded by sand.

I had more walking to do – first another forty minutes to find the highest point on the mountain, Maclear’s Beacon, and then another forty minutes to the upper cable car station. The weather had become cloudy, but the sun broke through occasionally to light up more amazing views and stop me getting cold. There were also lots of pretty flowers, including some proteas.

At Maclear’s Beacon, the clouds became thicker and a strong wind gusted. I knew I was not equipped for such conditions and hurried onwards, occasionally stopping to take some atmospheric photos of the scenery.

I finally reached a crossroads, at a place I knew was near the cable car station. The signs were not clear, and the mountain was now covered in thick mist. I took what I thought was the right path, but it continued for longer than I expected, finally reaching a sign saying “This is not an easy way down”. I was cold and confused but was saved by two girls walking up towards me. They told me that this was the “Indian Fenster” route, which had been a tough climb for them and would be an even harder descent for me. I had gone the wrong way. I retraced my steps with the girls and found the junction where I had gone wrong earlier. This time, I could just make out another path in the mist. It was lined with posts and chains, and had to be the way to the cable car. I jogged along to warm up a bit, and on arrival headed straight to the café to order a hot chocolate.

The ride down in the cable car gave more opportunities for photos. The cabin had a revolving floor, so that everyone could get to see the full range of views over Cape Town and back to the mountain itself.

Back at ground level I stood in the sun for a bit to warm up, and then ordered a taxi back to my flat. It had been a memorable day, even if I had to have a long hot shower to recover from the cold weather on the mountain. My visit to Kirstenbosch and Table Mountain had confirmed that Cape Town is indeed one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

Next Post: Three Different Faces of Cape Town

Previous Post: Hermanus Whale Watching