That time of the year...

It's that time of the year all over again! 

It hardly matters that the heat is driving people insane...we Kolkatans do not fear the heat anymore. Can it be a deterrent strong enough to dampen our indomitable spirit and love for this mega annual event? Ask any Kolkata and the response will be a resounding NO! We, as a race can endure anything to be assured that Durga Pujo waits right there where it always does, like the light at the end of a tunnel. 

And no matter if it's early September or late October...Durga Pujo personifies the famous dialogue by Mr. Bachchan, "Hum jahan khade ho jaate hain, line wahi se shuru hoti hain"... Whenever there is Durga Pujo, it is Autumn. Shorot, to be precise...we are very particular about these few days being very Bangali. We start feeling cold at nights imagining the "should have been" dew or "heem" that must be there since Robi Thakur had written “Eseche shorot heemer porosh legeche hawar pore.” And since swaying white Kaash flowers are a clear indication that the Pujas are just round the corner. We can even smell "Chhatim" from somewhere although our urban lives have rendered these trees to near extinction at least around the city because Chhatim Ful is supposed to be around in "Shorotkal". 

 

We start lamenting about our unfinished shopping, although thanks to the year-round offers belted out at Malls and Retailers, we shop all the time. But "Pujor Marketing" can only be done just about a week before pujo starts or is left incomplete...a void that cannot be filled no matter what and how much we buy the year round.  We buy at least 10 strips of Band-Aid...two for each day as newly bought shoe bites combine with an incessant urge to tick off "must-see" pandals from one remote corner of the city to another. Oh, and Selfies are a must, it’s a proof you see...and a point to prove. 

 

It does not matter whether or not we even leave our homes, get up to even cook food, see a single idol, attend any religious function, or do the puja ourselves - it is criminal not to allow us these 4-5 days of life. What I have been trying to do by saying all this is to salute the spirit that makes Durgotshob an annual event for which we start counting down from the day the idols hit the water. Durgotshob is not just a religious festival for us. It is a culture. A way of life. A festival. A romance!

This romance is with the concept of Pujo more than just the four days! The build-up seduces our souls almost sensuously so that we develop a natural ability to ignore or overlook everything irritating, problematic, or just about stupid!

We impassively maneuver ourselves almost precariously through impossibly crowded streets where walking, leave aside driving becomes a nightmare. Sudden roadblocks en-route an important meeting created by an under-construction pandal does not elicit half the irritation it would otherwise do. The heat that dehydrates us by the time we reach home at the end of the day seems bearable since it is not actually summer heat – it is still autumn! 

We don’t even mind looking at the same repetitive message in rows and rows of same colour a few feet above the ground in banners or hoardings. It would either be a three-eyed goddess wanna-be smiling holding 10 gifts in her ten hands for buyers, or with the most quintessentially Bengali-style saree clad lady smiling, visibly enchanted by the smell of the whole range of incense burning on the plate on her hands. And that is just the start. The next row would show some hunk with apparent six packs standing tall in either just a pair of briefs or a vest and jeans with the most idiotically-tried manly look on his face. Or another lady (Durga is the epitome of Women Empowerment in this part of the country, especially during this time) having the most satisfied smile as she holds a pack of spices she had used to cook the most amazing meal for her entire family! And then of course you have good old Thumbs Up to gulp it all down!

And then, of course, a Pujo is hardly over without a customary trip to Kumortuli! Just before the idols start moving towards the pandals, there needs to be a trip to Kumortuli with a whatever-size-camera (the bigger, the better),  just to make sure it is ticked off with a few clicks to prove, never mind the inconvenience caused to the potters who are running against time to complete their work. Nowadays, very high end mobiles have made life relatively easier for all of us. And they can take selfies too! It is actually smart to make this visit for even if you end up being a new age Bangalis who enjoy their house parties over the pujo and do not really end up going out anywhere, at least 10-12 “Thakurs” are done!

Having said all this, let me now add what I really wanted to say! No matter how much I blabber cynically about the various “pseudo”s of the festival, ask me to live away from all this madness during pujo and I will probably ask you to buzz off! My cynicism, my skepticism, my irritation, my satirizing is all at the cost of my own wee little self. I have put down what I do, because, however much I love Kolkata through the year, this month I love it so much more!

The hop-over walks over bamboo poles lying carelessly waiting to form the royal home for the next few days… the desperate peek trying to catch a glimpse of the idol inside from the bus or car… the strings of LED strips hanging from buildings on both sides of the road forming multi-coloured waves of light… the sea of people in the most beautifully coloured clothes putting on their best show… the innumerable fuchka, roll, momo, biriyani stalls that crop up almost everywhere and out of nowhere… the incessant and ever-increasing traffic, crippled by teeming pedestrians, that takes at least two hours more to reach a destination… the balloons, masks, plastic toy sellers who display their wares and hopes for a good sale… the blaring loudspeakers that play “Bhakti Sangeet” during the day and “Jhatka Sangeet” after sundown… the unbelievable interest every year over “Bonedi Barir Pujo and myself never tiring to pose… The beat of the dhaak with their white kaash plumes reverberating not just in the neighbourhood but through our veins morning, noon and night… The silent tears that are wiped off with the end of the “anchol” and the skipped beat of the heart as the object of affection starts her journey to where she came from… 

It is Pujo time…again!

Hopping on and off the city

I saw this beauty on my very first day in Cape Town. Once upon a time in India, we had double-decker buses for commuting and though with time they were grounded, the child in me could never ever get over the way the world looked from the top tier of a bus! And a red bus, that too! I had seen pictures of such buses plying in various cities, but it was like a dream come true when I saw it in Cape Town. I just knew I had to be on that, one of these days!

As our days in the city rushed towards the end, the weather (the most unpredictable weather I have ever seen in my entire life) continued to play games with us and our expectations with the days to come! Luckily for me, it was nice and sunny, not to mention terribly cold, on the day I went for the Safari and a large part of the day that I went for the Peninsular tour. But I was waiting for that one sunny day when I would get on that bus and sit on the upper level and look at things around me from a wider and better angle. And then it happened! The last Saturday before we left the city, we finally took the hop-on-hop-off City Sightseeing bus!

The day started with a trip to the Old Biscuit Mill at Woodstock, about which I will talk in detail in another post. But today let me just talk about this most amazing tour that took me around Cape Town presenting me with an aerial view of everything, which for me (I am vertically challenged and hence almost always miss a decent view) was a fulfilling feeling! So, you can book your tickets online from the website; from any of the three main tour offices V&A Waterfront (stop 1), 81 Long Street (stop 5) and Camps Bay (stop 8), or from the driver once you get on one of these busses. We took the Blue Route Discovery Pass (the red bus classic route on the Mini Peninsular Tour with free entry to any three attractions from a list of 12 options). We chose Kirstenbosch Gardens/Groot Constantia, World of Birds and Cape Wheel, in the interest of time. Like all other City Sightseeing buses, these also have commentary (in some 10 or more languages) that keeps giving information about specific locations on the way or plays local music.

We got on the bus from Stop 5 and so started our drive down Long Street passing the innumerable restaurants and beautiful and intriguing buildings on both sides of the street. Crossing Stop 15 near the Long Street and Orange Street crossing, the bus continued on M3 and crossed a number of significant spots including the Long Street Baths and Turkish Steam Bath, Mount Nelson Hotel, Mostert's Mill and the University of Cape Town in the distance before reaching the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. 

Cradled against the eastern slopes of the Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch is one of the greatest botanical gardens of the world. Spread over 528 hectares of land, flat and mountainous, this unique forest is now home to over 7000 species of plants from Southern Africa. A part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kirstenbosch is a nature lover's paradise. Apart from the thousands of flowers of different types, it also gives a magnificent view of the Table Mountains. Remember to check out the Protea Garden, Cycad Amphitheatre and the Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway. While the Protea Garden is best viewed in spring, the Cycad Amphitheatre offers a most unique experience of walking through rare South African cycads. The Tree Canopy Walkway, also called Boomslang, is a 130-meter long curved steel and timber bridge inaugurated in 2014 that takes visitors from the forest floor into and through the trees and opens above the canopy to offer the most breathtaking view of the Table Mountain on one side and the Cape Flats extending to the sea on the other. 

Once outside the garden, once again we got on to the bus from right outside and headed towards our next stop - the World of Birds. And this place was not like anything I had ever seen before! Birds, we see at the zoo, at lakes, or even randomly, but this place was indeed the world of birds! The largest bird park in Africa with over 3000 birds along with small animals of 400 different species, this park allows you to walk through fixed paths within spaciously landscaped aviaries where you can see the birds perched right next to you. Spread over 4 hectares of land close to the Hout Bay area, this place is a wonder with gorgeous omnipresent Table Mountain as the backdrop. Just name a bird that you can think of, and you will find it right there! From cormorants to barbets, owls to flamingos, emus to hornbills, peacocks to lovebirds, magpies to macaws, quails to peacocks...you name it and they have it! So, do not miss this paradise when you are there!

The World of Birds took much of our time and by the time we boarded the bus again, we knew the cruises were no longer a possibility so we decided to settle for the Cape Wheel once back at the Waterfront. But the journey to the waterfront was a rather beautiful and informative one as one by one we crossed the Imizamo Yethu township, Hout Bay, Camps Bay, down Kloof Road passing Clifton and Bantry Bay one by one as the apostles continued to guard us on the right. Further down we crossed Sea Point and Three Anchor Bay and then crossing the Cape Town Stadium we turned towards the V&A Waterfont stop. The bus offers, not just views but the most amazing and intriguing stories about different locations it passes through. And doesn't the world around look amazing as the rays of the setting sun fall on the beautiful city of Cape Town, especially when you look down from the top of the Cape Wheel!

As we walked past the heritage Clock Tower at the Waterfront, towards our dinner venue - Cape Town Fish Market I wished I had more time to see more of this beautiful city. With a million things to see and do while at Cape Town...we could just manage a few. But the beauty of not being able to do everything leaves a possibility...of going back! 

 

Robben Island - A humbling experience

"There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere."

There couldn't be a more powerful explanation for freedom. And that comes from the man who became an epitome of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Nelson Mandela, the leader recognized by the world as the first black president of South Africa, followed by the abolition of Apartheid has left his mark all over the country. One such location is Robben Island. There are four trips each day to the island starting from the Victoria and Albert Waterfront Nelson Mandela Gateway. Pick one and if you are lucky you can visit this intriguing place.

Robben Island, inhabited since the early 1400s by the Khoi Khoi tribe, has since it's discovery been special to South Africa. Once believed to be a part of the South African mainland, it is believed that the island is actually a whole mountain with the rest of it

under the ocean. It has since been used as a location for banishment for whoever had control over the country. The Dutch used it for their prisoners, the British for theirs, and The National Party for anti-apartheid revolutionaries during their rule. The island has therefore been a prison and a place for isolation, banishment, and exile for offenders and political prisoners for nearly 400 years. Located about 7 km to the west of Cape Town, Robben Island earned its name from a colony of seals that was found abundantly around the island. This approximately 5.07 square kilometer island saw the release of its last group of prisoners in 1996 and has since been converted into a museum that is an experience worth having. 

It was a brilliantly sunny day with a perfect blue sky when we landed on the island. How ironic that on a day like today, we were on our way to visit and walk through perhaps one of the most gruesome, unhappy, and difficult part of the history of this nation. All visitors to the island follow the same route every prisoner was made to take as they were brought in to serve their sentence, through the Murray's Bay Harbour. We followed the same route and walked down to the Maximum Security Prison area through the visitor's area. The prison tour guides are all ex-prisoners from the Robben Island prison, for whom talking about the difficult life they have lived under sentence at this very location, is probably a way out of the massive shadow the experience must have cast of their entire lifetime. Here we met a man who had also served his sentence on this very island as a prisoner during the anti-apartheid time. 

Itumeleng Makwela, arrested and charged for high treason and sabotage in 1983 was sentenced to the Robben Island prison for 7 years. He was a member of the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC) called "Umkhonto we Sizwe" founded by Nelson Mandela, which in English stands for "Spear of the Nation" and was arrested at the Botswana-South Africa border bringing in arms. After being moved through numerous prisons and being subject to inhuman torture, Mr. Makwela broke down and revealed names of places where more guns were hidden. He spent his first two years in the E block with 49 other inmates in a hall fit for a maximum of 35. His last 5 years were spent as a cook in the kitchen block cooking the same food every day, even when he himself along with other inmates participated in a hunger strike for better living conditions within the prison. He told us how prisoners scooped open tennis balls that they were sometimes allowed to play with and put notes inside them and toss them to the next prison area.

His years in prison had left him a bitter man, as every word he spoke about how prisoners were treated would hit you at the very center of your heart. His stories about how during a time, not too long ago, being black, in an African country was a crime, brought quite a few of us sitting there to tears. It is not about the words so much as it was the meaning...how the powerful always take away the basic rights from the powerless. 

Mr. Makwela took us through various sections of the prison explaining how each one was a picture of exploitation and torture. He shared that the inmates were provided with just a mat to sleep on the floor and a blanket to keep themselves warm even when the temperature dropped to 5 degrees Celsius resulting to most of them suffering from pneumonia and tuberculosis. Food was provided to prisoners based on their race and skin colour and they were not allowed any visitor for 6 months and were subject to monitoring and being allowed to speak only in Afrikaans or English for only 30 minutes when they had somebody over from home for a visit. Any other native language would mean the visit being terminated instantly. Prisoners were allowed 1 letter every 6 months, which would be monitored, censored, and edited with disputed sections blacked out. For prisoners, the most brutal punishment would be denying them the right to learn and he proudly shared how in spite of the hardship, many continued taking extension courses while at Robben Island. 

Prisoners housed in various sections were treated differently, based on their race, colour and offense and each was issued an identity card that they needed to carry wherever they went. Political prisoners like Nelson Mandela (1964-1982), Walter Sisulu (1964-1989), Billy Nair (1964-1984, he is the prisoner whose card is used as an exhibit during the tour), Seth Mazibuko (1976-1983, he is the only prisoner arrested under the age of 18, and kept in solitary confinement), Jacob Zuma (1963-1973), Ahmed Kathrada (1964-1989), Mac Maharaj (1964-1976, he is believed to have smuggled the transcript for Mr. Mandela's "Long Walk to Freedom" out of Robben Island when he was released) just to name a few, have spent years in the Robben Island prison mostly during the Apartheid reign. Mr. Makwela then took us to the B Section and from the prisoners' ground showed us the third window that belonged to the cell where Mr. Mandela had spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. The 7 feet by 9 feet cell had a mat, a blanket, a small table with a plate and a cup, and a bucket for defecation. And Mr. Mandela was not alone! This whole section comprising solitary cells was home to 90 of the most sought-after political offenders. He also remembered how the inmates were cleaned up and fed better when the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) came for visits to inspect prison conditions.

Saying our goodbyes to Mr. Makwa, we boarded a bus that was to take us around the island. As we moved on, the first thing that caught our attention was a vast cemetery area. The guide on the bus informed us that this was the leper cemetery. Apparently, Robben Island was not just used as a prison but also as a place for banishment and confinement. Lepers, in any society, are quarantined and starting from 1845 the island became a confinement destination for lepers. They were not allowed to return to normal life since leprosy was believed to be contagious and most died on the island itself. A few blocks ahead the guide stopped the bus to tell us a unique story. 

To our left was a cluster of a small building and the signboard read Robert Sobukwe House. He also told us that bang opposite the said house was where the kennel was, that housed ferocious dogs, who incidentally also held offices, and that too higher than their controllers. But let us come back to Mr. Sobukwe. 

Professor Robert Sobukwe founded the Pan Africanist Congress after leaving ANC. The Pass Laws, in action since the 1800s to allow control over the movement of the slaves by the masters, had seen several protests over the years. A literal instrument of the Apartheid regime, the passes were meant to be carried around by all black, coloured and Asian people to justify their presence in certain parts of the city or towns. This implied that if found to be present somewhere where they are not allowed to be, they would be detained, arrested, or punished. On 21st March 1960, PAC members led by Mr. Sobukwe walked around Sharpeville urging people to leave their passes at home and surrender themselves as a form of non-violent protest against the pass system. During the march, Sobukwe was arrested. As the march continued toward the Sharpeville police station, the police opened fire on a crowd of several thousand protesters, killing 69 and wounding over 180. The incident is known in history as the Sharpeville Massacre. Robert Sobukwe was arrested on charges of inciting a massacre and was imprisoned for 3 years and on his release in 1963, he was banished to Robben Island for solitary confinement not as a prisoner but in a solitary two-room house far from the prison compound. Sobukwe was detained under the "Sobukwe Clause" which was specially written into the Suppression of Communities Act of 1950 and amended in 1963, that empowered the courts of South Africa to renew a prisoner's confinement based on their will. The only way he could communicate with other prisoners was through gestures showing solidarity as they passed his house every day on their way to the quarry.

Life at Robben Island was far from an easy one, no matter who the prisoner and what the charges. Irrespective of their political status, all high profile political prisoners were subject to the same gruel, torture, and hardship. Soon we came to the historic limestone quarry. In 1963, political prisoners from the general section and later Leadership sections prisoners from the B section were all made to work at this quarry. Most of the limestone excavated from here was used to resurface roads on the island. Verbally and physically harassed by several white prison wardens, the Rivonia Trial prisoners including the likes of Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Billy Nair, Jacob Zuma, Ahmed Kathrada, Mac Maharaj and others spent their days breaking rocks into gravel.

The South African sun was merciless in summers and the quarry was bright and dusty that permanently damaged Mr. Mandela's eyes. The pile of stones called the Isisivane at the entrance to quarry was created by ex-political prisoners led by Mr. Mandela during their reunion on the island in 1995, commemorating the daily life and hard work of the prisoners at the Robben Island. But it was also here, in the dark and dusty recess in the quarry that made political, literary and philosophical discussions a possibility and this is often termed as the first parliament of a democratic South Africa. 

We also passed a few churches, a Muslim Kramat built in the honour of Sheikh Madura, a lone lighthouse that still warns ships of the most unforgiving and treacherous coast around the island, and stopped to have coffee at Alpha One, that at one point of time used to be a water pumping station. This portion of the island also has a beautiful frame that holds a view of the city of Cape Town and the grand Table Mountain. With beautiful flora and fauna all across the island and penguins, seals, tortoises, gulls, and bushbucks roaming freely on the island, it is indeed a beautiful place as of today.

It is strange how so many animals could roam freely across the island for so many centuries while humans managed to imprison and torture other humans ever since the island has been inhabited. Such is the nature of the homo sapiens. Robben Island is a living testimony of man's struggle towards what is rightfully theirs, no matter how steep the path and not too many had made it alive when they tried to escape from this hell. The visit left me shaken as I walked back to the harbour to catch my return ferry and get out of this haunted island back to the comforts of a busy and alive city.

Of wines and wineries

If you are in the Western Cape region, you do not have any excuse for not being to at least one of the wine estates in the region. South Africa produces some of the best wines in the entire world and a wine estate tour along with wine testing is a must do if you are around Cape Town. South Africa's romance with wine dates back to 1659 when Jan van Riebeeck produced the first bottle of wine. Well, there are laws and rules governing production, marketing and selling of wines but, we can concentration only on the consumption part of it!

While a complete Wine Tour of the Western Cape would be incomplete without a visit to Stellenbosch, Franschhooek, Worchester and Constantia combined, in the interest of time, just a trip to Constantia should leave you happy, but fo course wanting to more! We did not have much time for an extensive trip as we had only about half a day. And so Constantia being the closest to where we were during the first part of that part windy part rainy Saturday winter morning, we decided to cover the Groot Constantia, Constantia Glen and Steenberg estates. 

Constantia can boast of being the oldest wine-growing region in the country, with the Groot Constantia being the oldest wine estate in South Africa. In it's 333rd year of producing signature wine, Groot Constantia welcomed us with open arms. At ZAR50 you can taste 5 wines as per your choice and what wine they are!!!! Choose from among the best from the elaborate and exquisite wine menu and titilate your senses.   

Our next stop was the Constantia Glen. Another beautiful estate with plush rolling vineyards all around. As pictureque as Groot Constantia, Glen offers a view of the Table Mountains Range close by, being closest to Cape Town. Constantia wine produces only 4 types of wines - Constantia Glen TWO, Constantia Glen THREE, Constantia Glen FIVE, and a special Sauvignon Blanc. You have to try all four with a cheese platter, as we did...and the rest is bliss!

We had our dinner at the Steenberg Farm and it was already dark by the time we reached there and so we couldn't really look around. Not to forget, we were tired as hell and rather cold, thanks to the rains! Steenberg Farm offers a huge list of fine wines classified into the Sparkling Range, Fleet Range, Estate Range, Flagship Range, and Icon that has the Steenberg Vintage wine. 

To sum it all up, do not miss Gouverneurs Reserve White, Sauvignon Blanc/Semillion, Blanc de Noir, Merlot, Pinotage, Shiraz and Grand Constance from Groot Constatia; Constantia Glen TWO and Constantia Glen Sauvignon from Constantia Glen; and Steenberg Chardonnay, Steenberg Ruby Rose, Steenberg Semillion and Steenberg Magna Carta from Steenberg Farm.

Just a word of advice following a rather funny but uncalled for incident - try not to step into a black shiny path while at the Steenberg Farm...it is possibly a beautifully maintained waterbody that might not exactly be a welcome thought on a cold and rainy night.

Re-discovering the Cape Peninsula

Remember the names "Vasco Da Gama" and "Bartolomew Dias"? Apart from them being in our school books, what is the other thing that links me to them? Why, their association with the Cape of Good Hope, of course! While they passed it, and almost discovered the location for the world, on their way to India from faraway Portugal, I went straight there as a part of my most recent life adventure - CSC Deployment! Officially, I was in Cape Town for a month on work with 4 weekends to breeze through the most exotic locations ov this beautiful country. So, let me take you through a virtual Cape Peninsular Tour that actually took me to the South-Western most tip of the African Continent, often mistaken as the "Southern" most! 

Although, it is not a part of the tour, we started with Bo-Kaap. While the name might not ring a bell, the pictures will definitely do that!

Yes, now it does, doesn't it? Bo-Kaap is one of the oldest and most distinct neighbourhoods in Cape Town. The colourful homes once used to be white and were leased to slaves brought in from Malaysia, Indonesia and rest of Africa. Once the rule was lifted, people chose their own colours to brighten their houses, as an expression of freedom. Each colour symbolized the trade of the person living in it. The trades may have dissolved but the colours have remained, though specifically hurt by the gentrification that is gradually seeping in through this age old neighbourhood that houses the oldest mosque in the country. 

The next stop on our route was Camps Bay. This posh upmarket locality earns its name from its beach of the same name. Fine white sand, row of palm trees, natural rock swimming pools, swanky and expensive restaurants marks this area as the back of the Table Mountains, known locally as the 12 Apostles stand guard in the background. Named by Governor Sir Rufane Donkin, there are different versions to the story on why they are called the 12 Apostles, when there are actually 18 distinct rock faces. 

We then moved on towards Hout Bay. With it's distinct location, the Mariner's Wharf at Hout Bay is the oldest harbourfront emporium in Africa. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Known locally as the Republic of Hout Bay, it covers a large section of the peninsula and was settled by the Dutch as a settlement for timber industry. The bay area now is a tourists' and shoppers paradise for local stuff and memorabilia. You can also come accross groups of musicians of various age singing and dancing to local tunes. 


Hout Bay is also the gateway to the Seal Island. A boat ride with one of the local charters can take you close to this island in about 20ish minutes, through rather choppy waters! Located about 5.7 kilometres off the beaches of the False Bay, this 5 acre landmass is home to close to 64,000 Cape fur seals, the most adorable looking creatures, who are to be found all over the little landmass. The landmass is also home to a large number of cormorants or other varieties of non-marine bird specied who come here for breeding. 

 
A drive connecting Hout Bay to Noordhoek along the most dramatic 9 kilometres of marine routes, is the Chapman's Peak Drive. This stretch with rocky mountains on one side and picturesque marine drive on the other, skirts 114 curves with the Chapman's Peak standing imposingly halfway down the drive. The drive invites cyclist, bikers, and motorists alike and offers a wonderful panomaric view of the Hout Bay.

Our next stop was the Cape Point Ostrich Farm, located on Route M65 South about 400 meters north of the entrance to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Set up in 1996 by Dr. and Mrs. Coelle, this 65 hectare farm is an ostrich breeding farm. It also houses a restaurant - The Hatchery that serves the most amazing food, an ostrich leather store selling the most exquisite goods made of ostrich leather, an ostrich egg store that is sure to mesmerize any visitor by its sheer diverse use of hatched or used ostrich eggs. The Farm houses about 40 ostriches in 40 camps and brings them together during the breeding season. Beautiful Dutch style buildings form the landscape of the farm now run by Catherina Coelle, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Coelle.

With our stomach full of Ostrich and Springbok meat, we headed for the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve that covers the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. As mentioned at the very beggining of this post, Cape of Good Hope is one of the most beautiful looking tips of the continent. Rough waves, steeply rising rocky mountains and an abundance of flora and fauna makes this area a geologists and botanists delight. Originally named the Cape of Storms by Bartholomew Dias, it was later renamed as the Cape of Good Hope by King John II of Portugal due to its role in opening the trade route to India and the East.

Just over 1km east and about 20 minutes away is Cape Point with a peak slightly higher than the one at the Cape of Good Hope. Cape Point is often mistakenly claimed to be the place where the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean meets. The meeting point lies another 150 kilometres (93 mi) to the east-southeast at Cape Agulhas and that is hardly a location you would like to miss. 

The last stop for the day was the Boulders Beach off Simon's Town, home to the super cute African Penguins, also known as Jackass Penguins, thanks to the strange braying noise they make. These awesomely cute creaturesm found only along the coastlines of Southern Africa are found to be roaming, walking, and looking after their children. The African penguins are currently on the verge of extinction and to save them from becoming history, they are directly under the protection of the Cape Nature Conservation.
 

The Cape Peninsular tour actually covers a few more spots, but we were running terribly late, largely owing to our huge group size (11 of us) and the rains started pouring rather hard, apart from it getting too dark to try any other locations. So after a quick cup of coffee from a roadside diner, we headed back. But the tour should also necessarily include Kalk Bay and the very sandy and beautiful Muizenberg beach with its instagram-esque multicoloured wooden beach huts. 

As we headed back, tired and ready to crash, Cape Town and the world around it remained etched in our minds and will possibly be so, forever.