From GP? Here's how to survive CT

Cape Town. 131219. Tashreeq Beaka, 16, does a backflip from the diving board at Greenpoint swimming pools. Picture COURTNEY AFRICA

Cape Town. 131219. Tashreeq Beaka, 16, does a backflip from the diving board at Greenpoint swimming pools. Picture COURTNEY AFRICA

Published Dec 20, 2013

Share

Capetonians are friendly once you get to know us, and understand our laid-back attitude, Bianca Coleman tells “Vaalies” who have come to Cape Town for the holiday season.

Cape Town - Long ago we used to call you the Vaalies. Now you are the Gautengers. And every December you arrive here in your droves, flooding our roads with your GP number plates on cars that apparently don’t have indicators.

Don’t get us wrong. We love you, we really do. And we understand Cape Town is the most beautiful city in South Africa - millions of tourists from all over the world agree – so of course you want to be here with us, and enjoy everything we have to offer - including our e-toll-free roads. Capetonians are friendly once you get to know us, and understand our laid-back attitude which extends all year round.

The first thing you’re going to want to do is go to the beach. Not just to get you off our roads, but to alleviate the stress of driving (and to avoid getting bust for drunk-driving or talking on your cellphone), may we suggest public transport?

The MyCiTi buses now run to Camps Bay and Sea Point, opening up inexpensive access to the spectacular Atlantic seaboard without the hassle of traffic jams and parking.

This side of Cape Town has many beautiful beaches with soft white sand and icy cold oceans. To be fair, there are some parts that are full of shells which can hurt tender feet – like the tidal pool at Camps Bay where it’s more comfortable and safer to swim.

But hey, you can’t have everything, and there is always the magnificent Sea Point Pavilion swimming pool if you don’t like the feel of sand under your feet.

 

Over on the False Bay side, the water is warmer. You can get to Muizenberg, St James, Kalk Bay, Clovelly and Fish Hoek by train. While we’re thinking about public transport, one of the best ways to get an overview of the best of Cape Town is to take a ride – or two – on the topless City Sightseeing buses. You have them in Joburg now too. This fleet does two major routes and between them you can hop on-hop off and go to places like Kirstenbosch, Mariner’s Wharf and The World Of Birds in Hout Bay, stop off in the Constantia Valley for wine tasting, various museums, Camps Bay, Sea Point, and Table Mountain.

Yes, how can we ignore our most famous landmark, and one of the New Natural 7 Wonders of the World? In this case, taking the bus is not only for our benefit but yours too; parking is a nightmare up there, and you’re going to have to wait in queues anyway so who the heck wants to park and walk miles in the heat? Not us, not you.

We hope you have a wonderful holiday here in the Mother City.

*Bianca Coleman is a Cape Times journalist.

Cape Times

Related Topics: