Downtown Capetown Scene

Fog Fingers

Every 4-5 days while I was in Capetown, the fog rolled in over Table Mountain and seemed to caress the top of the mountain like a giant hand. When this layer is very thin, the locals call it "the tablecloth."

Mandella Exhibit

Half of the exhibits at Capetown's Slave Lodge are dedicated to Nelson Mandella including his early protests against apartheit, his 27 years in prison, and his years as President, Statesman, and Nobel Peace Prize Winner. This poster shows when South Africa won the World Cup Rugby Championship which helped unite blacks and whites in South Africa. This event is the subject of the new movie Invictus which is playing now in theaters in the US. PS Locals I've talked to agree that Matt Damon does an incredible job with the extremely difficult South African accent.

Lovely Building for Terrible Things

The building is Capetown's Slave Lodge, built in 1679 by the Dutch East India Company to house 1000s of slaves. It has now been turned into a memorial to slavery and apartheid as a reminder of the horrors of slavery and the struggle for equality.

Bo-Kaap Neighborhood and Islamic Mosque

Vivid Colors of Bo-Kaap

The Bo-Kaap is Capetown's answer to San Francisco's Painted Ladies (their brightly painted Victorian Houses). The houses in Capetown are more humble but every bit as colorful. The Bo-Kaap neighborhood is almost entirely Islamic, while the majority of Capetown and South Africa is Christian (about 75%).

Capetown From the Noon Gun Hill

Capetown Noon Gun

The Capetown Noon Gun is exactly what it sounds like. Every day at exactly noon a cannon is fired while a group of stupid tourists like me stand around watching it go off and we then spend 3-4 days not hearing anything. The beautiful view of the city from the top of the hill is almost worth the cost.

School Trip and Tourists-Castle of Good Hope

Capetown View From Castle of Good Hope

The Castle of Good Hope was built by the Dutch in Capetown in 1665 and it's now one of the main tourist attractions. The museum inside is excellent, with beautiful paintings of what the area looked like in the 1600-1800s. The photo shows the castle moat with the city center and the Lion's Head part of the mountain in the background.