Today we got to experience an African taxi ride. I've heard that they are scary because most of the mini-buses aren't legal to drive. Some of them don't have breaks. Debbie told me about one bus that had two coke bottles tied on as the gas tank to one. The police try to inspect them as they pass, but sometimes they are over looked. Don't worry, the taxi's in Cape Town are a lot safer, being as its a big city and the cops regularly check them.
The min-buses are run by a large organization that charge R5 per person (this is less than a $1). They drive on the main streets only honking their horns, whistling and pulling over as they see people who need a ride. Sometimes when they pull over when people don't need a ride so they get back out on the main road. They drive really fast weaving in and out of traffic, pulling over, honking, whistling over and over. Stop and go. Stop and go. There is a driver and a door guy (he's called something, but I can't remember). The door guy hangs our the window doing most of the hollering at people, opens the door and takes the money. The particular taxi/mini-bus we got into was hot pink and had gospel African music turned up as loud as it could go (it was in a different language, but you could tell it was gospel). The driver was singing his heart out in between whistling at people, honking, and weaving int and out of traffic. As fast paced and a blur as the ride was, I found it so fun interesting to watch the driver and the doorman communicate with each other and the passengers that got on and off.
We had the taxi drop us off at the city center, Green Market Square. A fun little area of town where there are a ton of booths set up with people selling any and everything: pharmacy/toiletries, sunglasses, clothes, bags, jewelry, make-up, arts and crafts, cell phone cases. You name it they had it. They would give you a discount if you bought more than one. It was really overwhelming with all the people and the large amount of stuff in such a small place. It reminded me a lot of Jamaica and how pushy the people were to make you buy something. It was hard to just look at all the stuff because if you touched it, they were all over you asking you to make them an offer and then guilt you in to buying it. Made us feel so pressured.
Around the market are a ton of cafes with outdoor seating. It was a pretty set up to people watch and enjoy the small band play in the square. There was also a group of guys, kind of like gymnast, who put on a small show doing stunts, flips, spitting fire and riding a unicycle. It was really neat, but of course they came around asking for money after it was over; as did the small band playing. I don't want to seem heartless because I don't mind giving to the needy, but its a little aggravating after awhile to be asked for money over and over again. Not just from the performers, but also from random people on the side of the road. They'll come up to your car, if you walk past them, come up to you at the bus stop. They are all over the place. I understand that most of them are struggling and have a rough life, but you can only give so much and half the time you don't know what they are going to use the money for. This doesn't just happen in Cape Town, it happens in tiny Grahamstown, as well as in America. I hate it for the people in need, but I can only give so much and its hard to enjoy your day when your asked at every corner for money. I know were asked at least 7 times...Sorry about my rant, got on my soapbox for minute.
Anyway, overall we did have a nice lunch and I ate the thinest pizza I have ever had in my life. Way thinner than Papa Johns thin crust:-) Our waiter was really nice. He loved my accent. He tried to copy it and then said he was from Colorado.
Later in the afternoon we took a tour of the peninsula. A small bus came to pick us up from the backpackers to give us a tour. There were five others in the car; a couple from India, a girl from Pennsylvania, and a mother and daughter from Seattle. It was nice to talk to some Americans, who had a kind of familiar accent.
Our guide told us a ton of information about SA and the sites as we passed them. We saw Sandy's Bay, Simon Town, Camps Bay, and a few other places I cannot pronounce. One stop we made in Simon Town had a National Park with African penguins. They were so adorable. I love the way they waddle. It was cool to see them in a warm environment with the ocean the wooded area around. They call them jackass penguins because they make the noise of a donkey. One penguin got out of the fenced in area and was on the walkway. It would squawk away to the penguins on the other side and then put its face up against the fence wanting to get in. It was so sweet.
Another big stop we made on the tour was a National Park at the Cape of Good Hope and the Cape Point. To me it was really cool to be there and actually see where Diaz and Vasco De Gamma came and discovered this part of Africa. I've heard about the place through out school, but to actually be there was really neat. I was surprised at how close the two are together. We hung out at the park for awhile admiring the view and taking more pictures of the mountains and the sea. So so pretty, my pictures really don't do it justice.
After the tour Holly and I had dinner on the waterfront at this fancy Italian place. It seemed like a lot of locals went their often because our waiter was calling a lot of them by name. Cape Town definitely is the big city with lots of money, eating at this restaurant confirmed it. I enjoyed Cape Town and loved the beautiful views an beach's but the big city and the traffic is not for me.
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