For the following few days after the TDA, we were walking around in a post TDA haze…not quite sure what to do with ourselves. Instinct was telling us to cram all of our possessions into a red box, force down a bowl of porridge, get on our bicycles and ride for 6 to 8 hours…and yet the red boxes were gone, the trucks were gone. How odd. We eventually cut the cord and started to explore the beautiful city of Cape Town. Here are some of the highlights:
Table Mountain The first few days were very cloudy. The infamous Table Mountain was nowhere to be seen. Mel, who is from Cape Town, would point and tell us “It’s behind those clouds”. After three days, we started to think it was all a big lie. 
Then out of nowhere, there was a break in the clouds and we could finally see Table Mountain. Holy Moly, that is impressive! Over a thousand meters of sheer cliffs towering over the city. No question, we had to go to the top. There is a cableway and TDA had arranged to get us discounted tickets. We tried three times, each time it was closed. The first time due to wind, the second and third times due to mechanical issues. (We should also mention at this point that Hans and Gwen, two other TDA riders got stuck in the tram for 1 hour and made into the newspaper ?). By the third attempt we figured we wouldn’t tempt fate further and just walked up. The 360 degree view from Table Mountain is spectacular. You can see the Atlantic coastline, Lion’s Peak, Devil’s Peak, the sprawling city below, False Bay and Cape Peninsula. A trip to Cape Town is not complete without checking out this view.
V&A Waterfront The Waterfront was our introduction to Cape Town, as it was the location of the finish line for the TDA. This bustling and lively spot is very touristy with many restaurants, shops, boutiques, bars and the like. It reminded us of Granville Island but much bigger. We spent many an hour at one of the Italian restaurants, San Marco, devouring huge plates of pasta and bruschettas….ahhh, good times.
Robben Island We visited Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years. First we were given a historical bus tour around the island, were shown the rock quarry where he and many other prisoners worked, and were then allowed into the main prison area. Seeing the tiny cell where Nelson Mandela spent so many years left us speechless. Our guide was an ex-political prisoner who spoke great emotion of his time there. Incredibly, the focus is on reconciliation, not on bitterness. It was a very powerful and moving experience; we would highly recommend it.
Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay We spent countless hours walking around Cape Town, our favorite walks being along the coast at Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay. It’s hard to beat walking along the coastline, with the pounding surf coming in.
Winelands The Winelands north of Cape Town was high on our list of things to do. We had heard that the region was extremely beautiful and the wine is superb. Our friend Luke from the TDA offered to take us and Diana for a tour of Stellenbosch and the vinyards in the surrounding area. The day was spent with friends, taking pictures, sampling wine and having a great picnic…Can’t complain about that. A great day! (Thanks Luke and Diana.)
Gorging After 4 months of spread sandwiches, we couldn’t resist Cape Town’s many fine eating establishments. Indian, Italian, Lebanese, Thai, Seafood…you name it…we ate it…and then we would top it off with ice cream of course. 
Cape Town is probably one of the world’s most naturally beautiful cities. It reminded us of Vancouver and we felt quite at home here.
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