Hetal Chirag
When we were volunteering in Kayamandi at an Adult Computer Literacy Program, some of the volunteers and I travelled to Cape Town during one of the long weekends to explore the vibrant city.
Out of all the available modes of transportation, we took the touristy Red City Bus tour from Long Street to go around the city. When I used to live in downtown Toronto, I saw hundreds of tourists getting on and off from one of these double-decker red buses and taking pictures of the most random things. But, now that I was one of those tourists in a foreign city, it seemed like the most fun way to check out Cape Town.
Some of the most anticipated and popular stops of our Red City Bus tour were Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and Camps Bay. We got off at the Table Mountain stop and took a cable-car up the mountain. With a full 360 degree window, the cable car offered an amazing view of the city while going up the mountain.
Once we reached the top of the table mountain, we could literally feel the clouds. At certain spots, we were even above the clouds. From over 1000 meters above the sea level, we could see the magnificent view of the whole city as well as the Indian and the Atlantic Oceans meeting at the southernmost tip of South Africa.
After exploring the city and going up the Table Mountain, we went back to the Long Street to witness a grand Carnival that takes place every year in March. It was a huge street party that brought thousands of people together to celebrate the culture and heritage. Different groups of dancers and performers had their unique acts. It was a musical and colourful display of all the energy Cape Town had to offer. There were giant floats, marching bands, and hundreds of participants dancing in their bright coloured costumes. At the end of the carnival, they closed the Long Street and a DJ turned the whole street into a big party.
