The Metrorail strike has left thousands of Cape Town commuters without a ride to work – and it's forced me to get in my car and actually –
gasp! – drive in the morning traffic. Here's a look at my journey to the office this morning, starting in sleepy Fish Hoek and ending at my desk in the city.
There are four roads out of Fish Hoek: Ou Kaapse Weg, which is a mountain pass and which can get pretty congested (especially if there's a slow truck); Main Road (which is currently in a stop-go phase because they're working on the road); Boyes Drive (which is absolutely beautiful, but which leads to the clogged M3 highway); and Chapman's Peak (which is the route I take).
The road leads through Noordhoek, which is home to the Toad In The Village – a pub famous for being owned and frequented by former Springbok rugby captain Bob Skinstad, and for being the venue for the Tuesday night quiz evening which my team keeps on winning.
Chapman's Peak Drive starts (or ends, depending which way you're going) with a view over Long Beach (the not-at-all-short stretch of sand between Noordhoek and Kommetjie). My old friend Gavin and I take a traditional stock-taking walk on this beach every Boxing Day. Two weeks ago a whale washed up on this beach. Those two stories are not related.
Chappies was closed for many months because it was dangerous. (Having bloody great rocks falling on top of you is a sure way of slowing down your drive to the office.) Then it reopened, with a tunnel carved out of the side of the mountain.
Halfway along (after all the twists and turns), you're greeted with this eyesore: Hout Bay. It's a pretty stunning view, and this particular spot offers up some amazing sunsets.
Only downside of driving Chapman's Peak: it's a toll road. It costs R28 to drive it in one direction, which works out to R280 if you do every morning and every evening for a week. My monthly train fair is R240. That's why I usually take the train.
And so we continue into Hout Bay. It's a gorgeous town, if a bit Twin Peaks-ish. This particular roundabout has a sign pointing to the Consulate of the Republic of Hout Bay, which is a story for another day.
Funny story about the KFC on Hout Bay Main Road: before we were married my wife used to live in Hout Bay, and one night she sent me out for takeaway supper. Since we were still courting (and since I'm hopelessly devoted to her), I popped down to the KFC, where I was met by some street kids who were begging for food. I bought them each a can of Dr Pepper. When I offered them the drinks, they looked at me like I was crazy, and asked if they couldn't have money instead. Dr Pepper, I probably don't have to tell you, is no longer sold in South Africa.
Just outside Hout Bay, at the start of the coastal Victoria Road, lies Llandudno. The beach there is amazing, set between huge granite boulders and with some of the best surfing waves in Cape Town. The property prices here are ridiculously expensive.
That's Lion's Head, doing its
Mount St Helens number. You get some weird clouds on this side of Table Mountain...
The road then leads up the back side of Table Mountain, over Bakoven, Camps Bay and Clifton. That's Cape Town's riviera... and it would be even more popular if the sea water didn't wash in directly from ice-cold Antarctica.
I follow the road up, up, up and over the saddle between Lion's Head and Table Mountain. And every morning, without fail, I'm greeted with this. The sun. Shining directly into my eyes. I've lost count of the number of fatal car crashes at this exact point (which also happens to be the intersection between the road to Signal Hill, the road to Table Mountain's cable station, the Clifton and Camps Bay beaches, and the Cape Town city bowl.)
This is the sight most motorists miss. They're usually too busy having road rage or speeding to work to notice Table Mountain watching them over their shoulder.
Down Buitengracht Street, then down Bree Street, then a couple of turns and down into the belly of the beast: the parking garage beneath Thibault Square. (Sorry the pic's out of focus: it ain't easy taking photo while you're taking a sharp left on Long Street!)
And finally, my desk in the Happiness Factory. I have this vista staring at me through my window all day. It's a wonder I get anything done.
