This Is Africa (T.I.A.)

In just two days, Shanley and I are already seeing some of the best (and most interesting) sides of Cape Town; for this we are dubbing the term, "TIA" which comes form the movie Blood Diamonds.  In one phrase it captures people, places and things that are unique to this continent and culture that are otherwise too difficult to describe or make a comparison.

As traveling companions, Shanley and I both have the same philosophy to jump right in and get-going!  Our first stop was the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (or, V&A for short).  It's a pretty populated part of town with lots of shops, restaurants, and high yield for tourism.  It's about a 30 minute stroll from our hotel, which provides both a scenic escape and good exercise.  The World Cup stadium is nearby and so there is a lot of construction activity right now, but also lots of World Cup excitement.  One of the best things about our hotel is the view from our room:

This picture alone does not do the view justice!  I tried to upload the panoramic version but that failed.  To summarize though, we have a perfect view of Lion's Head mountain coupled with sweeping views of the ocean!


Friday we spent some time with the hotel concierge learning about tour options and nearby attractions that will give us the most comprehensive experience in Cape Town over the next week.  We also ventured into the Malay District which is a devoutly Muslim community with really colorful buildings and several Mosques.  We had high hopes for finding some Malay food, but were sorely disappointed and "resorted" to an African Tapas Cafe that was en-route back to our Sea Point neighborhood. The food was delicious and we are already thinking about our next "African" meal.