Part One - Cape Town, South Africa

Location: Cape Town (Western Cape, southwestern region of Republic of South Africa)
Languages: English, Afrikaans, Xhosa
Population: 827 000
Prices: Slightly cheaper than Europe
Attractions: Table Mountain, V&A Waterfront, Long Street, Clifton, Shark Cage Diving, Robben Island
Info: Cape Town is one of the biggest cities in South Africa. Perfect natural harbor once made it one of the most prominent trading cities in southern hemisphere and "Mother city" has still maintained its status as one of the liveliest cities in Africa. The "clean up" during 2010 Football world championship games made the city much more tourist friendly than its South African competitors Durban and Johannesburg.
SA Recommends: Long Street Backpackers (12€/night, right in the city center, relaxed atmosphere), Table Mountain (one of the seven natural world wonders, absolutely breathtaking scenery)

14.11 0:19 GMT+1

Tomorrow, I'll be picking up my faithful sidekick from the airport and our trip can officially begin. But since we won't be spending more than a couple of days here, it's time to write this extremely uneventful entry, sharing some of my views about the Mother city.

For someone who has seen a bit more Africa, at first Cape Town feels like a European perception of Africa in a nutshell for tourists. Market squares, craft centers and shopping malls are filled with mass produced merchandise representing the continent as a whole and the pap served in restaurants is drowned in chili sauce. Because that's how we westerners prefer to perceive Africa: as one country with one culture, easily digestible version. Americans who booked their room in a five star hotel in Cape Town as a package deal with their business class flight tickets, can now bring home a West African drum as a souvenir and proudly declare, that they've seen Africa and they now know where the ivory for our towers come from. Then again who can name a modern city, which isn't ridden with commercialism these days. To think that African city can't be both, modern and traditional, is probably even more offensive and ignorant than to think that you haven't reached 'real Africa' until you see clay shacks, toothless prostitutes and naked heathens dancing around a tied up missionary about to be cooked for dinner.

Cape Town sure doesn't lack "original African culture" or history even though appearances might be deceiving. One of the most peculiar languages in the world, the click-language "Xhosa" (and other tribal languages) can still be heard in the streets on a daily basis. And despite the witch hunt conducted by the Dutch colonialist pigs, there are still original bushmen living in Cape Town, fighting for their rights, as apartheid unfortunately isn't over for everyone. The people who were denied higher education during the apartheid era, haven't magically been finding job hunting easier after the end of apartheid. The saddening class society still exists. Many Cape Towners are still reserved towards other races and prefer to hang out wit their own kind, which also makes it not as tourist friendly as some of the other African cities.

But every city has it's problems and there is no reason to say no to Cape Town and the best way to show that you care is to travel. Cape Town's spectacular scenery, intriguing history and the cultural  diversity, will most definitely make it worth checking out. Climbing up Table Mountain was one of the (if not the) most rewarding hiking experiences in my life. Cape Town might have ugly history, but today, Cape Town is definitely one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Cape Town also offers myriads of activities for people who do not like to stay still. There's shark cage diving, sky diving, bungee jumping to start with and the city is also well known for it's night life. Regardless, I couldn't
be more excited about leaving Cape Town and heading towards north. Now it's time to throw the laptop back into my bag and enjoy the night in Cape Town, chilling on a balcony with a view over Long Street, the never resting center of Cape Townian life, partying and culture.

As I'm writing this while my sidekick is still on his way here, I'm going to sign off the blog entry by quoting something that anonymous traveler saw fit to write on the wall next to me with a sharpie: "you're never alone with a schizophrenic".
Good Night.

Next destination: Windhoek, Namibia