November 12: Table Mountain, Cape Town

Table Mountain is the Landmark of Cape Town. Towering above the city the flat mountain top sits in waiting for the gods to set the table. There are two ways in which the human can try to join the godly feast -- one is to ride the cable car up the side of the cliffs and exit comfortably on the top to enjoy the spectacular 360 degree view of the countryside and Cape Town far below. The other is a little more challenging. One must hike up a trail that winds through a gorge and then up the side of the mountain -- definitely not a feat for the weak at heart or those with a fear of heights. The those from the group that chose to visit the gods divide into two groups. One group ascends by way of the cable car; the other by way of climbing over rocks, up stairs and crawling over obstacles to reach the top. Both received the ultimate reward -- a glorious view of the city below as well as the mountains to the east.

After a hard climb in the morning it is off to the Cape Town Botanical Gardens for the afternoon. A casual picnic lunch is set up on the green followed by a stroll around the garden enjoying all the indigenous plants, trees and flowers of South Africa.