(Piri Piri) Peri Peri Chicken, (Braai) BBQ with a side of Worms
To the Mountain Top and Oceans
Wine AND chocolate? Absolutely.
Post polar opposites of Johannesburg and Port Alfred, Cape Town felt a bit more like destination traveling. Ah, the exciting exploration of a new lively, metro city. There was a vibrancy to Cape Town as much of the city wraps between the ocean and mountains creating gorgeous elevation to the winding highways.
Villa Viva Cape Town Hostel welcomed us with their resident cat which somehow always reassures me; Very similar to the resident bodega cat quality rating concept in NYC: Bodega Cat = Solid Bacon Egg n’ Cheese (No arguments). As a huge positive aspect, the hostel is involved greatly within clean water initiatives which we definitely love to see as we try to travel consciously.
To be honest, one of the most difficult things to gauge when traveling to metro cities is the level of safety of walking, especially as a tourist. For me, it is also something that I think could easily be considered one of the most offensive things, so approaching the topic feels uncomfortable. I think we always assume that ‘petty theft’ is possible-it is what it is-we live in NYC. So when we hear ‘you should be fine’, there is always a pause after to read nonverbal cues on how that should be interpreted. It was a ‘you should be fine’ like you might get your phone stolen kind of area, so off we went for dinner!
(Piri Pirir) Peri Peri Chicken, (Braai) BBQ with side of Worms
So for the whole trip, I was trying to get introduced to some of the country’s cultural foods which turns out to be a bit more difficult as most just have Braai (or Barbeque) at home…until Cape Town. YES! So some of my favorite things are experiencing cultural foods (Yes, I am aware that I am a little risky in that way, but c’est la vie.)
There were two notable dinners here: First was the Piri Piri Chicken. The restaurant had this kind of vibe where there was dancing, a DJ, and people dressed to drink cocktails like it was a Friday night, but then there was me, at this table devouring this chicken. Now it wasn’t like I had sauce everywhere or anything-I was careful to eat mindfully, but truthfully I don’t think I said a word to David for like 15 minutes until I came back up for air. 9/10.
Second, was Mama Africa which some might consider a bit more touristy, but listen, I needed to at least try some more African foods. My favorite thing is analyzing the menu for the most different thing to try. That day was Spicy Bilulu (Mopane Worm). David’s face as he looked at the bowl on our table and tried the tiniest bite-priceless.
To the Mountain Top and Oceans
To keep in mind, this was April 2024, so the weather was right in between spring and summer-not quite enough to be able to enjoy the ocean, but we still did walk a bit along Camps Bay.
Also, on the ocean, Boulder Bay Penguin Colony which easily we stayed there for 2+ hours watching the penguins. The walk takes you through their conservatory boardwalk through some trees then out to the water elevated above the penguin’s space. Oh, to just watch penguins could have easily spent another 2+ hours. Do not skip the Penguin Colony! It is worth the Uber ride over to the other side of the city.
Lastly, was Table Mountain. We almost thought we weren’t going to be allowed up due to weather as it is 3,563 feet high, but alas we were going! There is a 360 degree rotating cable car that takes you up that at some point just melts into the clouds, but once you arrive…you were in a cloud- you could feel it. The wind and somewhat suspended rain almost made you feel like you might fall off the mountain if it even tipped slightly, but also you had no concept of what you would fall to. What no one prepares you for is the silence. There is just nothing-just wind and suspended rain-maybe a few whispers of other tourists passing you by. It is VERY surreal, but I actually would recommend it on a cloudy day just for that experience.
Wine AND chocolate? Absolutely.
Africa continues to be underestimated in size where it houses some of the most fertile land for grapes and wine, so this was particularly something I was excited about especially on a somewhat rainy day. Stellar wine, chocolate pairings, and drives between vineyards were lovely. Our favorite was Groot Constantia for, of course, the chocolate pairings, but also just for the calm vibes. 100% ensure to try to Shiraz and dark Morello cherry chocolate.
