As I mentioned yesterday, I enjoyed several new highlights during my second Cape Town visit last weekend. Three immediately come to mind.
The first is the Rhodes Memorial. It sits in the foothills of Table Mountain, offering spectacular views across the western suburbs of Cape Town and False Bay. Surprisingly, I never noticed this granite, colonnaded monument during my last visit. It's hard to miss. The monument's architecture is in stark contrast to its surroundings. Its neo-classical style has absolutely no link to traditional art and design on the African continent. I can't recall any object looking so utterly colonial and so totally out of place in all of Africa.
It immortalises the memory of South African politician and businessman Cecil John Rhodes. This English-born man shaped much of modern South Africa up until his death in 1901. Among his many claims to fame is the founding of DeBeers, the world's largest diamond producer. The now-defunct nation of Rhodesia was also named after him. This nation was largely crafted by the colonising activity of his British South Africa Company in the later half of the 19th Century.
Access to the site is by way of a winding, paved road. On approach, a sculpture of a rearing horse draws your eye. One of the most prominent landmarks visible from here is the cooling towers of the nearby Athlone power station. This coal-fired utility sits in the middle of Cape Town's suburbs. It's a most unexpected sight from this location, and no less surprisingly during the drive into town from the nearby airport.
Last weekend's second highlight was an unexpected encounter with a group of Cape Hyrax. These fat little animals have more than a passing resemblance to giant guinea pigs. In South Africa, they're commonly called "dassies" or "rock rabbits". I ran into several of them while walking out to an observation point at the Cape of Good Hope. At first, I thought I'd spotted someone small dog on the loose. I spent several delightful minutes watching these lively herbivores frolic around me.
The final highlight of my weekend was also at Cape Point. Here I encountered the local baboons. Last July I'd only seen these animals briefly while driving out to the Point. However, on this trip, they were out in force everywhere harassing tourists without a hint of remorse. As I drove up to the parking zone, I came across two rather cheeky primates sitting on the roof of a parked car. My mind immediately ran through the clauses in my rental contract as I envisaged an insurance claim for baboon damage. As I drove on, more cars came into view littered with cheeky baboons. Definitely, a road hazard I've never seen in Sydney.
Last weekend's second highlight was an unexpected encounter with a group of Cape Hyrax. These fat little animals have more than a passing resemblance to giant guinea pigs. In South Africa, they're commonly called "dassies" or "rock rabbits". I ran into several of them while walking out to an observation point at the Cape of Good Hope. At first, I thought I'd spotted someone small dog on the loose. I spent several delightful minutes watching these lively herbivores frolic around me.
The final highlight of my weekend was also at Cape Point. Here I encountered the local baboons. Last July I'd only seen these animals briefly while driving out to the Point. However, on this trip, they were out in force everywhere harassing tourists without a hint of remorse. As I drove up to the parking zone, I came across two rather cheeky primates sitting on the roof of a parked car. My mind immediately ran through the clauses in my rental contract as I envisaged an insurance claim for baboon damage. As I drove on, more cars came into view littered with cheeky baboons. Definitely, a road hazard I've never seen in Sydney.
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