Hiking To Devil’s Peak in Cape Town, South Africa

My tiny house in Cape Town came with a house cleaner named Monica who would come once a week to clean the property, wash her own family’s clothes in the washing machine, and eat her lunch. Her coming to the house, meant that I needed to leave… so I used Monica as an excuse to get outside and climb to the top of Devil’s Peak, hike across Table mountain, wander down into the streets of downtown Cape Town, stroll through the V&A Waterfront, and then return to my little house at some time in the afternoon after Monica had finally left.

Unfortunately, the day Monica came over, it was extremely overcast and windy at the top of Devil’s Peak.

At the bottom of the trail leading up to the peak I met Andrew and ________, who invited me to join them on their climb up the mountain.

I left my new friends behind once we reached the summit of Devil’s Peak. They went back the same way we came… and I continued hiking across Table Mountain, over to where the cable car brings tourists up and down the hillside.

Once I reached the Table Mountain cable car, I then hiked down into the city bowl – the downtown center of Cape Town.

Anna Bu suggested I get a sandwich at a tiny Long Street cafe called “Yourstruly” and an avacado-mint milkshake at the “Royale Eatery”… so I did exactly that. The milkshake was my favorite. It was really, really good.

As I continued walking across town, I came across this Polish bicycle traveler. When he stopped playing his song, I approached him and in Polish tried to introduce myself. But he totally ignored me! Instead, he pointed at a sign he had attached to his bicycle in which he was asking for money. “What a jerk!” I thought to myself as I walked off in the opposite direction.

Down at the V&A Waterfront I purchased a USB Internet stick for my computer, so I could access the Internet during my bicycle tour across South Africa.

I also purchased an inexpensive pair of sunglasses. The sunglasses look good by themselves, but they look horrible on my face. I don’t think I’ve ever had a owned a pair of sunglasses that have looked good on me. I need someone with some fashion sense to go with me the next time I buy sunglasses. I seriously can’t do it by myself.

Then I walked all the way back from the Waterfront to my house in Observatory. By the time I got there, my feet were killing me and I was happy to see that Monica was finally gone. I could relax and be on my own once again. Big cities, I am finding out, are not my favorite places in the world. The people, cars and crowds wear me out. I’m much happier being all alone in a private home or at the top of a remote mountain top. That’s where I am at my best.