South Africa Sojourn The big red bus 1st Feb

We have day tickets for the hop on hop off red bus and today's the day. The starting point that we have chosen is the V and A waterfront. This is main office for the city tour bus and handy for the all the multistorey parking. We board and head for the sun bowl that is the top deck. Talking of bowls, the first part of the trip involves the Bowl district. This is the CBD and includes the waterfront and historic core of the city. There has been an enormous amount of redevelopment over the last few years, in particular for the 2010 World Cup and more lately from the lessons learned when Cape Town had its stint as World Design Capital in 2014.
This is how the Lonely Planet guide answers the question, why go?
"Known as the "Mother City" for its historical role in the development of modern South Africa, Cape Town is dominated by the magnificent Table Mountain, its summit draped in cascading clouds, its flanks coated with unique flora and vineyards, its base fringed by golden beaches. Few cities can boast such a wonderful national park at their heart or provide the wide range of adventurous activities that take full advantage of it".
I am not sure if you describe our bus ride as an adventurous activity but we're enjoying it as we head up to the base station of the cable car to the top of the mountain.

This is the famous Long Street 

Dope on a rope an abseiling group 

A good view of Table Mountain though not from the bus 

The bus then took us round to mountain and down to the Atlantic coast which is an upmarket residential area. There are various bays and beaches which you pass as you drive north and eventually round Sea Point to turn south again and back into the waterfront area again. The Atlantic side of Table Mountain has a series of buttresses which are called the 12 apostles (though there are 17 of them), that just shows you how many innumberate geographers there were in the C17! 

A look back at Camps Bay and the 12 Apostles. 

Bantry Bay a favourite for surfers 

Round at the north of the peninsula after Sea Point is Green Point where the stadium for the 2010 World Cup final was built. It is shaped like a giant traditional African hat and wrapped with a Teflon - mesh membrane designed to catch and reflect natural light. It is certainly Cape Town's most striking piece of contemporary architecture. I'm not sure what happens there now apart from tourists tours. 

That completed our circlular tour,  so still having itchy feet we headed for the harbour cruise. The first sight that we encountered was a ship hulk being towed to its final graveyard for breaking by a tug fore and aft. 

This I could not resist. If Turner could do it then so can I. 

The Fighting Temeraire, Cape Town style. All we need is the setting sun in the right centre however JMBT faked that as the original ship was towed up to Rotherhithe during the afternoon and the orientation was wrong for a view of the sunset. No matter, a cracking image. 

There is quite a large population of seals living within the harbour harbour basins. Here are some young ones enjoying the sunshine.  I will finish this blog with a couple of other pictures of the harbour. 

A nice clear view of Table Mountain. 

Look as we might, we couldn't find where we'd left the yacht and tomorrow it is Robben Island, so we are going to need it.