South Africa World Cup 2010: Capetown

So this is going to be a four part post since my recent adventure in South Africa was a photographic dream and there are simply too many images for just one post. About a year ago, Cathy, my favorite travel buddy and I started planning our trip to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. My husband Jorge and our new friend Bob, a sixty one year old ultra marathoner from Texas, would also join us on the trip. We knew we wanted to see a few World Cup matches in Joburg, yet with the flight totaling 15 hours from New York, we knew we had to commit to seeing more of what South Africa had to offer.

I was referred to a very talented tour guide, Jorvan Tours, who helped us navigate Cape Town with ease, which is where we spent the first six days of our trip. We stayed at Forty Winks Guesthouse in Sea Point, an international neighborhood nestled between Greenpoint and the posh and trendy, Camps Bay. As an avid traveler, I was quite surprised with how westernized Cape Town was. Apart from being a cut above the rest of sub - Saharan Africa with state of the art infrastructure, I felt like I was in small Mediterranean beach town with the finest cuisine. Cape Town's gastronomy was nothing short of five star; between the delicious melva puddings and the variety of wines from the Cape Winelands, I could have spent the remainder of our trip exploring the culinary ins and outs of Cape Town. Our day trip to Franschoek was competitive with any wine tour in Napa Valley as you will see in the 18th century Dutch architecture and beautiful outdoor artisan markets pictured below. Other noteworthy attractions included: Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, the Penguin Colony, the downtown business district and antique quarter near Greenmarket Square, Cape Point  and the Southwestern most point of the African continent, and Robben Island, a must see attraction for history buffs. Six days was not nearly enough time to get to know Cape Town so allow yourself at least a full week to enjoy the diverse tourist attractions in the area.

Come back tomorrow for a photographic journey through Kruger National Park!