Cape Town Rewards The Curious
by Alex Goldberg
Cape Town or Kaapstad in Afrikaans.
Internationally it’s regarded as a popular tourist spot, while locally we have a reputation for being a laid back city that moves at a slow pace. So much so that the rest of the country calls us Slaapstad meaning "Sleepy City". They’re not entirely wrong. We do move a little slower but when we get going, this place is hard to beat. We just need a little kick. So at 12 each day the city is awoken by a loud boom that thunders through the streets. The Noon Day Gun.
The firing of the gun is Cape Town’s oldest living tradition, dating back to 1806. Which pretty much makes Cape Town the only city in the world that goes BOOM. It’s like a loud fist bump. I used to work in an agency close to the canon, and I can say with absolute conviction that you never get used to it.
Cape Town is one of the most diverse cities around. We have 2 oceans that meet at the tip of the province, beaches that hug the land and thick forests that pepper towering mountains.
While we’re famous for Table Mountain, it’s another part that fights for our attention – Lion’s Head.
During the day you’ll find every nationality spiraling up the mountain. It’s not uncommon for people to overestimate their hiking skills and get stuck somewhere. Out of all the countries, it’s the Germans who seem to have an unreasonably high amount of confidence in their mountaineering skills. In fact the local mountain rescue services use the term “JAG” which stands for “Just Another German”.
That said, it’s an awesome hike that rewards your efforts with a panoramic view of the city. But, there’s another way to experience Lion’s Head. When the full moon is at its highest you can see hundreds of tiny lights sparkle as avid hikers equipped with torches and headlamps, twist around the peak like a giant glow worm. I’ve always wanted to dress up like a werewolf and hide on the trail. Might get shot though.
If dodging people in werewolf costumes isn’t your thing then you can grab a bike and join hundreds of others as they cruise through the streets in an event called "Moonlight Mass". A new initiative created to further promote and encourage cycling in the city. Those damn hipsters are so organized.
Another feature of Cape Town is our unfinished highway. In the 1960s the building of a highway was halted for some reason and it just never got started again. Now we have two highways with dead ends. It’s like a giant scalextric track with a piece missing. They’re used a lot for shoots so they do serve some purpose.
It’s easy to find inspiration here, which is why I’m not surprised that Cape Town was named World Design Capital for 2014. The creative scene is always changing and it’s exciting to see it move in a direction where people are moving away from their computers and back to making stuff with their hands. Take a walk through the city and you’ll see artists of every discipline hard at work carving wood, molding ceramic, spraying a new piece on a weathered wall, or just doodling away in a tiny coffee shop. It’s a place where more people are remembering the simple fact that the more you do, the more you get done.
As with all the cities, there are many sides to Cape Town.
To get the best of my hometown, all you need is your curiosity.
