Part IV: To Be or Not to Be ThereWith only two and an half days in Cape Town, there were a lot of things left unseen, including several of the best museums in South Africa. In South African Museum, a de facto 'National Museum' of South Africa, there are some lifelike displays of different ethnic communties and important historic events of this country; District Six Museum, where a traumatic story of a formerly ethnically mixed district is re-told (The District Six was bulldozed in 1966 after the district was re-classified as "white district" by then apartheid regime and all the 'colored' residents were evicted); There is also the National Gallery, with small but exquisite exhibition. No, I did not visit these museums. I just read about them on "Lonely Planet" tour guide. It made me feel bad finding out I missed out so many interesting stuffs..... Cape Town has what it takes to become one of the greatest cities in the world. It is stunningly scenic, with beautiful coastline and spetacular mountain view. Its size is big enough to have that cosmopolitan flair and its racial and ethinic mix is intriguing. There are quite a few cultural activities and a decent cafe scene, possibly second to none in South Africa (or possibly in all of the African Continent). Not far away from the City, there are great wildlife nature reserves where you can see seals, penguins, and antelopes. They even have a 'wineland' less than an hour's drive away. The weather is moderate in both summer and winter (though we did encounter some pouring rain and sleets the first day we arrived there. The tour guide claimed he hasn't seen sleet for a very long time). Sounds like a great destination for your next vacation. (and yes, English is spoken here) However, I am still not sure if it is a good time to visit it there now. Crime, of course, is the biggest concern. Even it is really not even half as bad as Johannesburg. There are counts of homicide everyday from the news (but hey, it's like that in Baltimore too). Then, there is terrorist activities (though be honest, they have that in New York and Paris too). Just in the very same week I visited Cape Town, a car bomb went off at the Cape Town International Airport. It was a small bomb so nobody was hurt. No group claimed responsibility either (Then I read the newspaper, the authorities seemed worrying more about the canceled hotel reservation in the coming tourist season). Just last year, there were several bomb incidents and some people were killed or seriously injured. I was impressed by an ad. With an amputated young woman in that picture, I first thought it is a public announcement for handicapped people. Then I found it is a campaign to raise the aswareness of terrorism. That woman lost her legs in a bomb incident just last year in a pizza parlor! Maybe I worried too much. There used to be a lot of terrorists in Peru but I still decided to travel there last year. Maybe the chance for a tourist to get mugged is not really that high; If you don't go there soon enough, maybe it will be too late when you finally get there: It's already swarmed with millions of tourists like Prague. Maybe...Maybe... I'm glad that I've already been there and back safely. Except, I should really go back in summer next time to enjoy the beach. And of course, the museums. |