On Saturday morning the May 5th my brother led me to the train station of Arc-Draguignan to take a TGV train to Nice. But alas it had approximately 15 minutes of delay and did not allow me to take the correspondence at Antibes to arrive on time of the loading at the airport of Nice. Consequently we decided to go there by car. On arrival at the airport the plane for Paris CDG was announced with 45 minutes of delay, I could have taken the train! In Roissy CDG I had reserved a room in the Ibis Hotel. This journey does not start very well, history of the bottle to full half and not to empty half. Always the devil and, then what tomorrow? Moreover the pope recently said that he believed in the devil, why not. In the life there are fortuitous events and/or the consequence of inappropriate behaviors of certain staff. This is why according to the proverb: To be on time it is necessary to be in advance… to assume the risks.
On Sunday, May 6 the loading of the direct plane from Charles de Gaulle to Cape Town was opened at 8:45 for a departure announced at 9:20. After the passage of the control of the police at the borders then of the safety of the luggage I presented myself on time. All was Ok. But the authorization of takeoff was given with 50 minutes of delay. The captain caught up with it while arriving at the carpark of the airport of Cape Town exactly at the hour envisaged 21:20, hat the artist. Admittedly it was easy to catch up with it over such a distance and 11:45 flight duration. Joon, a low-cost company operated by Air-France as testifies to it the appropriate dress to the staff of cabin and the menu of the meals. The trip was without problem, I viewed four movies and I remained upright in three 30 minutes periods. The plane was a A340 Airbus of 250 places, all occupied. At the airport of Cape Town the passage of immigration and customs were carried out without problem in 50 minutes. The forwarding agent expected me to recover the carnet de passages en douane and to lead me to the hotel Holiday Inn Express. I lay down around 23:00. The devil did not appear.
The animated story of the Republic of South Africa is presented by Wikipedia, here
On Monday, May 7 I took my reference marks to visit Cape Town while waiting for the provision of my vehicle knowing that boat “MOL Presence” had arrived at the port. After a copious breakfast I left in search of ATM for taking local money, the Rand. Then I bought a mini bag-with-back which I charged with a K-way and an umbrella because announced weather being very dubious. The following stage was the purchase of MyCITI card to use the public transportation system of the city which is remarkably organized. Alas, the kiosk of the Adderley avenue was closed. I got information and I discovered that a strike paralyzed public transport. In South Africa as in France the same causes produce the same effects. I was condemned to visit the city on foot, fortunately I had chosen a hotel in the downtown area called City-Bowl. My program had envisaged to go to Table Mountain to have a bird-eye view of the city to the crossroads of the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean. But the bad weather conditions obliged the authorities to close the cable car. After a way on foot to go to Waterfront I bought a ticket of the city tour, CitySightseing Cape Town. I embarked at 11:00 for a two hour circuit on the imperial one to take pictures with my Sony compact. Of course the rain with scattered downpours and a cold temperature paid the dull visit not very pleasant and photographs. At the back I walked in Waterfront before returning to the hotel. This first day of making of contact showed a modern city with buildings large-height attesting of the intense economic activity partly related to the port traffic. The return by the Atlantic coast, Bay Camps, Clifton, Bantry, Sea Not and Three Anchor Bay presented an urbanization which does not have anything to envy Florida of the United States or the Riviera of France, succession of sumptuous villas and buildings of white large-standing at the edge of sand beaches little attended by this temperature. The conurbation of Cape Town has about a population of 3.5 million inhabitants.
The story of Cape Town is presented by Wikipedia, here
The southern latitude of Cape Town is roughly at the northern
latitude of Columbia in the USA, of Rabat in Morocco
and of Kitakyushu in Japan.
The eastern longitude of Cape Town is roughly that of Katowice in
Poland, Dubrovnik in Croatia and Bangui in Central African Republic.
The time of the 28 member countries of the European Union is UTC+1
and UTC+2 (daylight-saving period on standby of abrogation).
The time of the Republic of South Africa from east to west is that of
Pretoria UTC+2 (no daylight-saving period).
Thus at present there is no jet lag between these two entities.
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On Tuesday, May 9 was still a cloudy day with scattered rains and the strike of public transport. It was devoted to three visits. Profiting a break I moved towards Castle of Good Hope which was built by Dutch between 1666 and 1679 to defend the city of the Cape. It has the shape of a pentagon. The central building was the residence of the governor. It preserved its furniture of time. An exhibit presents marine paintings. The contiguous military museum exposes weapons and a model of the fort. Another room is dedicated to the English army. In way towards the District Six Museum I took some pictures in street. The District Six Museum sensitizes the visitor with the tragedy undergone by inhabitants of this district in years 1960 and 70 at the time of the laws of apartheid. The exposed photographs of time do not leave the indifferent visitor. He is located in an old Methodist church. Then I went between two downpours in Bo-Kaap by traversing Long Street with his old houses to a mosque where I met a Moroccan with who I exchanged a few moments. Bo-Kaap, upper cape, is a small street with very coloured low houses which were inhabited by soldiers of a garrison in the years 1830. To small pace I went back to the hotel.
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On Wednesday morning May 9th Table Mountain was always in the clouds and the strike of public transport continued. I crossed through Company's Gardens to go to visit two famous museums of Cape Town. South African Jewish Museum is partially installed in the old synagogue dating back 1863 in the neo-Egyptian style. It tells the origins of the worship and civilization of Jewish people as well as the installation of the immigrants of Central Europe who developed the economy of the country as well commercial as diamantiferous. I met a group of pupils listening to the lecturer with attention. A few meters further South African National Gallery accommodated me to present paintings of the South-African artists. In the rooms groups of students in art-deco crunched paintings with quiet application. I was astonished by their courtesy waiting until I took my pictures to pass through. As pupils of schools previously students carry a uniform, example to be followed in France and elsewhere. At the back I crossed again Company's Gardens dating from the Dutch Company of the Eastern Indies (VOC). The sky had been cleared a little above the Table Mountain. Then I wished to see Michaelis Collection lodged in the old Town Hall of Greenmarket Square. But the building was closed. I went back to the hotel.
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Always expected my truck I continued the discovery of Cape Town. On Thursday, May 10 was devoted to slavery constitutive of the South Africa society. While passing in front of the building Mutual Heights I stopped to admire this masterpiece of rose- and gold-veined black marble Art-Deco girdled by an exceptional friezes. From Grand Parades at the bottom of the Table Mountain and bordered by Cape Town City Hall I walked to visit three sites in periphery of City Bowl. SA Mission Museum in Long St was the oldest mission church created to convert the slaves to Christianity in 1799. Further in Buitengracht St, Prestwich Memorial was built in 2003 to collect the skeletons of the slaves executed by the Dutch in 17th and 18th centuries. Finally close to Company's Gardens, Iziko Slave Lodge dating back to 1660 recalls the long story of slavery in South Africa. I returned to the hotel by St George's Mall occupied with gravers as well of clothing and trinkets as of food. I should receive in the end of the afternoon information from the forwarding agent concerning the delivery of my camper.
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The day of Friday, May 11 drew in length. The morning occurred in the room then as from 11:30, hour of the check out, I establish my quarters in the hall of the hotel scanning on my smartphone the Duncan's sms at a frequency of every half-hour, approximately, to inform me of the advance of the procedure of admission of my vehicle in South Africa. Around 16:00 the control of the customs and notebook CPD was carried out. It remained to transport the container to the warehouse which was carried out too tardily to take delivery. Duncan telephoned to me to say that this last stage will take place on Monday morning! I become aware that Duncan was not on the spot, but at home. To be closest to the center of the operations, I decided to spend the weekend at his spot, to approximately 35 km away from Cape Town, in a standard bungalow dormitory spared with a Englishman. Comfort is very Spartan with a social area and toilets in a container. I was in anglophone territory. On Saturday morning Eli, Duncan's wife, lent me her car so that I will make supply in food for the weekend. They are the risks of long-distance travels, school of patience. Admittedly I had chosen the means of transport at the lowest offer; I assume the consequences of my decisions. The weather was mildt without rain.
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