Random thoughts and Ravings.

There is something majestic about
Table Mountain, a touchstone for all residents of Cape Town that brings a tear to our eyes and a warm feeling in our hearts when we see it, at least for the first time that is. I stare outside my office windows and there it is, our mountain. It’s always there. I’ve seen it all my life and it never changes colour, looks different or varies in shape or size. As a citizen of Cape Town I am truly blasé towards it.

What may surprise you though is that I have never ridden the Cable car before. Not once in my life have I stepped foot in what is most likely, the most attractive ride Cape Town can offer. All this changed on my birthday though, as my girlfriend pointed out that rides on the Cable Car are free on birthdays. This appealed to both my cheap inner nature and my desire to finally ride the Cable car.
Getting there was easy. We woke up early [the first car up is at 8:30am and I want a bright view on the way up the mountain] packed a small lunch, hopped in my car and sped off. Once you make it to Gardens, you merely need to keep following the road until you intersect with Kloof and from this point; there are plenty of large signs keeping you on the right direction.
I wasn’t surprised by the queue on arrival; the Cable car is a very popular tourist destination. I squeezed my car between two large BMW’s and made my way to the line. Surprisingly, it only took us 10 minutes to make our way to the front of the queue. The Cable car travels much faster then expected [only 15 mins to summit] so the wait is minimal.
The kids hopping up and down seemed to be the most excited, in addition they ride for free if they are under 18. My girlfriend and I had to cough up R130 each, my wallet stung slightly. Before being ushered into the Cable Car, our hostess gave us a short history of the car and some tourist-related waffle clearly intended for people who wear sandals over their socks. Stepping into the cable car, I noticed that we were already elevated far above the surface and a spectacular view was just beyond my vision. The doors slid closed and the engine of the car began to hum as its gears wound tightly around the one kilometer steel rope transcending from the start to the summit. The Cable car moved slowly, which is fine with me. I would have freaked out more then a little if it rocketed up the slope. Nevertheless, it is the view my friends the magnificent 360° view of the mother city and its surrounds that pulls you in and doesn’t let go for what seems like forever. Sweeping vistas of ocean and forests wrap around an endless ocean that stretches into infinity. Whatever the hostess was saying, I couldn’t hear. The sheer beauty of my city was realised for the first time in a long time.

When we finally reached the top, I was mentally exhausted. My eyes could not handle anymore pristine views at this point. I relaxed with an orange juice at the quaint little coffee shop/restaurant on top of the mountain and watched the early morning sun shine in the sky. As I leaned back into the wicker chair, my girlfriend asked me if I had enjoyed myself. ‘Hell yeah.’ I said. ‘Let’s do that again’. It seems as if the ride on the cable car had turned me from a cynic into full blown Capetonian again.



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