Cape Town - Day 3

While I still have a few more posts to enter about Cape Town, there are a few little things I want to make sure that I share:

1) If you happen to have a thing for foreign accents, then this place is accent heaven! There is also some very cool slang that you can't help but pick up - like "howsit?" which is the equivalent of how a Canadian might say "How's it going?".

2) It is an incredibly cheap place to eat and drink! A good meal at a fine restaurant including a bottle of wine would unlikely top the $50 Canadian mark. Wine is especially inexpensive (and very good!) to buy in restaurants or in store. The currency is the South African Rand (ZAR) and the exchange is roughly R7=$1CN. This can get a bit confusing sometimes...but those big bills can make you feel like a bit of a high roller.

3) As a tourist you can recieve a Value Added Tax rebate on your purchases (minimum R500 spend) at the airport. But don't check your bags before you apply - they need to see your receipts and see the merchandise. A couple of dummies I know checked their bags first. No names mentioned.

4) The Cape Town landscape really has it all: powdery white sand beaches, intimidating mountains, rocky cliffs, lush green forests and valleys, and dry flat grasslands. And all of it is truly gorgeous.

5) The people are incredible! I know that could be said about a lot of places but it's really true. From our waiters, taxi drivers, hotel staff, children in the townships - everyone here is nice, kind, helpful and funny! Everyone - from all walks of life - seems really happy.

6) And lastly - it's freakin' hot!

Though the summer is almost over in South Africa, the weather is pretty much perfect. So it made total sense to spend a bit of time on our third day relaxing at the beautiful pool on the roof of our hotel - The Cape Royale. The Cape Royale is in a great location directly across the street from a brand new stadium that is set to host some of the 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer matches. It's also located in close proximity to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront area - a great place for shopping and dining  - so we decided to take a walk there in the afternoon for a little sight-seeing. A nice dinner at Mano's (recommended by nearly everyone we spoke to) included some good comfort food and a bottle of Waterford which was quickly followed up with another good night's sleep.