The African Peninsula
I was in Cape Town recently, having spent 6 days there to handle 2 seminars for work. I was hesitant about this trip actually, because:
1. I had just returned from Christmas break and had so much work to catch up on,
2. 7-hour flight to Dubai + 4-hour transit + 9-hour flight to Cape Town = Go figure…
3. I had to travel alone, carrying with me more than 50 kilos of seminar material,
4. The 2 Saturdays and Sundays spent traveling to and from CPT could not be claimed back as days off-in-lieu,
5. I’d have EVEN MORE work to catch up on after returning to the office,
6. Other reasons that I’m not at liberty to speak about.
But once I arrived, I had no regrets, and even felt like calling back to say “I won’t be coming back. Please ship my stuff over!”
Cape Town is just beautiful! And I didn’t even get to see it much, being stuck in the hotel for most of my stay to oversee the seminars. So it made a HUGE difference that the seminars took place in a really nice venue, the same place I laid my head to rest for 6 nights – The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel.
Now this “Peninsula” isn’t from the same posh Peninsula chain, so don’t expect the same grandeur like in Ben’s post about the Peninsula Hong Kong. However, the Peninsula Cape Town truly was perfect in many other ways. Located at Sea Point, all suites have balconies facing the clear, blue sea. Sound of the sea, seagulls… the cool seabreeze… the warm evening sun… Sigh……
And the people of Cape Town… lovely. Everyone’s so friendly, even other guests. Everyone smiles and wishes each other good morning or good afternoon or have a lovely evening.
The “suite” is named so as all rooms have a kitchenette, equipped with microwave, stove, pots & pans, kitchen utensils and cutlery, fridge, kettle, etc. The suite I stayed in is divided into a small living room, and the bedroom, plus two bathrooms.
As I had to cover (not attend) the seminars from Monday – Friday, I shall talk a bit about it, for those who may be interested in seminar/conference packages. Food here is great, even for seminars. The refreshments served during the mid-morning and afternoon breaks are varied and more than palatable, and every morning, muffins are served with an accompaniment of delicious whipped cream and jam. As for lunch, we had a 3-course lunch the first 3 days, and buffet was served the next 2 days. A lot of trouble was put into presentation of main courses and desserts, and the seminar participants enjoyed the food very much too.
Besides the usual mints and bottled water placed at the table for each participant, little boxes of Smarties were also set out. This was a really nice touch, and very popular with all.
The staff at the hotel were really helpful and polite. They get many repeat guests here as the hotel is also a time-sharing accommodation. I didn’t try out any of the facilities (gym, bar, heated pool) as I was either too tired or too lazy, but I did take the complimentary shuttle bus to the nearby V&A (Victoria & Alfred) Waterfront.
The Waterfront is a sprawling area, by the “water” of course. You get a mixed feel of Mauritius+Havana+Fisherman’s Wharf+Dover here, plus a great view of Table Mountain. The mall here is a little upmarket, but there’s a Pick n’ Pay where you can get all your groceries and necessities. I didn’t dine at any of the many restaurants here, as it was quite “sedih” to dine alone in a setting that would be so romantic if you were there with someone special.
Oooh… almost forgot about breakfast. Breakfast is a small buffet affair, the same stuff every morning, but still good! I guess, back in Singapore, I rush off to work each morning without breakfast because there just isn’t enough time to sit and have a leisurely breakfast. And even if I wanted to, it would mean having to wake up even earlier, thus further reducing my precious hours of sleep. But here, I wake up to warm toast, creamy butter, juicy beef and pork sausages, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, roasted potatoes, eggs cooked any way I like it, juice, coffee or tea, cheese, cut fruits, yoghurt, croissants, rolls, cereal… AND……… PERFECT SCONES! Seriously, the scones here are WAY better than the scones we had for high tea at the Peninsula Hong Kong. Those were really heavy, to the point it sticks to the roof of your mouth? Know what I mean?
Whereas the scones here…. Mmmmmm…. Nice and crusty on the outside, and light and a little fluffy on the inside. No clotted cream, but it went just as great with yummy creamy butter. Yum!!!
One morning, I also found a little time to zip accross the road to the beach. I was at my balcony and noticed that the tide was low, exposing a rocky shore which beckoned some exploring. I didn’t dare venture out much as this was unfamiliar territory to me, and I wasn’t sure of any “dangers” here (stonefish? jellyfish?) except for The Great White. Also didn’t wanna slip on the rocks or seaweed, taking Ben’s camera down with me. Also didn’t try to explore the rock pools, as I didn’t bring my diving booties with me (what with my luggage already 20 kgs over the weight limit and all). So all I found was seaweed… Quite different varieties from what we get in Singapore, plus GIANT kelp. And much larger “versions” of limpets.
My last day in Cape Town, I had some time in the morning to sightsee as my bloody long flight back was only in the evening. So I decided to take the “Blue Bus” route (some pictures below). All in all, it was a lovely trip, and I hope to visit again, next time with Ben.
