Beez Neez now Chy Whella - HOHO to Constantia

HOHO to Constantia

Beez Neez now Chy Whella

Big Bear and Pepe Millard

Thu 2 Jan 2020 23:47

Hop On Hop Off Bus to Constantia

We left the V+A Marina at five to eight in order to bimble toward the first HOHO bus at eight thirty.

We passed another ‘happy rhino’, this one painted with penguins. Soon settled on the top deck, where were Allen and Patricia. “Buying sweets” I heard, throwing myself down the stairs as the driver rev-ved up, I found them in the wrong queue. Hugging the driver, we set off and commentary playing, saw downtown Cape Town.

Colonial and modern buildings, we headed toward Table Mountain.

We passed The Mount Nelson Hotel gateway (I stayed there for a week in 1993 on conference and enjoyed The Grand Old Dame very much) and along the dual carriageway. We heard that the V+A began in 1860. The canon fires every day, except Sunday, at midday. There is a main road that stops mid-air as a famous fish and chip shop owner with a 99 year lease stood in the middle of the flyover as a protest. In actual fact many owners of Heritage Buildings joined the protest and eventually the road was halted. Cape Town is home to the oldest university in South Africa. The Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) was completed in 2003 and has recently seen a resurgence in popularity for conferences and concerts.

The drying and preserving meat – Biltong – salted and spiced, soaked in vinegar and hung to dry from wires suspended from the porch. ‘Stump of Rump’ used to be game, now beef and ostrich, high in calories and a treat for Bear.

I looked behind me to fine Allen soundo, even when he opened his eyes his face remained firmly set – well in a slack mode. “After yesterdays route march I had to go heavy on the painkillers and it was only supposed to be a little leg-stretch, so I was told.” Oh dear.

Table Mountain never ceases to please.

The area to the right was called Tigerberg as the residents thought it looked like a spotted tiger.... Looking across toward Cape Town Port we heard the very sad tale of the 1960’s and 70’s when 60,000 blacks who had to give up their homes for the ‘whites only’ city. They were moved to the ghetto. So very terrible what man does to man.

We passed a windmill but I was too bemused looking at a lady who had had way too much plastic surgery, in fact her top lip could have sheltered three small children from a heavy downpour.....that I forgot to make notes about it. Same reason for the building to our right, it may be a government one though....

The original dwellers of this area were the Cape Herders or the Khoikhoi people. They did not see visitors until the late 1400’s when ships came in to restock before moving on. Farm land was given to those who stayed – The Freeburgers, Dutch Free Settlers. In 1659 there was a one-year war between the two peoples. Cecil John Rhodes arrived as a sickly teenager in 1870 and went on to own a billion square miles. His name was used when Rhodesia was formed, later Zimbabwe, Rhodes died at the age of forty-nine. All ships had to round the Cape of Good Hope synonymous with The Spice Route. Several changes of hands and battles between the Dutch and the English who won out.

As we approached the turn for Kirstenbosch Gardens – the 7th greatest garden in the world, we saw lots of beaded and fluffy looking animals sold by people who bring them in on the bus and set up these colourful displays.