Arrived Cape Town 09:30 (SA time).
Cape Town airport is fairly pleasant, Hertz car hire is easy to find. Cleanest rental car I have ever hired (it was a white Toyota Corolla).
The drive from the airport to the Hotel Ritz was easy enough and took about 30 minutes. You drive on the left in South Africa and the signage is very good. Arrived at the hotel at 12:00pm. Tipped porter 20R for luggage.
Its a very hot day, must be 30C.
The room in the Ritz was very nice with big windows a good view of the sea and Robben Island.
Relaxed in hotel for an hour (ordered cheese on toast and big plate of chips for 50R) and then got a taxi (40 R) to the waterfront.
Robben Island tours were all booked up for the next three days so we booked a tour for Thursday 10am for 150Rand each.
Bought a hat for 65 R as worried about burning my bald head.
Visited the Ice lounge (entry 50 R each inc free coke).
Visited the Two Oceans Aquarium (70 R each). This is a very good aquarium with some impressive tanks, unusal specimens. One cylindrical tank had just ‘finding nemo’ fish. Another massive tank had massive sea weed plants, penguins and large fish.
Other specimens included sharks, seals, jelly fish, giant spider crab and oyster catcher bird.
Walked back to waterfront through the craft market.
Yamini had a leg wax for 120 rand inc tip.
Stopped for coffee with cream & pancake & icecream at the cafe outside entrance to craft market(70rand) - delicious!
Walked to Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre, Yamini bought my birthday present - some Oakley Why 8.2 sunglasses (1760rand).
Booked a table for 9:30pm at the Baia seafood restaurant.
Got a cab back to hotel (approx 18:30). Attempted to book revolving restaurant at top of the Ritz. Had to settle for 20:30 Thursday night.
Got a taxi to waterfront for meal at Baia at 21:00.
Our table had a good view of the harbour.
I had mussels in a Riesling sauce which was delicious.
Main course was trio of game (kudo, springbok and ostrich)- basically a mixed grill. It was pretty good although most of the food during the rest of the holiday surpassed it. Yamini had a duck salad followed by king klip fillet with tomato rice. We did not have room for a dessert (service was a bit too slow). We had a bottle of Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc 2005 (142R)with the meal which was very good. Total cost was 493R.
Got taxi back to hotel approx 11:30pm.