Another kak day of South African splendour – Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point, random ostriches popping out in the middle of the road, fynbos, Smitswinkel, and do not feed the baboons! 🤣🐒🙈 it was very windy 🌬
Cape Point is often very windy at the southern tip of South Africa in the Table Mountain National Park. Living close by I’d often go into the park for some peaceful reflection. So it’s no accident I had to go on this trip, and watch the crashing of waves along the coast and peer down a great drop of cliff face. Plus hearing the sounds of the wild sea around the tip of South Africa is a spectacular experience, with the gale force winds blowing too!
Cape Point
Driving along the coast from Smitswinkel Bay towards Simonstown there are baboon signs as warnings, as quite often they’ll be sitting in the middle of the road in their pack. There are lay-bys to pull over and people often have picnics not realising they risk their lives as the baboons come down from the mountain in search of food. If you do come across stay in the car and keep your distance and windows closed if they approach.
I used to work in Kommetjie and they would come into the clinic and waltz in through open doors and windows and cause havoc. They knew exactly where the kitchen was! We’d have to chase them out with the baboon whistle, or bang a pan with a wooden spoon and call the local baboon monitoring team to come help as they are protected species. Respectfully baboon and humans do live near each other, and knowing the boundaries is important as they are wild animals. As a former local we learnt not to feed the baboons or keep food out if you live in an area close to the mountainside and tribes.
The Bo-Kaap (“above the Cape” in Afrikaans) is an area in Cape Town formerly known as the Malay Quarter which is situated on the upper sidelines of Cape Town city centre hugging the slopes of Signal Hill.
With the backdrop of Table Mountain and brightly coloured homes and former cobbled stone streets, it’s an area rich in history and core of the Cape Malay culture in Cape Town. The Cape Malays are descendants of enslaved and free Muslims from different parts of the world who lived at the Cape during British and Dutch rule.
The bright colours of the homes are freshly painted and no one home can have the same colour as their neighbours is custom. You can have a different shade of blue, pink or green but not the same shade!
Initially Malays were from the Dutch colonies of South East Asia who were practising Muslims and scholars came to teach in the Bo-Kaap and bring their wisdom to the area.
Muslim temple
Due to the origins of the spice trade and links to Malaysia, India and other SE Asian countries, Cape Malay cooking is popular in South African cooking. The community played an important part in the creation of local dishes which are a favourite of many locals and expats living overseas today.
Cape Malay or Cape Dutch cooking utilises eastern spices including chilli peppers, nutmeg, starseed, coriander, and cinnamon to name a few influences by the slaves brought by the Dutch East India Company to the Cape and from the Dutch settlers from the Netherlands.
If you like curries, stews, sambals or picked fish you won’t be disappointed by the dishes on offer locally. A South African favourite I like to make is Bobotie a spicy mince meat baked dish with an egg based baked topping. Served with yellow rice both these dishes have Cape Malay origins. A dollop of Mrs Balls Chutney and friends are smiling sitting around the dinner table and you’re on fire!
Bobotie at home for my birthday with an African themed cake
If you want to find out more I highly recommend a walking tour or a visit to the local history museums. Zainie Misbach and her family offer ‘The Bo-Kaap Cooking Tour’ which is a great way to embrace and learn more about the Cape Malay traditions, and customs dating back to 400 years of food, culture and religious practices.
Whilst back to visit my former home and friends I decided to embrace the local community and met up with the local family who have been running cooking lessons and walking tours. I spent Saturday exploring the streets, visiting the local spice merchant Atlas Trading Company which has been around since 1946.
Of course I had to pick up my old favourite masalas which I frequently used when I lived in Cape Town: mother in law masala (hot spicy heat), father in law masala (low spicy heat) and the medium heat leaf masala. Top tip when grating fresh turmeric is to wear surgical gloves unless you wanted yellow stained fingers! Fresh curry leaves are used to make tea and have many health benefits including to lower cholesterol and high blood pressure with calming and relaxing side affects too. I know I’ll be looking out for them next time I visit my local Asian cooking supplier in Sussex.
We then headed over to Rose Street to learn how to make dhaltjies (chilli bites), samoosas, a traditional Cape Malay Chicken Curry and rooti. Afterwards we sat down and enjoyed a laden table of the dishes we had cooked together.
I highly recommend a visit to this rich area full of history and to explore an area where once a upon time homes were rented only; until apartheid restrictions were torn down and now local residents enjoy the freedoms their ancestors did not have.
The walking tour is fascinating and listening to Zayed and Zoelfah share the highlights of their family growing up in the area, the 12 noon gun salute shaking the homes and light fittings, and generations of stories make it a unique experience as a local or a visitor. The chatty and humorous family are full of joy and share openly about their community and tips to make Bo-Kaap soul food come to life.
Tossing rooti
The people are beautiful and I feel like I’m home again stepping back into moments and memories of my old life. Reconnecting with friends, the local people, the hum; it’s an energy that weaves through everything I find hard to describe. I’ve lived in other countries and travelled far, but Cape Town will always have a very special place in my heart. There’s something very special about the Mother City and the Bo-Kaap is one reason of many.
One of my happy places living in Cape Town was hanging out with the African Penguins in Simonstown. I’d walk amongst the coves and climb over the boulders with my dog TJ. Often penguins would waddle out from swimming in the sea and head back to huddling with their families.
I can spend hours watching them and they sometimes wander off from their nests and waddle around the local streets too; which is quite a comical sight and always gives me the giggles. If you visit the area make sure you check under your car before you drive off, as the summer heat may tempt them to take cover in a shady spot.
The local Boulders Beach Sanctuary is worth a visit to the centre to help support the preservation of these endangered species. The beach is secluded and to swim in the cool False Bay waters you’ll need to pay a conservation fee. If you have a South African ID book make sure you have it as there is a different fee for international visitors vs. local residents.
It’s been fantastic to hang out with them again this week, and I had the opportunity to swim at Boulders Beach and a few came to swim near me.
Before I head back to the northern hemisphere I know I’ll be back again for another day at the beach, tucked away in one of the many secret coves along this impressive wild coastline.
Conservation Boulders Beach Simonstown, Cape Town Another day hustling African penguins choose a mate for life 💗🐧💗
