A day of surprises

I was forced to travel into Cape Town today (dreaded meeting with the Taxman). If it weren't for that, nothing would have shifted me from Kommetjie on this most perfect but sizzling of days. Imagine having to drive in an unairconditioned car in this heat. Granted the route was along one of the most scenic in the world, along the Atlantic seaboard via Hout Bay, Camps Bay, Clifton, etc. but the destination was so undesirable that I didn't even put the music on. Unheard of! That was the homeward journey.

On the way through to town, I took the back roads up Constantia Nek and wound through the erstwhile Cecelia Forest, which is now just mountainside as it was after all a plantation, swooped down the hill through the beautiful leafy suburb of Bishopscourt and past Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, the pride of South Africa, and on to the M3. As I approached the University of Cape Town, a large electronic board bore the legend: Stationary vehicle on Hospital Bend. Left lane closed. Expect delays. Well that was a first for me. It's a few months since I travelled that route and this was the first time I had seen a traffic report in Cape Town. And it turned out to be correct. As we drove up Hospital Bend with its well-planned lanes and roadmarkings, the traffic came to a halt, but in a very orderly way, with no one seeming to get upset or try to cut in to gain an advantage. Amazingly, there were blue police lights ahead and after only a few minutes, what looked like a logjam actually pulled forward and the entire eight lanes carried on, the stationary vehicle no longer in evidence. What an incredibly First World experience. It was heartwarming to know that all is not completely lost and that a step has been taken forward again, at least in the traffic arena.

I continued on into town. noting the special bus lane for the new MyCiti bus route that is our first foray into real public transport, and was again amazed at how organised it all seemed to be, the traffic obeying the lane signs and all stopping at the lights when required. I must qualify this by noting that there were no minibus taxis around, which contributed to the orderliness. I duly parked in the underground garage and headed into the street, where I crossed at a pedestrian robot that had various devices to warn the hearing and sight-impaired when it was safe to cross. Another pleasant surprise.

In the Taxman's building, everything was efficient and well-run, the staff polite and friendly. No complaints. Even the visit wasn't all that bad.

As I wended my way homeward, I drove along Chapman's Peak Drive with its view down towards Kommetjie. The sea was so flat that, unbelievably, there was a reflection of the lighthouse and the houses along the beach in the sea at Long Beach. I've never seen that before!

So it was a day of many firsts, all of them pleasant, accompanied by a drive that people travel from all over the world to experience. How lucky am I?