October 21, 2006

By DIANE CASTILLEJO-GARCIA
with JACKIE CASTILLEJO

We got up the world famous Table Mountain via a high-speed cable car. It was super cool! We got down the mountain rappelling, which was way cooler! Join us as we trek Table Mountain and shop at Cape Town’s “tiangge.”

Any travel book about Cape Town would tell you that Table Mountain is a must-see. They mean not just see it from a distance but go up the top and witness for yourself the gorgeous sites you wouldn't ever want to miss. We met up with Axel again from downhill then went up to Table Mountain. It is a five-minute drive from the city. When we arrived there, the ticket line for the cable car was over 200 meters long. We went up the mountain via the car and went down in the most adventurous way, rappelling.

Well, that one week in Cape Town had been cloudy and rainy. The cable car was unable to run when the weather was bad. The first day we were there was the first sunny day we had in a while so the line for the cable car was way too long because all the tourists had been waiting.

There were two cable cars and it took us only five minutes to get to the top of Table Mountain. The car was huge, it could carry 30 people at a time. It was a unique car. It turned as we went up so we could get all the different views of Cape Town. Boy, it was gorgeous! God couldn’t have given us a better day for our adventure up the mountain!

The mountain was called as such because it is shaped like a table, with a flat top. Unlike most mountains we've climbed, it was very long and wide much like a park. One could stroll around and go to all sides of it. You could get 360-degree views of the entire Cape Town as well as the ocean. Axel led us to the adventure spot where we met the rest of his group which set up the lines down for rappelling. This was the highest commercial rappel in the world. Of course, we were excited.

Cape Town is usually very windy. The winds are stronger up the mountain. It was a blessing that during our adventure, we had a perfect winter day in South Africa.

We took some time to get instructions from the experts before we went down. The trick in rappelling is never to look down. The first 30 meters there was still a rock face to steady your feet and make your way down. The rope was too heavy, I had a little bit of a tough time loosening it up to go speed up the rappel.

The rock surface gradually disappears as you go down the first 30 meters. After that, you would be hanging by the side of the 3,000-feet mountain. My knees were shaking a bit so I took a deep breath and just looked out to appreciate the beautiful natural surroundings that South Africa, particularly Cape Town, is known for.

Marc and I enjoy rappelling immensely. Doing it down one of the famous mountains in the world was an adventure to remember. If I had the chance to do it again, I certainly would. So if you decide to get up the mountain yourself, go check out the guys with the ropes and book a rappel. Go and do something extra out of the ordinary, just like what we did. You won't regret a great experience.

Table Mountain gets double thumbs up from Sports Unlimited!

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Each stall in Cape Town's "tiangge" had its own unique stuff to offer. Everyone had animal stuff toys which South Africa is known for.

If I had more space, I would have gone for the big giraffe. But I had to settle with the mini bags, shirts, necklaces, bracelets, hats, masks and stones.

Name it, they had all South African-made stuff. I had a fun time looking at the South African designs.

The "tawad" system also applies in South Africa. You have to haggle a bit to get a good deal. They were also music and carvings. The stalls were open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It was almost closing time when we ended our shopping spree for "pasalubong."