K: Settlements founded in 1652

Cape Town(Kapstad, Kapstad, Kapshtat) (eng. cape town, african. Kaapstad, iKapa spit) is the second most populated city (after Johannesburg) in the Republic of South Africa. Located in the southwest of the country, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, not far from the Cape of Good Hope. Capital of the Western Cape, the legislative capital of South Africa. Included in the urban district of Cape Town.

Cape Town has a population of 3,740,026 according to the 2011 census. The area of ​​​​Cape Town is 2444.97 km²: this is more than other cities in South Africa, and as a result, the population density in Cape Town is lower (1529.68 people / km²). Cape Town is a sister city of the French city of Nice and the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

Story

There is no reliable information about when the first human settlements appeared here. The earliest archaeological finds (Pearce Cave, near Fish Hoek) date back to about 12,000 years ago. Little is known about the early history of this region. The first written evidence refers only to 1486, when the Portuguese Bartolomeu Dias visited the Cape of Good Hope. Vasco da Gama also rounded the cape on November 20, 1497, but regular contact with Europeans local population only began in 1652 after the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck's expedition. In the same year, under his leadership, the city and port of Kapstad was founded as a base for supplying ships of the Dutch East India Company with fresh food and meat. Riebeck worked for the Dutch East India Company (Dutch. Verenigde Oost-indische Company) and was supposed to provide parking for her ships on the way to Europe. The tip of South Africa at that time was inhabited primarily by the Hottentots, from the east advancing Xhosa - a people belonging to the Bantu family.

In the initial period, the city grew slowly, as the lack of labor affected. To make up for it, the Dutch began importing slaves from Indonesia and Madagascar. Many of these slaves joined the colonial society, and the descendants of mixed marriages of Indonesians, Europeans and the local population formed several special ethnic groups called "colored", with the Cape colored stand out in a special community. In Cape Town, Muslims, immigrants from Malaysia and Indonesia, built a rather unusual city block in terms of architecture. Now it is called Bo-Kaap, the old name is the Malay quarter, it is still compactly inhabited by a large colored community.

Physical and geographical characteristics

The center of Cape Town is located on the northern edge of the Cape Peninsula. Table Mountain creates a picturesque backdrop, towering more than a thousand meters above sea level. It is surrounded by almost sheer cliffs such as Devil's Peak and Lion's Head. Sometimes a thin cloud, called a "tablecloth", forms over the mountain.

The peninsula itself is a small mountain range (more than 700 peaks are over 300 m high) and ends at Cape Point. Many of Cape Town's suburbs are located on the large Cape Flats, which connects the peninsula to the mainland. Cape Flats is made up of sandy soils left over from the former shallows: earlier Table Mountain was an island.

On the eastern side of the peninsula in Falsby Bay is the Simonstown naval base, where you can visit the South African Navy Museum.

Cape Town and Robben Island seen from Table Mountain.jpg

Panorama of the city

Central Cape Town.jpg

Central part of the city

Greater Cape Town.jpg

View of Cape Town from Table Mountain

Climate

The climate of the city is subtropical Mediterranean.

Climate of Cape Town
Index	Jan.	Feb.	March	Apr.	May	June	July	Aug.	Sen.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Year
Absolute maximum, °C	41,3	38,0	38,0	37,4	33,2	30,5	28,3	31,2	37,1	37,2	38,7	36,3	41,3
Average maximum, °C	26,3	26,8	25,6	23,2	20,5	18,2	17,6	18,0	19,4	21,8	23,5	25,3	22,2
Average temperature, °C	20,8	20,8	19,5	17,1	14,8	12,7	12,2	12,7	14,2	16,2	18,1	20,0	16,6
Average minimum, °C	16,8	16,8	15,4	12,8	10,7	8,4	7,9	8,5	10,0	11,9	13,9	15,8	12,4
Absolute minimum, °C	8,2	7,5	5,5	3,4	1,0	−0,2	0,0	−0,2	1,0	3,0	4,0	6,2	−0,2
Precipitation rate, mm	12	12	18	46	69	93	90	77	47	31	21	16	532
Water temperature, °C	18	18	17	16	16	16	15	15	16	16	17	18	17
Source: ,

Population and household composition

According to the national census in South Africa for 2001, the population of Cape Town was 2,893,251 people (about 7% of the country's population). There were 759,767 households in the city, of which 87.4% were equipped with sewerage, 94.4% lived in more or less sanitary conditions with garbage collection and weekly toilet cleaning. 80.1% of households used electricity as their main source of energy. Similar statistics are collected in South Africa, where a significant part of the population, especially blacks, still lives in rather deplorable conditions (this is especially true for recent migrants from villages to cities and impoverished white farmers after the black majority came to power). 16.1% of households had one head of household, reflecting the impact of the AIDS epidemic.

Vital movement of the population

The population dynamics of Cape Town, like South Africa as a whole, are complex and contradictory, varying greatly by racial and linguistic groups. In general, the city maintains a high birth rate, especially among blacks and people of color, but it is lower than the national average. At the same time, the mortality rate is also very high. The raging AIDS epidemic, especially in urban slums, and high crime rates, with a significant number of deaths from firearms, make a particular contribution to mortality. At the same time, the city also has a significant migration increase due to black marginal migrants from the interior regions of South Africa and other African countries.

Racial composition

Cape Town is distinguished by its racially diverse population, but also by the conflicting, contradictory relations between the main racial and ethnic groups, traditionally competing among themselves for rather limited economic resources cities. As in the USA, interracial relations are characterized in the past by explicit, legislative manifestations of racism, which have now taken a latent form (discrimination, reverse discrimination, housing segregation, etc.).

colored

In racial terms, the city is relatively dominated by the so-called colored people - descendants from interracial contacts of Asians (mostly Malays imported as domestic servants and slaves), whites (Dutch, Germans and partly Portuguese) and blacks. Coloreds make up 48.13% of the population (1.393 million). Cape Town is the cultural capital of the people of color whose first language is Afrikaans.

black

Next in number is the Negro population. The proportion of blacks in Cape Town is 31.0% (897 thousand people), which is significantly lower than in the country as a whole (79%). The bulk of blacks are recent migrants from tribal villages in the northwest of the country, as well as people from other, even less prosperous regions of Africa. After blacks came to power after 1994, one of the tasks of modern government is to increase the proportion of blacks in the city and provide them with leverage of cultural, political and economic influence.

White

The third largest racial component of Cape Town is whites, making up 18.75% of the population (542 thousand). Their proportion in the city is almost twice that of the country as a whole (10%), but whites are heterogeneous in their origin and language. In coastal areas (especially on the cape) - the bulk is of British origin and speaks English. They are also joined by relatively recent migrants from Europe (including Russians, Lithuanians, Portuguese, etc.). Another significant part of the whites in the city are the descendants of the Dutch and German settlers of the 17th-18th centuries (Afrikaners or Boers), who speak Afrikaans. The proportion and number of whites in the city has declined significantly over the past 40 years and especially over the past decade due to their intense emigration to the US, Australia and the UK and unwillingness to accept the loss of political power in South Africa, but Cape Town due to its geographical location and long history to a greater extent than other cities in South Africa, it maintains favorable conditions for the preservation of at least some part of the white population in the future.

Transport

In addition, for intra- and intercity communication, there is and operates a developed network of railway and highways. 3 federal highways originate in the city, a bus and taxi system is developed.

To order excursions, you can contact private guides and travel companies *

Attractions

Table Mountain (South Africa) ( table mountain) with a height of 1087 meters is the symbol of Cape Town. For many years, its unique silhouette has met sailors from distant lands, seeking to replenish their water and food supplies in the long-awaited bay of Cape Town.

Victoria and Alfred Waterfront ( Victoria & Alfred Waterfront) - the embankment of the former harbor of the port with the once dirty and miserable port facilities; in modern times, it is a giant entertainment and shopping center, including more than 200 shops, galleries, cinemas, hotels, restaurants and pubs, a popular walking place for city residents and tourists.

twin cities

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An excerpt characterizing Cape Town

Lavrushka rummaged through the whole bed, looked under it, under the table, rummaged through the whole room and stopped in the middle of the room. Denisov silently followed Lavrushka's movements, and when Lavrushka threw up his hands in surprise, saying that he was nowhere to be found, he looked back at Rostov.
- Mr. Ostov, you are not a schoolboy ...
Rostov felt Denisov's gaze on him, raised his eyes and at the same moment lowered them. All his blood, which had been locked up somewhere below his throat, gushed into his face and eyes. He couldn't catch his breath.
- And there was no one in the room, except for the lieutenant and yourself. Here somewhere,” said Lavrushka.
- Well, you, chog "those doll, turn around, look," Denisov suddenly shouted, turning purple and throwing himself at the footman with a menacing gesture. Zapog everyone!
Rostov, looking around Denisov, began to button up his jacket, fastened his saber and put on his cap.
“I’m telling you to have a wallet,” Denisov shouted, shaking the batman’s shoulders and pushing him against the wall.
- Denisov, leave him; I know who took it,” said Rostov, going up to the door and not raising his eyes.
Denisov stopped, thought, and, apparently understanding what Rostov was hinting at, grabbed his hand.
“Sigh!” he shouted so that the veins, like ropes, puffed out on his neck and forehead. “I’m telling you, you’re crazy, I won’t allow it. The wallet is here; I will loosen my skin from this meg'zavetz, and it will be here.
“I know who took it,” Rostov repeated in a trembling voice and went to the door.
“But I’m telling you, don’t you dare do this,” Denisov shouted, rushing to the cadet to restrain him.
But Rostov tore his hand away and with such malice, as if Denisov was his greatest enemy, directly and firmly fixed his eyes on him.
– Do you understand what you are saying? he said in a trembling voice, “there was no one else in the room except me. So, if not, then...
He could not finish and ran out of the room.
- Oh, why not with you and with everyone - there were last words that Rostov heard.
Rostov came to Telyanin's apartment.
“The master is not at home, they have gone to the headquarters,” Telyanin’s orderly told him. Or what happened? added the batman, surprised at the junker's upset face.
- There is nothing.
“We missed a little,” said the batman.
The headquarters was located three miles from Salzenek. Rostov, without going home, took a horse and rode to headquarters. In the village occupied by the headquarters, there was a tavern frequented by officers. Rostov arrived at the tavern; at the porch he saw Telyanin's horse.
In the second room of the tavern the lieutenant was sitting at a dish of sausages and a bottle of wine.
“Ah, and you stopped by, young man,” he said, smiling and raising his eyebrows high.
- Yes, - said Rostov, as if it took a lot of effort to pronounce this word, and sat down at the next table.
Both were silent; two Germans and one Russian officer were sitting in the room. Everyone was silent, and the sounds of knives on plates and the lieutenant's champing could be heard. When Telyanin had finished breakfast, he took a double purse out of his pocket, spread the rings with his little white fingers bent upwards, took out a gold one, and, raising his eyebrows, gave the money to the servant.
“Please hurry,” he said.
Gold was new. Rostov got up and went over to Telyanin.
“Let me see the purse,” he said in a low, barely audible voice.
With shifty eyes, but still raised eyebrows, Telyanin handed over the purse.
"Yes, a pretty purse... Yes... yes..." he said, and suddenly turned pale. “Look, young man,” he added.
Rostov took the wallet in his hands and looked at it, and at the money that was in it, and at Telyanin. The lieutenant looked around, as was his habit, and seemed to suddenly become very cheerful.
“If we’re in Vienna, I’ll leave everything there, and now there’s nowhere to go in these crappy little towns,” he said. - Come on, young man, I'll go.
Rostov was silent.
- What about you? have breakfast too? They are decently fed,” continued Telyanin. - Come on.
He reached out and took hold of the wallet. Rostov released him. Telyanin took the purse and began to put it into the pocket of his breeches, and his eyebrows casually rose, and his mouth opened slightly, as if he were saying: “Yes, yes, I put my purse in my pocket, and it’s very simple, and no one cares about this” .
- Well, what, young man? he said, sighing and looking into Rostov's eyes from under his raised eyebrows. Some kind of light from the eyes, with the speed of an electric spark, ran from Telyanin's eyes to Rostov's eyes and back, back and back, all in an instant.
“Come here,” said Rostov, grabbing Telyanin by the hand. He almost dragged him to the window. - This is Denisov's money, you took it ... - he whispered in his ear.
“What?… What?… How dare you?” What? ... - said Telyanin.
But these words sounded a plaintive, desperate cry and a plea for forgiveness. As soon as Rostov heard this sound of a voice, a huge stone of doubt fell from his soul. He felt joy, and at the same moment he felt sorry for the unfortunate man who stood before him; but it was necessary to complete the work begun.
“The people here, God knows what they might think,” muttered Telyanin, grabbing his cap and heading into a small empty room, “we need to explain ourselves ...
“I know it, and I will prove it,” said Rostov.
- I…
Telyanin's frightened, pale face began to tremble with all its muscles; his eyes still ran, but somewhere below, not rising to Rostov's face, and sobs were heard.
- Count! ... do not ruin the young man ... here is this unfortunate money, take it ... - He threw it on the table. - My father is an old man, my mother! ...
Rostov took the money, avoiding Telyanin's gaze, and, without saying a word, left the room. But at the door he stopped and turned back. “My God,” he said with tears in his eyes, “how could you do this?
“Count,” said Telyanin, approaching the cadet.
“Don’t touch me,” Rostov said, pulling away. If you need it, take this money. He threw his wallet at him and ran out of the inn.

In the evening of the same day, a lively conversation was going on at Denisov's apartment among the officers of the squadron.
“But I’m telling you, Rostov, that you need to apologize to the regimental commander,” said, turning to the crimson red, agitated Rostov, the high headquarters captain, with graying hair, huge mustaches and large features of a wrinkled face.
The staff captain Kirsten was twice demoted to the soldiers for deeds of honor and twice cured.
"I won't let anyone tell you I'm lying!" cried Rostov. He told me that I was lying, and I told him that he was lying. And so it will remain. They can put me on duty even every day and put me under arrest, but no one will make me apologize, because if he, as a regimental commander, considers himself unworthy of giving me satisfaction, then ...
- Yes, you wait, father; you listen to me, - the captain interrupted the staff in his bass voice, calmly smoothing his long mustache. - You tell the regimental commander in front of other officers that the officer stole ...
- It's not my fault that the conversation started in front of other officers. Maybe I shouldn't have spoken in front of them, but I'm not a diplomat. I then joined the hussars and went, thinking that subtleties are not needed here, but he tells me that I am lying ... so let him give me satisfaction ...
- That's all right, no one thinks that you are a coward, but that's not the point. Ask Denisov, does it look like something for a cadet to demand satisfaction from a regimental commander?
Denisov, biting his mustache, listened to the conversation with a gloomy look, apparently not wanting to intervene in it. When asked by the captain's staff, he shook his head negatively.
“You are talking to the regimental commander about this dirty trick in front of the officers,” the headquarters captain continued. - Bogdanich (Bogdanich was called the regimental commander) laid siege to you.
- He didn’t siege, but said that I was telling a lie.
- Well, yes, and you said something stupid to him, and you need to apologize.
- Never! shouted Rostov.
“I didn’t think it was from you,” the headquarters captain said seriously and sternly. - You do not want to apologize, and you, father, not only before him, but before the whole regiment, before all of us, you are to blame all around. And here's how: if only you thought and consulted how to deal with this matter, otherwise you directly, but in front of the officers, and thumped. What should the regimental commander do now? Should we put the officer on trial and mess up the entire regiment? Shame the entire regiment because of one villain? So, what do you think? But in our opinion, it is not. And well done Bogdanich, he told you that you are not telling the truth. It’s unpleasant, but what to do, father, they themselves ran into it. And now, as they want to hush up the matter, so you, because of some kind of fanabery, do not want to apologize, but want to tell everything. You are offended that you are on duty, but why should you apologize to an old and honest officer! Whatever Bogdanich may be, but all honest and brave, old colonel, you are so offended; and messing up the regiment is okay for you? - The voice of the captain's staff began to tremble. - You, father, are in the regiment for a week without a year; today here, tomorrow they moved to adjutants somewhere; you don’t give a damn what they will say: “Thieves are among the Pavlograd officers!” And we don't care. So, what, Denisov? Not all the same?
Denisov remained silent and did not move, occasionally glancing with his shining black eyes at Rostov.
“Your own fanabery is dear to you, you don’t want to apologize,” continued the headquarters captain, “but we old people, how we grew up, and God willing, will die in the regiment, so the honor of the regiment is dear to us, and Bogdanich knows it. Oh, how dear, father! And this is not good, not good! Take offense there or not, but I will always tell the truth to the uterus. Not good!
And the captain's staff stood up and turned away from Rostov.
- Pg "avda, chog" take it! shouted Denisov, jumping up. - Well, G "skeleton! Well!
Rostov, blushing and turning pale, looked first at one officer, then at another.
- No, gentlemen, no ... don’t think ... I understand very well, you shouldn’t think so about me ... I ... for me ... I am for the honor of the regiment. but what? I’ll show it in practice, and for me the honor of the banner ... well, it’s all the same, really, it’s my fault! .. - Tears stood in his eyes. - I'm to blame, all around to blame! ... Well, what else do you want? ...
“That’s it, count,” the captain shouted, turning around, hitting him on the shoulder with his big hand.
“I’m telling you,” Denisov shouted, “he’s a nice little one.
“That’s better, Count,” repeated the captain of the staff, as if for his recognition he was beginning to call him a title. - Go and apologize, your excellency, yes s.
“Gentlemen, I’ll do everything, no one will hear a word from me,” Rostov said in an imploring voice, “but I can’t apologize, by God, I can’t, as you wish!” How will I apologize, like a little one, to ask for forgiveness?
Denisov laughed.
- It's worse for you. Bogdanych is vindictive, pay for your stubbornness, - said Kirsten.
- By God, not stubbornness! I can't describe to you the feeling, I can't...
- Well, your will, - said the headquarters captain. - Well, where did this bastard go? he asked Denisov.
- He said he was sick, zavtg "and ordered pg" and by order to exclude, - Denisov said.
“This is a disease, otherwise it cannot be explained,” said the captain of the staff.
- Already there, the disease is not a disease, and if he doesn’t catch my eye, I’ll kill you! Denisov shouted bloodthirstyly.
Zherkov entered the room.
- How are you? the officers suddenly turned to the newcomer.
- Walk, gentlemen. Mack surrendered as a prisoner and with the army, absolutely.
- You're lying!
- I saw it myself.
- How? Have you seen Mac alive? with arms or legs?
- Hike! Campaign! Give him a bottle for such news. How did you get here?
“They sent him back to the regiment, for the devil, for Mack. The Austrian general complained. I congratulated him on the arrival of Mack ... Are you, Rostov, just from the bathhouse?
- Here, brother, we have such a mess for the second day.
The regimental adjutant entered and confirmed the news brought by Zherkov. Tomorrow they were ordered to speak.
- Go, gentlemen!
- Well, thank God, we stayed too long.

Kutuzov retreated to Vienna, destroying the bridges on the rivers Inn (in Braunau) and Traun (in Linz). On October 23, Russian troops crossed the Enns River. Russian carts, artillery and columns of troops in the middle of the day stretched through the city of Enns, along this and that side of the bridge.
The day was warm, autumnal and rainy. The expansive vista that opened up from the elevation where the Russian batteries stood defending the bridge was suddenly covered by a muslin curtain of slanting rain, then suddenly expanded, and in the light of the sun objects, as if covered with varnish, became far and clearly visible. You could see the town under your feet with its white houses and red roofs, the cathedral and the bridge, on both sides of which, crowding, the masses of Russian troops poured. At the turn of the Danube one could see ships, and an island, and a castle with a park, surrounded by the waters of the confluence of the Enns with the Danube, one could see the left bank of the Danube, rocky and covered with pine forests, with a mysterious distance of green peaks and blue gorges. The towers of the monastery could be seen, standing out from behind a pine, seemingly untouched, wild forest; far ahead on the mountain, on the other side of the Enns, the enemy patrols could be seen.
Between the guns, at a height, stood in front the head of the rearguard, a general with a retinue officer, examining the terrain through a pipe. A little behind, sitting on the trunk of the gun, Nesvitsky, sent from the commander-in-chief to the rearguard.
The Cossack accompanying Nesvitsky handed over a purse and a flask, and Nesvitsky treated the officers to pies and real doppelkumel. The officers joyfully surrounded him, some on their knees, some sitting in Turkish on the wet grass.
- Yes, this Austrian prince was not a fool that he built a castle here. Nice place. What don't you eat, gentlemen? Nesvitsky said.
“I humbly thank you, prince,” answered one of the officers, talking with pleasure to such an important staff official. - Beautiful place. We passed by the park itself, saw two deer, and what a wonderful house!
“Look, prince,” said another, who really wanted to take another pie, but was ashamed, and who therefore pretended to look around the area, “look, our infantrymen have already climbed there. Over there, on the meadow, behind the village, three people are dragging something. "They're going to take over this palace," he said with visible approval.
“This and that,” said Nesvitsky. “No, but what I would like,” he added, chewing the pie in his beautiful wet mouth, “is to climb up there.
He pointed to a monastery with towers, visible on the mountain. He smiled, his eyes narrowed and lit up.
“It would be nice, gentlemen!
The officers laughed.
- If only to scare these nuns. Italians, they say, are young. Really, I would give five years of my life!
"They're bored, after all," said the bolder officer, laughing.
Meanwhile, the retinue officer, who was standing in front, pointed out something to the general; the general looked through the telescope.
“Well, it’s true, it’s true,” the general said angrily, lowering the receiver from his eyes and shrugging his shoulders, “it’s true, they’ll start hitting the crossing. And what are they doing there?
On the other side, with a simple eye, the enemy and his battery were visible, from which a milky white smoke appeared. Following the smoke, a long-range shot rang out, and it was clear how our troops hurried at the crossing.
Nesvitsky, panting, got up and, smiling, approached the general.
“Would your Excellency want to have a bite to eat?” - he said.
- It's not good, - said the general, without answering him, - ours hesitated.
“Would you like to go, Your Excellency?” Nesvitsky said.
“Yes, please go,” said the general, repeating what had already been ordered in detail, “and tell the hussars to be the last to cross and light the bridge, as I ordered, and to inspect the combustible materials on the bridge.
“Very well,” answered Nesvitsky.
He called a Cossack with a horse, ordered him to put away his purse and flask, and easily threw his heavy body onto the saddle.
“Really, I’ll stop by the nuns,” he said to the officers, who looked at him with a smile, and drove along the winding path downhill.
- Nut ka, where he will inform, captain, stop it! - said the general, turning to the gunner. - Get rid of boredom.
“Servant to the guns!” the officer commanded.
And a minute later the gunners merrily ran out of the fires and loaded.
- First! - I heard the command.
Boyko bounced 1st number. The cannon rang metallically, deafeningly, and a grenade flew whistling over the heads of all our people under the mountain and, far from reaching the enemy, showed the place of its fall with smoke and burst.
The faces of the soldiers and officers cheered up at this sound; everyone got up and took up observations of the visible, as in the palm of your hand, movements below our troops and in front - the movements of the approaching enemy. The sun at that very moment completely emerged from behind the clouds, and this beautiful sound of a single shot and the brilliance of the bright sun merged into one cheerful and cheerful impression.

Two enemy cannonballs had already flown over the bridge, and there was a crush on the bridge. In the middle of the bridge, dismounted from his horse, pressed with his thick body to the railing, stood Prince Nesvitsky.
He, laughing, looked back at his Cossack, who, with two horses in a lead, was standing a few steps behind him.
As soon as Prince Nesvitsky wanted to move forward, the soldiers and wagons again pressed against him and again pressed him against the railing, and he had no choice but to smile.
- What are you, brother, my! - said the Cossack to the Furshtat soldier with a wagon, who was pushing against the infantry crowded v the very wheels and horses, - what a you! No, to wait: you see, the general must pass.
But the furshtat, ignoring the name of the general, shouted at the soldiers blocking his way: “Hey! compatriots! keep to the left, stop! - But the countrywomen, crowding shoulder to shoulder, clinging with bayonets and without interruption, moved along the bridge in one continuous mass. Looking down over the railing, Prince Nesvitsky saw the fast, noisy, low waves of the Enns, which, merging, rippling and bending near the piles of the bridge, overtook one another. Looking at the bridge, he saw equally monotonous living waves of soldiers, kutas, shakos with covers, knapsacks, bayonets, long guns and from under the shakos faces with wide cheekbones, sunken cheeks and carefree tired expressions, and moving legs along the sticky mud dragged onto the boards of the bridge . Sometimes, between the monotonous waves of soldiers, like a splash of white foam in the waves of Enns, an officer in a raincoat, with his physiognomy different from the soldiers, squeezed between the soldiers; sometimes, like a piece of wood winding along the river, a foot hussar, orderly or inhabitant was carried away across the bridge by waves of infantry; sometimes, like a log floating on a river, surrounded on all sides, a company or officer's cart floated over the bridge, superimposed to the top and covered with skins, a wagon.
“Look, they burst like a dam,” the Cossack said, stopping hopelessly. – How many of you are still there?
- Melion without one! - Winking, a cheerful soldier, passing close in a torn overcoat, said and disappeared; behind him passed another, old soldier.
“When he (he is an enemy) starts frying a taperich across the bridge,” the old soldier said gloomily, turning to his comrade, “you will forget to itch.
And the soldier passed. Behind him, another soldier rode on a wagon.
“Where the devil did you put the tucks in?” - said the batman, running after the wagon and groping in the back.
And this one passed with a wagon. This was followed by cheerful and, apparently, drunken soldiers.
“How can he, dear man, blaze with a butt in his very teeth ...” one soldier in a highly tucked overcoat said joyfully, waving his arm wide.
- That's it, that's sweet ham. replied the other with a laugh.
And they passed, so that Nesvitsky did not know who was hit in the teeth and what the ham referred to.
- Ek is in a hurry that he let in a cold one, and you think they will kill everyone. said the non-commissioned officer angrily and reproachfully.
“As it flies past me, uncle, that core,” said a young soldier with a huge mouth, barely restraining himself from laughter, “I just froze. Really, by God, I was so frightened, trouble! - said this soldier, as if boasting that he was frightened. And this one passed. It was followed by a wagon unlike any that had passed before. It was a German fallow steamer, loaded, it seemed, with a whole house; Behind the bowstring, which was carried by a German, was tied a beautiful, motley, with a huge neck, a cow. On the feather bed sat a woman with a baby, an old woman and a young, purple-haired, healthy German girl. Apparently, these evicted residents were let through by special permission. The eyes of all the soldiers turned to the women, and as the wagon passed, moving step by step, all the remarks of the soldiers referred only to two women. On all faces there was almost the same smile of obscene thoughts about this woman.
- Look, the sausage is also removed!
“Sell your mother,” another soldier said, striking on the last syllable, addressing the German, who, lowering his eyes, walked angrily and frightened with a long step.

Cape Town is the second largest city in South Africa (South Africa) after Johannesburg. Located in the Western Cape. It is located in the South-West of the country, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, very close to the Cape of Good Hope. This city is rightfully recognized as one of the most beautiful and magnificent places on Earth. Around Cape Town there are coastal cliffs that protect the city from strong winds from the sea. It is also the capital of the Western Cape Province, among other things, is the legislative capital of South Africa. And why? But because the Parliament of South Africa and many other government institutions are located in Cape Town. Based on 2007 data, the population of the city of Cape Town is approximately 3.5 million. The area of ​​​​the city is exactly 2,499 km², which is a lot for an African city. Cape Town is a twin city of the city of Nice, in France, and the famous "Northern Palmyra" - Russian St. Petersburg.

Physical and geographical characteristics of Cape Town.

The central part of Cape Town is located on the northern outskirts of the Cape Peninsula. One of the local attractions is the "Table Mountain", which has been rising here for a thousand years. It is surrounded by cliffs such as Devil's Peak and Lion's Head. Very often, locals observe a thin cloud over the mountain, which is called a "tablecloth".

If we talk about the peninsula itself, then it is a mountain range, with about 700 peaks that do not exceed a height of 300 meters and ends at Cape Keith Point. It is also worth mentioning the Keith Flats valley, on which many suburbs of Cape Town are located, it is she who connects the peninsula to the mainland. The Keith Flats are made up of sandstone, as they used to be flats, and Table Mountain itself used to be an island.

On the eastern side of the peninsula, namely in False Bay, is located military base called Simonstown, where you can visit the magnificent and very interesting museum military equipment of South Africa. It is the largest military museum in the country.

Climate of Cape Town.

The climatic situation of Cape Town corresponds to the entire climate of the Republic of South Africa. The prevailing climate here is very similar to Central European, which means that there are very hot, dry summers, and not very cold winters. The average rainfall rate is 600 mm. rt. Art. Also in a certain part of the Cape Province there are a little tropical notes, that is, the humidity is greater than in its northern part.

In summer, the average daily temperature can exceed +35 degrees Celsius during the day, and drops to +15 degrees at night. Winter in Cape Town, in fact, like throughout South Africa, lasts from May to August, then the temperature there can be +20 degrees during the day, dry, windy, but at night the degree can drop to +5. In general, the climate is very gentle and people who come to rest here from Europe, America, and even more so Asia, do not feel strong climatic changes and most go through the acclimatization period unnoticed, without any problems. In this regard, South Africa is a favorite holiday destination for many tourists.

Afrikaans in Cape Town and South Africa.

Cape Town is the capital of the colored population of South Africa. And the native language of this stratum of the country is Afrikaans. Most of the residents of the Western Cape and even the less populated Northern Cape of South Africa are native speakers of this language. In addition, many native speakers live in large cities of South Africa, such as: Johannesburg, Pretoria, Welkom, Krugersdor. etc.

It is also worth noting that many people who speak this language do not consider themselves to be "white" or to the so-called "colored". They refer to themselves as "Afrikaans-speaking South Africans" or, more simply, "Namibians". In terms of statistics, Afrikaans is the mother tongue of 6 million people, and about 10 million speak the language. In Cape Town, there are approximately one and a half million people who speak Afrikaans. It is also interesting that literary Afrikaans differs from simple literary Dutch in very small ways. They are very similar languages. Like Russian and Ukrainian and Belarusian.

If you look at Afrikaans from a certain linguistic point of view, then it is very close to the Germanic group of languages, and especially, as mentioned earlier, to Dutch. Afrikaans has gone through a simplification of declensions, which is roughly similar to what happened to English.

Population of Cape Town

Based on the data on the number of South Africa in 2001, the population of Cape Town was 2,893,251 people (about 7% of the country's population). There were about 800 thousand houses and households in the city, of which 84% had sewerage, and 94% lived in suitable sanitary conditions for housing (garbage collection and cleaning of toilets were present). 80% of households constantly used electricity as a permanent source of energy. Such statistics are very positive for South Africa, as the situation is much worse throughout the country.

Most of the Negro population live in very difficult conditions for life: lack of water, a large presence of infections, lack of permanent sources of electricity, accumulation of garbage. This is a very deplorable situation throughout the country. And the worst thing is that only 16% of households had only one head of the family, this shows the terrible consequences of the AIDS epidemic in the country. Illiteracy and poverty of certain miles of the population led to such a terrible result.

The natural movement of the population in Cape Town.

Cape Town is a very interesting place in terms of the distribution of the population on its territory. Not in every city you can find such a spread of population over the area. Areas with white and black populations are especially different; here, echoes of those times when there was discrimination against the black population are especially visible here.

But that was all in the past.

Now, population dynamics in Cape Town, as well as throughout the country, are very contradictory and complex, and vary especially across racial lines and language groups. Of course, the overall picture in the city is very good. The birth rate is quite high, although this is due to the black and colored population, but it should be noted that if you look at the whole country, it is much lower than everywhere else in South Africa. The death rate is very high, slightly above the national average, again due to the color and black population. And why? Because the AIDS epidemic is raging in the slums and suburbs, contributing to the death rate. Also, the crime rate is very high, and there are many deaths from firearms.

And, of course, the city has a very large internal population growth, people come to Cape Town to work from the center of South Africa.

The racial composition of Cape Town

Cape Town, like the rest of the country, has a great diversity of races and language groups. All this has led to the fact that there are conflicts between the main racial and ethnic groups. Basically, these contradictions arise for the main economic (and so limited) resources of the city. The same situation was observed in the USA. Previously, the legislation had a clearly legally enshrined racist form, but now, however, it is all hidden, but it cannot be said that it is imperceptible (discrimination, housing segregation, etc.).

Colored. In terms of number, they predominate in the city, there are about 48 percent of them, these are the so-called descendants from the interracial ties of Asians, who were brought to South Africa mainly as servants, whites (Dutch, French and Germans) and blacks - indigenous people. Therefore, Cape Town is considered the capital of such a population. The official language of this population is Afrikaans.

Black. The second largest ethnic group in the city. Their share in Cape Town is 31 percent. Although throughout the country this percentage is about 79% of the black population. Most of these are people from the tribes who came to the city in search of a better life.

White. The third largest racial group makes up 18% of the city's total population.

White population of Cape Town.

The white population of Cape Town is 18% of the total population of the city (540 thousand). And that's a lot more, because mostly in South Africa, the average percentage of the white population is hovering around 10 percent. Only whites are not the same in origin and language. So, for example, in coastal areas, on the cape, the English population is mainly, and they speak English. There are also relatively new immigrants from Europe (Russians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Portuguese, etc.). However, here is another, most of the white population, these are the descendants of Dutch and German settlers from the 17th and 18th centuries, they are called Afrikaners or Boers. Their language, like that of the colored population, is Afrikaans.

Of course, the number of the white population has decreased significantly in the city over the past forty years, the reason for this is intensive immigration to the USA, England, Holland, Australia. And the white people are migrating, because of their unwillingness to put up with the fact that they have lost power over the Republic of South Africa and it is not profitable now to be white there. However, in some way, Cape Town, due to its location, still leaves at least some favorable conditions for living in South Africa for the white population. This is all due to the near sea location and the large presence of tourists.

Cape Town is a city of a million people, as its population is approximately 3.5 million people. In this regard, the transport industry is very developed here. Every morning, about two million people get up and go to work at the same time, and we must not forget about the huge number of tourists that visit Cape Town every season, so the transport industry in this South African city is at the highest level. One only international Airport Cape Town is the second largest airport in terms of passenger traffic in South Africa and the third busiest in all of Africa. It serves both domestic and international flights.

The city has several ports and marinas, the largest of which is located in the "Table Bay". The port of Cape Town is the second largest (after Durban). For example, in 2008, more than 300,000 non-containerized cargo passed through this port.

And of course, the city has a network of railways and roads. Three federal highways pass through this city. Also in Cape Town there is a metro, a very seriously developed urban system of buses and taxis. Prices for internal transport (taxi, bus, metro) are very low for a city with such a large population.

Cape Town International Airport.

This is the main airport that serves the city of Cape Town. It is the second busiest in South Africa and the third busiest in all of Africa. It is located only 22 kilometers from the city center. Was founded in 1954. It was needed in order to replace the old airport, which was located in the suburbs of Cape Town - Wingfield.

This airport operates both domestic flights to large African cities: Cape Town - Durban and Cape Town - Johannesburg, as well as flights to other cities in South and North Africa. There is also an intercontinental communication between the cities of Asia, Europe, America. In 2007, the flight route between Johannesburg and Cape Town was the fifth busiest in the world.

It should be noted that in 2009, Cape Town Airport received the prestigious Skytrax award in the nomination "Best Airport in Africa".

All check-in for the aircraft takes place in the central terminal building, which contains 120 large check-in desks and as many as 20 self-service terminals.

Since the airport is located only 22 kilometers from the city center, it can be easily reached via the main highway N2, this route maintains a direct connection between the airport and the city. Also near the airport is a parking lot for 4,000 parking spaces.

North Cape Restaurants.

Cape Town is a huge city and it is impossible to talk about all its restaurants. Let's describe now the most famous and the best of them. Let's start with restaurants located in the northern part of the city.

« Wakame"

This is one of the most famous Japanese restaurants with a wonderful view of the sea. It is very famous for its various types of sushi, however, the rest of the Japanese cuisine here is no less delicious. There is a spacious veranda where you can spend romantic evenings with your loved ones.

"Constantia Uitsig"

This restaurant belongs to Italian-French cuisine, although it has Asian elements. Emu has been a huge success since the day it opened. Firstly, the chef creates colossally delicious dishes that combine elements from different cuisines of the world, and secondly, the view from the restaurant is simply amazing.

Millers Thumb

This restaurant specializes in seafood and seafood. The difference between this restaurant and others is the constantly changing menu, so visitors can always find something new for themselves. He is also known for his "Yaki Soba" dish, which everyone should try at least once, is noodles with shrimp, chicken and nuts.

South Cape Restaurants.

"The Codfather"

This original restaurant is located on the coast of the ocean. Specializes in fish dishes. Its peculiarity is that there is no menu. The client makes an order after talking with the waiter, when he has already fully told the list of dishes for today. After that, he will weigh, prepare and bring your order. Very good and fast service.

Blues

This restaurant is already fifteen years old and all this time it has been associated among tourists with amazing views of the ocean. Specializes in Californian cuisine with Mediterranean influences. Every day it is filled with people to capacity and there is noisy and fun. Very tasty seafood dishes.

"Five Flies"

The main advantage of this restaurant is its chef. He has already become a legend in Cape Town. His amazing culinary masterpieces are famous throughout the city. Also, the restaurant is located in an old building of the 18th century, which was restored, but it has not lost the charm of those years.

Beluga

This stylish youth restaurant is located in the Foundry, a magnificent 100-year-old red brick building. The restaurant is famous for its versatile cuisine, where everyone can find a dish to their liking.

A small preamble before, directly, the story.

It all started three years ago, when we returned from Abkhazia in August 2015. And then the wife said: basta!

By that time, my wife had already rested in this wonderful place 5 times, twice with her daughter and three times we went with her together. No, I can't say anything bad about Abkhazia, especially when I stopped in front of the border, right under the police birdhouse and lit a cigarette. Galina went to the border shop to buy tea from Mamuka, and I waited. They called me from above, politely offered to go to the fire, photographed, rewrote the passport data (they didn’t take fingerprints) and let me go with the wish: “You’ll cross the border and smoke wherever you want”

That is exactly what happened. Border Leselidze, now Gyachripsh (Abkhazians after the war, changed all Georgian names to their own) for some reason recalled the times of the Soviet Union. Although no, it's wrong. At that time, all the sanatoriums were working, it was clean on the streets and in the parks. Now, as one of the local residents said, “Russia helped Abkhazia gain independence and also invested in development, this history does not know yet,” but it is difficult to estimate the amount of investments with a simple eye. IMHO.

Nevertheless, you can really smoke everywhere, drink beer on the beach and even on the way from the beach. Cheburek for 90 rubles is a Cheburek according to the old Russian measure of length - an elbow, which is cooked right there in front of you, with normal meat and spices, 50 rubles a glass of fine homemade wine and much more, as they say, at affordable prices.

If you wish, you can find the conditions for yourself: the proximity of the sea, air conditioning in the room, and even meals. But our friends have been vacationing for many years and recommended this family to us, to whom they have been visiting for 10 years. Armenians, Aram and Angela, good-natured and hospitable hosts. The conditions are, of course, spartan. The room where there is a wardrobe, a coffee table, a chair and a bed, there is no air conditioning, but it is in September, in the Velvet season was and was not needed until we arrived in August .... But more on that below. Further, amenities in the yard, but this is not a village lift-closet, but a normal toilet with sewage, but it stands separately. Shared shower but hot water 24 hours a day, which can not but rejoice. In the courtyard there is a refrigerator for vacationers, a TV is also in the courtyard. To the sea 300 meters along a shady alley of Canadian maple. Aram has wonderful chacha and semi-sweet wine, inexpensive.

On my first two visits, Aram had an old Zhiguli. You give him money for gasoline, and he takes you all over Abkhazia wherever you want. Caves of Athos, Gagra, Sukhum .... and what khachapuri with a boat in Adjarian in Narta cafe in Sukhumi! And duchess lemonade with the taste of childhood, that's something! If you do not take food into account, then spiritual food in Abkhazia is also in full order. After all, the greatest amount of natural wealth worth seeing is located here. I repeat once again that better conditions can be found, but we were not so much attracted by the low price as by the attitude of Aram and Angela to vacationers. During these three years, we constantly met at Aram with the same vacationers. Once, having come to them, people came again and again.

On the first September that I arrived in Abkhazia, we were not entirely lucky with the weather. It was raining and the sea was stormy. We didn't swim much, but we rode around Abkhazia with Aram. But the next September, we arrived for 10 days and regretted that we had taken return tickets so early. The weather was amazing, the sea is clean, which can not be said about the cleanliness of the beach. Although, exactly, on the day of our departure, a thunderstorm broke out, and the weather deteriorated. So, everything that is not done is for the best.

And finally, we got out on vacation in August 2015. Hell was terrible. They went to the sea early in the morning and before sunset, and even late in the evening, the water was like fresh milk. Here, of course, air conditioning would not be superfluous, that's for sure. A lot of vacationers came up and asked about free beds, having learned that there was, they were happy, but the lack of air conditioning in the rooms forced them to retreat. For the first time in our lives, having arrived for two weeks, we never wished that these days would pass quickly. Aram said: “Next year, I will die, but I will put air conditioning in every room.” That's right, that year the family lost a lot of money that they did not go to rest. So, if there are those who want to relax in Spartan conditions, but with sincere, hospitable hosts Aram and Angela, write, I will give you the coordinates. One of Angela's many relatives will meet you at the Adler airport and take you across the border. Although, sometimes walking is faster, but it's how you get there. But in Return trip, nowhere more relevant. It is better to leave early and spend extra hours at the airport than to get stuck at the border and miss your plane. Another relative organizes a trip to the gorge. You must first go along the riverbed, not dry and cold. Depth .... well, in general, you will be waist-deep,

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but then an amazing picture opens up on the gorge.

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And here the wife said: basta! (Well, just like Coelho's style turned out) “I understand,” she said, that everything suits you. But for 5 years I've already got tired of traveling to the same place. Tired of looking at the garbage near the garbage cans, which lies for days. It’s a pity for the poor cats who, with the rumbling of wild animals, rush to rare food and dogs, the beautiful Alma, the German shepherd and the “animal of an unknown breed”, as Alexander Mikhailov said in the film “Men”, nicknamed Rambo, who eat a loaf of bread a day and this their entire diet. (Unfortunately, this is the case and, apparently, not only with Aram. Animals have to work - guard the house and catch mice). And feed them every time I come, because I love animals, and especially cats (That's right, the cat lady is still that!). I like the hosts, who during this time already consider us family and we even sit down to dinner together, but ... .. we went to another place ”

The other place was supposed to be something exotic and previously unvisited. I immediately remembered my childhood, a book about Aibolit plus the National Geographic channel, and it was decided to go to Africa for a walk Plus, how many times they watched the wildlife of Africa on TV, and I really wanted to see it up close, directly in the Kruger Park. And the country and the city came somehow by themselves - Cape Town. South Africa.

It was decided to go at the height of the South African summer, namely, in January-February. Considering that I work on a rotational basis and there are 25 days between shifts, I thought so. On January 12th, I return from my shift, on the 15th we fly to Moscow, apply for a visa, in a week we receive them and at the end of January we set off. Well, my wife and I do not like to go with the crowd. It is more interesting to be independent and do what you see fit. My English is pretty good, I can explain almost everything. I understand after one, or even two, but if you ask to speak slowly please, then understanding comes after 0.5 Based on this, we booked the accommodation we liked on the airbnb website for a year. Chose on a whim, looked at the photo, read the reviews. Liked this

https://www.airbnb.ru/rooms/select/9245237?adults=2&children=0&guests=2&infants=0&role=wishlist_owner&wl_id=181054058&wl_source=list

There are many photos, so it's better to go to the link and see for yourself. But I'll be back to housing. I could not resist ... I will attach one photo after all. This is our private pool in the apartments

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By the way, if you haven't used this site yet, I highly recommend it. An alternative to a hotel for any budget.

In preparation for the trip, a plan was drawn up. On January 29th we fly to Cape Town, on February 2nd we fly from Cape Town to Kruger Park for evening and morning safari, on February 3rd we return back and on February 8th we fly from Cape to Moscow. And everything between these dates is dedicated to seeing everything that can be covered in less than 10 days.

And then, His Majesty Chance, at the end of May 17th, brings me to the frequenter of this site Olga-traveler, from which I, quite by chance, learn that in March 17th, visas to South Africa were canceled. Olga, I know that you are reading this review now. Thank you very much for saving me from unnecessary gestures. Otherwise, they would definitely have rushed to Moscow with their wife for visas.

Then in May, a hotel in Kruger Park was booked for one night through Booking.com. And already in January, just before the trip, tickets were bought from Cape Town to Kruger and, most importantly, tickets for the route: Moscow-Dubai-Cape Town, Cape Town-Dubai-Moscow.

We decided to fly with Emirates. I also read reviews, listened to colleagues who, at one time, studied in Johannesburg and had to fly with different companies. And they didn't fail. Agree that the distance of more than 80 centimeters between the seats, during a flight of 5 and 9 hours, is worth a lot. Plus good food, well .... alcohol from the bar. Although, this can surprise only those who fly with Aeroflot. In other companies, I heard that this business is free everywhere.

In Moscow, in Domodedovo, who does not want to drag clothes with them, there is a left-luggage office for things. But we had light down jackets, which we put in suitcases, warm clothes there, changed into summer clothes and went to the landing.

In the course of the story, I would like to give some advice to those who are going on a trip to Cape Town and beyond. I hope they help you.

On the Emirates website, very welcome for a long time you can reserve your seat. And any. But for a fee. Within 48 hours, ordinary seats become free, seats at emergency exit, double seats, in the Boeing 777, still remain paid. We ignored this service. On the Moscow-Dubai section, in a row of three seats, on the A-380, such a large two-story colossus, we got seats by the window and in the middle. There was a woman sitting in the aisle. I don’t know about you, but I don’t quite like the fact that I have to constantly ask to get up to go out. After takeoff, I got up, looked around and noticed three empty seats in the next cabin, right behind the two seats at the emergency exit. Moreover, the chair by the window had free space in front of it. This was just a place of increased comfort. I asked the steward if we could transfer there, and received an affirmative answer. I got into it, my wife settled down at the end of the aisle, sat sideways, stretched out and put her legs on my knees, leaned against the back of the chair and fell asleep. The day on the road affected. At night at 3 o'clock, we went by train from Apatit to Murmansk, at 7 am we were in Murmansk, at 10.30 we flew to Moscow at Sheremetyevo. We were already in Moscow at 13:00, and the flight to Dubai was at 23:50. During the flight, I quietly sipped gin.

A few hours later, my Galchonok woke up, seeing that behind our side and to the side through the passage an active life was going on, and she was missing this celebration of life.

Do not think that people behaved badly, as it is commonly believed that our compatriots can only get drunk on an airplane with free booze. No. Just talking, joking, laughing, People were going on vacation and they were in a good mood.

In the end, the wife asked for lunch, which had already passed by our row and the flight attendant girl brought it to us with a smile and, of course ....... Hennessy. What more could a queen want? There was no pure alcohol, and I did not dare to offer the queen vodka.

Back to Emirates. You can buy tickets cheaper, for example, with the Qatar airline, save a lot, not a few thousand 30 for two. But the travel time increases, almost 1.5 times in one direction. Lufthansa .... not much more expensive than Emirates, but .... as I recall, how I returned from Antarctica in 2012 and we flew from Rio to Frankfurt with Lufthansa, 12 hours, if I'm not mistaken, of a non-stop flight, squeezed by maximum between seats. And the total flight time for the Germans is also not so hot. Here we flew 5 hours to Dubai, 2 hours transfer, and 9 hours to Cape Town. Back, there were 4 hours of transfer, which was taken into account the visit. Duty free.

Previously, while still at home, I studied the Dubai airport very carefully. I learned that we are arriving at the 3rd terminal and departing from it. It pleased. But the scheme is a scheme, and when you see it with your own eyes, this is already different. Several times we approached the employees, I showed them boarding passes and asked where to go. We were sent in one direction, then, for some reason, back. It seemed like they didn't really understand. But this can't be, they're all local here! In the end, we were taken to a small minibus. I remember that we flew into the 3rd terminal and we fly away from it, and then we have to go somewhere else. Moreover, as soon as we sat down, the bus immediately started moving, as if they were just waiting for us. A scheme immediately popped up in my head that all the terminals were at a distance from each other. Is there a mistake here. Luckily for us, two of our compatriots rode in the mikrik. Upon learning that we were for the first time, they reassured us and said that we were going to the right place. I believed, but still the anxiety did not let go. Maybe because it was night, darkness and nothing was visible outside the window.

Two meet:

Who are you most afraid of

Dentists and darkness"

Let's say dentists are understandable, but why the darkness?

Who knows how many of them are there in the dark of dentists

Despite the fact that we got off at the third terminal, we were circled by bus for another 10 minutes and brought to the third terminal. I don’t know what to say about this, apparently the airport workers know better how to deliver transit passengers .. At least we ended up where we needed to be, and this pleased us.

This time we were in no hurry, and decided to wait until the end of the landing. A five-hour flight from Moscow did not bring much rest. Still, sleeping lying down is more comfortable, and more physiological. When I was the last to board the plane, I turned to the steward with a prearranged phrase. No, it was not, "Monsieur is not mange pa sis jour" and I was not Kisa Vorobyaninov, and therefore my request was that we had too long a way and there would not be two rows of four empty seats in the cabin where we we can lie down and sleep. The steward turned on the monitor and suggested that we go to the row where there were 4 empty seats, and opposite 3. After takeoff, I stretched out to my full height, Galchonok, also lay down on three chairs, curled up like a kitten, and we fell asleep. The flight was almost 9 hours. Cape Town was ahead of us.

To be continued......

Cape Town is an amazing, distant, exotic city, which is the capital of South Africa. It is located at the very end of Africa, the next object is Antarctica. Cape Town is the second largest city in the country with a population of 3.5 million. He is probably known to every person, although the well-known song "In the Cape Town port, with a hole in the board." Every year tourism in this city develops, and more and more people want to visit Cape Town.

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cape town wikipedia- a city that is famous for many attractions. Table Mountain is called the brightest and most famous. There are many other unique objects in Cape Town. In particular, these are the oldest buildings in South Africa, the Cape Town stadium, which hosted the noisiest World Cup in 2010, as well as a huge aquarium, considered the largest in the southern hemisphere.

No less interesting is how the capital of South Africa, Cape Town, developed. Initially, it was just a transit point so that Dutch sailors could rest while traveling from Europe to the eastern countries. This purpose of the city was preserved for two long centuries, until the Suez Canal was opened in 1869. Interestingly, the city itself was founded back in 1652 on the initiative of the colonists, led by Jan van Riebeeck. Today, Cape Town is the largest city in the country, considered the most popular among tourists.

History of Cape Town

Before looking for where Cape Town is located on the world map, you should familiarize yourself with the historical information of its formation. The earliest finds in this area date back over 12,000 years ago. However, this time in Cape Town is considered practically unexplored. The known story has just begun in 1486 from the first written evidence. It was then that Bartolomeu Dias first arrived at the Cape of Good Hope.

Some time later, namely in 1497, the same soap rounded Vasco da Gama. However, regular contacts with Europeans began to be maintained only from 1662, when Riebeck arrived in Cape Town. She worked for the East India Company in Holland, and his visit to the city was to provide a full stop for European ships. At that time, the Hottentots and the Xhosa lived here.

Initially, Cape Town grew very slowly. The main reason was the lack of workers. For this purpose, slaves were brought to Cape Town from Madagascar and. Many of them became full-fledged participants in colonial society, taking local women as wives. Due to the mixture of Europeans, Indonesians and local people different ethnic groups emerged s - "colored".

Until the events of 1795, the city was under the rule of Holland. However, the Battle of Meisenberg disrupted the measured rhythm of life in Cape Town. Until 1814 the city passed from Holland to the British Empire, in the colony of which he subsequently remained. The British Empire created the Cape Colony with Cape Town as its capital.

In 1869 began here Golden fever after the discovery of diamond deposits. As a result, immigrants flowed into the city en masse. This later became one of the causes of the Anglo-Boer War. The winner was the British Empire, which further consolidated control of the city and expanded gold and diamond mining. In 1910 they created the Union of South Africa, and in 1961 - the Republic of South Africa. Cape Town retained its position as the capital.

Where is Cape Town located?

Those who plan to visit a distant African city are interested in its position. It is located in the northern part of the Cape Peninsula, being at the same time extreme point. The main relief is Table Mountain with sheer cliffs, including Lion's Head and Devil's Peak. Often there is a "tablecloth" over the mountain, which is a thin cloud. Accurate geographical coordinates Cape Town:

• 33° 55' 33" (33° 55' 55) south latitude;
• 18° 25' 23" (18° 25' 39) East.

Peninsula itself has a mountain range on the map. It has over 700 peaks with a height of more than 300 meters each. The peninsula and the mainland are connected by the Cape Flats, which also contains numerous urban suburbs. The main landscape of the plain is sandy soils, as previously these were shoals.

Climate in Cape Town

Cape Town climate is a separate topic for those who plan own journey to the northern point of Africa. Here prevails subtropical mediterranean climate. The best time to visit the city is in autumn and spring time - October, November, May and April. In summer it is quite hot here, as the temperature does not fall below 25 degrees. The winter period in Cape Town is considered the rainiest and coldest, when the temperature at night reaches +5 degrees.

What to see in Cape Town?

Cape Town attractions are ready to offer a wide variety. Main remains table mountain, which majestically rises above the city. This name was given to her because of the steep slopes. The height of the mountain reaches 1087 meters. If you wish, you can climb to its top using the cable car.

Another significant attraction of Cape Town, South Africa - castle of good hope. This is a defensive building, which was erected by the first settlers. In 1936 it turned into a museum and today it is ready to receive visitors. You can also visit the following objects in Cape Town:

Cape Town is an unusual city that strikes with its exoticism at first sight. Interestingly, it even has its own winery. The cellars of the Vaughan Johnson Way Shop contain over 500 brands of wines made in South Africa. It is also worth taking a ride along the Wine Route. In this city, every traveler will find something to his liking that will interest him and make him fall in love with the city.

Sights of Cape Town