The Bo-Kaap

The Cape Town by Foot tour, starts off at the clock tower in the V & A Waterfront and from here the first stop is the Bo-Kaap area.

The Bo-Kaap is known for its colourful houses and a rich cultural background.  The story goes that in the olden days the men of this area, used to travel down the street to the docks, where they would often get very drunk.  Obviously in this state it is hard to find your own home, thus the reason for all the vibrant colours.  It was so that they could recognize their own homes.

As time passed by and different communities moved into this area, they just kept up with the tradition of painting their homes in all these vibrant colours.  Today, the street are still layed out in cobblestones with the bright colours of the rainbow captured in all of the little houses.

 As part of the tour, you visit one of the oldest homes in this area which has been turned into a museum.  This museum captures the history of the different cultures that were brought into the Cape.  The whole museum is filled with the different metalwork and woodwork crafts that were used in the past.  The origin of the Kaapse Klopse is also captured here.  This culture originated on the 1st of January, when the slaves would have their 1 day of freedom.  On this day they would dress up in bright colours and it actually started out as a mockery of their masters.  Today, this day is a celebration of the new year and it has turned into a huge festival that is very much a part of the Cape Malay culture, and the culture of Cape Town at large.

  After this visit, you walk up to the Biesmiellah restaurant to taste some of the original foods made by the Cape Malay people.  There is a wide variety of choices but on this visit, we tasted the milk tarts.  It is a kind of pudding, with a custard texture, sweet and topped off with a hint of cinnamon.

This then ends the first part of the tour in the Bo-Kaap.  Next up, is our walk along Long street and a visit to all the fascinating places that lines this street.