Happy Kriti with her picks of samosas.
Oh, Cape Town.
This city had it all — mountains to climb, beaches to spend days on end relaxing on, craft villages to haggle for (hopefully, but probably not) low prices on souvenirs, and even markets to explore.
People who follow any one of us on Facebook or Instagram have probably seen at least three out of the four of those displayed proudly on social media, but I wanted to take this last “in-country” blog post to go into depth on the last one and indulge in some of our more touristy moments. The Evanston Farmers Market has a lot to work towards after experiencing all that Cape Town has to offer.
V&A Food Market
One of our later discoveries, but still a good time. Here, you’ll enjoy some artisan (read: hipstery, but so hipster that it denies being hipster) foods from around the world. Some in our group picked up some Chinese food after craving this since we did not have much access to Chinese food in Stellenbosch. A lot of us took advantage of this amazing spread of samosas — making our vegetarians on the trip particularly happy. And most importantly: MEXICAN FOOD. Good ol’ burritos. We had never seen any sort of Mexican food until this moment and we counted our blessings. (I’m also technically allowed to talk about the honey liquor in chocolate cups that we had, but we already mentioned wine, so why not?)
Greg, Kaley, and I being generous with our bubble tea and sharing it with Desmond, F.W., and Nelson on the V&A Waterfront just outside the Food Market.
Eastern Food Bazaar
Though we struggled to find this little gem for a while, we ended up coming here twice during our time in South Africa. Amazing cheap for the quality and amount of food you get. Falafel lovers will rejoice, and you will find anything from hummus plates to Indian curry and tandoori. The real winner was quite likely Kriti’s bunny chow — something distinctly unique to South Africa. Originating from Durban (a city we unfortunately never had a chance to visit), bunny chow is essentially a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with curry. And it was SO good. My only regret is not buying one to call my own.
Iheoma and I having a divine belgium waffle with ice cream and other toppings I cannot remember because my taste senses overwhelmed everything else.
Old Biscuit Mill
Last but not least, the ever popular Old Biscuit Mill. Super crowded every time we went, but rightfully so. Bring lots of rand with you to enjoy some of the craftiest chocolates, drinks, sandwiches, fresh juices, jalapeño poppers, paella, coconuts to drink from… The list is endless and so creative. It was a little overwhelming to navigate the huge crowds that filled every block of Old Biscuit Mill, but sticking together helps a lot. There was also live music and a ton of stores on the other side for those wanting to stuff their closets and not their stomaches.
But watch your cellphones, friends! Mine was pick-pocketed in the middle of a heavy tourist crowd… I remember it all too vividly. Keep your belongings safe and in a bag that zips closed, please.