In December of last year, I posted a short piece on this blog entitled ‘Of Mice and Men’.  In it, I’d described how I was able to successfully manage a portfolio at work – Rewards & Recognition – in which I had no prior experience.  The most significant deliverable within it was the planning and execution of an International event for a distinguished group of about 100 key employees and partners, in Thailand.

The second such event, and my last one for some time to come, would be in South Africa.  It was to be my last project in that role, for soon I was to move to a new assignment.  And, this time, every little aspect of it assumed a larger magnitude – the attendees were more in number and even more distinguished, the duration was longer and the itinerary more grandiose, and I’d never been to the destination before so couldn’t know just what to expect.

For a good part of the past two months or so, I have been toiling away at the details of the event, attending to the thousand and one things that come up in any such tour.  In retrospect, I don’t think any thing could have prepared me adequately for the breathtaking experience that lay in store for me!

I am happy to report that the event went off successfully, and that general feedback was that people had the time of their lives.  Of course, the feather in the cap was nothing in the planned itinerary, but Cape Town itself!

Often described as a place where ‘Two Oceans and Many Cultures meet’, Cape Town is endowed with natural beauty unlike any other. I can write endlessly on the simplest, most beautiful, experiences of my time in Cape Town.  Here are just a few glimpses :

Cape Town boasts of a buzzing commercial harbour, and the very well-developed Victoria & Alfred Waterfront – the hub of activity for shoppers and loafers alike.  The elegantly-designed Table Bay Hotel, where we were put up, is linked directly to the famous Victoria Mall by an internal escalator!

A short ride to the top of Signal Hill offered me a bird’s eye view of Robben Island – the island prison where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for over 18 years.  While, the cable-car ride to the top of Table Bay mountain was an experience in itself.

After sampling some ostrich meat at Moyo’s we also made a trip to the wineyards of Spier and Blauwklippen – a journey that transported us to a completely different world.  I also made the acquaintance of some South African penguins at Boulder Beach – known to be one of only 3 colonies anywhere in the world.

Finally, on our way to Cape Point, we drove past tall mountains overlooking the Atlantic and met some seals at Hout Bay.  En route, we also passed quaint little towns like Fish Hoek, not to mention lush, green, golf courses by the sea side!  Of course, I thoroughly enjoyed taking the funicular to the lighthouse for a stunning view of that world renowned landmark – the Cape of Good Hope.

By the end of the week, I was wishing the dream would never end!