I parked my car in the nearby undercover parking – nice and shady, and crossed the road by the taxi rank. Exchanging my voucher for a full day ticket, I hopped onto the waiting Red Route bus. They run every 15 minutes so there is never a long wait.

I decided to do the first trip on the top of the bus, so having taken two anti-inflammatory tablets earlier I fairly galloped up the stairs to the top deck and took a ‘window’ seat in the sun. I had time to unwind and plug in the natty red ear phones and jack, that are issued when you get your ticket, plunk my bag on the seat in front, get out my notebook, pen and camera and was all set as the bus slowly edged out into the road at 11.30 on a bright, sunny morning, with the recording suggesting that I just sit back and enjoy the tour – something I was only too happy to do.

My first impression was that the recording content had changed a bit since I last went, so that was good – it means the information does not get stale, and it was interspersed with odd bits of South African music. The beginning of the route had changed a bit too, due to development at the Waterfront, it being a constant work in progress, as well as a working harbour. There are a lot of stops on the Red Route, three of which are featured stops that visitors usually like to see – the District Six Museum, Castle of Good Hope and the Table Mountain Cable Way, but all of the stops have something special about them.

It was a lovely sunny day, although quite hot, but I had made sure I had suntan oil on and a sun visor, and in my case – since I was not intending to get off the bus, I wore long shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt to make the most of the sun. If you have not been in the sun for a while it is advisable to wear a longer sleeved T-shirt, as you can burn quite quickly in the sun and the wind. The commentary does advise you but it is a bit late by then. If you decide to wear a stylish chapeau, make sure it is fastened well, as a gust of wind can cause it to do a Mary Poppins without benefit of the formerly attached owner and there is no bell to stop the bus while you get off and gallop after it. I like sun visors because they shield the eyes and stay attached to the head.

As the bus headed away from the Waterfront and the rusty fishing boats being refurbished, away from a building used during the making of many an international and local advert, that unbelievably used to be the tallest building in Cape Town, I found myself facing ‘our mountain’ and it brought tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat. How can you not be impressed by her, standing as she does, sturdily planted there guarding the worshiping city that has grown at her feet? Once again I felt so lucky to be able to live here.

As the bus drove up towards The Mount Nelson I mulled over the time my friend Angela was here for a visit and she treated us to the famous afternoon tea there. We could not get over the seemingly bottomless trays of delicious comestibles; tiny sandwiches and quiches, cakes, biscuits etc., all made in the kitchens there. Mmm. Ah well, another time maybe. Time for a sandwich and a quick glug from my juice bottle!

I always find it interesting looking at The Castle as the bus goes past on the seaward side, trying to picture what it must have been like with a rough sea bashing up against those hulking and dark, solid stone walls, especially if you were on duty on the battlements during a storm. Sitting on the bus in the sun looking at it from a modern tourist’s point of view, I found it hard to picture the fact that up until the 1950s the route the bus trundles along to the Castle was under water and that there was a beach at Woodstock. I suppose that with climate change the sea might well decide to claim back its own and the seas may again thrash themselves against this battlement. In fact when the bus first leaves the Waterfront it quietly makes its way along what is known as The Foreshore, which was under the sea until around 1947. Unlike other buildings I would imagine the Castle will still be standing in a couple of hundred year’s time.

Buy your tickets here:

• Online at www.citysightseeing.co.za
Adults R110 (offline price R140), Kids (5-15 years) R70, Kids under 5 free.

• On the bus

• At out Ticket Office, outside the Two Oceans Aquarium: Bus Stop 1

Hi, I’m Corinna Turner. Cape Town and environs are so beautiful and varied, and have so much to offer. By going places and writing about them I feel I can share a little bit with those who are not fortunate enough to live here. More importantly I feel that there is a lot that local people don’t know about their city and environs. Cape Town City Sightseeing tours are one of the things that many Capetonians have not thought to try out, and I would like to change that. I am also known as Cape Winds Virtual Services you can find out more at www.capewindsvirtual.weebly.com