Table Mountain
Table Mountain is quite a recognizable landmark in South Africa. It is the calling card of Cape Town and is featured on the city’s flag. From Cape Town itself, you should head southwest to the mountain and it’s impossible to get lost here. The mountain overhangs the city and is impressive in its size.
Video: Table Mountain
” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen>History and Legends
People have been living in the Table Mountain area for 600,000 years. This, by the way, is confirmed by archaeological finds. In particular, tools of primitive man were found here more than once. So the local population has long admired this unusual mountain. There is even a legend about why it looks so strange. It is believed that God, after creating the earth, began to admire it, and he wanted to touch it. God touched the earth where Table Mountain is now and because of his touch, the mountain became flat.
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The first European to see the mountain near Cape Town was a Portuguese. His name was Antônio de Saldanha. He arrived in the area in 1503. He was amazed by the extraordinary mountain and came up with a name for it. He named the mountain “Table” because of its shape, which was flat and very much resembled a table. In addition, when clouds descend on the mountain, enveloping it and sometimes descending down, it gives the impression that the table is covered with a snow-white tablecloth. This gives Table Mountain even more charm.
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Stolovaya Mountain gave its name to other mountains that had plateau-like peaks just like it. In addition to this Table Mountain even became a constellation. Nicolay Louis de Lacaillem conducted astronomical observations near the mountain, and when he discovered a new constellation, he proposed to name it after the mountain, only in French. This was back in 1756, but the name did not see the world until 1763. But in the world, the constellation is better known as “Mensa”. The constellation contains 24 stars. The stars are not very bright and are only visible in the Southern Hemisphere.
.It is also believed that Table Mountain is a strong energy center. Moreover, this mountain is much stronger than the pyramids at Giza, because unlike them is not man-made. In general, the Table Mountain invariably attracts public attention. It has even been named one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.
.What to see
Of course, people climb Table Mountain to see the magnificent views and enjoy nature. Its height is 1,085 meters and its flat top stretches for 3 kilometers. Climbing the mountain is quite difficult, so you need to have a certain physical preparation. The routes are quite safe, but tourists are recommended to go to the top together with a group and a guide. On the way you can admire nature, see several small waterfalls, colorful lizards, bright birds. Be prepared for unexpected rains that can start any minute in this place.
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If the 4-hour climb is not for you, you can take the funicular. The almost vertical cable car takes 2 minutes to get to the top. At the same time, you can look around 360 degrees and see the panoramic view right from the cable car cabin. However, it is also worth remembering that the queue for the cable car is very large. You can stand in it for about an hour, and the fare is 10 euros. The cable car is quite old. It first started carrying passengers in 1929 and the last reconstruction was in 1997.
.At the top you will see unique plants that grow nowhere else in the world. Table Mountain’s rare plant and animal species are protected. Silver tree, unique orchids, and fainbos grow here. The latter is a fire-prone shrub that often causes fires to break out on Table Mountain. You can talk about the magnificent view of Table Mountain for hours, because it is its main attraction, but, nevertheless, it is better to see once than to read a thousand articles..
There’s also a chance to see grisbok antelopes, baboons and damans – something between a giant guinea pig and a rabbit. Oddly enough, these funny little creatures are elephants’ closest relatives.
Table Mountain is a remarkable geological formation, a jewel in the crown of Cape Town, a famous cosmopolitan city in southwestern Africa..
