botanic garden

Archive for the ‘national botanic gardens’ Category

Bo Kaap is one of Cape Town’s oldest residential areas, home to many of the descendants of the Dutch imported slaves and full of 19th century Dutch architecture. Sign up for a walking tour of the area and explore the many alleyways of the Muslim quarter as well as the Bo Kaap Museum.

Since the Dutch colonization in the mid 1600s, Robben Island has been used as a leper colony, hospital and wartime defence station but it is probably best known as the prison where Nelson Mandela spent almost 20 years. Nowadays, the Robben Island Museum is open to visitors who want to learn more about the island’s history and the abolition of Apartheid in South Africa.

The South Africa Museum and Planetarium is a great family excursion with a unique collection of whale skeletons, giant squid and “Shark World”. There are social and natural history exhibits including the fossilised skeletons of long-extinct reptiles that ruled the land some 50 million years before the dinosaurs.

Telkom Exploratorium is an interactive telecommunications discovery centre which takes the visitor from early communication techniques such as smoke signals through to modern day technologies such as virtual reality

Situated in the heart of Cape Town’s working harbour, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is an outstanding regeneration project which offers a variety of shopping, dining and entertainment choices as well as lively street performers and events. Attractions here include a variety of sea excursions and boat charters, the BMW Pavillion (with all the latest models), Mineral World and the passenger terminal for the RobbenIsland ferry alongside the “Nelson Mandela Entry to Robben Island Museum”. Also here is the Two Oceans Aquarium which offers visitors the opportunity to get a closer look at the marine life from both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Here you can visit a penguin colony, find Nemo, explore a Kelp forest and dive with predators such as sharks.

The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest building in South Africa, built by the Dutch East India Company in the 1660s to protect their interests against the British. Declared a national monument in 1936, restoration has been a continuous process and the fortification now houses a military museum and visitors can enjoy guided tours of the torture rooms, forge, bakery and banquet hall.

The impressive Table Mountain must be one of the world’s best known sights and a trip to the top is an essential part of any visit to Cape Town. A cable car was opened in 1929 and has since taken over 16 million visitors to the top of the mountain. The revolving cable car usually leaves every 5 to 10 minutes, the 10 minute journey offering visitors a unique, panoramic view of the city. At the top you will find a restaurant, guided walks and a choice of short trails. Opening hours vary by season and the weather can affect operations so it is always best to check before you leave. Look out for the dassies (rock hyrax) at the top. Although they resemble a rodent, I have been told they are anatomically related to the elephant!

Founded in 1913 and covering 528 hectares on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens grow and display a wide variety of indigenous South African plants. September and October are the most colourful months to visit whilst the arrival of the South African summer in December heralds the flowering of the Cape Chestnut and striking Lampranthus. Other seasonal highlights include impressive floral displays of agapanthus and lilies or the bright berries of the Transvaal Hard Pear Tree. There are many scenic walks around the gardens, some suitable for prams, children and the blind (with a range or aromatic and textured plants). There are also exhibitions, seasonal events, picnic spots and themed walks. The open air concerts held here in the summer are extremely popular. However, women are asked not to venture alone on the quieter paths of the upper slopes.

If it’s thrills you’re after, a visit to the Ratanga Junction theme park may be called for. With more than 30 attractions ranging from the white knuckle “Cobra” ride to the more gentle “Crocodile Swamp” for the under 3s, there is plenty here to amuse the whole family. The park is open throughout the summer with selected winter opening dates in November, December and January.

Cape Town is surrounded by beaches. One of the most famous is Boulders Beach, approximately 25 miles south of Cape Town. Its sandy beaches, small coves and calmer waters make this beach popular with families but many people come simply to see the resident African Penguin colony. It is often best to go early in the day when there is still some shade offered by the surrounding granite boulders and the beach is less crowded.

Table Mountain National Park is situated along the Southwestern tip of Africa. The park begins at scenic Signal Hill and stretches all the way down to Cape Point, covering a distance of approximately 60 km. The Park comprises part of the Cape Floristic Region World Heritage Site. From an aerial view, Table Mountain National Park resembles a narrow finger, featuring a variety of spectacular beaches, bays and valleys. The Park is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and False Bay on the east. Two of the most beautiful landmarks in the country can be found inside the park, the Cape of Good Hope and Table Mountain.

Table Mountain Park is unique in that visitors will not be able to find such a vibrant bio-diversity or fabulous beauty anywhere else in the world, particularly in an area that is largely metropolitan and includes the sophisticated city of Cape Town.

Visitors can enjoy gorgeous natural beauty during a variety of scenic drives throughout the park, including Chapman’s Peak Drive, Boyes Drive, Victoria Road, the path from Simon’s Town to Smitswinkel Bay and the drive that runs from Kommetjie to Scarborough. Be sure to bring a packed lunch along with you because you will find plenty of opportunities to stop and have a picnic. Some of the most popular spots include The Glen, Signal Hill lookout, Kirtenbosch Botanical Gardens, Newlands Forest, Constantia Nek, Miller’s Point and Buffels Bay.

Technically, there are not any accommodation options operated by the park within the park; however, you will find a variety of different accommodations which are privately operated near the edge of the metropolitan area around Cape Town.

Once you have arrived in the area, there are a variety of different outdoor activities from which to choose. If you are looking for an adventure of a lifetime, you might consider taking the 3-day Hoerikwaggo Table Mountain Trail tour. This tour is comprised of a three day, guided hiking experience that bridges the cultural history of the Cape Town area with the national heritage that is associated with Table Mountain.

Other activities include mountain biking, mountain climbing, hiking trails, hang gliding and paragliding. Inside the park a number of mountain biking trails are in operation along with several climbing routes that have been approved. Hang gliding and paragliding sites are located at Silvermine and Lion’s Head. If water based activities are more to your liking, there are also numerous reefs and beaches that encircle the Peninsula, offering the opportunity to surf year around. Excellent snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities can also be enjoyed in the clear waters as well. For something a bit more relaxing, consider one of the many tidal swimming pools located around Buffels Bay, Bordjiesrif and Oudekraal. Angling is a popular activity in the area as well, although you should be aware that area and seasonal restrictions dictate where and which types of marine life may be caught. You can find out more about local restrictions as well as other activities in the area by visiting one of the information centres located at Table Mountain cableway station, Boulders or Silvermine.

Everyone has heard of penicillin. This substance has been known as a wonder drug ever since it burst on the scene and continues to hold this title. This astonishing feat could make anyone marvel at just how effective penicillin is. Here are 5 reasons why penicillin is still the greatest medical discovery in history.
The First Antibiotic
Penicillin is the greatest medical discovery in history because it was the first antibiotic. This was when people first realized that infections could be treated using a substance gleaned from mold. While infections had previously been an almost certain death sentence, now they could be treated easily in most cases. Penicillin will always be able to lay claim to the fact that it was the first antibiotic.
A Building Block For More Antibiotics
Penicillin was a starting point for a great many more antibiotics to be developed. If a patient is allergic to penicillin or if penicillin is unable to treat a certain infection then other antibiotics can be used in its place. These other antibiotics exist because penicillin was the building block for their development. Again, penicillin was crucial to the treatment of infections, even infections that could not be treated by penicillin directly.
Still In Use Today
The fact that penicillin and its medical applications were discovered so long ago and gained widespread use is interesting enough but the amazing part is that penicillin is still so widely used today. You would think that penicillin would have been completely replaced at some point since it was discovered back in 1928 but this is not the case. Prescriptions for penicillin are still commonplace and, as you are about to learn, highly effective.
Treats Many Strains Of Bacteria
Penicillin still effectively treats an impressive number of bacteria strains today. The worry with antibiotics is always that their widespread usage will lead to strains of bacteria that will be resistant to these antibiotics. It is astonishing that penicillin has been around and has been in use for so long and is still able to treat the massive amount of bacteria strains that it can. Many types of bacteria are more resistant to penicillin but there are still so many that are not. This is another reason why penicillin is still the greatest medical discovery in history.
Few Side Effects
Anyone who has seen commercials for prescription medications or who has read drug information lately knows that most medication comes with an extensive list of possible side effects. One more reason why penicillin is so great is that it usually has few side effects. Overall, people tolerate penicillin well and it does it job without any trouble. Even modern medications often carry with them more side effects than you are likely to find with penicillin.
These are 5 reasons why penicillin is still the greatest medical discovery in history. It is positively mind boggling that a medication developed so long ago is still such a force in modern medicine. But penicillin does it and that makes it the greatest.
Mary Ward blogs about obtaining an X ray tech degree.