Part 7 -- Driving in South Africa

Driving in the Western Cape was a pleasure -- the highways are
well-designed and fast. We rented a little Corsa Lite 1.4 from
Alamo/National and it served us well for 15 days. The total cost was
$310 USD (R1800) which is quite reasonable. (When I cite dollar costs
below, just multiply by six to approximate the South African Rand
cost.) We have dealt with Alamo for many years in many countries, with
very good results and recommend them. They are honest and reliable, in
our experience (rare traits in the rental car world).

We use American Express Card insurance with rental cars - which covers
all risks except third-party liability for a flat $25 per rental.
Normally we buy an additional liability rider for a small extra cost
but, curiously, one apparently can't buy liability coverage for a
rental car in South Africa. When I asked why not, the agent ominously
said that they couldn't anticipate what or who I might run into.
Happily, we didn't have any accidents during our wanderings.

Driving a car with the steering wheel on the right side takes a little
getting used to, along with changing gears with one's left hand.
Getting in the correct lane also proved interesting a few times, and
right turns were a serious challenge. Many of the main roads in the
Cape Town area have a median divider, so just doing what other cars
did was fairly simple. But, even being a pedestrian can be risky for
those who are used to looking to the left before stepping off a curb.

Despite the fact that we were driving in the Cape Town area during the
busiest time of the year, traffic seemed light compared to most US
cities. The only slow-downs we encountered were near the beach town
centers in a couple of places and on the approach road to the Table
Mountain Cableway. Travel outside Cape Town fas fast and smooth on
excellent freeways.

South Africans seem obsessed about personal safety. We heard horror
stories, for instance, about auto theft, car hijackings, armed
robberies at car parks, and even bricks dropped through car
windshields on the N2 freeway from the airport (when the driver stops,
he gets robbed). But we saw no justification for this paranoia and had
no problems with our travels.

We studied the newspapers and watched SABC and E TV news, but
concluded that such events were extremely rare. But if one tried
really hard to get robbed by doing things like driving through bad
areas late at night, picking up hitchhikers, or wandering through
remote backcountry areas, it could be done. The usual admonitions are
to drive with windows rolled up and doors locked, and if involved in
an accident in a remote area (often staged, they say), don't stop --
get the others car's license number and then drive to a police
station. But we concluded that the real threat is overblown.

Driving into Cape Town is a wondrous experience. The natural setting
is one of the most beautiful in the world. Table Mountain often gets
lightly cloaked with the famed tablecloth and the city is lovely,
modern, and vibrant as it wraps around Table Bay. One can drive from
the airport directly to the V & A Waterfront underground parking
facility and have a sunset dinner on one of many superb restaurants.

They have guards at most all parking facilities in South Africa, and
the only place where my threat radar tripped was inside the Strand
Street parking garage in the central city (no visible guards, and a
handy fire exit stairwell to an alley). But there probably numerous
cameras there -- a common practice in downtown Cape Town.

For two weeks we drove around the Western Cape, and the only
difficulty was leaving after two weeks. In the next part I'll briefly
detail some of the places we visited in the Cape Town area.