Yesterday was action-packed, and today was all business. Let me fill you in on what I’ve been doing.

First off, if you’re coming to South Africa, you must see Cape Town. In fact, unless you’re coming for business and have to see Johannesburg, fly into Cape Town. There are even direct flights from Atlanta. Not that there aren’t things to do in Jo’burg. Its proximity to some game reserves, like Kruger and Pilanesburg make it a good stopping off point.

But Cape Town…

My attraction was instant. I’m a sucker for mountains, and if you put mountains by the ocean, you’ve got me hook, line, and sinker. Driving into Cape Town from the airport, Roger, my driver let me film part of the route.

As Table Mountain grew in the distance, I kept switching between the video camera and the digital camera, and then just looking in awe as we came around the bend to see the Waterfront with a live Jazz stage at full tilt.

It was the tail end of the city’s annual Jazz Festival… and I’d missed it. Not to worry, my tour of Cape Town more than made up for it, with the creme de la creme being the top of Table Mountain.

But let me back up. My hotel, the Protea Hotel President is situated in the residential area called Bantry Bay. It’s just after the city and just before Camps Bay, the city’s best beach. A good location. Quiet, and a bit removed from the hectic city, but easy to get to and from…

In fact, I picked up a double-decker topless tour bus just around the corner from The President. I’d bought a tour on the popular Red Route when I booked my room. I made my way to the top deck and took out my video camera. It was about 10:30 in the morning and the sky was nice and clear, offering spectacular views of Table Mountain and the Lion’s Head.

The bus wove its way through the touristy Waterfront and then into the heart of the city.

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And I don’t mean market bulls, either.

It’s been a rough couple days in Johannesburg, starting with my delayed flights that caused me to miss my Zurich Club chapter meeting put on by MoneyWeek SA. I was also supposed to have a round-table lunch engagement with the editors of MoneyWeek SA on Friday, but as it turns out, Friday was a school holiday and many of the editors had to leave early.

Something that should have been known before hand, I’m sure, but done is done.

And to top it all off, my rather rude “cab” ride to the airport got his bumber whacked as we were exiting. He said a few choice words and ran across several lanes of traffic to yell at the guys who hit him. It wasn’t bad, but it was his car, and the back taillight was damaged.

Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to get out of Jo’burg.

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I woke up fairly early this morning, considering my 21-hour, three-legged flight yesterday. I was still a little tired, but I was hungry, and my stomach won out, particularly since I remembered that I bought the breakfast buffet with my room stay at the Protea Hotel Balalaika.

Let me start throwing some numbers at you.

I booked two nights at this hotel for $73 a night, including the breakfast buffet. The coffee was outstanding by the way. Somewhat a cross between an espresso and a cafe americano. I was happy… I booked through Expedia, and I’m not sure if I just got a special, or if that was the regular going rate. I’m literally 200 meters from the Hilton, and a quarter mile from a large Radisson, both of which had rooms at more than triple the rate I got.

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Let me get the bad news out of the way first…

I missed out on my chance to go paragliding over the Andes here in wild Bariloche. There is currently only one operator in the city. The other is vacationing in Buenos Aires, so if I get a chance to find him there in a couple days, I’ll give him a piece of my mind.

Anyway, Federico, the sole operator, is booked solid today, and this is my only free day in the city. Tomorrow I catch a 24-hour bus to Buenos Aires at midday.

So while I didn’t get a chance to soar like the massive condors over the majestic mountains, I will get a chance to visit the Fabrica de Chocolate… Yes, the Chocolate Factory. This is not your run of the mill Willy Wonka movie. These guys are professionals. Trained in the Swiss style, the Bariloche residents know a thing or two about chocolate.

I may even try to grab a gift or two if it’ll keep. I may just eat it all.

I’m also gonna wander through the city center. This place is bigger than both Pucon and Puerto Varas put together, with about 100,000 residents year-round.

But it’s also home to a large number of back-packers, travelling through Patagonia hitting all the wild places they can.

With internet cafes nestled between hiking stores and pizzarias, the place is a back-packer’s dream…

And the scenery ain’t bad either. I’ve got some stunning pictures of the mountains and glorious wild flowers on my walk to the bus stop.

There are hostels and cabanas everywhere, and they’re building more by the dozen. Turns out “Se Vende” has crossed the border into Argentina, as well. I haven’t driven through too many agricultural areas for sale, but small plots to put a quaint hostel or restaurant are squeezed in every which way from Sunday.

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