Looking for a place to spend your next vacation? Be sure to add Cape Town on your bucket list. Cape Town is a port city on South Africa’s Southwest cost on a Peninsular beneath the Imposing Table Mountain.
Below are five facts about Cape Town that you would want to consider as you want to set out for your trip.

1. The world’s first heart transplant happened in Cape Town
   Capetonians will proudly tell you that their city was the site of the world’s first heart transplant. On December 3rd 1967, Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed a successful heart transplant on Louis Washkansky.
    
   Washkansky actually died of pneumonia 18 days later, but the procedure was still considered a successful one. For the 18 days between the operation and his death, he was conscious and able to speak, and his new heart beats independently of electrical stimulation.

Obviously, this was a huge medical advancement and Dr. Barnard became famous and as a matter of fact there’s even a hospital named after him in the Foreshore!

2. Cape Town has a young population
   Cape Town has a very youthful feel to it, which is probably because the median age is 29 years old. You definitely feel this when you are in the city.
3. Cape Town Has A Warm Weather Yet Its Water Is Cold
   Cape Town is renowned for its warm weather and beautiful beaches yet you often don’t see many people in the pretty waters. You may be wondering why this is so, well it is that simple; the water is really cold.

The average water temperature is about 15 degrees Celsius (59 Fahrenheit). Sometimes, it can be warmer but it can also get colder, too. On a really hot day, the cold water can be refreshing, but it’s rare that anyone manages to stay in the water for more than 5 minutes. 
This is because the Clifton and Camps Bay beaches, which are by far the most popular in the city, are on the Atlantic side.

4. There are Penguins in Cape Town
   Yes; there are penguins in Africa. Cape Town is home to an African penguin colony on Boulders Beach, which is about 40 kilometers south of the city center. The beach is covered in boardwalks so that you can get right up close to the birds without disturbing them. You might also spot some dassies, which look like giant guinea pigs but are actually the closest living relative of the elephant.

The beach is open from 8 am until 5 pm every day, and entry costs R160 for international adults or R80 for children. If you’re from South Africa (or a SADC country) you only need to pay R40.

5. Two oceans meet in Cape Town
   Rumors have it that the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet at Cape Point, but this isn’t quite true. They actually meet at Cape Agulhas, which is 223 kilometers away from Cape Town. 

However, it is true that you’ve got the Atlantic Ocean along the Atlantic Seaboard in Cape Town. This means when you’re gazing out at the sea at the Waterfront, Sea Point, Camps Bay, or Clifton, you’re looking at the Atlantic. But when you head to Boulders Beach, Kalk Bay, or Muizenberg you’re looking at the Indian Ocean. Be sure to have a wonderful time on your visit to the city of Cape Town.

By: Aminu Oluwasegun
info@thesubstancenews.com