As we exited the aquarium, it still felt a bit dizzy but the experience was one that would forever be etched in our memories. Situated on the Devil’s Peak, the Rhodes Memorial Cape Town has been constructed on the lower slopes of the peak to commemorate the works and contributions of the politician of English origin, Cecil John Rhodes. He had been a part of South African politics between a period of 1853 and 1902. The man in question has been the champion of a colonial Africa and this memorial of his stood on his property in the Table Mountains.

The design of the Memorial had been entrusted to Sir Herbert Baker who made the memorial with the Greek styles of architecture. Interestingly, the 49 steps of the Memorial in question, each are dedicated to that many years of his life. Formed of supportive pillars, the memorial has been constructed of granite which supposedly has been quarried in the mountain itself. Standing imposingly at the foot of the steps is the bronze statue called Energy depicting a horseman which was created by George Frederic Watts. As a part of the Table Mountain National Park, the Memorial had been ready for tourists by 1912 and also serves as a fantastic picnic spot for people locally. It also is home to the native trees called Silver Tree which grows here independently.

Most tourists also begin their treks from here at the Rhodes Memorial Cape Town and enjoy the sport under professional guidance from this point onwards. For me, the visual treats are the eight lions built by John Macallan Swan flanking the steps to the Memorial which too are made of bronze. One could also access the game enclosure below the memorial where there were native animals kept but it was getting dark; the sun threatened to shut the day down and we caved in, making our way back to our abode. While descending the mountain, the scene felt ethereal like some postcard image and I took several pictures hoping to have some lovely images that I would forever keep with me as a testimony for this beautiful place.