Cape Town and the Flying Dutchman
In Cape Town, car rentals are an important part of any itinerary for the savvy traveler. There is so much to see and do in this area, mobility is a commodity that will make a world of difference. Considered to be one of the more beautiful places on earth, Cape Town is a gold mine of rich urban pleasures and splendid natural delights. There are beaches and galleries and a night life that is very hard to beat, anywhere at any time. There are also enormous cultural and historical places that speak of monumental changes, such as Robben Island, where the famous world leader Nelson Mandela was once held prisoner.
There are also a number of wonderful spooky places worth investigating here. The famous Flying Dutchman is possibly the most memorable poltergeist. The Flying Dutchman is actually the name of the 17th century shipwrecked vessel, and does not refer to the person, as is sometimes popularly reported. The captain’s name is Henrick van der Decken, and according to some versions, he saw the ship about to crash against the rocks on the southern end of the African continent, and vowed to sail around the world forever. In other versions, he fought a man for mutiny, and when he threw him overboard, the man vowed that the captain would be lost at sea forever. Whichever version is true, it has made for some incredible fictions and tall tales, and plain fun stories to tell.
The phantom ship has had several very famous sightings since its first wreck in 1641. It has been seen by the British Navy, by German submarines in World War II, and of course, there are many seafarers based in South Africa who report seeing the Flying Dutchman. It is often considered a bad omen to see the vessel, and the sighting portends some kind of tragedy or disaster on the way. Usually the ship is described as being lit by red, spectral lighting, from a distance, as lit up from within. It is also said that when ships at sea have sighted the Flying Dutchman, that the ghosts on board try to send messages to people the ghosts believe are still living, but of course are long gone.
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